Dearest Christ Church Family,

The first answer in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is a profoundly important one: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. In other words, humanity’s telos or ultimate aim is the glory and praise of the blessed triune God, and the enjoyment of Him for all eternity. That’s the purpose for which God made us. He made us for Himself, and thus we find true meaning, contentment, and joy in communion with Him. This aim, of course, deeply affects the way Christians worship, fellowship, and carry out the Great Commission. The glory of God drives everything we do. The apostle Paul states: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31). As we begin Lord’s Day worship and church life in our beautiful new location, therefore, let us make the glory and enjoyment of God our chief aim! God is infinitely worthy of our highest praise and devotion, and we find our ultimate joy in Him. 

With this in mind, please take a few moments to read my pastoral letter, highlighting the various ministries of Christ Church Presbyterian that will be launched over the next several weeks. And please pray. We must pray! Pray for God’s Spirit to move powerfully in our midst through the divinely ordained means of grace (Word, sacraments, and prayer). Pray for a renewed hunger and thirst for God’s Word. Pray for a revived zeal for evangelism and mission. Pray for the spiritual growth and maturity of our flock. Pray for our covenant children to embrace, by grace through faith, God’s glorious gospel promises. For unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain (Ps. 127:1). 

Sanctuary Dedication Service | March 21st 

God has blessed us abundantly with our new facility. Therefore, we want to give Him our highest praise and gratitude, and dedicate the sanctuary to His divine glory. A special dedication service is scheduled for Lord’s Day evening, March 21st at 5:30 p.m. Please mark your calendars for this very special occasion. Many former church members and friends from supporting churches will be invited to join us for this wonderful celebration (livestream will also be available). Dr. Richard D. Phillips, Senior Minister of Second Presbyterian Church, will preach God’s Word to us. The special service will also give us an opportunity to express gratitude to many who employed their gifts in significant ways to get us into this building. May our hearts reflect the heart of the Psalmist when he wrote: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Ps. 84:1).

New Lord’s Day Schedule & Location

This Lord’s Day, January 31st, we will commence Lord’s Day ministry at our new location— 486 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC. To God alone be the glory! Many of you have been hard at work getting us ready for this big day, including our elders and deacons, and we are deeply grateful for your labors on behalf of our church family.

Congregational Prayer Meeting (9:30 a.m.): For the first month in our new building, as Pastor Michael and I organize our Sunday school program, we are going have a congregational prayer meeting prior to our morning worship service. This vital time of prayer is for all ages. We will cry out to our sovereign God on behalf of our church, our covenant families, our denomination, our community, and our nation. Make plans to pray with us on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship (10:30 a.m.): God created us to worship. It’s the most important and essential thing that we do as Christian believers. Worship is where God feeds, nourishes, and disciples his flock. It is a school of discipleship. It is also a weekly witness to the world that there is something more significant than NFL football, Amazon, and worldly entertainment. This Lord’s Day we will embark on a new series on Paul’s epistle to the Romans—THE GOSPEL OF GOD. Romans is the Mount Everest of the New Testament, and the clearest expression of the gospel in all of Scripture. Therefore, come with Bible in hand and a heart eager to grow in Christ.

Evening Worship (5:30 p.m.): On Sunday evenings at Christ Church we close out the Lord’s Day with God-centered worship. Our Lord’s Day schedule reflects our commitment to bookend the day with worship. Remember, it’s the Lord’s Day, not the Lord’s morning. In His divine wisdom and love our heavenly Father sanctified the first day of the week — the day Jesus rose from the dead — for our spiritual blessing and benefit. It’s an entire day to “be still and know that he is God” (Ps. 46:10), and that we (and the world!) are not! Join us, then, every Lord’s Day evening, as I preach from the soul-comforting Book of Psalms, and Pastor Michael leads us through the Christ-centered Book of Leviticus.               

Nursery (ages 0-3): Our new infant and toddler nurseries look beautiful, thanks to Kristin Gee. They are a vast improvement over our makeshift nurseries at the middle school under the hall stairwell! Alicia Williams is graciously organizing and re-launching our nursery program. This is no easy task! Last night Alicia organized a nursery ministry Zoom call and twenty ladies participated! Praise the Lord. If you are a member of Christ Church, or planning on joining, please contact Alicia Williams about regularly serving in the nursery alicia.g.tinsley@gmail.com. It’s a wonderful (and very practical) way to serve and to know our precious covenant children and families.        

Parking: Parking on our immediate property is limited, but we lease from a neighboring business park called Wando Commons (see map on our website). To get from Wando Commons to Christ Church Presbyterian you may either walk down the sidewalk along Wando Park Blvd or use the path that will take you toward the back of the church parking lot. There is also limited parking available at the business next to the church, if needed. Please see the map on our website for more details about where these parking lots are located in relation to Christ Church. 

Covid-19 Information: Before you come, please take time to read (or re-read) our session’s statement concerning the pandemic. Any requests for socially distanced seating may be directed to office@christchurchcharleston.org. Priority, of course, will be given to those who are high risk. Please take advantage of the livestream ministry if you or a family member is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Opinions and approaches to the pandemic are many. It has had a toxic and polarizing effect in the culture and in many churches. We pray that we would move forward in a spirit of humility, love, and unity. If you are uncomfortable with our approach at this time, please take advantage of our newly revamped livestream service on Facebook, YouTube, or SermonAudio. Thank you for your prayers, understanding, and patience as we navigate these challenging times.

Catechism Kids | * Begins February 21st: Our children need more doctrine, not less. They need less entertainment and screens, not more. At Christ Church, therefore, we are committed to teaching our children foundational Christian doctrine through Lord’s Day worship, Sunday school, kids catechesis, and regular family worship in our homes. Our weekly Catechism Kids ministry is led by me and Pastor Michael. It is for children ages 8-12, and serves as a catalyst to communing church membership. Beginning on Lord’s Day, February 21st at 4:30 p.m., Pastor Jon will walk the class through the rich doctrinal pastures of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.  

Sunday School | * Begins February 28th: Who is ready for Sunday school to start again?! Sunday school — for all ages — will begin on Lord’s Day, February 28th at 9:30 a.m.. Pastor Michael and I are presently organizing teachers and curriculum, and we joyfully anticipate the relaunch of this important part of our Lord’s Day schedule. The adult class will resume our rich study of the Westminster Larger Catechism. Pastor Michael will teach the 7-12 grade youth. We are currently recruiting teachers for the other classes. Please keep this life-shaping ministry in your prayers, and plan to attend with your entire family. And please note that on February 28th our congregational prayer meeting will shift from 9:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

New Members’ Class | * Begins February 7th: For those who are interested in membership or simply learning more about Christ Church Presbyterian, we offer an eight-week class beginning Sunday, February 7th at 4:15 p.m., before our evening service. If you would like to join the class, please contact Pastor Michael Bauer. There are already 25 signed up, but we have plenty of space for more.

Men’s & Women’s Weekly Bible Studies | Begins Thursday, February 18th

Our men’s and women’s Bible studies will embark on a study of the Holiness of God on Thursday, February 18th at the church. We will use RC Sproul’s classic work, The Holiness of God, as a helpful resource and aid to our study. We have ordered 50 copies, and they are available for $10.00 each. The men’s study and fellowship will meet at 7:00 a.m. at the church. The women’s study will meet at 9:30 a.m. I (and occasionally Pastor Michael) will teach both studies, but Mrs. Genie Boyd will graciously facilitate discussion and prayer for the women’s study. Make plans to join a mid-week study at Christ Church, where you will experience soul-enriching fellowship around God’s life-transforming Word.  

• We would like to offer a nursery for the women’s study. So far our efforts to identify paid nursery workers have come up short. If you have any ideas for nursery workers or a potential rotation please contact me or Pastor Michael.               

Christ Church Budget | 2021 Giving 

Our heavenly Father is infinitely wise to require from us the first-fruits of our time and the first-fruits of our income. Indeed, He knows that, as sinners, we are prone to make idols of both time and money, and so he asks us for the first-fruits of them. By setting apart or sanctifying the first day of the week unto communion with God and one another, we punch in the right launch code for the rest of our week. We also make it clear that God is the Lord of our time (and our lives), not the world and its priorities. By giving the first-fruits of our income (the tithe) to Christ’s Church, we express our love for God, our trust in him, and our devotion to His mission, over and against the world’s values and priorities. Therefore, please take time to consider how you will be faithful to the Lord in 2021 with your Lord’s Day observance and your giving. And let us remember that we cannot out-give God! “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). 

Please stay tuned for regular email updates. We joyfully anticipate being together this Lord’s Day as we reunite in praise to God, and sit under the proclamation of God’s glorious and awe-inspiring gospel of grace.

Your Pastor, Servant, and Friend,

Pastor Jon