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 2500 and we had 2,541 people in person! And then we had another 1589 online – for a grand total of 4,130! This year our goal was to break 3000 in person and 2000 online. And if you haven’t heard, this year we had . . . . . . . . drumroll please. . . . . . . . . 3055 in person and 2105 online for a grand total of 5,160!
We had a ton of 1st Time Guests – people who were invited by a friend or who saw an ad, received a post card, or found us online. In fact, we gave away 84 1st Time Guest Bags at Guest Services, had 122 1st & 2nd Time Guest Connect Cards filled out (those bags & cards represent hundreds of people), we Baptized 4 people over the weekend, 30 people have already signed up for our Beach Baptism in June (I think we’re going to Baptize at least 100 people this year at our June Beach Baptism), and finally, 35 different decisions for Jesus were made! 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 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, “Breakthrough.” 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 11th! 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 (there will be another 1pm service on Mother’s Day), FREE Kona Ice for everyone, a Family Photo Booth, and Baby & Child Dedication during all 4 services (we already have 20 families signed up)! 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! And I can’t wait to walk with you on this path to a BREAKTHROUGH!
With Much Love & Gratitude!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
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 TODAY, Friday April 25th, 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! TODAY, Friday, April 25th, 4-6:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
Ronald McDonald House Meals that Heal Breakfast: We will be preparing meals for the residents of the Ronald McDonald House. TOMORROW, Saturday, April 26th, 7:30am-9:15am. Meet at Coastal.
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas: Friday, May 2nd, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Clothing Team: Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes, Friday, May 2nd, 9:30am-11:30am. 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, May 3rd. We meet in the Auditorium at 8:30am, Project Leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we go out and serve!
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. - 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. All the projects are loaded on our website and you can start signing up TODAY!
- Coastal Day at the Riverdogs! Join us on Sunday, May 18th, at 5pm at the Charleston Riverdogs baseball game! Reserve your FREE tickets by texting TICKETS to 843-571-1777. Literally text the word “TICKETS” and then hit send. If you text anything else it will not work. You will then be sent a link to fill out your information for your ticket request. Tickets will be distributed digitally to your email. We bought 1000 tickets to give away and we’ve only got approximately 100 left (“first come, first serve”)! A member of our Worship Team will be singing the National Anthem. And our very own Children’s Director, Aly Huggins will be throwing out the first pitch! Don’t miss this fun day with your Coastal family!
- Are you grieving the loss of a spouse or do you know someone who is? Join one of the FREE special GriefShare sessions on Monday, May 19th at 2pm or 6pm at Coastal to discover practical advice from others who’ve been there. Learn what to expect in your grief, find how to cope with life without your spouse, and more. Register at www.GriefShare.org or contact Freeda (540-903-5030) or Sue (616-443-6553).
- We are planning our Annual BEACH BAPTISM out at Folly Beach County Park on Sunday, June 8th, 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.
P.S. Mark your calendars now – Coastal’s VBS is July 7th-11th, 6-8:15pm for children 4 years old – 5th Grade. This year’s theme is, “True North – Trusting Jesus in a Wild World!” Registration for Volunteers and children is now open! Go to our website and register today!
P.S.S. Mark your calendar for our next Coastal Night of Worship – Wednesday night, May 28th, 6:30-8pm! Invite your friends and family to join us for a night of prayer, worship, and encouragement. RSVP now for childcare (birth-kindergarten) on your Connect Card.
