I’M BACK!  Janet and I got back from our vacation earlier this week.  We had a great time, but as always, it’s also good to be home.  I’m also excited to be preaching again for the next couple of weeks!  I’ll be kicking off our “Summer Reading” series this Sunday with the book, “Love Your Life, Not Theirs” by Rachel Cruze.  I hope to see you in church this Sunday!

Now, what I’m about to tell you is probably going to blow you away – it’s very possible that our new facility will be completed in about 6 weeks!  If everything continues to stay on schedule (and yes, that is a BIG if), we are hoping to get a temporary CO (Certificate of Occupancy) by Labor Day.  In other words, it’s about to get crazy busy on our campus over the next 6 weeks!  I’m asking you to commit this final stretch to prayer.  As it gets closer, and those dates get confirmed, we’ll let everyone know about an Open House Party, a “soft opening” (the first Sunday with Coastal Kidz in the new building), and a Grand Opening for our community.

But before we open the doors to our new multi-million dollar facility, I need to have a little Pastoral “heart to heart” conversation with you and just lay it on the line.  If you consider Coastal your church family, we need you serving in some Ministry on Sunday mornings.  This beautiful new facility brings with it a need for new volunteers in almost every Sunday morning LIFE Team – Coastal Kidz, Cafe, Security, 1st Impressions, Communion, Parking, Prayer Team, Worship, Tech.  From a purely practical standpoint, just think about how the enlarged facility will require more 1st Impressions Volunteers (more doors/entry points), more Security Volunteers (more space to cover), and more Coastal Kidz Volunteers (more classrooms/classes).

In fact, let’s talk about Coastal Kidz for a just a moment.  The truth is, the focus of this new facility really is on our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry.  We strongly believe that if a church is going to continue to grow, we must have a growing, thriving Children’s Ministry.  And when it comes to our facility (when we were portable or in our current building) our church has always done the very best we can with what we have.  But now Coastal Kidz (our Children’s Ministry – Birth to 5th Grade) is getting ready to move into a brand new, bigger, newly furnished facility.  There will be a secure indoor and outdoor playground.  The classrooms will be equipped with the latest technology and security.  In fact, parents will now be able to open an app on their phone and literally watch their child in their classroom, during the service (talk about peace of mind, especially for new parents).  And because of our additional classroom space we’ll be able to offer more age appropriate classes to better meet the needs of our children. 

Now, the saddest thing I could imagine is that we open up this new facility, and we literally don’t have enough volunteers in Coastal Kidz to pull it off.  Don’t let that happen!  If you used to serve in Coastal Kidz, but you took a break during the shut down and haven’t yet jumped back in – JUMP BACK IN!  If you’ve been thinking about serving, but just haven’t pulled the trigger, stop thinking about it and JUST DO IT!  If you’ve been coming on Sunday mornings, enjoying the service, maybe even sending your children to Coastal Kidz, it’s time for you to get involved and give back.  Honestly, if you come to Coastal and you don’t have a Sunday morning Ministry where you’re serving in some capacity (at least once a month), it’s time for you to get off your you know what and get involved.  And you should be serving, not just because there is a need (there is always a need), but you should be serving because this is your family, and we’re on a mission – to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world!  And Jesus said that you find LIFE by giving your life away in service to others.  And at Coastal we sincerely believe that if you change the life of a child, you change the world!  Join Coastal Kidz and be a world changer!

My wife Janet, our Children’s Director, has a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)!  She wants to see 40 new volunteers this year in Coastal Kidz (returning volunteers & brand new volunteers).  Those volunteers include Teachers, Assistants, Nursery, and Child Check In.  Will you be one of those new or returning volunteers?  If you’re currently serving, will you help recruit those new volunteers?  I believe that Coastal should have one of the best Children’s Ministry’s in town!  Let’s make that happen!  Stop what you’re doing right now and either respond to this email or reach out to Janet and let her know that you’re in – janet@coastalcommunitychurch.org or 843-442-8299. You might not even know what you want to do or where you want to serve, but there is nothing Janet enjoys more than talking to people about Coastal Kidz and helping them find a place to serve (and if Coastal Kidz isn’t for you, she’ll even help you find another Ministry). She is having a Coastal Kidz Volunteer Training on Saturday, August 14, 10:00AM – 11:30AM, or Monday, August 23, 6:30PM – 8:00PM (all volunteers need to attend just one).  This will be a great time to pray, plan, and prepare for all that God has in store for Coastal KIdz (plus you’ll get a tour of our new facility).  Mark it on your calendar and tell Janet you’re coming!  Let’s do this Coastal!  

LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris 

  1. Help provide school supplies for the families in the Ardmore/Sherwood Forrest neighborhoods!  Collect supplies from the list in your bulletin this Sunday and then drop them off at the Coastal Outreach Box Truck before any service on August 1st or August 8th.  Supplies will then be distributed at the PINK House Tailgate on Saturday, August 14th!
  2. 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, July 23rd, 10am-12noon. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
    Tricounty Family Ministries –  We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, August 4th, 9am-1pm.  Meet at: 2105 Cosgrove Ave. North Charleston.
    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, August 7th.  We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!  Make plans NOW to be there!
    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 at 843-870-4613.
  3. Our “Summer Reading” series starts THIS Sunday, July 25th.  “Summer Reading” is another favorite Summer tradition here at Coastal where we pick a group of books 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. Here are all the books and their links.  Happy Reading! 
    Love Your Life, Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze
    U-Turns by Tony Evans
    The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
    Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel
    Uncommon Ground by Timothy Keller
    Gentle and Lowly by Dane C. Ortlund
    The Praying Life by Paul Miller
  4. Our Annual BEACH BAPTISM out at Folly Beach County Park is Sunday, August 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.  At Coastal we call it “going public,” 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 or sign up on our website.
  5. What are your Next Steps at Coastal?  If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception.  Our next Newcomers Reception is THISSunday, July 25th, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm).  This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people.  You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or simply show up on Sunday.  
    Another next step is officially making Coastal your church family by becoming a Member. Our next Membership Class is Monday night, August 9th, 6-8:30pm. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.  You can join us either in-person or online through Zoom.
  6. If you haven’t already seen it, make sure you check out our WAVES Student Ministry (6th-12th Grade) Summer Calendar.  They have a ton of events, activities, and service projects all summer!  There is a Gaming Tournament TONIGHT at 6pm at the church and a River Dogs Game next Friday night, July 30th!   Go to our website, their Instagram pageor reach out to Ryan Spell for all the details. Oh and by the way, all the events are FREE!!  Bring your Student and invite a friend!

    P.S. I know it seems like a long way off, but we are in the process of thinking through and planning out our Fall Semester of LIFE Groups.  If you are interested in possibly leading, assisting, or hosting a LIFE Group (in person or online), please sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or respond to this email.  If you have any questions you can also reach out to Pastor Scott Huff at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org.