One of the things I love about our church is its generosity! We see it in so many ways – our people’s consistent generous giving, all of our Outreach, Giving Campaigns over the years, special offerings (VBS, Christmas), Food Bank, Clothing, Operation Christmas Child, Peru, and just ALL the stuff and resources we give away (too many to name). One of the ways that generosity is displayed is through our relationship with Oakland Elementary School. It is a beautiful, special relationship that has been forged over 19 years of serving, giving, and loving. Just in the last 2 weeks alone we hosted their Fun Run (for the entire school) on our campus, had almost 30 volunteers go through a Training to become Reading Partners at the school, provided clothes for a child in need, and gave earbuds/headphones to an entire grade level.
Well, one of the things that has become a yearly tradition for us is our Oakland Elementary School Teacher Wishlist Tree/Tags. The Tree and Tags (pictured above) are located in the Welcome Center in front of the auditorium. Each tag represents a need in a classroom (paper, pens, notebooks, markers, wipes, snacks, etc. – nothing too expensive). And if you know Teachers, you know they are notorious for taking care of the needs themselves, making do, or even worse, going without. We don’t want to let that happen! And this is what I also know about Teachers: they are so overwhelmed with joyful gratitude for the small act of kindness. So, pick up aTag or Tags in the lobby this Sunday, purchase the items, and return them (tagged, but not wrapped) by Sunday, November 19th. We will distribute the items as they come in. If you have any questions about your items, contact Rachel Speer. Oh, we are also collecting bags of candy for their Trunk or Treat! You can drop off the bags of candy between now and Sunday, October 22nd. Their Trunk or Treat is at the school on Thursday, October 26th, 5pm-7pm, and is open to the community.
One last thing – don’t miss this Sunday! It’s going to be a special day in the life of our church. We will be officially recognizing and setting apart 4 new Elders at Coastal: Chris Ranew, Dustin Speer, Ricky Spell, and Scott Whitaker. Feel free to reach out to these guys and give them some encouragement!
I love you Coastal and I love your generous hearts! I love being your Pastor! And I love sharing and experiencing the LIFE & LOVE of Jesus with you, here in Charleston and around the world!
LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Lowcountry Orphan Relief: Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal will be serving there today, Friday, October 13th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
Ronald McDonald House On the Go Meal Kits: Today, Friday, October 13th, 6:30-7:30pm, we will be packing “On the Go Meal/Snack Bags” for the residents of the Ronald McDonald House. Meet at Coastal.
Double Tailgate Day: Charleston Vets & Joseph Floyd Manor: Tomorrow, Saturday, October 14th, 10am-1pm. Meet at the church and then pick which Tailgate you’d like to serve.
Hope Center Tailgate: The Hope Center, managed by the city of Charleston, serves as a one-stop shop in downtown Charleston to assist those who are homeless or who are at-risk of being homeless. We’re sending a Tailgate Team to serve dinner to anyone who is hungry. We meet at Coastal on Tuesday, October 17th, 12pm-3pm.
VA Hospitality Project: This team serves at the VA Hospital in Charleston by providing a hospitality cart, greeting incoming patients and employees, visiting patients, and helping Volunteer Services with small sorting projects. Wednesday, October 18th, 8:30am-12pm. Meet at Coastal.
Patriot Villas Veterans Tailgate & Game Night: We will be putting on a Tailgate for the Veterans at Patriot Villas on Thursday, October 19th, 6-8pm. Meet at Coastal.
As always, if you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday or sign up now on our website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. - Operation Christmas Child (OCC) – sharing the love of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel through gifts & supplies in a simple shoebox for children in troubled countries/areas all around the world! We are asking our church (YOU) to simply pray and ask God how many shoeboxes He wants you to fill, take home the shoeboxes we provide, pack them as a family, and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 12th. Our kiosk in the Welcome Center will be filled with the remaining shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday (until they’re gone). There will be an insert in the bulletin this Sunday with suggested items to fill the box. We only have 290 boxes remaining out of the 1000! Way to go Coastal!
- Mark your calendar for our next Coastal Night of Worship – Wednesday night, November 8th, 6:30-8pm! Invite your friends and family to join us for a night of prayer, worship, and encouragement. RSVP now for childcare (birth-kindergarten) on your Connect Card.
- Attention Coastal! On Saturday, November 4th, 8:30am-1:30pm (during Saturday Serve, our church is hosting a Blood Drive! The Blood Connection mobile truck will be in our parking lot. Check out the insert in your bulletin on Sunday and use the QR Code to schedule an appointment! Let’s help our community!
- Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Thursday, October 19th, 6-9pm in the Chapel. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday. Dinner & childcare provided!
P.S. We could still use some Small Group Leaders & Host Homes for the Coastal Student Ministry Conference that we’re hosting the weekend of October 27th-29th. This truly is an opportunity to make an eternal impact in the lives of the next generation for Jesus! I am trusting and believing that you will respond! If you have any questions, if you would be interested in being a Host Home, or if you would be willing to be a Small Group Leader, please reach out to Pastor Jacob at jacob@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
