Coastal Church, founded in 2002 in Yorktown, has added the former Peniel Evangelical Friends Church in Mathews to its campuses, for a total of eight campuses across Hampton Roads and Richmond.
Located at 1180 Garden Creek Road, Coastal Church of Mathews has services at 11 a.m. every Sunday, with children up to the 5th grade attending a concurrent children’s program, Coastal Kids, for Bible lessons, songs, and games.
Pastor Nate Weis is lead pastor of the Mathews campus. He is also lead pastor of the Gloucester campus and is assisted at both campuses by associate pastor David Wilson.
Weis said the typical Coastal worship service includes prayers, a Biblically-based sermon, and the singing of contemporary Christian music accompanied by a small combo. Dress is “come as you are,” he said, adding simply, “We sing and worship together.”
Pastors at all eight campuses of Coastal Church preach on the same topic on any given Sunday, said Weis, but each pastor writes their own sermon. The church as a whole is exploring the Gospel of John this year, he said, with each pastor delving into the book passage by passage, verse by verse.
“We’re one church with many locations,” said Weis. “Our focus is Jesus Christ … spreading the good news of how we can be saved.”
In addition to Sunday services, Coastal has adult small groups geared to various ages and stages of life. These groups meet at different days and times in different places, said Weis, led by church volunteers who “have a gift for teaching and leading others.”
Weis said that that Coastal Church is non-denominational but is closely aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia. It associates with other like-minded churches to work on missions and outreach. Missions are developed by individual campuses to serve the communities they’re in, he said, and range from feeding the hungry to supporting survivors of human trafficking, and more.
Founded and led by senior pastor Shaun Brown, the church as a whole is overseen by elders, with shepherding elders and deacons located at each campus to care for the members. Giving goes to the central church, brown said, and each campus has its own budget.
The mission of the church, according to its website, is to “develop authentic followers of Jesus Christ by connecting to God in corporate worship, growing in small groups, serving in a ministry and mission, and multiplying by making disciples for the advancement of the gospel.”
Weis spoke of the 100-year legacy of Peniel Evangelical Friends Church and said that the relationship between the two churches began over the summer, when Peniel closed. Wilson said that Coastal had spent over two years developing leaders, so “when Peniel contacted us, we were ready to drop and go.”
“We’re so grateful and thankful they were willing to work with us and become part of the Coastal family,” said Weis. “Our heart is to love and partner with other churches.”
Weis and his wife Megan live in Gloucester with their daughters, Hannah and Leah. Wilson and his wife Jodi live in Newport News. They have four adult children and two grandchildren who live in other places.
Membership classes
Coastal will begin membership classes for those interested in becoming church members immediately after the worship service on Sunday, Feb. 1. The class will be given regularly throughout the year and will focus on sharing Coastal Church’s beliefs. It is a requirement for membership.
Other campuses
In addition to Yorktown, Gloucester, and Mathews, there are Coastal Church campuses located in Newport News, Williamsburg, Chesapeake, Isle of Wight and Chesterfield.