“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!” If you happened to be at the church yesterday, you would have heard me singing those words loudly over and over again. I’m a big believer in “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” But can you believe that it’s now December and Christmas is exactly 3 weeks from today!! Some of you are excited, but many of you are now panicking! But the reason I kept singing that line is because we were decorating the church for Christmas! I can’t wait for you to see it on Sunday! Plus we’re kicking off our “Christmas at Coastal” series this Sunday! The theme of this year’s Christmas series is one of hope. Each week we’ll be looking at different people in the Christmas story and talking about how Jesus came to bring them hope. This Sunday, I’ll be talking about an old couple that often gets overlooked in the Christmas story – Elizabeth and Zechariah. If you’d like to prepare yourself for the message, go ahead and read Luke chapter 1.
By the way, this is a great time of the year to invite and bring someone to church – in-person OR online. People are truly hurting and they are searching for help and hope. They just need a simple invitation and nudge from you.
Speaking of help and hope, tomorrow, Saturday, December 5th, is one of my favorite days of the month – Saturday Serve! We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we go out and serve our community! It’s that simple, and it doesn’t take the whole day. Most projects are completed by 12noon. Make plans, NOW to be there! Consider that a “nudge” from me!
Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chris
Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:
- Upcoming Outreach Projects:
Coastal is constantly and continually engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. Here are this week’s opportunities!
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 tomorrow, Saturday, December 5th.
Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Friday, December 11th, 8am-1pm.
Tricounty Family Ministries – We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, December 16th, 9am-12noon.
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 has a long standing relationship with LOR and on Friday, December 18th, 9am-11am we’re sending a team to build emergency care kits for children in the community. We meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. - We recently announced our Annual Christmas Offering! Our goal is $75,000! Now through the second Sunday of the New Year, January 10th (6 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, card swiping “description”, online through Paypal, or TEXTing (843-277-8337). You can give your gift during these 6 weeks at any of our regular Sunday morning services or anytime through TEXTing, our website, or our App. You might also consider giving it all at once during one of our 3 Christmas Eve Services (Thursday, December 24th, 3pm, 4:30pm, & 6pm). Our entire Christmas Eve offering will go toward our Annual Christmas Offering.
So what are we going to do with that $75,000? Mainly 3 things: 1. We’re going to fully fund our 2 current monthly Tailgate Parties where we feed hundreds of people each month. 2. We’re going to buy a “Box Truck”! We’re super pumped about all the outreach possibilities of this truck – equipment and supply transportation for the tailgate parties, advertising for the church, disaster relief, community events, and more. 3. We’re going to purchase indoor and outdoor playground equipment for our new Children’s facility. So, start praying about what you and your family can give toward this offering. Remember, this offering should be over and above what you regularly give. If you’re not regularly giving (weekly, monthly), use this time of year and this offering to start. If you’re not tithing (10% of your gross income), step out in faith and start tithing. Reaching this goal will be a celebration of what God can do through our church as together we stretch our faith. Again, simply use the the keyword “Christmas” whenever and however you give toward the Christmas Offering. - We are beginning to prepare for the next semester of LIFE Groups – Winter/Spring 2021! If you are possibly interested in leading or assisting a LIFE Group in 2021, please let us know. You don’t have to have it all figured out yet – study, day, time, location, style (in-person/online) – we’re just curious if you’re interested. If you are, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff or simply respond to this email.
- Our “Christmas at Coastal” series kicks off on Sunday, December 6th! We’ll have 3 special Family Christmas Eve services with nursery provided on Thursday, December 24th at 3pm, 4:30pm, and 6pm. Coastal Volunteers make sure you reach out to your Ministry Team Leaders about signing up to serve. Most importantly, be praying about who you will invite and bring. Also, please make note that the Sunday after Christmas (December 27th), services will be online only – no in-person services.
- Christmas at the Suburban Hotel! The Suburban Hotel provides transitional housing for homeless Veterans and former residents of the 180 Place Homeless Shelter. On Saturday, December 19th, 9am-1pm, Coastal is going to throw an Outdoor Christmas Party & Traditional Holiday Meal for all the folks at the Suburban! We’re planning on serving a holiday meal with turkey and sides. We’re collecting items to build a personal care package for each resident that includes things like soap, shampoo, and other personal items. We are going to provide gifts (candles for the women and travel mugs for the men) to go along with those personal item care kits. We’re also going to provide a Christmas stocking stuffed full of fun and practical items. We’re going to have Christmas music, a tree, and even Santa might make an appearance.
There are three links below. Each link will lead you to an area of need: the food, the gifts, or the stockings. Choose where you’d like to contribute, click on the link, choose the items you’d like to provide, then and sign-up!
To help with the Christmas meal click here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AADAD28A0FBC16-christmas
To help with the Christmas gifts click here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44ADAB2CA0F94-suburban
To help with the Christmas stockings click here:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10c0c4cada929abf58-stockings
You can also ign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or contact Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613 for more details.
