“We love because He first loved us,”
1 John 4:19
Because God loved us, He sent His Son, Jesus, to give up His life in order to reconcile us to Him. God’s love is so great toward us, and it is the motivation of His goodness toward us. As we follow His lead, our love for Him and for others grows. This is such a crucial element of our lives that we we are instructed to love above all! It is fitting, then, that our first goal is to communicate to others the love that we have for them and, most importantly, the love that GOD has for them!
“God is to us a God of deliverances,”
Psalm 68:20
We serve a God who wants to make us whole. We all have suffered hurt, pain, and brokenness due to our own sin, the sin of others, the enemy of our soul and the state of the world that we live in. Regardless of the origin of our brokenness, God promises to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom to the captives, comfort those who mourn, and facilitate a great exchange from ashes to beauty (Isaiah 61). We all are in the process of being matured to more accurately reflect the image of Jesus, and that process involves mending our broken places and making them whole again. Only God is capable of this great exchange, but we believe God enables us to be a part of each other’s processes!
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good,”
1 Corinthians 12:7
It is our belief that every single one of us who believes in Jesus can be an effective minister in the Kingdom. Another translation of “ministry” is “service.” We are all called to minister to (serve) one another for the building up of the church body! We can grow in these gifts, becoming more effective in our service to others. Just as we physically grow from infancy to adulthood, our spiritual walk is meant to mature. We want to provide the means to equip every believer with the tools they need to grow in their faith and to be dynamic ministers in the Kingdom!
“And He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach,”
Mark 3:14
Our belief is that we are all on assignment while we are here on the earth. God’s Kingdom is not of this earth, and we are like ambassadors sent to tell others about it (2 Corinthians 5:20). Before Jesus left this earth He commissioned us all to go and make disciples (Matt 28:19). As we grow and mature in our faith, we will experience many times of “Go” in our walk with the Lord. Sometimes that commission sends us out of our current situation and into a new place, but many times that new commission is within the boundaries of our lives as they are now. We are a church that “sends” and believes in God’s sovereign and individual assignment for each believer!
All Coastlands Kids, from Babies through 6th Grade, are invited to join us on Sunday mornings at 10am in the Sanctuary with their parents. After worship, the kids and their teachers will be together for a Bible lesson, games, crafts and fun! After service, the kids can be picked up at the Sand Playground behind the building. Can’t wait to see you there!
Come join us for a Good Friday Paddle Out at the Capitola Wharf (right side) on Good Friday each year with churches , ministries, and followers of Jesus throughout the region.
In surf culture when a loved one passes away, we paddle out to honor their life and express gratitude for the life they lived. Jesus was crucified on the cross on this memorial day we call Good Friday, and we want to commemorate his sacrifice by holding this surfing tradition and recognizing his life here on earth.
This year, our paddle out will be a multi-church event to honor the life of Jesus as we paddle out as one community…Santa Cruz style.
All are welcome! Join us on the beach for a brief message, songs, baptisms, and a paddle out. If you don’t feel comfortable paddling out, we welcome you to join us on the beach, and afterward you can walk out on the pier or stay on the beach to watch and reflect along with our entire community.
Bring a friend & see you there!
Are you or is someone in your fam