EASTMONT BAPTIST CHURCH 

// VOLUME 30 // NUMBER 13

A Letter From
The Pastor
FRANK BOWLING
FBOWLING@EASTMONT.ORG

Yesterday as the sun was beginning to set there was a murder of crows in the tree in one of our neighbor’s yards
(no I didn’t discharge a firearm inside the city limits, but that’s what google says a group of crows is called). Like a
knot of frogs, an ostentation of peacocks, or a parliament of owls (go ahead and ask Google or Alexa if I just made
that up), the individual sounds from those crows were distinct to other crows, but to me it was just a loud
distraction that could have caused me to miss something important.
Some distractions are from without and simply put they garner our attention. But then there are the other
distractions, those that arise from our daily lives. Some of those may be good things, like preparing a meal for a
dear friend or making sure that someone has a particular need met. In Luke 10, Martha, a devoted friend of Jesus,
found herself missing out on the important in exchange for what amounted to a mere distraction.
Friend, summer may well be the welcome reprieve for many of us when we can once again take a few days and
maybe clear some of the distractions and hear again the call to love Jesus with our entire being. You see, for all
believers, to faithfully follow and truly serve our Lord, we must first know what it is to love Him supremely.
So where do you go to find the renewal you know you desperately need? First, be intentional in both your private
and corporate worship this week. Open the Bible, sit at the feet of our Savior, and learn of Him. Bend your knee
spending time in prayer with Him; open your heart and sing unto Him. Then watch as the distractions which
entice us away from our King begin to fade.
 OUR CHURCH My Experience at the
FAMILY SOUTHERN BAPTIST
SYMPATHY TO
CONVENTION
Tracie Klepac
Bridget Dowe in the loss of her
brother, Scott Dowe, who passed This month I had the privilege of attending the 2021 annual meeting of the Southern
away on June 9, 2021. Baptist Convention. Mike and I were already planning to be in Nashville the weekend of
the convention to be with Lauren and Jamie as they participated in the IMB’s Sending
Greg Farish in the loss of his mother, Celebration, so Brother Frank invited us to represent Eastmont as Messengers at the
Gay Farish, who passed away June Annual Meeting. I was a little apprehensive due to some of the news reports surrounding
it, but am glad I said yes.
16, 2021.
The 2021 SBC Annual Meeting was held June 15th – 16th and was an event-packed 2
days. It began on Tuesday morning with a time of worship where approximately 14,000
joined their voices in praise. Then the business portion began which was filled with
reports from both NAMB and the IMB, as well as various amendments, motions, and
voting. This was overwhelming at times for this “newbie," especially when the discussions
became heated. There was debate over the future of the SBC, not only in the election of
Wednesday, June 30 new officers, but for the SBC’s stand on several hot social issues including gender and
Fellowship Hall racism, as well as the SBC Executive Committee’s alleged mishandling of sexual abuse
6:15 pm allegations. Throughout the day SBC’s President, J.D. Greear, worked diligently to unite.
His message was to hear the concerns of the entire body while unifying around the one
Come hear about how God used
true Gospel and the Great Commission. He reminded us of the sufficiency of Scripture as
*Carpenters for Christ the rule for the church.
*Music on Mission
At the end of the day, Ed Litton was elected as SBC’s new president, winning a narrow
*Student Mission Trip victory in a run-off election. Now, to the rest of the world the SBC appears more divided
For His Glory! than before. But, God can use all of this for His glory if we let Him. James 1:2-5 "Consider it
pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
WEDNESDAY that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you
may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." SBC, it is time to practice what we
NIGHT preach.
FELLOWSHIP Ministry Happenings
MEAL Visit our website or social media for details
June 30 Students Senior Adults
Beef Tips & Rice, Green Beans, Roll, cmallory@eastmont.org bdickey@eastmont.org
Salad and Dessert GrowthTracks+ Online Bible Study Forever Young- Tuesday,
July 20 @ 10:00 am in
July 7 Super Summer Alabama - July 11-17 room 205. Guest
speaker: Neal Hughes.
There will be no meal on July 7th Covered dish to follow.

College Children Alaska Adventures 2022 -

ltruitt@eastmont.org Alaskan cruise
gkim@eastmont.org
informational meeting
WorldSong Missions July 22 at 6:30 pm in
Sunday Night Home Place - Day camp @ room 205. Open to
Groups - 6:00 pm Eastmont on June 29 Eastmont adults and
Dinner and Bible study from 9:00 am - 2:15 pm family members.
at the Kim home
BUILDING LOCK-UP
Panama City Beach Music & Worship
June 27 Dallas Vick & Retreat -
Steve Ragsdale lmaddox@eastmont.org
July 30-August 1
Forever Young Choir - June 29 @ 9:00 am
July 4 Kent Harwell &
Kent Johnson
 Student As students, we have so many opportunities to BY THE NUMBERS

Summer
go out not only into our own community but to WEEKLY GIVING
others' as well. This summer the youth group JUNE 6

Missions
had two separate opportunities to impact
GENERAL FUND $44,638.00
communities outside of our own through the
EMERGENCY FUND $2,462.00
Emma Lavender student choir tour and our summer mission trip.
JUNE 13
On choir tour, we spent the week doing VBS-style outreach at the Gulf State Park
Pavilion and helping out at the park itself with whatever the management needed to GENERAL FUND $35,079.87
be done. During the week we also brought a normal event for us down to the area. EMERGENCY FUND $1,455.00
Student Jam is where we learn, and this time teach, how to be a student band. We got
the chance to worship and grow with the students and youth leaders.

Serve Orlando Mission Team

LIFEGROUP TOTALS
JUNE 13
PRESCHOOL 28
CHILDREN 45
STUDENTS 42
Students leading worship at Oyster Bay ADULTS 336
Baptist Church TOTAL 451

Our second trip took a bus of about 47 students and adults to Orlando to work with
JUNE 20
Serve Orlando. We worked at many different locations during the week. In the
PRESCHOOL 30
mornings we volunteered at the Orlando Union Rescue Mission and at the Orlando
Day Nursery. At these locations we worked with kids and teenagers to spread the CHILDREN 52
message of God’s love to them. We learned that even when you cannot directly speak STUDENTS 57
the word of God to someone, just being a godly example by loving and caring for ADULTS 350
people can make a difference in peoples’ lives. During the afternoons we worked at TOTAL 489
different locations. We had the opportunity to help out at United Against Poverty, The
Sharing Center, Coalition for the Homeless, Straight Street, and the Christian Service
Center. At each of the locations, we cleaned up the areas and facilities, painted
rooms, organized and packed items, and stocked a grocery store. While at our WEEKLY
afternoon sites we were able to talk and reach out to some of the people who worked SCHEDULE
at the facilities and others who were seeking help from the facilities. These
Sunday
organizations strive to help people in need, giving them places to sleep, food,
showers, clothes, and anything else they may need to help them getback on their feet. 8:45 am Worship Service
We helped serve the people they work with for four days, and it allowed each of us to 10:00 am LifeGroups
have a new perspective and respect for others. 11:00 am Worship Service
Over the week I saw so much growth in the youth group. Whether that be someone (Live Stream
reaching out to someone they saw sitting alone or a deepened faith, growth took Available)
place, not only in the lives of others but in the lives of the students at Eastmont. 5:00 pm Handbell Choir
Wednesday
Coming Up At Eastmont
5:00 pm Fellowship Meal
Faith in Action Challenge:
June 27 God & Country Patriotic 6:00 pm Choir / Orchestra
Intentionally visit the same
gas station, restaurant, or Service - 5:00 pm Rehearsal
store once a week in order to June 29 WorldSong Day Camp Timeout
talk to the same people
for the purpose of gospel
June 30 Eastmont Mission Reports - (Student Worship)
conversationsl 6:15 pm in Fellowship Hall 6:15 pm Prayer Meeting
The church office will be closed on Monday, July 5th Mission Friends, RAs
& GAs (Kids Missions)
 Periodicals Postage
THE ENCOURAGER Paid
Montgomery, AL
EASTMONT BAPTIST CHURCH
4505 ATLANTA HIGHWAY
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36109
The Encourager USPS No. 018-816 is published and mailed
bi-weekly by Eastmont Baptist Church, 4505 Atlanta Highway,
Montgomery, AL 36109. Postmaster: Send address changes to
Encourager, 4505 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL 36109.

New Schedule Starting IN THIS ISSUE

in July A Letter from the Pastor

8:30 am Worship My Experience at the

9:45 am LifeGroups Southern Baptist
Convention
11:00 am Worship
Student Summer
NO 8:30 SERVICE Missions

ON JULY 4TH Coming Up at Eastmont

The church office will be closed on Monday, July 5th

CONTACT US
Office: (334) 277-6300 Careline: (334)277-6384 Prayer Room: (334) 277-8876
Email: ebc@eastmont.org Website: eastmont.org
Facebook: facebook.com/eastmont Twitter: @eastmontbaptist
OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; Friday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm