The next couple of weeks are going to be exciting at Coastal with 2 BIG DAYS! First of all, this Sunday, September 10th is LIFE Group Sunday!! What is LIFE Group Sunday you ask? For those of you who are new to Coastal, let me explain. Our Sunday morning worship service is pretty much the same, but just a little shorter. We do that because we want to make plenty of time before and after each service for you to visit a table/booth representing each one of our 55 different LIFE Groups (kind of like a Job/College Fair, but for Groups)! You’ll be able to meet other people checking out all the Groups, meet the different Group Leaders, and ask any questions you might have. Our Cafe will be open and serving coffee and cupcakes! The Groups will have their favorite candy at their tables and there will even be FREE Kona Ice outside for everyone! I promise it will be a great day and a lot of fun! But most importantly, SIGN UP FOR A LIFE GROUP! In fact, many of our LIFE Groups are filling up fast. Go online and sign up today!
And then, on Sunday, September 17th, we jump back into our Romans series, “Join the Revolution!” From Sunday, September 17th, through Sunday, November 26th, we’ll be going through Romans 12-16. In the first 11 chapters of Romans, we dealt with a lot of theology. And now in these final chapters, that theology becomes very practical. I love how this section begins. In fact, Romans 12:1-2 is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” WOW! As I like to say, “That’ll preach!” So don’t miss any of it! We’ll also be emailing out a daily devotional, Monday-Friday that will coincide with that week’s passage from Romans. And then to top it all off, LIFE Groups begin the week of September 17th as well!
And speaking of practical, here are some very practical things I’m asking you to do. 1. Pray. Pray that God would use our church and our people to draw people to Himself as we lift up the name of Jesus! Pray for me and my messages. Pray that the Holy Spirit would move in a mighty powerful way! 2. Pull out the stops, and invite and bring a friend to church with you, especially over the next two weeks! I recently shared an interesting quote from Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Computer) with our Staff, “Most people never pick up the phone and call. Most people never ask, and that’s what separates the people who do things from the people who just dream about them.” Step out in faith, be bold, and make the ask! 3. If at all possible, consider going to the 8:30am service or the 11:30am service to make more room in the 10am service. 4. Park over at Oakland Elementary School. This simple gesture will make the transition time between services go so much smoother. See you and your friends on Sunday! By the way, I absolutely LOVE IT when you introduce your friends to me! I love you Coastal! I love being your Pastor! And I love what we get to do together!
LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas – Friday, September 8th, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
Clothing Team: Our Coastal Clothing Team will be organizing and sorting clothes, TODAY, Friday, September 8th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 2952 Old Pond Road on Johns Island.
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 8th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
Double Tailgate Day: Charleston Vets & Joseph Floyd Manor: TOMORROW, Saturday, September 9th, 10am-1pm. Meet at the church and then pick which Tailgate you’d like to serve.
Ronald McDonald House Meals That Heal: TOMORROW, Saturday, September 9th, 4:30-6:45pm. Online signup required. Contact Rachel Speerfor more info.
Soldier’s Angels: We’ll be helping with the Veteran’s Mobile Food Distribution, Tuesday, September 12th, 8am-1pm. Meet at 1113 Sam Rittenburg Blvd. (The Elks Lodge).
Food Pantry Sort & Stock: Coastal feeds an enormous amount of people. Come to the church and help keep our Food Pantry organized (and have a lot of fun while you’re at it)! Thursday, September 14th, 11:30am-1pm.
VA Stand Down for the Homeless: Coastal will be providing a Tailgate for Veterans attending the VA’s Stand Down for homelessness. Friday, September 15th, 10am-1:30pm.
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, September 19th, 12pm-3pm.
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 20th, 8:30am-12pm. 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 21st, 6-8pm. Meet at Coastal.
Coffee & Doughnuts with the Vets at Patriot Villas – Friday, September 22nd, 8:30am-11:30am. Meet at Coastal.
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 Friday, September 22nd, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
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. - If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, October 8th, in our Chapel immediately following the 11:30am service (at approximately 12:45pm). 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. You can sign up on our website today!
- Looking for an exciting and rewarding opportunity to make a real IMPACT in the next generation right here in our community? Join the Oakland Elementary School Reading Partners Team! As a Reading Partners Volunteer at Oakland Elementary School, you’ll work closely with a K-5th Grade Student who is struggling with reading. You’ll help provide one-on-one tutoring and support through structured lessons and engaging activities – all of which is provided through Reading Partners. If you are interested, RSVP on your Connect Card for the Orientation & Training Event at Coastal on Wednesday, October 4th at 1pm.
- CSM (Coastal Student Ministry – 6th-12th Grade) is officially back for their Fall semester! They meet on Sunday nights, 5:30pm-7pm (doors open at 5pm), for games, worship, a message, and small groups. Bring your Students, and we encourage them to invite a friend! They won’t want to miss it! If you have any questions, you can email Pastor Jacob at jacob@coastalcommunitychurch.org.
- Interested in officially making the Coastal church family, your church family? Our next Membership Class is Thursday, October 19th, 6-9pm in the Chapel. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday. Dinner & childcare provided!
P.S. We set a goal back in January to Baptize 100 people this year! We are now at 95! What about you? Is Baptism your next step in your journey of faith? The only requirement for Baptism is that you have personally given your life to Jesus. In the New Testament, people believed and then they were Baptized. Baptism in and of itself doesn’t “make” you a Christian, it just shows that you are one. It’s a symbol that beautifully pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And at Coastal, we are ready to Baptize you any Sunday, any service. Sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday or go to website and sign up today. After you sign up, someone from our Staff will contact you and answer any of your questions.
