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! Speaking of home, for every home or family to function well, there are certain things that just have to get done – dishes, laundry, yard work, balancing the checkbook, etc. In other words, we all have to pitch in and do our part. Well, the same is true of a church family. For OUR Coastal family to function well, there are just certain things that have to get done, regardless of your gifts, talents, or passions. They just require having a servant’s heart. One of those ongoing things here at Coastal is Chair Setup. While the Summer is not technically over yet, we have begun stacking and packing our chairs again in our auditorium on Sunday mornings after the second service. What that means is that Saturday morning Chair Setup has also resumed. On the first and second Saturday of each month, Chair Setup takes place one hour before the serving event that day. In other words, on the first Saturday of each month chair setup is at 7:30am, because Saturday Serve is at 8:30am. On the second Saturday of each month, chair setup is at 9am, because we have a Tailgate at 10am (this Saturday). On all other Saturday’s (3rd, 4th & sometimes 5th) chair setup is at 8am. With 6-10 people it takes less than 30 minutes. If you’re willing to jump in and be a servant, we’d love to see you on any Saturday morning you’re available (this Saturday at 9am). If this is a LIFE Team you would be interested in being a part of, go to our website, and sign up today!
I’d like to make a pitch for another specific LIFE Team here at Coastal – our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry (Birth – 5th Grade). We strongly believe that if our church is going to continue to grow, we must have a growing, thriving Children’s Ministry. We also believe that if you change the life of a child, you change the world! Simply put, join Coastal Kidz and be a world changer! Stop what you’re doing right now, go to our website and sign up to get involved with Coastal Kidz! In fact, I want to let you know about an exciting, brand new opportunity to serve within Coastal Kidz. Coastal Kidz strives to meet the needs of ALL of our children, even our children with special needs. Would you be willing to “shadow” a child with special needs? This just means that you are there to help a child participate in the Bible lesson, crafts, and other activities in their classroom. Maybe you have some experience with special needs children or you just have a heart for those kids and their parents. Talk about making a difference and being a world changer – this is it! Again, go to our LIFE Teams page on our website, scroll down until you see Coastal Kidz, and sign up today! If you’re specifically interested in being a Classroom Shadow for special needs children, reach out to our Children’s Director, Janet Rollins at janet@coastalcommunitychurch.org or 843-442-8299.
Whether it’s Chair Setup or Coastal Kidz, Prayer Team or Security or CARE Team or Production or Cafe or Office Volunteers or First Impressions or Student Ministry or Worship or Online Engagement (whew!) – you should be serving! But you should be serving, not just because there is a need – there is always a need. You should be serving because this is your family! And your family is on a mission – to share and experience the LIFE and LOVE of Jesus with Charleston and the world! And Jesus said that one of the ways that you find and experience true LIFE is by giving your life away in service to others.
One last thing, Teachers have made their way back to their classrooms and Students will be joining them this Wednesday in Charleston County! One of the things that Janet and I look forward to every year is seeing all the first day of school pictures on social media! No matter what school looks like for you and your family this year – public, private, charter, homeschool, or college – will you join me in praying for our Teachers, Students, and Parents? And it looks like we’ll finally be able to start volunteering again over at Oakland Elementary School during the school day – lunch room help, assisting in the classroom, reading with a student, etc. For the past 2 years, because of COVID, volunteers haven’t been allowed in the school. Thankfully, that’s finally starting to change. As soon as we know the details and what you need to do to volunteer, we’ll let you know. If you would be interested in volunteering over at Oakland, would you simply respond to this email and let me know? This is a great opportunity to love our neighbors, make an IMPACT, and be the hands and feet of Jesus right where we live, work, parent, and play!
LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Clothing Team – Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes TODAY, Friday, August 12th, 9am-11am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
Chair Set-Up – Come help set up all the chairs in the auditorium this Saturday (tomorrow), August 13th, at 9am (and then stay for the Charleston Vets Tailgate).
Charleston Vets Tailgate – We’re hosting a tailgating event at Charleston Vets, this Saturday (tomorrow), August 13th, 10am-1pm. Coastal Vets is a transitional housing facility for veterans in North Charleston. Meet at Coastal at 10am.
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. We meet at Coastal on Tuesday, August 16th at 3pm and the project will conclude by 6pm.
Joseph Floyd Manor Tailgate – Our Tailgate will be rolling and serving our friends downtown at the Joseph Floyd Manor – Thursday, August 18th, 10am-1pm. Meet at the church.
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas – Friday, August 19th, 8:30am-11am. Meet at Coastal.
Extending Branches Emergency Tailgate – Coastal is partnering with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office as they host a community resource fair in West Ashley, on Saturday, August 20th. The resource fair brings together multiple supportive agencies for those who are at-risk for homelessness. Coastal will provide a Tailgate-style lunch to anyone in the community who may be hungry. We meet at Coastal at 9:00 a.m. and we’ll wrap the project up by noon.
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 at 843-870-4613. - We are planning another BEACH BAPTISM out at Folly Beach County Park THIS Sunday, August 14th, 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, sign up on your Connect Card, or sign up on our website.
- New to Coastal? Join us in the Chapel or online Sunday, August 21st immediately following the 11:15am service for our next Newcomer’s Reception. Learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, and get plugged in. Lunch & childcare (and some fun giveaways) provided. RSVP online or on your Connect Card on Sunday!!
- Student Ministry kicks off soon! On Wednesday, August 24, our Students will come together for food, fellowship, worship, and small groups! Doors open at 6pm and service is from 6:30-8pm. Our hope is that students are pointed to Jesus in every aspect of our service each and every week. Don’t forget to tell your student to invite friends!
- Have you signed up for a LIFE Team yet? Our LIFE Teams are the volunteers who carry out the mission of Coastal (Coastal Kidz, 1st Impressions, Cafe, Security, Tech, Worship, Prayer, Office, Students, Online Engagement, CARE Team). If you call Coastal your home, ask yourself this question – what is my ministry and where am I serving on Sunday mornings? For the month of August, as we move into the Fall, we’re focusing on everyone who calls Coastal home, finding a place to serve on Sunday mornings. Simply put – there is a place for you at Coastal! Sunday morning is still the primary way in which new guests get connected to our church. And to create an environment where those people feel like our welcomed, expected guests in our home, it requires a large and growing volunteer army. Are you in that army? This Sunday, you’ll get a LIFE Team Catalog with all the different opportunities to serve. There will also be signs and sign up lists on our Kiosk for you to check out and sign up. But why wait? You can go to our website, check out all the different opportunities to serve, and sign up today!
P.S. Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Saturday morning, August 27th, 9-11:30am. 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.
