It was another awesome day at Coastal this past Sunday! Evidently, our church loves them some WINGS & FRIES! That will definitely continue to be a Father’s Day tradition at Coastal! Our attendance was 1529 (up 400 from just 2 years ago) and we had another 1622 online! And between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day we dedicated 48 children! Wow! Keep it up Coastal – keep inviting and bringing your friends, family, co-workers, classmates, and neighbors (and keep having those babies – haha)!
Another Summer of IMPACT is almost in the books! I say almost, because there are still 8 more projects left as we close out the month of June. I know we say this every year, but it really has been the BEST SUMMER OF IMPACT EVER! The 77 different projects in June saw a total of over 1154 volunteers and 2970 volunteer hours! Please pray for all the seeds of love that were planted, that they will bear much fruit for years to come! Much thanks goes to Chris Jones, our Executive Pastor who oversees the Outreach here at Coastal and our Outreach Assistant Morgan Spell. As you can tell, much prayer, planning, organization, and preparation have all gone into Summer of IMPACT. And none of it would be possible without all of our great Project Leaders and the countless volunteers (YOU) who willingly, joyfully served all month long.
But, as you know, even as June comes to a close, serving never comes to a close at Coastal. Serving and loving our community is not relegated to one day or even one month at Coastal. It’s something we do ALL YEAR round! It’s a part of the culture here. In fact, you can go to our website to see and sign up for outreach projects lined up all the way through the end of the year!
Okay Coastal, speaking of the serving culture here at our church, we have a need that I need to share with you. One of the greatest blessings we’ve quickly seen this year is watching God use The Outpost to make a real difference in people’s lives. Since opening The Outpost, the number of individuals and families we’re serving has grown dramatically. Right now, as we learn new systems, we’re only open to the public one day each week (Thursdays 11am-1:30pm), and yet even yesterday we served 45 families! WOW! By the way, the families we are serving are not just “out there” in the community. We are also serving many people from within our own church family.
As we continue expanding this ministry and prepare to open The Outpost on additional days in the future (and eventually another Outpost), this need will only increase. So today, I’d like to ask for your help in two specific areas:
1. Food – The Market
We are constantly in need of nonperishable food items. While we’re grateful to now be an Agency Food Bank partner, which allows us to purchase food at greatly reduced prices, that supply only supplements what we need. Not only are we providing food directly to families who visit The Outpost each week, but we’re also helping stock 19 different Blessing Boxes throughout our community on a regular basis. The simplest way to help? The next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up a few extra items and bring them to church.
2. Clothing – The Boutique
There was a season when we told people we didn’t need women’s and children’s clothing because we had such an abundance and a lack of storage space. In fact, our greatest need at the time was men’s clothing. That is simply no longer the case. Today, we need it ALL: men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing of all sizes, including school uniforms. Every week, families come through our doors looking for practical help, and these clothing donations make a tremendous difference. So take a few minutes this weekend to go through your closets. If there are clean, gently used clothes you no longer need, consider donating them Coastal.
Drop-Off Times for Food & Clothing:
– Sundays at Coastal (there is a clothing bin & grocery cart in the Welcome Center)
– Monday–Thursday, 9am–4pm, at the church office
– Wednesdays at The Outpost, 9:30am-11:30pm (Outpost organization day)
– Thursdays at The Outpost, 11am–1:30pm (open to the community)
Thank you for helping us be the hands and feet of Jesus right here in our own community. Every bag of groceries, every can of food, every shirt, pair of shoes, or jacket becomes a tangible expression of God’s love to someone who needs hope. TOGETHER, we’re making a difference – one person, one family at a time. Coastal, I love YOU! I love being your Pastor! And I love loving our community to Jesus with you!
Much, Much Love & Gratitude!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING SUMMER OF IMPACT OUTREACH PROJECTS:
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Before you check out the list of outreach projects below, please note that there will be NO SATURDAY SERVE on Saturday, July 4th. Don’t worry, there are plenty of outreach projects before and after Independence Day to choose from. So go to our website, check them out and sign up today!
Summer of IMPACT! EVENT HIGHLIGHT: Sleep In Heavenly Peace Bed Build: This is a BIG project that could use LOTS of Volunteers. “Sleep In Heavenly Peace” has a motto – “No Child Sleeps On the Floor In Our Community!” Come be a part of the bed building process and make a big IMPACT in the life of children right here in our own community. Meet at Coastal TOMORROW, Saturday, June 27th, 8am-12noon.
Downtown Charleston “Hotdog Ministry”: We will be grilling and serving hotdogs to the homeless and hungry downtown! TODAY, Friday, June 26th, 4pm-6pm. Meet at Coastal.
Sleep In Heavenly Peace Bed Build: We’re building beds for children in our community. Meet at Coastal on Saturday, June 27th, 8am-12noon. (see note above)
West Ashley Free Laundry: Partnering alongside the owners of Sudsy Seagull, we are able to serve the community of West Ashley 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! TOMORROW, Saturday, June 27th, 9am-12noon. Meet at Sudsy Seagull Coin Laundry, 2325 Ashley River Rd.
Blessing Box Repair & Refill: TOMORROW, Saturday, June 27th, 2pm-4:30pm. As a church, through the generosity of our members, we built 7 Blessing Boxes a few years ago and maintain another 12! This summer, we are looking to repair, repaint and restock these boxes. If you are looking for a handy-person project, this is a great one for you! Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
Ronald McDonald House Grab & Go Meal Kit Packing Party: Our team will assist the Ronald McDonald House in its mission by packing “Grab & Go” Meal Kits for families staying at the house. This kid-friendly effort will help provide families with something to eat while supporting their loved ones during longer stays in the hospital. Sunday, June 28th, 3pm-5pm. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
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 29th, 6pm-8pm. Meet at JFM.
My Preemie & Yours: My Preemie and Yours (MPAY) is a local nonprofit that supports families with babies in the NICU at MUSC. In some of the hardest moments of a family’s life, NICU nurses provide not only expert care but also comfort, patience, and hope. We are partnering with MPAY to assemble appreciation gifts and handwritten notes for 100 NICU nurses, thanking them for the compassion and dedication they show to the tiniest patients and their families every day. It’s a tangible way we can share Christ’s love and encouragement with those who faithfully care for the smallest and vulnerable members of our community. Tuesday, June 30th, 6pm-7:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
Patriot Villas Veterans Game Night: Our church enjoys a remarkable relationship with the veterans at Patriot Villas – a facility where we have been serving for years. We will be sending a team out to have a game night. This evening will be designed to fellowship & love on these amazing veterans. Come out, bring your family, and let’s play a game! Tuesday, June 30th, 6-8pm. Meet at PV.
The Market Sort & Stock at The Outpost: Coastal feeds an enormous amount of people. Come to the Outpost (1050 St. Andrews Blvd.) and help keep our Food Pantry organized (and have a lot of fun while you’re at it)! Wednesday, July 1st, 10am-12noon.
Sleep In Heavenly Peace Bed Delivery Project: This team from Coastal will help to deliver beds, alongside brand-new linens, to well deserving but underserved children all over Charleston. There will be some light lifting and assembly required but will be heavy on both love and encouragement. We’ll bring comfort, love, and encouragement to the families we serve. Meet at Coastal on Wednesday, July 1st, 6pm-8pm.
Serving in the Market at The Outpost: Coastal feeds an enormous amount of people. Come to The Outpost and help keep the Market stocked and organized (and have a lot of fun while you’re at it)! Thursday, July 2nd, 11am-1:30pm. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
Serving in the Boutique at The Outpost: Coastal clothes an enormous amount of people. This team receives, inspects, sorts, and prepares thousands of items of donated clothing every single month to ensure our outreach teams are ready to assist those in need in our community. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd., Thursday, July 2nd, 11am-1:30pm.
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, July 3rd, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
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 THRIVE CAMPAIGN FALL LIFE GROUPS! This is the easiest time to lead a Group. All of our Groups will be studying the same material based off of our sermons. We provide the material, you facilitate the Group. LIFE Groups are the primary vehicle at Coastal for community – learning, friendships, fellowship, and care. Would you possibly be interested in leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group this Fall? The Fall Semester begins in September and lasts 10 weeks. Sign up on your Connect Card or contact Pastor Scott Huff if you are interested in leading a Group.
- VBS is now just 2 weeks away from this coming Monday night: July 13th-17th, 6-8:15pm each night, for children 4 years old – 5th Grade! We already have 278 children pre-registered! But there are still 4 Big Needs:
1. 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. 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! By the way, childcare for our volunteers is provided on site.
Also, if you’re volunteering make sure you sign up for one our VBS Trainings! Pick one of the following dates and click on it to sign-up: Saturday, June 27th, 9:30am-11:30am; Thursday, July 9th, 6:30-8:30pm; Sunday, July 12th, 4pm-6pm. Childcare is available.
2. 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 10th at 6pm. After that, you will only be able to register at our campus each night in-person before VBS. You can also TEXT “vbs2026” to 843-571-1777 to register your child.
3. SNACKS, PROPS, & SUPPLIES! Each night of VBS we provide a snack time for the kids. We’re also in need of several props/decorations and supplies for the week. If you are interested in helping to provide either one, go to this sign-up Genius link and sign up today.
4. MONEY & MISSION! There are two parts to this year’s VBS Offering! 1. We will be collecting money to send with our Peru Missions Team this Summer! We hope to send them with at least $25,000 for building projects & supplies. 2. We will also be challenging our children and families to bring food and clothes for The Outpost. Our church feeds and clothes many hurting people in our community. For the food, please bring any non-perishable food. For the clothes, please bring these specific clothing items: men’s, women’s, and kids’ underwear in 2ct or 4ct, as well as new kids’ shoes, and kids school uniforms. There will be a little “competition” each night between the Teams for who brings the most food/clothes and the most money. You can begin giving financially now through the week of VBS. Simply designate your offering “VBS.”
If you have any questions about VBS, please reach out to Aly Huggins. It really is one of the BEST weeks of the Summer! I hope you’ll be a part of it! - Calling All Coastal Artists! As we prepare for our 2026 Church-Wide Spiritual Growth/Giving Campaign, we are looking for Artists from within our congregation to submit pages for the Coastal Coloring Book! All submissions will need to be turned no later than June 30.
- On Sunday, July 19th, Pastor Chris will be kicking off another favorite Summer Sermon Series tradition here at Coastal – “Summer Reading”! “Summer Reading” is where we pick a group of books (see book list and schedule above) for you to read over the Summer, and then the subject matter of each of those books becomes the sermon topic for that particular Sunday. We’re not preaching from the books themselves. If anything, during this series you will find yourself compelled to go to Scripture as we point people to the truth of His Word and a deeper relationship with God. We hope you’ll pick up one or two or all of the books and read them over the Summer. After all. . . leaders are what? Readers!
P.S. Membership Class: Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Saturday, July 25th, from 9am-12noon, 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). Breakfast & childcare provided!
