I hope you’re enjoying reading through the Bible this year with your Coastal family. Part of today’s reading was from Psalm 84. Listen to these beautiful words again,
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
And then in vs. 10,
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Do you hear the longing to be in the presence of God, worshipping Him in His house? “How lovely is your dwelling place. . . My soul yearns for the courts of the Lord. . . Blessed are those who dwell in your house. . . Better is one day in your courts.” Now obviously God doesn’t live in a Temple anymore built by human hands, or even a church building for that matter. He is everywhere, and specifically He dwells in the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit. However, there is something powerful when believers gather together as the church to worship Him. Do you have that same desire and yearning to be in God’s presence, with God’s people, to worship Him? I hope you do. And I hope you can’t wait for Sunday each week as we gather together for worship! I hope you come with joy and anticipation! I love you Coastal, I love being your Pastor, and I love what we get to do together! And I can’t wait to see you Sunday!
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, Friday (TODAY), October 14th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
Family Serve Night: On Friday night (TONIGHT), October 14th, at 6pm come and help us pack lunch kits for the Veterans at the Charleston VA Medical Center. This is definitely a kid friendly outreach project.
Chair Set-Up: Come help set up all the chairs in the auditorium this Saturday (tomorrow), October 15th, at 8am.
Oakland Elementary School Fun Run: On Tuesday, October 18th, 9:30am-12:30pm, Coastal is hosting Oakland’s Fun Run! Come help us man a water station and cheer on the students!
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 19th, 8:30am-12:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
Hope Center Tailgate (Adults Only Project): 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 Thursday, October 20th, 3pm-6pm. Meet at Coastal.
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, Friday, October 21st, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
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) is all about sharing the love of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel through gifts & supplies in a simple shoebox with children all around the world! What we are asking our church (YOU) is to simply pray and ask God how many shoeboxes He wants you to fill, take home the shoeboxes we provide (until they’re gone), pack them as a family, and then bring back your completed boxes to the church between now and Sunday, November 13th. Our kiosk in the Welcome Center will be filled with the remaining shoeboxes ready to take home each Sunday. This would be a GREAT opportunity for you to teach your children about generosity, the true meaning of Christmas, and the love of Jesus. Help us reach our goal of packing over 1000 shoeboxes this year and share the love of Jesus with children all around the world!
- If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, October 30th, in our Chapel immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm). This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people. You can sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.
- Attention Coastal! This Sunday is the last Sunday (October 16th) to bring candy for Oakland Elementary School’s Trunk or Treat. Their Trunk or Treat is Thursday, October 20th, 5pm-7pm. You can drop your candy off at the bin on the kiosk in front of the auditorium.
- PERU MISSIONS TRIP INFORMATION MEETING! Join us in the Chapel immediately after the 11:15am service on Sunday, November 13th for an information meeting about the July 22nd-29th Missions Trip to Peru! RSVP on your Connect Card for lunch and childcare.
P.S. Mark your calendar for our next Coastal Night of Worship – Friday night, November 11th, 7-8:30pm! 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.
P.S.S. Grief Share will be hosting a free, one night event on Thursday, November 10th, at 6pm, called, “Surviving the Holidays.” This event will help you discover how to deal with the difficult emotions of the holiday season, give helpful tips on how to survive social events, and discover hope for the future. Contact Sue Muoio at s.muoio@outlook.com or register at www.griefshare.org.
