WOW! It was another AWESOME Day at Coastal this past Sunday! The campus was decorated for Christmas (all of our Staff & Volunteers did an amazing job) and so many people came wearing their festive attire and/or their “ugly Christmas” sweaters. It was so much fun! We also gave away our annual Coastal Christmas Tree Ornament (yes, we will have more NEXT Sunday if you did not get one – we ran out).
There’s a story behind this year’s ornament (pictured above). We were trying to come up with a gift to give to Rachel Speer before she and her family moved to Arkansas. The Speer family had been at Coastal for 10 years and Rachel had been on Staff for about 9 of those years, most recently as our Director of Operations. I thought about getting her some sort of framed “Charleston” painting or print. But I really wanted to give her something “Coastal” to remember us by. Well, I put those two ideas together and came up with the idea of commissioning a local artist I know (Charlynn Knight) to do a painting of Coastal. And then I remembered that Rachel actually took a great picture of our church that I use for my Facebook cover photo. I gave that picture to Charlynn, and the beautiful result is what you see above. We decided to use a high resolution picture of that painting for this year’s ornament. I hope you enjoy it!
We also had some prints made of the painting that we gave to our Staff and Elders at our Christmas Party last week. On the back of the print I wrote, “Buildings are just a tool – but they also tell a story. I am so thankful that YOU are a part of OUR story!” That’s how I sincerely feel about YOU! God is writing a beautiful story here at Coastal and I am humbled and honored to be a part of it. When leveraged for the Kingdom, buildings can be great tools that deepen our roots in a community and expand our capacity for growth. We’ve definitely seen that over the years. And yes, buildings tell a story – YOUR story, OUR story. Think about your own home or the different places you’ve lived in your lifetime. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “If these walls could talk.” Well, what stories would your home tell? What would be your favorite stories? I’m sure there would be some difficult stories, some deeply painful and sad stories, simply because of the ups and downs and storms of life. But I have no doubt, there would also be stories of laughter, joy, and a lot of love – your first home as a married couple, bringing home your children from the hospital, Birthday Parties, LIFE Groups, family gatherings, and Christmas mornings just to name a few. Ultimately, don’t forget, you play a big role in the story that is being written. But here’s the good news: if you’re still breathing, that story is still unfolding! God is not finished with you! Your story might be one of the greatest comeback stories ever told, a story of grace and redemption.
I know that’s all a little introspective for a “Friday 5”, but it’s what was on my heart this week. I love you Coastal! I love being your Pastor! And I love the beautiful story that God is writing with our church and that YOU are a part of it! By the way, the first 20 people who read and respond to this email, see me on Sunday and I’ll give you one of those prints (I’ll respond and let you know who you are)!
Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Clothing Team: Come help sort & organize all the clothes we distribute! TODAY, Friday, December 12th; Monday, December 15th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
Carolina Bay Holiday Festival: The Holidays are fast approaching and so is Carolina Bay’s Holiday Festival! We are going out to make holiday crafts with the families that live in this community! This is a great opportunity to serve those right here in our neighborhood, and invite families to one of our four Christmas services! Come out and make a craft and a new friend! TOMORROW, Saturday, December 13th, 10:30am-3pm (come and help as long as you can). Meet in the park at Carolina Bay.
2nd Saturday Meal: TOMORROW, Saturday, December 13th, 9am-11am. Come serve with us as we prepare a hot meal in the Coastal kitchen and then deliver those meals to one of our awesome ministry partners – organizations like Charleston Vets, S.C. Strong, Brighton Place, Joseph Floyd Manor and more!
Double Tailgate Day – Meeting Street & Joseph Floyd Manor: TOMORROW, Saturday, December 13th, 10:30am-1:30pm. 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. Meet at Coastal on Tuesday, December 16th, 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, December 17th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Food Pantry Sort & Stock: Coastal feeds an enormous amount of people. Come to the church and help keep our Food Pantry organized (and have a lot of fun while you’re at it)! Thursday, December 18th, 11:30am-1pm.
Patriot Villas Veterans Tailgate: We will be putting on a Tailgate for the Veterans at Patriot Villas on Thursday, December 18th, 6-8:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas: Friday, December 19th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Ronald McDonald House Meals that Heal – Breakfast: Ronald McDonald House provides a “Home-away-from-home” where families stay while their children undergo extensive medical treatment. The Meals that Heal program provides a much-needed support service to families taking care of their sick children, who often don’t have the time, funds, or energy to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal. Ages 16+. Saturday, December 20th, 7:30am-9:15am. Meet at: 81 Gadsden St, Chas (Downtown Charleston).
Brighton Place Christmas Party: Our Annual Christmas Outreach Party is back! We are heading to Brighton Place, a low income public housing facility right here in West Ashley. We have amazing relationships with this community and want to be able to celebrate the holiday with them! Our church has supplied the sides, gifts, stockings and more! Come out and share a meal, pass out personalized gifts to the residents and more! This is not an event you’ll want to miss! Saturday, December 20th, 10:30am-2pm. 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. - We’re excited to announce that starting January 1st, 2026 we’re going to be reading through the Bible together this year at Coastal! We’ll be following the One Year Bible reading plan (a daily reading of the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs). We’ll have a limited number of One Year Bibles for purchase at the church ($10) if you’d like a hard copy, or you can purchase them online. You can also simply choose the One Year Bible reading plan through the YouVersion Bible app. You can sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday, and we’ll add you to an email list for regular encouragement and Study notes throughout the year! If you’ve never read through the Bible, this would be a great way to get started!
- CSM Winter Retreat – January 16–19! Our Students (Middle & High School) are heading to Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters in the mountains of North Carolina for a weekend packed with cabin life, awesome activities, and powerful, Gospel-centered teaching and worship! It’s a chance for Students to unplug (limited phone usage) and have fun, build meaningful friendships, and grow in their walk with Jesus. The cost is $250, and scholarships are available for families who need assistance. Click this link to register your student for an unforgettable weekend!
Drop-off: Friday evening at Coastal @5pm
Pickup: Monday at Coastal around 4pm
A full itinerary and packing list is provided upon registration. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Jacob. This is an event your Student won’t want to miss! - I know it’s hard to believe, but we are in the planning stages for our SPRING LIFE GROUPS! LIFE Groups are the primary vehicle at Coastal for community – learning, friendships, fellowship, and care. We typically have all different types of Groups – Bible studies, book studies, activity groups, support groups, men’s/women’s groups. Would you possibly be interested in leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group this new year? The Spring Semester begins in February and depending on the Group, lasts for 8-12 weeks. Text the word LIFEGROUPLEADER to 843-571-1777 and click on the return link to let us know you are interested in being a Life Group Leader in Spring 2026. If you have any questions about LIFE Groups, please contact Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
- Membership Class: Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Thursday, January 8th, from 6pm-9pm, in the Chapel. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card (let us know if you need childcare). Dinner & childcare provided!
P.S. Here are a few exciting things happening at Coastal during the month of December:
– Tomorrow, Saturday, December 13th, you can serve at one of our Downtown Tailgates or you can help with a Children’s Christmas Craft Station in the Carolina Bay neighborhood Holiday Festival (see the details above).
– On Saturday, December 20th, we’re hosting a CHRISTMAS PARTY at Brighton Place! It’s basically a huge Christmas Party with music, a home-cooked meal, Christmas gifts, and stockings! For those of you who picked up a “Gift Tag” off of one of our trees, make sure you bring back your tagged, unwrapped gift no later than THIS Sunday, December 14th.
– On Sunday, December 21st, our 4 year olds – 5th Grade Coastal Kidz will be singing two Christmas songs on stage during all 3 services! They are practicing now on Sunday mornings. If you have any questions, please see Aly. Don’t miss it as our children help lead us in worship!
– Make plans to now to attend, SERVE (contact your Ministry Leader now), and invite someone to one of our 4 Christmas Eve Services: Tuesday, December 23rd, 6pm; and Wednesday, December 24th, 2pm, 4pm, & 6pm. Pick up “You’re Invited” cards and start inviting people now!
– On Sunday, December 28th (the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day) we will only have 2 Sunday morning worship services: 8:30am & 10am.
– And finally, during all of this, don’t forget to give to this year’s Annual Christmas Offering! As you can see, there is so much Outreach that happens at Coastal. Much of it is funded every year through our Christmas Offering. Our goal is $200,000. What we’ve discovered is that we reach our goal when EVERYONE participates. We can’t all give the same amount, but together we can all make a sacrifice. Every gift counts, every gift matters. When you give, simply use the keyword, “Christmas.”
