This past Sunday was a day and an experience I will never forget. We Baptized 102 people out at Folly Beach (watch the video above)! Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if it was going to happen. As many of you know, the weather here in Charleston on Sunday afternoon was TERRIBLE – Storm Warnings, Thunder/Lightning, all of it. I was getting texts, emails, and calls all afternoon asking if we were going to reschedule the Baptism. Our standard answer is we don’t call it until we’re actually out there at the beach, closer to the actual time because the weather in Charleston is so unpredictable. Honestly, it was so bad that on the way out to the Beach I wondered if we would even have 50 people total show up at all. But SHOW UP THEY DID!
It was such an incredible, miraculous, move of God experience! And then on top of all of that, it was one of the roughest days I’ve ever experienced in the ocean for the Baptism itself. I seriously felt like I was Baptized at least 1000 times! It was definitely a group effort for everyone out in the water. But you know what, I’d do it all over again! It was AWESOME! 102 people – that’s bigger than the size of our church for a long, long time! All glory to God!
Oh and because the weather was so bad beforehand, we basically had the whole beach at the County Park all to ourselves! By the way, we already have another Beach Baptism scheduled for the end of the Summer: Sunday, August 10th, 5pm at Folly Beach County Park! In fact, we already have people signed up for it! You can go online and sign up today!
This coming Sunday is Father’s Day, and it’s going to be a lot of FUN! We have Baby/Child Dedication in all 3 services, FREE Kona Ice for everyone, and fun giveaways (MEAT – haha) at the end of each service! And on top of all of that, outside after each service we’re having a WING FEST!! We’ll have 4 tent stations set up outside where we’ll be giving away wings (and a few boneless wings for kids)! There will be music, sodas, and water! And I’ve got a strong message for all the men using the movie, “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.” And speaking of movies, don’t forget that during this series, ALL 1st Time Guests will receive FREE Movie Tickets to Citadel Mall Theater (and the person who invited them – YOU). I love you Coastal! I love being your Pastor! I love what we get to do together! And I can’t wait to see you and your friends over the weekend! Oh, and yes Ladies the wings are for everyone – not just the men!
Much, Much Love!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Clothing Team: Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes, TODAY, Friday, June 13th; Monday, June 16th; Friday, June 20th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
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, June 13th; Friday, June 20th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
Landmarks Tailgate: One of the last group homes in the state, Landmark for Families has been a fixture of our community, advocating for families for decades. Our team will host a tailgate-styled lunch to the students at Landmark for Families as well as the staff at the facility. TODAY, Friday, June 13th, 11:30am-2pm. Meet at Coastal. Kid Friendly.
2nd Meal: Saturday, June 14th, 9am-12noon. 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: Saturday, June 14th, 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, June 16th, 1pm-2:30pm. Meet at JFM.
Hope Center Tailgate: The Hope Center, managed by the city of Charleston, serves as a one-stop shop in downtown Charleston to assist those who are homeless or who are at-risk of being homeless. We’re sending a Tailgate Team to serve dinner to anyone who is hungry. Meet at Coastal on Tuesday, June 17th, 12pm-3pm.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Delivery Project: A team from Coastal will help deliver beds, with brand-new linens to well deserving, but underserved children all over Charleston. Tuesday, June 17th, 6pm-8pm. 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, June 18th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Sewing Project: This team of volunteers will work various sewing projects that are distributed to those who need them throughout our tailgates community. Wednesday, June 18th, 5pm-8pm. 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, June 19th, 11:30am-1pm.
Food Pantry Kids Project: This pantry project will allow even the smallest members at our church a chance to sort incoming donations, provide shopping support to patrons utilizing the pantry, assist with packing grocery bags, prepping blessing box kits and more. Thursday, June 19th, 6pm-7:30pm.
Patriot Villas Veterans Tailgate: We will be putting on a Tailgate for the Veterans at Patriot Villas on Thursday, June 19th, 6-8pm. Meet at Coastal.
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas: Friday, June 20th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Kids Toiletry Packing: With the help of the children here at Coastal, we will be filling hygiene bags sewn by our Sewing Ministry and packing them to be sent out on our Box Trucks to distribute during our monthly tailgates & clothing distributions. Friday, June 20th, 6pm-7:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
Hollywood Clothing Distribution: We will get the opportunity to take one of our Mobile Outreach Clothing Vehicles out to distribute clothing while loving on those we encounter. Saturday, June 21st, 7am-11am. Meet at SC-162, Hollywood, SC 29449.
Hollywood Free Laundry: Partnering alongside the owners of We-Fold-It, we are able to serve the community of Hollywood by getting to pay for their laundry! We will host a table with snacks, coffee and water for those who are waiting on their laundry, help people bring their laundry in and out of the facility, fold their laundry and use iPads to start the machines so that those we serve never have to open their wallets! Saturday, June 21st, 7am-11:30am. Meet at We-Fold-It Laundromat, 6310 SC-162 Unit D, Hollywood, SC 29449.
Ronald McDonald House Breakfast: We’ll be preparing a Breakfast for the families at the Ronald McDonald House. Saturday, June 21st, 7:30am-9:15am. Meet at The Ronald McDonald House, 81 Gadsden St, Downtown Charleston.
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. - We are in the planning stages for our FALL LIFE GROUPS! LIFE Groups are the primary vehicle at Coastal for community – learning, friendships, fellowship, and care. We typically have all different types of Groups – Bible studies, book studies, activity groups, active groups, support groups, men’s/women’s groups. Would you possibly be interested in leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group this Fall? The Fall Semester begins in September and depending on the Group, lasts for 8-12 weeks. Sign up on your Connect Card or contact Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org if you are interested in leading a Group.
- As a fun way to celebrate the Summer and our “At the Movies” series, we’d like to take any children from our church and their friends (and children at heart) to the 10am special showing of the new “Lilo & Stitch” movie at Citadel Mall Cinema, Tuesday, July 1st – ON US (concessions on you)! Doors open at 9:30am. RSVP on your Connect Card or respond to this email with the number of tickets you’ll need. We’ll meet you at the front door of the Theater on July 1st!
- ATTENTION Parents & Guardians with a RIsing 6th Grader: You are invited to our Rising 6th Grade Parent Meeting on Tuesday, July 1st, 6:30–7:30pm in the Coastal Chapel. We are so excited to welcome your Student into Coastal Student Ministry! It means a lot that you’d trust us to be a part of their journey, and Pastor Jacob can’t wait to partner with you in helping them grow in their faith.
This meeting is important. You and your student will:
– Hear from Pastor Jacob about the mission and heartbeat of CSM.
– Meet some amazing CSM Leaders.
– Hear from current students about why they love being apart of CSM.
– And of course, enjoy some food
This is the first step into the life of our Student Ministry for both you and your Student. Email Pastor Jacob if you have any questions. - Membership Class: Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Sunday, July 13th, from 5pm-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. Dinner & childcare provided!
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!”
If you haven’t already done so, PLEASE REGISTER YOUR CHILD ONLINE. This really makes the check-in/registration process go so much smoother when VBS begins. Online Registration will be closed Friday night, July 4th at 6pm. After that, you will only be able to register at our campus each night in-person before VBS. You can also TEXT “vbs2025” to 843-571-1777 to register your child.
Simply put, we need MORE VOLUNTEERS – YOU! To pull off a VBS like we do at Coastal, reaching 300+ children, it requires A LOT of people. Please GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND SIGN UP TODAY! You can also TEXT “vbsvolunteer” to 843-571-1777 to volunteer. There is a place for you!
Also, at Coastal, we try to provide a “mini meal” for our VBS snacks since we meet during many families’ dinner time. If you are able to help provide any of these food items, go here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4CADA72BA2FEC07-56357541-2025#/ to sign up. If you are unable to prepare or shop for food, but would like to donate towards our food items, designate “VBS” with your giving.
