I know this is common place to say at Coastal – but WOW, what an AMAZING DAY this past Sunday! Almost 200 people came out to Folly Beach to witness 33 people getting Baptized in the ocean! And we still have another 14 people signed up to get Baptized soon (by the way, we’re ready any time you are – any service, any Sunday – just let us know)! Plus, after Sunday, we added another 5 Salvations to our IMPACT Board! That means we have now have baptized 52 people so far this year and 60 people have given their life to Jesus! Our goal this year is 100! We’re more than halfway there! Coastal, keep praying for your ONE! The best way to make an IMPACT is still ONE life at a time. Beg God to keep using Coastal, to draw people to Himself through our church. And then, do your part – keep inviting, keep sharing, keep reaching out. And when guests do show up to church (which they do every Sunday at Coastal), go out of your way to be friendly & welcoming.
And speaking of inviting and reaching out – on Sunday, September 16th, we’re having a BIG DAY! In other words, I’m asking you to pull out all the stops and do whatever it takes to get your friends, neighbors, family, co-workers – your ONE – to church that day! We’re kicking off a brand new series called, “Losing My Religion”from the book of James. Many people today have lost faith in “organized religion”? They have a number of reasons for not attending church, but lack of faith isn’t usually one of them. They want a growing relationship with God. They want to see faith put in action. They actually want be a part of a movement of people that’s making a real difference in our community and our world. Well, that’s what we want at Coastal Community Church and that’s what this series is about – putting our faith into action.
One of the things I’m most excited about for the kick-off of the series is that instead of the usual Jump Castles, Games, & Kona Ice (don’t worry, we’ll have those later for other events), we’re going to give you and your friends a real opportunity to actually put your faith in action. How? We’ll have tents & trucks outside on our campus where you can give blood to the Red Cross, bring food for our Food Bank & the Lowcountry Food Bank, bring Toys/Supplies for Operation Christmas Child, bring old household items for Habitat for Humanity Restore. In other words, our entire campus will be filled with opportunities to be a part of something bigger than yourself and make an IMPACT in our community and world! Again, that’s Sunday, September 16th – start praying now! We’ll be having 3 services that day (that day only): 8:30am, 10am, & 11:30am! It’s going to be another AMAZING day at Coastal!
Pastor Chris
2. Sunday, August 26th is LIFE Group Sunday at Coastal! What is LIFE Group Sunday you ask? During both services (and in between & after) you’ll have the chance to go outside to a large tent filled with tables/displays representing all of our LIFE Groups for this semester. It’s kind of like a job fair or college fair but for LIFE Groups! You’ll get to the meet the leaders, ask questions, enjoy some great snacks, and most importantly, sign up for a Group! For those of you who are LIFE Group Leaders, don’t forget that LIFE Group Training will be 7pm-9pm, Tuesday night, August 21st or 10am-12noon, Saturday morning, August 25th (childcare provided for both).
3. Our next Newcomer’s Reception is Sunday, September 9th, immediately after the 11:15am service! It’s a great next step for people new to Coastal. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about Coastal, meet our staff & ministry leaders, and meet other new people just like yourself. It only lasts about 40 minutes and pizza & childcare are provided. You can sign up online or simply respond to this email to let us know you’re coming.
4. Join us on Sunday night, September 9th, at 6pm for a special night of prayer and worship as we officially ordain Ryan Spellinto full time Christian Ministry as a Pastor. We will also have a special time of prayer for our Big Day the following Sunday! There will be childcare and a reception! Don’t miss it!
5. As school supplies go on sale, it’s a great time to grab extras for our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Most needed items are: pencils, erasers, manual pencil sharpeners, pens, crayons, small composition notebooks, solar powered calculators, rulers, glue sticks (no liquid glue), and pencil cases. Save them up and bring everything on Sunday, September 16th! You can go ahead and bring shoeboxes NOW and drop them off at the OCC collection box in the auditorium at church.
P.S. There is a Peru Missions Trip information meeting on Sunday, August 26th at 1pm at the church. The Mission Trip to Lima, Peru is next year, June 25th – July 2nd, 2019. Come hear all the details and learn how you can make a difference in Peru.
