It’s been another exciting week at Coastal! First of all, our new semester of LIFE Groups started this week! I’ve heard nothing but GREAT things! Personally, I lead two different Groups, and it was so great to see everyone and get started! We have awesome leaders, and I can’t wait to hear the stories of community, connection, and change! Many of our Groups are full, but for those that aren’t, it’s still not too late to join. Go to our website and sign up today!
And then, of course, we kicked off our new Fall sermon series, “A Revolution of Faith,” on the book of Romans. We had A LOT of 1st time guests and gave a way A TON of 1st Time Guest Gift Bags! I also want to thank our Pastors/Staff. As a part of this series, we’re emailing out a daily devotional (Monday-Friday) as we make our way through the book of Romans. The Pastors/Staff are writing the devotionals and doing a GREAT job! I hope you’ll include them as a part of your daily devotional life.
And speaking of our Pastors and Staff, I want to share with you some exciting changes and additions. First of all, you might have noticed several new additions on the stage with our Worship Team lately. One of those, Jarred Dawkins (JD), will become a more permanent fixture as our main Worship Leader beginning in October. JD is an energetic Worship Leader who is finishing up his degree at CSU and will be with at least through this year (and who knows what the future holds after that!). You might have noticed that we’ve “upped our Social Media game” lately! Well, that’s because Aysia Le has joined our Team as our Social Media Manager. Aysia works in the world of Social Media and Brand Marketing and has a passion for serving. My wife Janet is building a Coastal Kidz Leadership Team. Andrea Bolton will be our Nursery/Toddler Coordinator, Erin Strand will be our Pre-School Coordinator, and Rebecca Valencic will be our Elementary Coordinator. They will work closely with Janet and help with building a team, scheduling, and classroom prep.
And then last, but not least, this change is not really exciting, but it is a part of the life of any church staff and family. Ashley Hojnacki (our Office Manager) will be leaving our staff and the family of Coastal. Her husband Ed has taken a new and exciting position at a company in Michigan, and they will be moving (Ed actually begins his job next week). The exciting part for them is that they will be very close to both of their families in Michigan. I know that their families can’t wait to spend more time with Ed & Ashley’s little girl Blake. Ed & Ashley have been a part of Coastal for 11 years and Ashley has been on our Staff for almost 7 years. That’s a long time to put up with me and the craziness of a church staff! Thank you is not enough! But feel free to reach out to her and express your thanks – ashley@coastalcommunitychurch.org. And when you see her on Sunday, give her a big hug! She takes a little bit of Coastal with her, and I’m sure God is going to continue to do great things through them in the years to come. As a result of her departure, Rachel Speer will be taking on more responsibilities, Kathy Love takes over offering, deposits, and billing, and Dawn Judd becomes our bookkeeper.
A growing and changing church requires a growing and changing staff. As the Lead Pastor here at Coastal, I am and have been honored to work alongside such an AWESOME Team! God brings people into our lives for a reason and for a season. Sometimes we don’t always understand all the reasons. Sometimes the season is long, sometimes it’s short. But through it all, it’s my prayer that together we are bringing God glory, accomplishing His purposes in our lives, and day by day becoming a little bit more like His Son Jesus! Like I always say, “I love you Coastal, I love being your Pastor, and I love what we get to do together!” See you on Sunday!
LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris
- 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, September 23rd, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
Chair Set-Up: Come help set up all the chairs in the auditorium this Saturday (tomorrow), September 24th, at 8am.
VA Hospitality Project – This team serves at the VA Hospital in Charleston by providing a hospitality cart, greeting incoming patients and employees, visiting patients, and helping Volunteer Services with small sorting projects. Wednesday, September 28th, 8:30am-12:30pm. Meet at Coastal.
Patriot Villas Veterans Tailgate & Game Night – We will be putting on a Tailgate for the Veterans at Patriot Villas on Thursday, September 29th, 6-8pm. Meet at Coastal.
Clothing Team: Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes, Friday, September 30th, 9am-11am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
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, October 1st. We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve!
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. - For countless mothers, having enough diapers is a constant struggle. Without diapers, children cannot attend daycare, which may prevent parents from making an income. Diapers are not funded by WIC and SNAP programs, and without this financial assistance, babies are left in their diapers longer, leading to severe diaper rash that could lead to other medical problems. We are partnering with the Junior League of Charleston Diaper Bank. They collect, package and work with partner organizations to distribute diapers to those in need throughout the Lowcountry. We’re collecting diapers and pullups of all sizes from now until Sunday, October 2nd. The goal is to collect 1000 diapers! Drop off donations at the Junior League of Charleston Barrel located in the foyer near the auditorium doors starting this Sunday!
- If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, October 30th, in our Chapel 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 sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.
- Attention Coastal! Our church is collecting large bags of individually wrapped candy to help with Oakland Elementary School’s Trunk or Treat. Their Trunk or Treat is Thursday, October 20th, 5pm-7pm, and we are collecting candy beginning this Sunday through, Sunday, October 16th. You can drop your candy off at the bin on the kiosk in front of the auditorium.
- To be the best stewards of your giving, Coastal is consolidating our multiple giving platforms under the single umbrella of Church Teams (our new Church Management Platform). Online Giving and Text Giving through Church Teams is simple, safe, and secure. It will save the church time and money. Through Church Teams Online Giving you can set up automated/recurring giving through a Credit/Debit Card or through your Bank Account. You can even see a report of your giving! So, if you have already set up recurring giving online through PayPal, Kindrid/Texting, or our Coastal App, we are encouraging you to make that transition now to Church Teams Online Giving. You can do so at this link, or you can text the keyword “Give” to 843-571-1777 to get started. If you need any help, our office would be happy to assist. Contact us at 843-571-1777. Thank you again for your generosity and making an IMPACT here in Charleston AND the world!
P.S. P.S. It might seem like a long way off, but we wanted to go ahead and put on your calendar our next Coastal Night of Worship – Friday night, November 11th, 7-8:30pm! Invite your friends and family to join us for a night of prayer, worship, and encouragement. RSVP now for childcare (birth-kindergarten) on your Connect Card.
