Happy New Year everyone – well almost! 2023 is just about here! But guess what? No matter what 2023 brings, Jesus is still on the throne, God is still in control, and our mission is still the same: “to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world!”
I sincerely hope you and your family have had a wonderful Christmas! And let me say how awesome our Christmas Eve services were at Coastal! We had our largest Christmas Eve services ever – 1182 people in person! I want to thank all of our volunteers who served so joyfully! We could not do what we do without you! I especially want to thank all of our Tech Team & Worship Team who came very early and were here for all 3 services over 2 days! There is just something special about lighting candles and worshipping together. (If you’re available, we’ll be taking down all of our Christmas decorations this Tuesday at 9am. We could use your help!)
For those of you who have had some time off from work this week, I hope you’ve been able to rest, refresh and enjoy spending time with family. Janet and I are up in Knoxville, TN visiting our daughter and her husband. We’ll be back in town tomorrow. Don’t forget that we only have 1 in-person service this Sunday – 9:30am. But you’re not going to want to miss it. First of all, I’m going to be doing something that used to be a Coastal tradition, but I haven’t done in a while. As we kick off the new year, I’m going to be preaching a message called, “The Year In Review & The Year Ahead.” It gives us a moment to reflect on the past, to celebrate the past, but then to turn the page, to close that chapter, and move forward. Philippians 3:13-14, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.”
And then most importantly, we’re going to have a Baptism Service this Sunday! I know of at least 6 people (maybe 10) who are getting Baptized. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new year! If you’d like to join them, respond to this email or sign up online! I love you Coastal! I love being your Pastor! And I love what we get to do together! Hold on to your fork Coastal – the best is yet to come!
Happy New Year!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas – Friday, January 6th, 8:30am-11am. Meet at Coastal.
Clothing Team: Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes Friday, January 6th, 9am-11am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
Saturday Serve – The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month. The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, January 7th. We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!
Soldier’s Angels: We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, January 10th, 8am-1pm. Meet at 1113 Sam Rittenburg Blvd. (The Elks Lodge).
Clothing Team: Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes Friday, January 13th, 9am-11am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
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. - If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. Our next Newcomers Reception is NEXT Sunday, January 8th, 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.
- Our goal for our 10th Annual Christmas Offering is $125,000! And guess what? We’re more than half-way there!! Now through Sunday, January 15th (3 weeks), we are encouraging our entire Coastal family to give above and beyond their regular tithes and offering to this year’s Christmas Offering. To give, all you have to do is designate your gift “Christmas” on your check, offering envelope, online, or TEXTing (843-571-1777). You can give your gift during these next 3 weeks (until January 15th) at any of our regular Sunday morning services, or anytime through TEXTing (text “give” to 843-571-1777), or our website. With this year’s offering we are purchasing a 15 passenger van, sound equipment, golf carts, and buying Christmas gifts for all of the children of the New Life Children’s Home in Peru.
- SPRING LIFE GROUP LEADER TRAINING! Training for new Spring LIFE Group Leaders will be offered in person on Monday, January 23rd, 6:30-8pm or Saturday, January 28th, 9-10:30am. Returning Leader Training will be online on Thursday, January 26th, 8-8:30pm. ALL Leaders need to attend one session. RSVP on your Connect Card. For more details or to answer any of your questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff.
- Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, January 21st, 9-11:30am. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday. You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
P.S. New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday this year – THIS Sunday, January 1st, 2023! And to celebrate we’re having a Baptism Service! We can’t think of a better way to start the new year right, than by being buried with Christ through Baptism, and being raised to walk in the new life (Colossians 2:12). It’s a new life for a new year! There will only be one service this Sunday – 9:30am. If you would like to participate sign up on our website!
