Volume 23, Number 10 May 11, 2014 www.eastmont.org
A Look Inside... From Your Pastor Page 2 Introducing 1J2 Ministries Page 2 A Way to Serve our Students Page 3 SOS Ministry Update Page 3 On May 11, there will be no evening activities due to Mothers day. Use this time to spend with your family. page 2 Forever Young Tuesday, May 20, at 10 AM, in room 205 Covered Dish Meal Guest Speaker: Eileen Mitchell - State Missionary Guatemala Mission Trip Our next team meeting will be June 1, 2014 at 3:30 PM in room 110. Missions Yard Sale May 24, 6 AM - Noon Sausage biscuits available from 7 AM - 9 AM for a donation. We will begin accepting quality donations afer second service on May 18 in the connecting hallway Senior Adult Celebration Conference October 20-23, 2014 in Pigeon Forge, TN Featuring Charles Billingsley & David Jeremiah Only 30 spots available. Cost: $350/person, includes: Program, hotel, 3 breakfasts, 3 evening meals and gas for the buses. Contact Cheryl Wells (277-6300) to reserve your spot. Do you get too much encouragement? Does everyone applaud when you show up at Walmart? Do your kids carry pictures of you in their wallet and show them to everyone? Does your Sunday School class give you a standing ovation each Sunday? Probably not. Let me tell you about one of the greatest encouragers I have ever met. I have known her for over 21 years. Most call her Miss Ginger. Tough not from a pulpit, her life has preached some of the best sermons Ive ever heard. She is not a deacon, but she has served holy communion through juice and cookies to more than I ever will. Seldom leaving Montgomery, she is a missionary to the world because of RAs and GAs. She has continuously encouraged parents and grandparents to point those arrows of Psalm 127 in the right direction and release them to Gods service. She is simply an amazing servant of Christ who encourages us to be like Christ. In the Whisper Test, Mary Ann Bird writes these words. I grew up knowing I was diferent and I hated it. I was born with a clef palate and when I started school, my classmates made it clear to me how I looked to others; a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth and garbled speech. When schoolmates asked, What happened to your lip? Id tell them Id fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have sufered an accident than to have been born diferent. I was convinced that no one outside my family could love me. Tere was, however, a teacher in the second grade whom we all adoredMrs. Leonard by name. She was short, round, happya sparkling lady. Annually we had a hearing test Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and fnally it was my turn. I knew from past years that we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, and we would have to repeat it backthings like, Te sky is blue. or Do you have new shoes? I waited there for those words. God must have put into her mouth, those seven words that changed my life. Mrs. Leonard said, in her whisper: I wish you were my little girl. Miss Ginger has been that whispering teacher to thousands who have entered the doors of Eastmont Baptist. Our lives are forever better as a result. None of us have the privilege of choosing who leads afer we are gone. Others decide that. But we can leave behind an encouraging environment that enables our successors to lead, and love far better than we dreamed. By Gods grace Mrs. Ginger has done just that. We love you and thank you. SOS Ministries Update Praise the Lord for His fruitfulness! On Saturday, May 3rd, SOS set up a booth at the Frazer Missions Yard Sale and 23 people accepted Christ along with 2 assurances! Tey will also set up a booth at Eastmonts Missions Yard Sale on May 24th, as well as at Talladega in October. Please contact Dale Brown if youd like to help with this ministry. Tey are always looking for volunteers! 1J2: A New Local Missions Initiative here at Eastmont 2014: June 1-6, July 6-11, and August 3-8 Tis will be 3 weeks that we, as Eastmont Missionaries, enter the Hyde Park neighborhood (of Wares Ferry & Burbank Dr.) to lead daily Summer Backyard Bible Clubs to share the Gospel with kids of our great city. More details coming soon. You can join us by: - PRAYING for our Teams & Club Kids - Volunteering to serve for a day or week at the Club Site Tis ministry led by Stacy Walker. page 3 Everybody gets hurt, its inevitable. We live in a fallen world where pain and hurt is a common occurrence. We all have the capacity today to love and forgive, and this capacity comes through a dynamic, living relationship with our loving Heavenly Father. > Yes, the ones that love us the most also hurt us the most. > Yes, we are given the choice to harbor hurt, balling it up inside; OR forgiving, letting go, looking beyond the circumstance & forgiving the person. > Yes, it is hard to forget pain and the circumstances in which people hurt us. > Yes, I have hurt the ones I love through broken promises, the untamed tongue, and stupid decisions. > Yes, I have been hurt, and cant forget painful memories. BUT > I choose to forgive even though I dont feel like it or even want to. > I choose to forgive because I have experienced what harboring hurt feels like. > I choose to forgive because Jesus told me to and I love him more than I love me. > I have been forgiven much by my family and by Jesus. Its okay to not be okay, but its not okay to stay that way. READ Overwhelmed by Perry Noble. Its not easy losing a parent or dealing with lifes many changes or going through a tragic loss. Its difcult for adults, but its amplifed for children. READ Comforting Children in Crisis. Is your life out of control? Do people take advantage of you? Do you have trouble saying no? Are you disappointed with God because of unanswered prayers? READ Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. I have copies of each of these books if you would like to borrow them. Im just going to be open and say it. I will disappoint you. I will make mistakes. Just because I stand on a stage doesnt make me elevated. We as your leaders are human, yet I want to encourage you that I strive to die daily. Does that sound strange? Yes, my desire is that you see Christ in and thru me. I am crucifed with Christ, it is not I who live, but Christ who lives within me. (Galatians 2:20) In summary I want you to be mindful that today you have two options when hurt comes, because hurt will come. 1. UNforgiveness leads to death 2. Forgiveness leads to life Until next time, Jeremy Lynch P.S. If you have any childrens furniture (couch, chair, etc) you are willing to donate, please contact Jeremy. THURSDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY Join us at the Lukers at 7 PM. Food provided! Contact Gene at (678) 524-7949 for more details. A Way to Serve Our Students Can you help us with a meal on a Tursday night? Weve been having 15-20 college students hungry for the Word and for food and we need your help. Weve got the Word covered but need some help with the food. Please contact Cathy Luker to help. Singles Camping Trip May 16-18 @ Cheaha State Park Cost is : $30 with a $10 deposit due now. Includes 3 meals on Saturday & Breakfast on Sunday morning. Contact Jerry Gentle @ 303-1870 to sign up. Help with Church Yard Sale On Friday, May 23 at 5:30 PM we will help organize and help with fnal preparations for the church yard sale the next morning. Any who come work, will be treated to dinner aferwards. Eastmont Prayer Ministry Our church provides an essential prayer ministry to our members, relatives, and friends that request our prayers. However, to achieve the efectiveness of our Prayer Ministry, we need the help of our church members. When prayer cards are placed in the Prayer Room, they must be updated every 30 days. If the prayer request was important when it was requested, then it must be equally important to be updated. We want to maintain an efective prayer ministry, but we must rely on the prayer cards being updated monthly. In validating prayer cards, we have discovered that people we have been praying for have been healed, returned to work, moved, or have died without the knowledge of the prayer room. Te Prayer Room needs your help by keeping your prayer cards current. We thank you! Introducing 1J2 Ministries: a New Local Missions Initiative from Eastmont. See the Students section for more information on this church-wide mission opportunity. page 4 May 11, 2014 Sunday, May 11 8:10 AM Worship Service 9:20 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Worship Service Happy Mothers Day No Evening Activities Tuesday, May 13 5:30 PM Aerobics Wednesday, May 14 5:00 PM Outreach 5:15 PM Fellowship Meal 5:45 PM Acteens 6:15 PM Adult Choir Orchestra Practice 6:30 PM Mission Groups Prayer Meeting Mens Small Groups Thursday, May 15 5:30 PM Aerobics _____________________ Sunday, May 18 8:10 AM Worship Service 9:20 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Worship Service 5:00 PM Discipleship 6:00 PM Gingers Reception Tuesday, May 20 10:00 AM Forever Young 5:30 PM Aerobics Wednesday, May 21 5:00 PM Outreach 5:15 PM Fellowship Meal 5:45 PM Acteens 6:15 PM Adult Choir Orchestra Practice 6:30 PM Mission Groups Prayer Meeting Mens Small Groups Thursday, May 22 5:30 PM Aerobics May 14, 2014 Hamburgers, Baked Beans, Tater Tots, Salad, Dessert, Drink May 21, 2014 Fried Chicken, Baked Potato, Green Beans, Salad, Dessert & Drink $5/Adult $2/Children (Max. $15/family) May 11, 2014 Special Music Jayne Burns Never Once 8:10 AM Forever Young Choir Give the World A Smile 10:30 AM Sanctuary Choir Jerusalem May 18, 2014 Special Music Tawana Lowery God Calling 10:30 AM Sanctuary Choir Tis is Gods House T h e E n c o u r a g e r E a s t m o n t B a p t i s t C h u r c h 4 5 0 5 A t l a n t a H i g h w a y M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 9 T e E n c o u r a g e r U S P S N o . 0 1 8 - 8 1 6 i s p u b l i s h e d a n d m a i l e d b i - w e e k l y b y E a s t m o n t B a p t i s t C h u r c h , 4 5 0 5 A t l a n t a H i g h w a y , M o n t g o m e r y , A L 3 6 1 0 9 . P o s t m a s t e r : S e n d a d d r e s s c h a n g e s t o E n c o u r a g e r , 4 5 0 5 A t l a n t a H i g h w a y , M o n t g o m e r y , A L 3 6 1 0 9 . P e r i o d i c a l s P o s t a g e P a i d a t M o n t g o m e r y , A L April 27, 2014 Preschool ................. 74 Children ...................62 Students ................... 78 Adults ..................... 605 Total ..................... 819 May 4, 2014 Preschool ................. 63 Children ...................50 Students ................... 84 Adults ..................... 609 Total ..................... 806 April 27, 2014 General Budget $21,074.07 Emergency Fund $1,704.00 May 4, 2014 General Budget $50,171.47 Emergency Fund $5,526.07 May 11, 2014 Rick Jones Garrett Payton May 18, 2014 David Seay Zack Godwin May 11, 2014 Mike Wilkerson 462-9424 May 18, 2014 Larry Connell 857-2381 Ofce: (334) 277-6300 Fax: (334) 277-6322 Careline: (334) 277-6384 Website: eastmont.org Kindergarten: (334) 244-9324 Prayer Room: (334) 277-8876 E-mail: ebc@eastmont.org Facebook: facebook.com/eastmont Twitter: @eastmontbaptist