In spite of all the rain this past Sunday we had another awesome day at Coastal! We actually had a ton of 1st Time Guests (keep it up Coastal), gave away lots and lots of Guest Bags at Guest Services, 1126 people in attendance, 980 online, and yes, ANOTHER BAPTISM! And then, to top it all off, we had 94 people show up Sunday night in the Chapel to be equipped and encouraged to share their faith, share their story, and invite people to church! Our Pastors and Staff did an amazing job, we had great food, and a lot of fun! This is at least an annual event at Coastal, so sign up for the next one.
And speaking of inviting, I want to share a story with you. About a month ago, Meredith Cloninger from our church came up to me on Sunday morning with her 7 soon to be 8 year old son Betts. They wanted to tell me about his upcoming Birthday Party. You see, Betts LOVES Coastal Kidz and he LOVES HIM SOME JESUS! So for his Birthday Party he decided all on his own that he wanted a Jesus Party! He wanted a Jesus Cake, and instead of asking for presents, he wanted all of his friends to bring children’s clothes for our Clothing Ministry! And then to top it all off they gave away Coastal Invites to everyone! Meredith told me that they weren’t expecting me to come to the party, but she thought I might want to know what Betts was doing. Well of course I HAD TO GO to Betts’ Birthday Party for Jesus (pictures above)! It was in Carolina Bay Park. There were lots and lots of kids and parents from Betts’ school, church, ball team, and neighborhood! All of them got a Coastal invite and all of them know how much Betts loves Jesus (and they got a piece of “Jesus Cake” too – haha)! I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of a little 8 year old boy!
Now, I’ll cut to the chase. If a little 8 year old boy isn’t ashamed or embarrassed to share his love for Jesus and invite his friends, neighbors, and classmates to church, what’s your excuse? Who are you praying for? Who are you inviting to Easter services this year? You can share the names of the people you’re inviting on your Connect Card this Sunday. Our Pastors, Elders, Staff, and Prayer Team will be praying for you and for them. This Sunday we’ll have all kinds of Invite Tools for you to give away – postcards, tickets, and invite cards. Pick them up and use them – BE LIKE BETTS!
I love you Coastal! I love being your Pastor! And I love sharing and experiencing the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with YOU, with Charleston, and the world! Can’t wait to see you over the weekend!
Much, Much Love!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas: TODAY, Friday, March 21st; Friday, April 4th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Brighton Place Tailgate: We will be putting on a Tailgate for the Brighton Place community (here in West Ashley – near Citadel Mall) on Wednesday, March 26th, 6-8:30pm. 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, March 27th; Thursday, April 3rd, 11:30am-1pm.
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 March 28th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
Downtown Charleston “Hotdog Ministry”: We will be grilling and serving hotdogs to the homeless and hungry downtown! Friday, March 28, 4-6:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
Clothing Team: Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes, Friday, April 4th, 9:30am-11:30am. 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. - Our 3-year-old and 4-K classes in Coastal Kidz are growing! We’re looking for more assistants and leaders to serve during the 11:30am service. Come volunteer with us to experience how rewarding it is to watch kids grow in their relationship with Jesus! Most volunteers serve in one service, twice a month. No prior experience is required to volunteer. The staff in Coastal Kidz will always be available for support with whatever you may need in the classroom! For more information or if you are ready to start Volunteering, please email our Children’s Director Aly Huggins.
- We are now 30 days away from Easter Sunday, April 20th! Coastal will be having 7 Easter Services over 3 days: Friday, April 18th, 7pm; Saturday, April 19th, 4:30pm, 6pm; Sunday, April 20th, 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am, 1pm. Remember it’s all hands on deck! Contact your LIFE Team Ministry Leader to sign up to serve in multiple services or go to our website and sign up now to join a LIFE Team and start serving!
Also, did you know that you can download shareable Easter Invite graphics on our website? Go to our website and download the graphics today! Also, while you’re there, let us know which service you and your friends and family will be attending. If at all possible, attend the Friday, Saturday, or early/late Service on Sunday. Help us make room for our Guests! - Coastal’s Young Adults (20’s & early 30’s) are having a Pickleball Night TONGHT, March 21st, 6-9pm, in the Coastal Auditorium. Scan the QR code above or go to this link to sign up! Dinner provided! If you have any questions, reach out to Morgan Rainey.
- If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people. Pizza and childcare provided. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, April 6th, in our Chapel immediately following the 11:30am service (at approximately 12:45pm). You can sign up on our website today or on your Connect Card on Sunday!
P.S. Membership Class: Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Sunday, April 13th, from 5-8pm, 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) on Sunday. Food & childcare provided!
