One of the things I love most about Coastal is that we’re always looking for ways to make room for one more person. This Sunday is another one of those moments. We are excited to finally open our brand new classroom in Coastal Kidz for Kindergarten – 1st Graders this weekend!
Over the past few months, we transformed Aly’s old office and our previous Food Pantry into one large additional classroom for our Children’s Ministry. Opening this room allows us to break down our age groups to be more developmentally appropriate while we help children grow in their faith through play, worship, Bible stories, activities, prayer, and building relationships. It may not seem like a huge announcement, but it’s actually a pretty big deal.
It’s a big deal because Coastal Kidz, especially during the 10am service time, has been bursting at the seams! But honestly, there have been times when that’s even true in the other services as well. The new classroom means we can spread our children out a little more, create a better environment for learning, improve safety, and make room for the continued growth God has been bringing our way. What’s especially exciting is how this all came together. When we opened The Outpost, we were able to relocate our Community Food Pantry. That freed up a room inside our main building. Then, in a tremendous act of servant leadership, Aly Huggins, our Children’s Director, willingly gave up her office so those two spaces could be combined into one large classroom for our kids. I love that! Because that’s Coastal – people continually sacrificing their own comfort and preferences so someone else can experience the love of Jesus (people parking further away, people choosing to come to the 1st or 3rd service)!
Of course, this new classroom also creates new opportunities to serve. As more children come through our doors, we need more and more loving, caring volunteers who are willing to invest in the next generation (see some of those Volunteers in the pictures above and below). We are looking for both Leaders and Assistants in our classrooms. Leaders maintain the flow of the service time and lead the portion of the lesson that is done in a whole group. Assistants support the lead teacher, engage with kids through conversation and play, and facilitate a group of about 6-8 kids during small group time. All volunteers are equipped with lesson plans and materials needed for the activities that help reinforce the Bible lesson. We ask our volunteers to prayerfully consider serving two times a month during one service in order to build consistency and relationships with the kids. I honestly can’t think of many greater investments you could ever make with your life.
To learn more or to set up a time to observe a class, contact our Children’s Director, Aly Huggins, at aly@coastalcommunitychurch.org, or stop by the Child Check-In desk on any given Sunday and ask for Aly. Thank you for being a church that continues to make room for one more child, one more family, one more life to be changed by Jesus. I love you, Coastal! I love being your Pastor! And I absolutely love making room for ONE more with you!
In His Service & Yours!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
The Boutique Sort & Stock: Come help sort & organize all the clothes we distribute! TODAY, Friday, July 31st; Monday, August 3rd, 10:30am-12:30pm. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
Downtown Charleston “Hotdog Ministry”: We will be grilling and serving hotdogs to the homeless and hungry downtown! TODAY, Friday, July 31st, 4pm-6pm. Meet at Coastal.
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 THIS Saturday, August 1st. We meet in the Auditorium at 8:30am, Project Leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we go out and serve!
Unload Food Delivery: With our partnership with the Lowcountry Food Bank, we are looking for willing muscles, hands & hearts to help us unload the Coastal Box Truck loaded with our weekly food pickup from the Food Bank. Wednesday, August 5th, 9:30am-12noon. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
The Market Organize & Prep: Come to The Outpost and help keep the Market stocked and organized (and have a lot of fun while you’re at it)! Wednesday, August 5th, 10am-12noon. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
Sleep In Heavenly Peace Bed Delivery: 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, August 5th, 6pm-8pm.
Serving in the Market & the Boutique at The Outpost: Coastal feeds and clothes an enormous amount of people. Come to The Outpost and help serve our community (and have a lot of fun while you’re at it)! Thursday, August 6th, 11am-1:30pm. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
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, August 7th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at The Outpost – 1050 St. Andrews Blvd.
2nd Saturday Meal: Saturday, August 8th, 9am-12noon. Come serve with us at the church 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, August 8th, 10:30am-1:30pm. Meet at The Outpost and then pick which Tailgate you’d like to serve. 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. - All LIFE Group leaders are required to complete a training session each semester. You only need to attend 1 of the 3 options. Please sign up for your choice on the links below. LIFE Group Sunday is on Sunday, August 30th and LIFE Groups will begin the week of September 13th-19th.
– New Leaders Training, Thursday, August 13th, 6:30pm-8pm
– New Leaders Training, Saturday, August 15th, 9am-10:30am
– Returning Leaders Training, Sunday, August 16th, 8pm-9pm ONLINE
Contact Pastor Scott Huff if you have any questions. - Since opening “The Outpost,” the number of families we are helping in our community has multiplied exponentially! While we used to see approximately 6 families on any given Thursday at our church at the Food Pantry, we are now serving 45+ families at The Outpost! As a result, we are always in need of food to restock “The Market” and clothes for “The Boutique”!
Right now “The Market” could use: canned chicken and tuna (OUR BIGGEST NEED), cereal, jelly, corn, and pasta sauce. “The Boutique” is in need of school uniforms, men’s shirts (larger sizes), and men’s pants (all sizes). If you’re cleaning out your closet or making a store run, we’d love for you to keep The Outpost in mind. Every donation goes directly to someone in our community in need. Drop your donations in the bin/shopping cart at Coastal on Sunday mornings, or Monday-Thursday, 9-4 (church office on the side). Your donations, big or small, make a huge impact on families in need in our community. - We are planning our 2nd BEACH BAPTISM of the Summer out at Folly Beach County Park on Sunday, August 9th, 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.
- Newcomer’s Reception: If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. 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. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, August 16th, in our Chapel immediately following the 11:30am service (at approximately 12:45pm). You can sign up on our website today.
P.S. If you haven’t already done so, please sign up to attend one of our Thrive Campaign Information Meetings. To make it easy for everyone who calls Coastal home to attend one of these meetings, Pastor Chris is leading 12 different meetings (with childcare and refreshments), over the course of 2 weeks, at different times. Pastor Chris will share:
– Why we’re launching THRIVE.
– The vision God has placed on our hearts.
– What we’re planning to build and why.
– How much it is expected to cost.
– How we believe God will provide.
– And he’ll answer any questions you may have.
No one will be asked to make a financial commitment at these meetings. You’ll simply have the opportunity to hear the vision and discover how you can be a part of it. Here is a list of those 12 meetings. Sign up online, or sign up on your Card on Sunday. Just pick one! Click the link below and sign up today.
1 – Friday, August 21st, 6:30pm-8pm, Auditorium (childcare – pizza)
2 – Saturday, August 22nd, 9am-10:30am, Auditorium (childcare – refreshments)
3 – Sunday, August 23rd, 12:45-2:15pm, Auditorium (childcare – pizza)
4 – Sunday, August 23rd, 5:30pm-7pm, Chapel (childcare – pizza)
5 – Wednesday, August 26th, 9am-10:30am, Chapel (no childcare – refreshments)
6 – Wednesday, August 26th, 6:30pm-8pm, Chapel (childcare – refreshments)
7 – Thursday, August 27th, 6:30pm-8pm, Chapel (childcare – refreshments)
8 – Saturday, August 29th, 10am-11:30am, Auditorium (childcare – refreshments)
9 – Sunday, August 30th, 5:30pm-7pm, Chapel (childcare – pizza)
10 – Young Adults, Monday, August 31st, 6:30pm-8pm, Chapel (no childcare – refreshments)
11 – Tuesday, September 1st, 12pm-1:30pm, Chapel (no childcare – lunch)
12 – Wednesday, September 2nd, 6:30pm-8pm, Chapel (childcare – refreshments)
