For a while now, we’ve been praying about some possible next steps for our church as far as community outreach is concerned. We’ve really felt like one of those next steps would be helping to transform a neighborhood right here in West Ashley – a place where we could dig in over time and make a real lasting IMPACT. And then God opened a door for our involvement at “The Pink House” in the Ardmore Neighborhood. The Pink House over the years has served as a community center of sorts – a lighthouse of help and hope in a neighborhood with great, great need.
But here’s the reality – The Pink House needs some help. The property has fallen into disrepair and needs a lot of TLC. So join us this Saturday (tomorrow), 9am-1pm for a Yard Clean Up Project at the Pink House. We’ll meet in the Coastal Welcome Center tomorrow morning at 9am. We’re going to be doing some raking, laying down landscaping fabric, putting out mulch and pine straw. We’re also going to haul away some old debris and wood. The reality is this, the PINK House is not fully ready for larger scale outreach in the community (Neighborhood Tailgate Parties, VBS, etc). There is work that needs to be accomplished in order to revitalize the grounds and to communicate to the neighborhood that the PINK House is up and running and that Coastal is here to minister to the community. I hope you’ll consider joining us as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus where we live, work, parent, and play! By the way, you can sign up right now for this project, and MANY OTHERS by going to: www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/missions.
And if you’re planning on coming to the church on Saturday for the Pink House Yard Clean Up, why not come early and help us set up Coastal Kidz at Orange Grove Middle School (right across the street from the church). We’ll be there at 8am and be done in plenty of time to meet in the Welcome Center at 9am. In fact, we’re there every Saturday morning during our Construction Project and would love for you to join us!
I hope your 40 Day Easter Fast has started off strong! Remember the Easter Fast goes all the way until Good Friday, April 2nd. Jesus said, “When you fast . . .” In other words, Jesus meant for fasting to be a regular part of the Christian lifestyle. Fasting is simply denying yourself something physical for a set period of time for the spiritual purpose of focusing on prayer, the Word, and your relationship with God. Sometimes the first few days of a fast are the most difficult. Satan will plant seeds in your mind that it’s really no big deal, no one will know if you really do it, or that it really doesn’t make any difference. Remember, Satan is a liar and the Father of Lies! Jesus promises in His Word that the Father will reward you! How will He reward you? I don’t know, but I know that He will! So – keep it up and don’t give up! What you are doing has eternal consequences, and God is using it to do a work in you. But remember the focus is not on the actual thing you are giving up. It’s your relationship with God. And to help you in that relationship, each Monday morning of the Fast we will send you a email that includes a themed devotional for the week and daily Scripture readings to guide your time. I love you Coastal and I love being your Pastor! Hope to see you over the weekend – serving on Saturday and worshipping on Sunday – in-person or online!
LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris
Here are this week’s “Friday 5”:
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
PINK House – The PINK House is a “community center” of sorts in the Ardmore subdivision in West Ashley. We are going to be helping with a Yard Clean Up THIS Saturday (tomorrow), February 27th, 9am-1pm.
Tricounty Family Ministries – We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, March 3rd, 9am-1pm.
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, March 6th. We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve! Make plans NOW to be there!
Soldier’s Angels – We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, March 9th, 8am-1pm.
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. - Interested in officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member? Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, April 17th, 9:30am-12noon. 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.
- Woohoo! LIFE Groups have now officially started for this semester! However, it’s not too late to join one! Check out the 2021 WINTER/SPRING LIFE GROUP CATALOG and sign up today! There are 2 ways to sign up for a LIFE Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way. You can sign up online from our website oron your Connect Card (in-person or online). We have 23 different LIFE Groups this semester – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, and more! There is something for EVERYONE! Make sure you check out our catalog and sign up today! After you sign up, your Group leader will contact you with all the information you need. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Scott Huff – 859-230-5129.
- Easter Sunday is April 4th! Coastal is having 6 Easter Services over 3 days this year: Friday, April 2nd, 7pm (no Coastal Kidz); Saturday, April 3rd, 4:30pm, 6pm; Sunday, April 4th, 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am. Start praying about who you’re going to invite and bring. And with 6 services, keep in mind that it’s ALL HANDS ON DECK! In other words, we need everyone serving and volunteering! Check with your LIFE Team Leader and go ahead and sign up now!
- If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, March 7th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm). This will also be available online! This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people. RSVP online or on your Connect Card.
P.S. DON’T FORGET – we offer our Coastal Members and regular attendees free access to RightNow Media, an online church video library. It’s just one of the many ways to express our generosity to our church family. Essentially, RightNow Media is a Netflix for Bible studies with videos for kids, students, singles, parents and married couples by teachers like Dave Ramsey, John Piper, Max Lucado, Tim Tebow, and more. All the content can be accessed from any computer or smart television and through the RightNow Media app on a phone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, etc. If you haven’t already done so, click here to set up your account!
