Wow – we had an AMAZING Easter Weekend at Coastal! First of all, I can’t thank all of our Staff & Volunteers enough for all of your hard work – 7 services over 3 days! All of our Teams – Worship/Production, Coastal Kidz, Security, Cafe, Prayer, 1st Impressions – all knocked it out of the park! Many, many people were at multiple services, and some were at all 7. We seriously have the best Volunteers at Coastal, and we could not do what we do without you!
Going into the weekend, I seriously had no idea how many people to expect in person. Last year our goal was to break 3000 in person and 2000 online. We had 3055 in person and 2105 online, for a grand total of 5,160. This year, I simply hoped that all 7 services would feel full and that we would break last year’s total. And if you haven’t heard, this year we had . . . . . . . . drumroll please. . . . . . . . . 3363 in person and 2257 online for a grand total of 5,620!
We had a ton of Guests – people who were invited by a friend, saw an ad, received a post card, or found us online. In fact, we gave away 102 1st Time Guest Bags at Guest Services, had 126 1st & 2nd Time Guest Connect Cards filled out (those bags & cards represent hundreds of people), we Baptized 2 people over the weekend, 24 more people either expressed interest or signed up to get Baptized, 19 people renewed their commitment to Christ, and finally, 7 people stepped across the line of faith for the first time and gave their life to Christ! Like I said, WOW! Thank you Jesus!! All Glory to God!
Now, let me say this – Easter has come and gone, but Jesus is still alive, and there is still a sense of urgency! Keep praying, keep inviting, keep serving, keep reaching out. People still need Jesus, and He is still the hope of the world. And if the people you invited didn’t come, don’t get discouraged and most importantly, don’t give up. And for those of you who came for the first time or maybe came back for the first time in a long time, keep coming! You are welcome at Coastal! This week, we continue our new series called, “What Would Jesus Say?” Don’t miss it!
If you took home and put up a Yard Sign, please pick them up and return them to the church. And if you see any others, out and about in the community, make sure you grab those as well and drop them off at the church. We really try to do our best to reuse them each Easter.
And as I’m sure you realize, the opportunities to serve on Sunday don’t go away now that Easter has come and gone. In fact, as our church continues to grow, the need is even greater than before! So if serving on Easter was a first for you, we’d love for you to serve again! If you’re a veteran volunteer, consider serving more often. Reach out to your LIFE Team Leader or go to Planning Center and sign up to serve today! And don’t forget, YOU are the best recruiters for new volunteers!
And finally, don’t forget that Mother’s Day is just around the corner, May 10th! As always, it’s going to be a great celebration at Coastal with a gift for all the women, fun giveaways at the end of each of our 4 services (the same service times we had for Easter: 8am, 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm), FREE Kona Ice for everyone, a Family Photo Booth, and Baby & Child Dedication during all 4 services! If you would like your family to participate in the Baby & Child Dedication, sign up on your Connect Card this weekend. Include your child’s full name and the service you will be attending. I love you Coastal! I love being your Pastor!
With Much Love & Gratitude!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Clothing Team: Come help sort & organize all the clothes we distribute! TODAY, Friday, April 10th; Monday, April 13th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
NHC Fellowship & Activity: Those in skilled-nursing centers are arguably some of the most neglected people in our society. Many in these facilities rarely, if ever, receive visitors. The hope of this project is to send a reminder to the residents of the facility, in which we are serving, that they are not alone. This kid-friendly project will consist of loving on the staff and residents through words of encouragement, quality time and hot chocolate! This project is a great way to serve those who are always in need of a little extra love! TODAY, Friday, April 10th, 10am-12pm. Meet at: NHC Skilled Nursing Facility, 2230 Ashley Crossing Dr, Charleston, SC 29414.
2nd Saturday Meal: TOMORROW, Saturday, April 11th, 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, April 11th, 10:30am-1:30pm. Meet at the church and then pick which Tailgate you’d like to serve.
JFM Fellowship Activity & Devotion: A fun project for kids! We’ll serve at Joseph Floyd Manor (JFM), a public housing facility in Downtown Charleston, playing BINGO with the residents. Monday, April 13th, 2pm-3:30pm. Meet at JFM.
Brighton Place Fellowship Activity & Devotion: This project will allow us to spend some time with the residents and get to know them better through a lively game of BINGO, a meal, and devotion. Kid Friendly! Tuesday, April 14th, 1:30pm-3pm. Meet at: Brighton Place, 1429 Orleans Road.
Soldier’s Angels: We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, April 14th, 8am-12pm. Meet at 1113 Sam Rittenburg Blvd. (The Elks Lodge).
Sewing Project: Sewing experience not required! Come and acquire a new skill while helping others in the community. This team of volunteers will work on zippered pouches, lap quilts, and blankets. Meet at Coastal on Wednesday, April 15th, 5pm-8pm.
Patriot Villas Veterans Tailgate: We will be putting on a Tailgate for the Veterans at Patriot Villas on Wednesday, April 15th, 6-8:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
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, April 15th, 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, April 16th, 11:30am-1pm.
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas: Join the team as we travel over to Patriot Villas, a veterans housing facility in North Charleston, to provide encouragement in the form of a fresh hot cup of Coastal coffee, a Krispy Kreme donut and community. We’ll spend the morning serving the veterans, fellowshipping, building relationships and thanking them for their service! Friday, April 17th, 8:30am-11:30am. 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. - Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10th! As always, it’s going to be a great celebration at Coastal with a gift for all the women, fun giveaways at the end of each of our 4 services (8am, 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm), FREE Kona Ice for everyone, a Family Photo Booth, and YES Baby & Child Dedication during all 4 services! If you would like your family to participate in the Baby & Child Dedication, sign up on your Connect Card this weekend or right now online. Include your child’s full name and the service you will be attending. Baby/Child Dedication is a special time for parents to commit their children to the Lord and to renew their commitment as parents to raise their children in a Christ centered home.
- If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, April 19th, in our Chapel immediately following the 11:30am service (at approximately 12:45pm). 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. You can sign up on our website today!
- One of the ways our church marks the beginning of Summer every year is through something called Summer of IMPACT! If you are fairly new to Coastal, Summer of IMPACT is a month-long effort (the entire month of June) where we as a church saturate our community with the love of Jesus through simple acts of service. It’s basically what we normally do all throughout the year, but MULTIPLIED during the month of June! In fact, there are over 70 projects this year and there is something for everyone. You simply sign-up and then show-up. It’s that easy. Every project has a leader and every project is well-organized. You’ll be able to see a calendar of all the projects this weekend at Coastal and all the projects are loaded on our website and you can start signing up TODAY!
- On Saturday, April 18th,11:30AM-2-30PM, Coastal Young Adults will be hosting a Kickball Game and Spring Picnic at First Baptist High School on James Island! We invite all men and women in their 20s and 30s to join us as we enjoy the spring weather, a picnic lunch, and friendly competition. If you have any questions or to sign up, email Dane Clark at youngadults@coastalcommunitychurch.org!
P.S. We are planning our Annual BEACH BAPTISM out at Folly Beach County Park on Sunday, June 7th, at 5pm. You can sign up for it on our website. The only requirement for Baptism is that you have personally given your life to Jesus. Baptism is a public profession of your faith, and it’s a great celebration! It beautifully illustrates Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. If you’re unable to participate in our Beach Baptism, remember at Coastal we’re ready for you to get Baptized any service, any Sunday. If you are interested in getting Baptized, simply respond to this email, sign up on your Connect Card, or sign up on our website.
