Eastmont Family:
Your church staff and leadership met Tuesday afternoon to discuss our response to the COVID-19 virus and the latest urgings from our local and federal government leaders and medical experts concerning group gatherings. As a result of prayer and seeking wise, spiritual counsel, we believe it best to forego all scheduled activities, physical gatherings of church members both on and off-campus for the remainder of the month of March. This includes Sunday worship and Life Groups, Wednesday activities (including business meetings), and weekly Bible study groups. It is crucial, however, that we do not abandon the most foundational functions of the church. At the onset of the New Testament Church, Acts 2:42 reveals that the church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” In the coming days, your Eastmont leadership will reveal specific ways in which we hope to ensure these functions can be carried out in light of the unique challenges we face. The staff and leadership will reconvene to discuss future plans on Monday, March 30.
Listed below are immediate matters of importance for all Eastmont members:
- SUNDAY WORSHIP Sundays, March 22nd, and March 29th will be ONLINE ONLY services. Each service will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be live-streamed through our church website. The only individuals to be physically present are those who are necessary for producing the content of the service. You may view these services by CLICKING HERE
- WEDNESDAY GATHERINGS There will be no Wednesday activities on the Eastmont campus for the time being. This includes family suppers, bible studies, business meetings, and prayer meetings.
Wednesday Night Fights, our 10 p.m. men’s prayer meeting, will also be unable to meet in person. We ask, however, for men to still participate in their homes using the prayer guides that have been provided. If anyone needs a prayer guide, contact the church office and we will provide one for you. - GIVING As our ability to gather regularly is affected, so too may our habits of giving our tithes and offerings be affected. Please remain faithful in your giving as we navigate this difficult season. There are a few ways you can still actively give:
-
- Mail In – You may mail your offering to Eastmont. Our mailing address is 4505 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL 36109
- Physical Dropoff – You may physically deliver your offering to the church during weekday office hours. There will be a drop box located on the credenza in the hallway outside the church office.
- Online Giving – Visit our church website at www.eastmont.org.
- If viewing on a mobile device, tap the menu button on the top, right corner of the screen. Then tap “GIVE” at the bottom of the menu. Fill in the form and follow the instructions
- If viewing on a desktop or laptop computer, click the word “GIVE” located at the top, right corner. Fill in the form and follow the instructions.
- PRAYER AND FASTING Our interim pastor, Jeff McFarland, challenged our church to participate in a time of prayer and fasting on Thursdays. Fasting is a spiritual discipline where a believer voluntary denies himself or herself a normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity. Most often, Christians fast by refusing to eat food for a given amount of time (often for a day). The time where one would usually eat, he or she instead focuses on prayer and seeking God’s will for a particular purpose. Bro. Art suggests one way many believers could fast would be to forego eating food from sunrise to sunset on Thursday. For those who have medical reasons why denial of food is not possible, we suggest you deny yourself of some activity or hobby that demands your attention. This will allow you to focus that effort on prayer.
- CHURCH OFFICE VISITS The work of the church must continue, and this includes administrative tasks. In an effort to abide by the suggestions of our elected officials and medical experts, please help our office staff stay healthy by limiting your visits to the church office unless necessary. Feel free to call and speak to the office staff, pastors with any concerns, questions, or needs you may have. Thank you for helping us in this way.
- CARING FOR CHURCH MEMBERS We understand that the suggested quarantine poses issues for many in our church family. We are currently working out the logistics to help church members who may need assistance with grocery shopping, pharmacy pickups, giving their tithes and offerings, and more. If you have an interest in aiding church members who may need assistance, please call the office (334.277.6300) and speak to Karen Bush.
If you are a church member requiring assistance with essential needs, please call the church office and speak to Karen Bush.
Thank you for your faithfulness to Christ and for your trust in your church leadership. Continue to pray for us as we pray for and serve you.
In Christ,
Eastmont Staff and Leadership