Okay, back to the Bowl tickets. My message is humming along. We've talked about jewelry, gadgets, and gaming systems, and given away a bracelet, ipod, and Guitar Hero 3. Now the final point of my message I'm talking about sports related gifts. I announce for the person with the letter "T" under their gift bag to come to the stage. By the way, if you didn't figure it out, the winning letters were "GIFT."

A young man in his 20's, a first time guest, comes to the stage. He was obviously a good sport and really played along. Before he opens the gift he says he's not a Clemson fan (assuming that it's some sort of Clemson thing), but a Carolina fan - the Carolina contingent at our church hoot and holler a bit. I assure him that it's not just a Clemson gift, but a sports gift. He opens the gift and it contains a card saying that he's won two tickets to the 2007 Chick-Fil-A Bowl Game in Atlanta, GA. The crowd goes wild and you can tell he's excited. As he's walking off the stage I say, "By the way, we thought long and hard about which Bowl Tickets to try to get. We almost got tickets for the Bowl Game that Carolina is playing in . . . oh yeah, that's right." Crowd busts up laughing and so does he. Again, good sport.

I said a box containing a card saying that he's won two tickets because the tickets had not yet arrived in the mail. I told the young man who won to make sure that he filled out a Connect Card with his information and we would be sure to contact him as soon as they arrived. On his Connect Card he checked that he had renewed his commitment to Christ. Here's what he wrote, "Your sermon was amazing. I had lost a lot and questioned many things. Thank you for your words. It made me see things in a different light. My girlfriend found you through the internet and I decided we would come."

When the tickets arrived I gave him a call. He thanked me for the call and told me that he had been meaning to email me ever since the Christmas Eve service. He again told me how much it meant to him. He said that he had been away from church for several years. In fact, he said the last time he was in church he looked around and saw a bunch of people who didn't really want to be there. During the message they would balance their checkbook, doodle, or sleep. They were just going through the motions. Quite frankly, he said he didn't want to be there either. It didn't seem to speak to his life. So he quit going.

He still prayed and even read his Bible, but he didn't have a church family. He said he felt God calling him back. He and his girlfriend decided to search for another church to visit. They found ours on the internet. He was blown away, and not just by my message, but that everyone genuinely seemed to want to be there. He also said that when I said, "No one is here by accident. God has a reason for you being here," that he knew I was speaking to him.

I offered to meet with him to give him the tickets. He said, "No, I'll pick them up Sunday at church." Wow! Is that a God thing or what? It's amazing what happens when a church decides to pray for people far from God (1-1-1), pull out all the stops, and do whatever it takes to reach them. It's amazing what happens when a church truly decides that the reason they exist is to share and experience LIFE! You know what? Actually, it's not amazing. It's just what God has been waiting for and what He said would happen all along. Simply put, those are the people and the churches that He uses. See you Sunday!

So - is everyone back to work? I've gone to the office a couple of times since Christmas and done some work from home, but I have definitely enjoyed some time off with my family. Today I've got to get busy on my message for Sunday and a few other things.

I wanted to share the story of our Chick-Fil-A Bowl tickets with you. As many of you know, we gave away 2 Bowl Tickets as a part of our Christmas Eve service. But how we got those tickets and who ended up with them is quite a story. When we came up with the idea at our Creative Team meeting we only had a couple of weeks to get our hands on them. The Bowl was already sold out, but like many Bowl games, I figured we could find someone who was willing to part with them at a reasonable price. I called everyone I knew - Clemson people, Auburn people, Atlanta contacts, Chick-Fil-A contacts. No avail. I went to Ebay, but didn't want to pay what they were asking for them.

Well, time was slipping away and so on the Friday before Christmas I decided it was time to go the Ebay route. I scrolled through auction after auction after auction. I landed upon one particular auction where the seller at least seemed to have a reasonable starting bid, had more than one ticket, and listed his phone number. I decided to give him a call.

"Hi, I'm calling about your Bowl tickets for sale on Ebay." Extremely nice guy. He told me that he was a member of IPTAY and bought the tickets but that his wedding anniversary is January 1st and that his wife said, "We will not spend our anniversary at a football game." He also told me he would be willing to break up the set and sell 2 of them.

Well for whatever reason I decided to tell him who I was and what we were going to do with the tickets. I told him all about the service and our "Unwrapping Christmas" series. I told him about my sermon, "My Favorite Things," and gave him a point by point run down of my message. The whole time he kept saying things like, "Wow! That's great! Very creative."

And then when I was done he told me that his wife had literally just asked him about the tickets and that he was checking the auction when I called. But then he told me that he was a volunteer staff member at NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC! He volunteers in the Children's Ministry with child security and check-in. I have talked about the NewSpring church several times on this Blog. Jeremiah and I went to their Unleash Conference last spring and pre-registered for 10 tickets for this year's conference. In fact, we had just stopped by NewSpring on our way to see Janet's family in GA a couple of weeks ago.

All of a sudden it was like we were old friends. We forgot about the game and talked about church and ministry. He offered to help us out in any way he could and even offered to give us a "behind the scenes" tour when we come to the Unleash 08 conference. When we finally got back to talking about the game he said he would shut down the auction and sell them to us for what he paid for them. He asked for my name and address so he could send the tickets. When I told him my name he said, "Spell your last name." "R-o-l-l-i-n-s." He said, "You're never going to believe this, but that's my name!" No - we're not long lost brothers, separated at birth or even cousins. But still, you have to admit - that's pretty cool!

God was definitely up to something! I told him to pray for the person that ends up with the tickets (you'll have to read Part 2) and that I would call him and tell him all about it. I always knew Clemson was God's team!

WOW! Our Christmas Eve Service last night was awesome! We had a packed house and a ton of 1st time guests! I loved everything - the music, the video, and the GIFTS! That's right, gifts. My message last night was entitled, "My Favorite Things" and we literally gave a gift to everyone present. The gift bags were filled with lots of chocolate, goodies, ornaments, coupons, free stuff, reindeer head bands, and Chick-Fil-A calendars. It was so cool watching everyone open their bags. And to four lucky audience members we gave away a bracelet, an ipod shuffle, Guitar Hero 3, and drum roll please . . . 2 tickets to the 2007 Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, GA! (There's a cool story about getting the tickets that I'll post later.) Honestly, it was probably my favorite Christmas Eve service we've ever had. Huge props go to my Creative Team for all your ideas and work putting it together.

Janet and I went to bed at about 2AM and the kids got us up at 6AM. We had a great Christmas morning! I just absolutely love my family. We have so much fun. It never gets old watching your children open presents. Christopher got a bunch of paintball stuff that none of us really understand, shoes, movies, CD's, and right now he's rockin' out to his own Guitar Hero 3. Lydia got a cell phone (now that she's driving, I think it was more for mom and dad), books, shoes, the Hairspray movie & soundtrack, a Monk Bobblehead & t-shirt, and her very own blog (I purchased her own domain name - www.lydiarollins.com). I look forward to adding her to my blogroll and reading her posts.

We just got finished with lunch (I cooked steak and shrimp on the grill.) I'm stuffed and exhausted. I need my Christmas nap! And yes, I got several cool Clemson things: a new Clemson flag that I will display proudly, a Clemson grill spatula, and probably my favorite Clemson gift - a Clemson remote control!!!

Merry Christmas Coastal! And Merry Christmas to all of you who read my blog regularly or just stop by once in a while to see what we're up to in Charleston. 2007 has been a wild ride. It's an honor to share it with you! Thanks for putting up with my rants, my rambling, my strange sense of humor, and humble attempt to share my heart. 2008 is going to be a breakout year for Coastal! I love you!

Let me start off by saying that I am so excited about our Christmas Eve Service tomorrow night! For the last hour or so, I've been making phone calls - inviting people to join us and bring friends. Over the years we've given away a lot of stuff at Coastal - movie tickets, Nascar tickets, Harley Davidson rides, DVD players, gift certificates, etc. Well tomorrow night as we continue in our "Unwrapping Christmas" theme, everyone will walk away with something! But 4 people will be extremely glad they came! My message title is, "My Favorite Things." Hmmm. What are Pastor Chris' favorite things? What might we be giving away? Pastor Chris is a huge Clemson fan isn't he? Clemson is playing in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Hmmm. What could it be?

We had a bunch of people out of town today. Our attendance was definitely down as far as numbers go. But we did have several visitors. Keep it up Coastal - invite, invite, invite. One little highlight for me lately has been watching people enjoy hanging out in our "new" Welcome Room & Cafe'. We could already add another table and chairs. People really seem to love having a place to sit, relax, laugh, share, and drink a good cup of coffee (Krispy Kreme doughnuts are nice too). We're drinking like twice the coffee we did before.

Loved hearing, "Run, Run, Rudolph!" to open up the service (I know - we're crazy). We will definitely be playing that tomorrow night! Did I mention that I'm jacked about tomorrow night? Another one of my "Favorite Things" is Apple Computer. Hmmm. But we can't afford to give away a computer. What could it be?

My message was about the gift of joy. Joy is different than happiness. It's not based on our circumstances. Joy is also a choice. We looked at the choices the shepherds made that first Christmas - choices that we can make that will bring joy into our lives. We can choose to hear, accept, and believe the good news. We can choose to obey God. We can choose to tell others.

Another highlight of the day was watching our High School students and families bless our Youth Pastor Jeremiah with a Playstation 3! As they say, "He was as excited as a kid in a candy store!" (And yes, I do think he cried like a baby girl!) Just like a parent, it fills my heart with pride, when I see people in our church expressing their love in generous, extravagant giving.

After church, I went out to Trident Hospital to see Brad & Melissa's new baby boy - Braden (not sure of spelling). Mom & Baby are doing great. What a great Christmas present! And then I had a wedding out at Kiawah. What a day! Well, that's about it. I need to spend some time on my message for tomorrow night. I love this time of year. Leverage the opportunity you have to reach out to those around you and share the love of Christ! See you and as many people you can get here tomorrow night at Coastal!

I've always enjoyed our annual Christmas Eve service at Coastal. In fact, it's a part of our family's Christmas tradition. It just doesn't feel like Christmas until we've had our Christmas Eve service. Well, I'll be honest with you. For weeks, months now, our Creative Team has struggled with what to do at our Christmas Eve service. We just didn't want it to be "same old, same old."

Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with traditional Christmas Eve services. We've done that. They can be very moving. But we wanted this year's service to be different. We wanted it to go along with our "Unwrapping Christmas" series and we wanted to communicate the gospel in a creative, powerful way. We wanted our church to be able to use the service as an outreach tool.

Well, at our all day, year long Creative Team planning meeting it all came together. This year's Christmas Eve service is going to be one you will never forget! I don't want to give it away, but if you're in town, you're going to want to be there and bring your friends! They will be talking about this service long after it's over! We will be communicating the gospel in a very creative, powerful way! So - pull out all the stops, do whatever it takes, be at Coastal on Christmas Eve with as many people as possible - especially those who are far from God, those who need to experience the LIFE that only Christ can bring! Christmas begins early at Coastal!

Had a great time at our Adult Christmas Party last night! The atmosphere was unbelievable! The food was great! But the laughter and fun was even better. We kicked off the evening with a Christmas game where each table picked a random "Christmas word" and then had to use that word and the word "Coastal" in their own version of "Jingle Bells" and then perform it for everyone. It was hilarious.

But as always, the big hit of the evening was our "white elephant" gift exchange. Hands down, the hot gift of the evening this year was the 20 inch leg lamp replica from the movie, "A Christmas Story." It got stolen and passed around several times. Junior Moore ended up with the gift, but out of the kindness of his heart (he felt sorry for a sobbing, begging Jeremiah) and as a true example of undeserved grace, he exchanged the leg lamp for Jeremiah's Charlie Brown Christmas Tree t-shirt. Jeremiah was right - I always bring the hot gift! Last year I brought the Victoria Secret gift card and this year I brought the lamp! When you're returning your junk the day after Christmas or searching for Christmas decorations on sale, the Rollins family is looking for next year's "white elephant" gift. The gift I still wish I would have brought - a Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), High School Musical Barbie Doll, in the box, with nothing on but black electrical tape over the "sensitive areas." Oh well, there's always next year!

Merry Christmas from the Rollins Family! Enjoy the show!


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Tonight, the family and I went to hear the Wyatt Garey Band play at a local West Ashley venue - The Map Room. They did an awesome job! Of course I am a little biased, especially since 3 of their members (Wyatt, Ranny, & Junior) play in our Praise & Worship Team. No matter where Wyatt's music takes him - and it will take him far (he's only 15) - in my mind's eye, I will forever see Wyatt sitting on his dad's shoulders during our Praise & Worship Team practice. They have been a such faithful constant part of the worship of Coastal that I can't remember them not being there. Ranny & Wyatt are living examples of the gift and joy of music. They are a part of my family.

Yes, Wyatt, I am sucking up. When you are playing guitar for whomever, in stadiums and coliseums around the country, I do expect tickets. We might even occasionally use them for giveaways at church. And speaking of church - you guys must play "Run! Run! Rudolph!" this Sunday and Christmas Eve at Coastal! It's going to ROCK! Just never forget that I am the real Jam Pastor!

The most obvious highlight of the day was our Children's Christmas Program. They did a great job! I am so proud of all of them! Kathy and all of her volunteers worked very hard. For me, Kathy Beam stole the show! She was absolutely hilarious as Miss Paula Queen! She was definitely type cast for the role. But what really blew me away were her professional-like dance moves!

The other thing that always stands out at every Children's Christmas Program is just watching the growth of our kids. And not just physical growth, but it's the kid that last year just stands around staring into space picking his nose, but this year sings out and knows the motions. Or the kid that last year sings out, but this year has a speaking part or a solo. It's just fun to see the growth.

You know, it literally just dawned on me - I wonder if in a small way, that's the way God looks at us and our growth. Last year we were kind of fumbling around in our walk with Christ. This year we're sharing our story, building relationships, and inviting people to church. Several years ago, we didn't even know the books of the Bible. This year we've read through the Bible and even memorized several verses. Last year it didn't look like we would ever not give in to that temptation or be able stand up under that trial. This year we've come along someone else who's going through that same thing and shared how with God's power we were able to make it. Several years ago we were living for ourselves. Now we serve God by serving others in a Ministry. Last year we were in debt up to our eyeballs, not able to make the ends meet. This year we're tithing. I bet our Heavenly Father enjoys watching our growth as much as Jeff Denton loved watching his two little girls sing their hearts out today. Just a thought. It kind of makes me want to make Him proud!

Came home after Student Ministry tonight and watched the Survivor Finale (I knew Todd was going to win). Well, I've got a lot of other things to share about the weekend, our awesome Creative Team Meeting, and some exciting upcoming events, but you'll have to check back later. It's late and I need to get to bed. Don't forget - 1-1-1. 1PM - pray for 1 minute - for 1 person far from God.

Well, we're back! We did have a good trip. Christopher and I made it to Starbucks. I went to the Apple Store like 4 times (and didn't buy a thing!). Lydia, Christopher, and I went to Atlanta Christian College (my and Janet's alma mater) one day. Got to connect with some old friends and professors. And yes I showed the kids the place of my and Janet's first kiss. There is a statue there commemorating the event! It did rain one day, which was awesome, because THEY NEED THE RAIN! Lydia got to shop at Macy's. The only negative of the trip was seeing all the Georgia Bulldog stuff. I even heard a mom telling her son to bark like a dog in the mall! Talk about child abuse! We Clemson fans are so much more refined!

We did miss our church friends and family. Spent a lot of time praying, thinking, and planning for the New Year. The more I think and pray, the more excited I get about the year ahead of us. This is going to be a tremendous year of growth and opportunity. Ready to put those ideas on paper tomorrow at our Creative Team planning meeting. Anyway, it's great to be home. No matter where you go, how great the experience, there's just no place like your bed, your shower, and your home!

I talk a lot about the weddings I perform. Here is a picture of me in action at Rick & Lindsey's wedding at the Sanctuary on Kiawah. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding on a beautiful day. Rick and Lindsey are now coming to our church! Rick is a chef at the Sanctuary and Lindsey is the pastry chef at the Fat Hen on John's Island. She made her own wedding cake and it was one of the most beautiful cakes I've ever seen. She WILL be making a dessert for us at Coastal soon!

Earlier this year I received an email from a couple who attended another wedding I performed. Here's part of what they wrote:

"Hi Chris,

My husband and I attended the wedding of ______ this past weekend in Charleston. We live in Gainesville, FL, and were friends with them in college.

My husband has been a Christian for quite a while, and I became a Christian three years ago. We have been married for two.

As far as we know, _____ are not Christians. We were curious about what type of ceremony they would have.

We both thought that your ceremony was beautiful--it was a great example of giving a Christian ceremony to a couple who have not professed to be Christians (as far as we know). The pastor of our church here in Gainesville recently said that marriage is not just for Christians; it was invented by God and given as a gift to many people.

We pray that as _____ build their lives together, that they would find true life in Christ.

Thank you for performing a ceremony that professed scripture as truth, and honored our Lord."

I personally have always felt that the weddings I perform were an opportunity to reach out in love to people at a time in their life when they are naturally very open to spiritual things. There are several couples at our church that I have married: Jim & Beth, Courtney & Mark, Bill & Susan, Rick & Lindsey, Peter & Isa, Jim & Ginger, Justin & Sarah. A beautiful gift indeed. Let us remember to treat our spouse as the precious gift from God they are.

Thanks to my handy dandy Apple Airport Express I have internet access at Janet's parent's home! Love my Mac! Christopher still wants to go to Starbucks tomorrow - but I don't think it has anything to do with free wi-fi. And I still plan on going to the Apple Store at the Mall of Georgia - and no that doesn't have anything to do with free wi-fi either.

We had a great trip! It felt like the fastest trip we've ever made to Atlanta. No, not because of my excellent driving skills (i.e. my lead foot), but because for about 3 hours we talked about ideas for the New Year. We brainstormed about message & series ideas, special events, direction, scheduling, set design - everything - just pen, legal pad, calendar, and a free flow of ideas! I love it! I can't wait for Saturday - our all day Creative Team planning meeting! As I said in my last post - keep us in your prayers and share your ideas! I've already received one suggestion (a good one)!

Another highlight was stopping at the Newspring Church in Anderson on the way up - a little side-trip adventure. I even ran into Tony Morgan, at least we passed him in the hallway. We are making plans to go to their Unleash Conference, Thursday, March 13th, 2008. In fact, we've already pre-paid for 10 registrants. We're renting vans and taking as many people from Coastal who can go (let me know if you're interested). Anyway, it was fun touring the building, letting Janet check out their Children's Ministry area, and dreaming. One day people will be coming to Coastal checking out what we do and how we do it.

Well that's about it, I'll keep you up to date on our trip. While we're here we might go visit mine and Janet's alma mater - Atlanta Christian College. Our basketball team actually plays the Citadel on Saturday in Charleston - can you say blowout? We're only a school of less than 500 students. I told the kids I'd show them the place on campus where Janet and I had our first kiss - a true historic landmark! Actually, it was my FIRST KISS ever! My wife is the only woman I've ever kissed! I know, I know - aaahhh. Speaking of Janet and kissing - I've got to go!

Just wanted to let you know that Janet and I and the kids are heading off to Atlanta to see Janet's family this week. We leave today and head back either Thursday or Friday. So - unless I can get an internet connection, I might be taking a blogging break this week. But knowing me and my persistence, I'm sure I'll find free wi-fi somewhere - Atlanta Bread, Panera, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, unsuspecting neighbors, etc. So keep checking back.

I do need your help though. I know this is late notice, but this coming Saturday I'm having an all day planning meeting with our Creative Team. We're going to be planning out our messages for the entire year - the subjects, the series, and the direction for 2008. So first of all, pray. Pray for me as I seek God's face and vision for our church for this year. My daily prayer is, "God, what is the next step for our church? What do you want me to communicate to your people here at Coastal? And how can we best communicate it?" So pray for me and our team. But I would love to hear from you! What message suggestions do you have? What series would you like to see done at Coastal? What subject matter would you like to see us tackle? What creative ideas do you have for those series? As I tell our team, no idea is a bad idea. Just because you suggest it doesn't mean we'll do it, but we might. Or we might do it later or tweak it. Or it might be very obvious that it's something that is resonating with many people, and we need to do it soon. So leave a message or send me an email. Every idea will be discussed! Thanks in advance for your help!

Okay Coastal, let me just say it. I'm ready for a break out Sunday as far as attendance is concerned! The attendance wasn't bad today, but it wasn't great either. We did have a few visitors. But guys, let's press on. Let's never get satisfied. Let's never coast or shift into neutral. The church does not drift into growth. We do not drift into greatness. Good is often the enemy of great.

Last week I issued a 1-1-1 prayer challenge. Every day between now and Christmas, at 1PM let's take 1 minute and pray for 1 person who needs Jesus. 1 person, 1 minute, 1PM. Guys let's go for it! Beth shared how other believers at her office have joined in doing the same. Let's impact this city for Jesus. Intercede - Invest - Invite - Include! Who are you praying for? Who will you bring to church this month?

You might find yourself saying, "Come on Pastor Chris, numbers don't matter. You just want to fill a seat." Well the last time I checked, those seats are filled with real people. Those numbers represent real people. And real people really need Jesus! People are hurting and lost and without hope without Jesus. I believe that. And if you do too, pray, invite, love, share, and reach out like never before. Numbers do matter! And if lost people are on your heart and in your prayers, God will use you in a mighty way. I guarantee it!

Now please don't misunderstand any of that, thinking that I don't enjoy the moment (I do), or that I didn't think that today was great (it was), or that I'm more concerned about who is here than I am about what happens when we're together (actually, I'm concerned about both). I love it all - the whole journey! I just never want us to think that we've arrived!

And today was a great day. The Praise & Worship Team did a great job. The sound and video was on! Junior (our drummer) is finally in the padded room we all knew he would end up in! Jeremiah & Andy did a great job. My message was on the gift of strength. Somebody came up after the service and said that these messages were definitely not the typical "Christmas" messages, but they were just what they needed to hear (music to my ears). In fact one person wrote this on their Connect Card, "I will act on the message I heard today by: 'trusting more and relying less on my own strength. Remembering that I'm not on my own when things get difficult.'" Another person said that they would like to get baptized. Another, "I will act on the message I heard today by: 'acting on a relationship that I know will not help me in my walk with God. Admit my weaknesses and trust God to lead the way.'" Wow! LIFE Change! You see, it was a great day! I just believe that there are more and more people who need what we have. How about you?

I am so proud of our Coastal Kidz! Coastal Kidz is the 1st-5th Grade Ministry at Coastal. They have a Sunday night program that meets about once a month on Sunday nights called D.O.G.S (Depending on God). Well on Friday night they had a Midnight Bash at the church - 7PM - midnight. 30 kids showed up! They ate pizza, played games, listened to a devotion, went on a Bible scavenger hunt, watched a movie, and did a craft. The reason I am proud is because I think just about every child invited and a brought a friend! They really set a great example for our adults. It was also a great night because of all the volunteers who served and made it possible. And not just Teresa, Twila, Ryan, and Janet, but several of our teenagers worked very hard. And from what I could tell, we had a lot of parents who took advantage of the event and went shopping - or more importantly went on a date! Click on the picture to visit a photo gallery of pictures from the evening.

Recently in a Sunday Reflection post I commented on how our Sunday morning Technical Teams (Sound, Computer) needed to tighten up a bit and work on a few things like transitional times. Well, I wanted to follow up with that and send some props out to Ryan, our Sound Team Ministry Leader. Ryan and I talked, I shared my observations, concerns, and vision. He admitted that everything I said were things that he noticed, but had not yet acted on. He simply needed the nudge. He listened and went into action!

In fact, this past Sunday, he met with the whole team, verbalized expectations, reminded everyone that they are responsible for the presentation of the service (and what a high and holy calling that is), and then as a team they went through the whole service constructively and analyzed what was good, bad, or needed work. And the best part - I wasn't even there. There is a difference between building/leading a team and filling out spots on a schedule. Yes, it takes casting vision and recruiting volunteers. But then once they are there, they need to be led, trained, and encouraged continually. They need to understand and buy into the vision. They need to feel that what they do is contributing to the whole. Way to go Ryan! Way to lead!

This is a picture from Osprey Point Country Club at Kiawah. I don't know if this is the room where our Christmas Party will be held, but I wanted you to get the idea. It's going to be nice. The party will be Thursday night, December 20th, 7:30PM. You can sign up at church or shoot me an email. But what really got me excited is the menu I received today:

Upon arrival you'll be greeted with Hot Apple Cider and then for dinner buffet:
 
Mixed Baby Lettuces
Juilenne Vegetables, Petite Tomatoes, and Croutons
Chef's Assortment of Homade Dressings
 
Lowcountry Red Bliss Potato Salad
 
Apple-Bourbon Brined Roasted Turkey Breast
with Shallot Pan Gravy and Braised Green Beans
 
Roasted Pork Loin with Natural Jus
and Truffled Sweet Potatoes
 
Assorted Dinner Rolls
 
Chocolate Pecan Pies
Assorted Cheesecakes

Yummy, yummy in my tummy, tummy! And one of the highlights of the evening will be our annual "white elephant" gift exchange. Does anyone remember the "hot" gift last year that everyone went after? Unsurprisingly, it was the gift I brought. The party is always an event not to miss!

On Sunday during my message I referenced two blog posts - this one and this one. Someone asked me what blogs do I read regularly. The list changes from time to time, but right now here is the short list, in no particular order, of blogs that I read, check, or subscribe to:

Perry Noble
Steven Furtick
Tony Morgan
Gary Lamb
Tim Stevens
Mark Batterson
Craig Groschel
Dave Ferguson
Shawn Wood
Scott Hodge
Kem Meyer
Church Relevance
Bob Franquiz
Guy Kawasaki
Nancy Beach
The Catalyst Blog
The Resurgence Blog
Creative Pastors Blog
Buck Wardle
Scott Gamel
Jeremiah Brown
Andy Gill
Bill & Susan Brown
The Culbertson Family

So, did you pray today at 1PM? This past Sunday I issued a 1-1-1 Prayer Challenge to our entire church.  From now until Christmas we are going to pray every day at 1PM, for 1 person far from God, for 1 minute.  1 person, 1 minute, 1PM.  Simple.  Easy to remember.  Life changing.  I actually got the idea from Pastor Lee Strobel. He shares that the idea originated in Korea. In 1993 the Korean Christians were challenged to pray at 1:00 p.m. every day for one minute. They were to pray for 1) the evangelization of their country and the whole world, 2) for one specific person that they want to be saved, and 3) for their pastor and the revival of their church.

Let's make the same commitment. Pray for the evangelization of our country and world. Pray for one person you know that you want to be saved. And if you don't know anyone personally, pray that God will open your eyes to all the the opportunities around you. And pray for me, your Pastor, and the growth of our church. This is a great time of the year to reach out to people, show some expression of love and kindness, and invite people to join us at Coastal. And one day this week, call up someone from our church at 1PM and ask them what they're doing. And then after the reminder - why not pray together? I love what's happening at our church! There is no place I'd rather be!

I love Christmas with my family! We went out and got our tree today! For the last several years we've been buying a real tree from the guy in front of the Chick-fil-a near our house (we're on his mailing list now and he sends us a coupon). Usually, we order pizza and put up the tree. We were all kind of pizza'd out and so believe it or not we picked up a Greek salad from Athens Greek Restaurant. We came home, turned on the Charlie Brown Christmas that was on T.V. tonight, and decorated our tree. We had so much fun - laughing, playing, and reminiscing about old ornaments (okay, I make fun of a few of them).

My mom started buying Janet and I Precious Moment ornaments when we were engaged and then started buying each of the kids ornaments when they were born. And she's been doing that every year since for all of us. In other words, we have a lot of Precious Moment ornaments! We also have every ornament from the beginning of the James Island County Park Holiday Festival of Lights. Every year when we go to see the lights we buy the new ornament - another tradition. And then we started buying an ornament every time we went somewhere special (vacations, anniversaries, etc.) - New York, Williamsburg, Disney, Hilton Head. And, of course, I have a few Clemson ornaments. But like all parents, my favorite ornaments are the ones my kids made. Anyway, here are a few pictures:

I really love kicking off a new series! A lot of it just has to do with all the creative energy that goes into the process. Today we kicked off our Christmas series, "Unwrapping Christmas." We're going to be looking at some of the gifts that God gives us. Today we talked about the gift of Mission. Not only does God include us in His family (as if that weren't enough), but He gives us a purpose for living - changing the world one life at a time. And that is a precious gift - one that we often leave unopened, never experiencing the joy, fulfillment, and adventure of bringing someone to Christ.

I also issued a 1-1-1 Prayer Challenge to our church. What is the 1-1-1 Prayer Challenge? Every day, between now and Christmas, at 1PM, we are to pray for 1 person far from God, for 1 minute. 1 person, 1 minute, at 1PM everyone stop whatever it is you're doing and pray. Quite simple - but quite possibly it could change someone's life, your life, and the life of our church. At the end of the month, we'll give God all the glory for what He does!

We also got a lot of positive feedback on our Welcome Room & Cafe! Yes, it is bright. And yes, it is a lot of color (maybe colors you wouldn't have picked out). But we wanted it to be bright, cheery, and welcoming. We actually copied the same colors from the new Starbucks at Tanger Outlet. Someone asked, "Are we painting a coffee house or a church?" The answer - yes! (What are church colors anyway?) There are still several things to be done - accent pictures, lighting, video, sound, some more painting, etc. But the "wow" factor was really cool today! But what I really noticed today was people just hanging out before and after church, sitting around tables, reading, talking, laughing, eating, and drinking coffee. That's what we were wanting to create. And tonight our Students used it as one of their breakout rooms! Great stuff!

Speaking of the "wow" factor - our Christmas decorations were off the hook in the auditorium! Love the lights, wreathes, garland, tree, and presents! And absolutely love the "Unwrapping Christmas" motif on the stage! Jeremiah and I both commented that it is one of our favorite series set designs to date. Let's take advantage of this time of the year, pull out all the stops and pray and invite and share like it's our last chance! And who knows - you might just get a call this week from your Pastor at about 1PM asking you what you're doing. The right answer, "Praying for my lost friends - of course!"

Well - that's about it for tonight. But one more thing I must absolutely share - Clemson beat Carolina in basketball over the weekend! Go Tigers!