Divine Hours

This a form of prayer at specified times to be used by individuals or groups. The Divine Hours includes morning, midday, vespers (evening) and compline (before retiring) offices, having roots in the biblical tradition from the period of Israel in the Old Testament to the church in the New Testament period and beyond. Coasters are encourage to utilize this ancient spiritual discipline to order their walk with God and to join with the whole church in offering to God praise and petitions. Go to www.annarborvineyard.org for guidance as well as the prayers for each period of the day.

Operation World

Coasters (and guests) are invited to go to www.operationworld.org to pray each day for a nations of the world. At the OW website they select a country for each day for which to pray along with specific prayer requests and updates. See the OW "Pray Today" as your browsers opening page so you can be reminded to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.

DivorceCare begins its 13 week Fall session, Sept 23, 7 PM

DC is a 13 week seminar/support group experience for those who are separated, divorced or contemplating posisble divorce. DivorceCare is a national organization whose program is used by thousands of churches across the U.S. Each lesson is self-contained so guests are welcome to any session. See mor einformation at the DivorceCare menu under Adult Ministries or go to www.divorcecare.com/  The cost of the program is $25

30 Day Muslim Prayer Focus - Sept 1 to Sept 30

The 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus coincides yearly with Ramadan (a holy month of fasting in Islam). This prayer movement is currently coordinated out of France (previously from Australia), and has been operating since 1993. It calls upon Christians to make a concerted but respectful effort during that month to learn about, pray for and reach out to Muslim neighbors—across the street and around the world. As Christians we resist the temptation to be caught up in generalizations, anger, hate or fear toward anyone. In the climate following the 9/11 tragedy, here is a proven tool to direct our focus more prayerfully, Christ-like and constructively. It is not our intention with this prayer focus to disparage Islam or Muslim sentiments in any way. We recognize that humans and the Muslim world are far too complex to simply or easily condense or explain with a mere booklet. At the same time, as Christians, we long for all the world's people to have an opportunity to understand the grace of God incarnated in Jesus Christ. To this end we inform ourselves, pray for, and support respectful opportunities to make that grace also known among Muslims.

“Inside Islam” - Sunday, Sept 7, 6 PM

This video, featured on the History Channel, will be viewed at Coastal as part of the 30 Day Muslim Prayer Focus. Inside Islam lifts the veil of mystery surrounding a misunderstood faith. Trace its roots back to the Hebrew Bible and discover how the Five Pillars, the religion's central tenets, helped spread Islam to the far corners of the world. Find out what the Qu'Ran says about war, violence and suicide. And hear from experts who debate the challenges facing Islam today, including a crisis of authority and deep divisions among many sects. Illuminating, important and objective, this video exposes the heart of a faith mired in controversy.

Robin Mark will visit the South Shore area in concert at the Free Evangelical church in Easton on Friday, August 22.

Mark is a Coastal fav – so many of his songs fuel our worship and ignite our affections for the triune God such as Day of Elijah, Revival, When It’s All Been Said and Done, and so many others.  Tickets are $12 each or $10 for a group of ten or more before August 15. How about it, Coasters? Let’s enjoy a great evening of praise together.

An Evangelical Manifeston

Representative leaders from the Evangelical movement issued in May a document titled "An Evangelical Manifesto: A Declaration of Evangelical Identity and Public Commitment." The word Evangelical is much in the news this year as politicians court votes and make promises. This manifesto seeks to answer two questions. First, what is an Evangelical anyway? Second, what does mean this for our role in the public square? These questions are particularly crucial because many of those who self-identify as Evangelicals are confused to the point that Evangelical is no longer a clear identity and its character has been obscured. In fact, for many the very term is not used in a positive way, and many wonder whether the term can any longer serve a useful purpose. For more information go to www.evangelicalmanifesto.com/ There you can download a thoughtful statement on what it means to be an Evangelical and how this identity affects the Christian in the public square.

The Majesty and Sovereignty of God, Wednesdays, 7 PM

The focus of this devotional study at the Midweek gathering is the encouraing and sustaining truth of God's unchallengeable sovereignty over all the affairs of this world. The human mind quite naturlly proposes immediate objections to God's sovereignty: why is there evil in the world? why do we suffer? if God does all that He desires, then how can we be free? Though these objections are universal, the Bible directly asserts again and again that all which comes to pass is under the control of and submits to the plan of God. Coasters and guests are encouraged to attend and drink deep from this fountain of refreshing truth.

The Odyssey of St. Paul - a Christian formation opportunity beginning Sunday, Sept. 14 following the morning service.

It is hard to overstate the contribution of the Apostle Paul to the history of Christianity. Protestants have always returned to Paul for his formulation of the great truth that a person is made right with God not by works but through faith alone, a truth stated majestically and memorably in the two great New Testament epistles of Romans and Galatians. Even so, the Roman Catholic church has declared this year as the year of St. Paul. We agree - to know Paul is to come closer to Christ. Among his many achievements, three stand out: 1)a powerful, tireless missionary who was instrumental in spreading the Good News from Palestine all the way to Caesar’s household in Rome; 2)thirteen letters that form one-half of the New Testament; 3)stating the message of Jesus in a manner that the Gentile world could understand and to which that could respond. Through Paul’s thought, Western civilization was born. Every Christ-follower who wants to “follow more nearly, love more dearly and see more clearly” the Jesus of the New Testament should read, study and grapple with the depth of Paul’s teachings. Please join us for this video series that takes a geographical, archaeological, historical and theological journey with Paul as his steps in expanding Christianity are retraced.