Current Posts

updated January 7, 2021 – info for january 10 sunday service

updated January 5, 2021 – youth winter retreat update
As we continue to seek God for wisdom and guidance on how and what to do, we wanted to let you all know that we have made the decision to postpone the Youth Winter Retreat. As of right now, the new dates are tentatively set for President’s Day weekend in February (Friday, February 12 – Monday, February 15).

 

As these dates approach, we will be praying and watching to see how things are unfolding in our community. It is possible these dates get pushed back again. It is completely our desire and intent to have the Youth Retreat just as soon as all the pieces come together and we feel God directing us to do so. In the meantime, we are going to be working with Camp Living Stones to see what accommodations we can make in regards to meeting areas, small group meetings, sleeping arrangements, etc. in order to give us the best chance of having the retreat as soon as we can. Please stay tuned as more information will be sent out as things develop.

 

For right now though, we would like you to please REGISTER your student(s) if you haven’t done so already, so we’ll continue to get a better idea of the total number we have going. Use the link below to do this.

 

Cost this year is $140, which will include the entire weekend, all meals, and a t-shirt. And, as always, if you need more information, have concerns, have questions, or just want to discuss the retreat, please contact Jonathan Barrett.

 

updated december 30, 2020 – carl & kathy most, missionary update
Prayer for our missionary partners is so important to the Kingdom work going on around the world. We thank you for partnering with the people we support in various foreign countries. Carl and Kathy Most are in Cuba and have shared the following praises and prayer requests. We thank you ahead of time for lifting them up to the Lord.

 

Carl & Kathy wrote:

 

Praises:
  1. As we look back to the answered prayers for Kathy and her knee injury, it was quite the miracle that not only kept her off the operation table, but even allowed her to travel with me all over Cuba for 2 weeks.
  2. Our ministry trip to Cuba, from the moment we landed in Havana to the moment we left, had God’s hand and favor all over it. Not only were we able to get the much needed financial support and gifts to each of our national leaders, but we were so blessed to join God in His healing and encouraging work in the lives of these same dear folks as we sat down together in what could only be described as holy spaces. 
  3. As mentioned in our most recent newsletter, the latest 3 day Mission for Restoration Training of church leaders was just phenomenal, with so much enthusiasm and participation on the part of the students. This passion and vision is wonderfully moving from the classroom experience into their lives, churches and city contexts.
  4. Finally, we have to mention the praise and miracle that was our togetherness this Christmas. Just getting to do that, without masks and health concerns was a huge gift from God to our extended family.
Prayer Requests:
  1. As we look forward to the new year, pray with us as we make plans and priorities for the ministry opportunities we see the Lord opening up for us. Some of these are a continuation of the past year, but as is often the case, the Lord so graciously also invites us all into new areas and ways of joining Him in ministry too.
  2. Prayer for our good health so we can pass the covid tests and continue to travel to Cuba and join in the work there.
  3. Prayer for the ongoing and new Training Classes in Cuba that are set to take place in 2021.
May the Lord guide you, and give you all the wisdom to be able to discern His path for you and your churches, and the courage and faith to follow, no matter what the cost.
Your missionaries to Cuba, Carl and Kathy.

 

Thank you so much for praying as a church for our mission 
updated december 16, 2020 – YOUTH WINTER RETREAT

We are currently making plans for our 2021 Youth Winter Retreat at Camp Living Stones. It will once again be on the same weekend we have done for many years. We will depart Friday, January 15 and return Monday, January 18.

We recognize things are much different this year than in year’s past, so if you and your family have questions, concerns, thoughts, etc., please feel free to reach out to Youth Pastor, Jonathan Barrett, and he would be happy to discuss with you.

Cost this year is $140. This will include the retreat, all meals, and a t-shirt.

We really need to get a good idea of the number of students that will be going, so please REGISTER as soon as you can.

You can do that by clicking the link below:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

updated december 15, 2020 – info for caroling

For our Wednesday night service on December 16, our plan is to go Christmas caroling at a retirement center around the corner from the church. We will be OUTSIDE, so dress accordingly.

Here is our schedule:

Arrive at Eastwood: 6:15 p.m.

Leave Eastwood: 6:30 p.m.

Return to Eastwood: by 7:45 p.m.

There is a chance for rain on Wednesday. It appears the rain will be moving through the area earlier in the afternoon. If that changes, we will make an announcement by 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

If rain cancels our caroling outing, we will have regular worship service with small groups to follow.

We are going to do everything we can to go caroling. That is our strong desire to do. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the church office.

updated december 14, 2020 – budget & annual business meeting
Our annual business meeting will be Sunday, January 10 right after our regular Sunday morning service. We will be voting on our 2021 budget. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the church office at 423-396-2177.
Here is the budget:
updated december 4, 2020 – uganda offering
As most of you are aware, Eastwood Church has deep ties of support and mission partnership in Uganda, with Makumbi Johnson being our primary partner in Kawempe, which is near Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Every year, Makumbi comes to the United States to visit and always spends much time at Eastwood, worshiping with us and sharing with us what God is doing through his ministry, his church, and in his country. Over the years, Makumbi has planted and helped plant many churches, taught and trained many pastors, and has been instrumental in many, many people coming to know Christ. He has a very impactful ministry.

This year, Makumbi has been unable to travel and come to the States because of Covid. As such, we would like to continue to be a strong source of support for him and his church, so we are going to take up an offering for him throughout the month of December. Whatever is given, along with our budgeted amount, we will send to him in early January.

Please just indicate “Uganda” along with your contribution. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the church office. Thank you for prayerfully considering giving.

updated december 2, 2020 – christmas calendar
We have an exciting CHRISTMAS SEASON ahead, so we wanted to let you know what the current plan is for December’s schedule. More details will come as the month unfolds, but right now, please mark your calendars for the following dates and activities:

Wednesday, December 2 – Regular worship in the gym and small groups inside

Sunday, December 6 – Regular worship service (location to be determined based on weather)

Wednesday, December 9 – Regular worship in the gym and small groups inside

Sunday, December 13 – CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM during regular Sunday morning worship service. This service will most likely be inside the gym. More details to come closer to the date.

Wednesday, December 16 – CHRISTMAS CAROLING – This event is currently TENTATIVE, as we have to arrange it with the intended facility, but our hope is to go to a local retirement community and sing for the residents outside their windows. More details will come, but if we do this, we will gather at the church at 6:15 p.m. and leave promptly at 6:30 p.m., planning to return to the church by 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 20 – Regular worship service (location to be determined based on weather)

Wednesday, December 23 – CANDLELIGHT SERVICE – 6:30 p.m. – Right now, the plan for this service is to be OUTSIDE UNDER THE TENT regardless of temperature. If it rains, we would most likely move into the gym. More details will come.

Sunday, December 27 – Regular worship service (location to be determined based on weather)

Wednesday, December 30 – NO REGULAR WEDNESDAY ACTIVITIES

Sunday, January 3 – Regular worship service (location to be determined based on weather)

Wednesday, January 6 – Resume regular Wednesday activities (location to be determined by weather)

As always, things are SUBJECT TO CHANGE based on circumstances beyond our control. We will try to communicate quickly and ahead of time, whenever possible. We hope to see you attend these worship opportunities.

updated November 13, 2020 – info for sunday

We thank you for your continued grace, patience, and prayers as we seek God for His wisdom and guidance on when, how, and where to gather as His church. We are committed to getting back to in-person gatherings just as soon as we can, but for right now, we wanted to let you know our immediate plans.

First and foremost, as we previously announced, we will NOT have in-person services on Sunday, November 15, and we wanted to announce that we will also NOT be meeting in-person on Wednesday, November 18. More information will be sent out next week about Wednesday’s plans. Stay tuned.

For this coming Sunday (November 15), we are going to do another Zoom Prayer & Worship Service again, very much like last Sunday, although the focus and content of the prayer time will be different.

SPECIAL REQUEST: If you would be willing to share a short GIVING THANKS on the Zoom service, please text Sean at 423-598-0286. This will be much like what Bill regularly does on Sunday mornings. About a one-minute, quick story of what you have seen God doing in your life and why you are thankful.

Please use the link or Meeting ID below to access the Zoom room. The room will be open by 10:45 a.m. and the service will begin at 11:00 a.m.

We ask that families attempt to login together, as our allowed participants for the room is limited.

Here is the Zoom info:

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8255131813

Meeting ID: 825 513 1813

If you have any questions about this or anything at all, please contact Sean at 423-598-0286.

updated November 10, 2020 – info for wednesday

There will be no in-person church service on Wednesday, November 11, or Sunday, November 15.

On Wednesday, November 11, if you are in a small group, please contact your small group leader to see if they are doing any form of virtual gathering. We are leaving that up to each individual group to decide what they are doing.

On Sunday, November 15, we will do another virtual prayer gathering like we did this past Sunday. It was a sweet time of prayer, and we just feel that at this time one of the most important and powerful things God’s people can do is join together to pray and to seek His face as ONE BODY. It will probably have a slightly different look to it this week, so we hope each of you makes it a point to join us. More details will come later in the week.

At this time, no decision has been made about in-person gatherings for Wednesday, November 18 and Sunday, November 22. We will communicate information on those dates at a later time.

As always, if you have questions, please feel free to contact any of your church leadership. We continue to thank you for your understanding, your patience, and your grace during this time. We love each of you.

updated November 7, 2020 – info for sunday
Sunday, November 8: Zoom Prayer & Worship Service Information

Our regular worship service in person and under the tent has been canceled for Sunday, November 8. 

Instead, we will be gathering via Zoom for prayer and worship. Please use the link or Meeting ID below to access the Zoom room. The room will be open by 10:45 a.m. and the service will begin at 11:00 a.m.

We ask that families attempt to login together, as our allowed participants for the room is limited.

If you have any questions about this please contact Sean at 423-598-0286.

Here is the Zoom info:

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8255131813

Meeting ID: 825 513 1813

We strongly encourage you to arrive in the Zoom room early to make sure you can get logged in, as technical support during this time will be unavailable. 

We are looking forward to worshiping and praying with you.

updated November 6, 2020 – video from your pastors

A message from your pastors, Bill & Sean.

updated October 5, 2020 – pews available

As we announced Sunday during our worship service, our sanctuary renovation project is under way and our pews are in the process of being removed. As such, they are available to anyone who has an interest in having one. All of the 8-foot pews are accounted for, but there are still about twelve 10-foot pews remaining. If you would like one, please contact Sean at 423-598-0286 to make arrangements to pick up. You will have to provide your own means of hauling the pew to your house. We also ask that you express your desire for one before Wednesday, as they will be gone after Wednesday night. 

updated september 11, 2020 – video from your pastors

An IMPORTANT update from your pastors, Bill & Sean.

 

updated september 10, 2020 – celebration of life

Eastwood Church will be hosting a CELEBRATION OF LIFE for Mr. Greg (Greg Snyder) on Saturday, September 19, at 11 a.m. We expect this to last around one hour. This will not be a formal funeral or memorial service, but rather, it will be a more casual time of remembrance and celebration of the life Greg lived and the way God used him in the lives of so many, especially in our body at Eastwood. We will do this under the tent, and if you were close to Greg or he had an impact on your life or your child’s life, there will be opportunity to stand up and share what you saw God do through Greg’s life or what he meant to you. It should be a sweet time spent sharing with his immediate family, his extended family, and his church family. We hope you can plan to attend, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the church office.

updated August 27, 2020 – new women’s bible study

A week from today, Thursday, September 3, a new study will be beginning for the Thursday morning Women’s small group that Erin Burnett leads. The study is entitled “Bedrock: Building a Firm Foundation” and will investigate some of the foundational elements of the Christian faith, starting with an in-depth look at God and His attributes, moving into who we are as His creation, the problem of sin, Jesus as God’s great rescue plan for us, and concluding with Kingdom living and our purpose in the world. This study will be a great entry point for any women looking for a women’s small group and will also be a great place for you to invite any women you think would benefit from a small group bible study that looks at the foundations of our faith.

The group will meet at the church on Thursday mornings from 10-11 a.m.

As weather permits, the group will meet outside (will move into the gym if necessary) and will also provide Zoom for anybody wants to attend virtually.

If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Erin Burnett at 423 605 7443.

updated August 12, 2020 – video from your pastors

A message from your pastors, Bill & Sean.

updated July 8, 2020 – video from your pastors

Pastors, Bill Spencer and Sean Hanzelik, discuss recent developments in our local community and Eastwood Church’s response to that and what we see God doing in and through our church.

updated June 26, 2020 – info for sunday

Currently, there is a potential for SEVERE WEATHER for Sunday morning. We will be watching the forecast and will make a call on whether to stay outside under the tent or move into the gym by 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Please be on the lookout for communication early Sunday. If it’s just raining with no real threat for lightning, we will be outside under the tent. Our desire and goal is to be outside. 

updated June 24, 2020 – info for wednesday

There is once again a threat of severe weather for tonight, so we will be moving our corporate worship into the GYM, and small groups, children, and youth will move accordingly as well. Here are the specifics for tonight’s Wednesday service.

  • Bring your own chairs
  • Arrive at 6:15 p.m. to set up IN THE GYM comfortably spaced out.
  • Worship will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will end by 7:00 p.m.
  • There will be nursery like normal. Temps will be taken.
  • There will be Children’s Ministry. After worship, the children will go with Mrs. Laura & Mrs. Terri to the Kidz Zone room. They will take temps of all the kids present.
  • Youth large group teaching and small groups will meet spread out in the GYM.
  • Other small groups will meet in the largest, open areas we have. Please ask your leader where your group will meet.
  • If you have any questions, please feel free to text/call Sean at 423-598-0286.

Hope to see you all tonight.

updated June 19, 2020 – camp eastwood
As we prayed about the disappointment we were experiencing and the void that was left by Woodlands canceling their Freestyle camps for the summer, God began to give us a new vision for this year for our kids. A camp of our own. It will be our own, different version of Freestyle, and we are calling it CAMP EASTWOOD. We are very excited about what God is doing and the opportunity to provide a fun, gospel-focused, Christ-centered, Bible-based camp for our kids and their friends.

 

For now, just SAVE THE DATE, and please be praying for this camp, its leaders, the kids who God will bring, and just the week as a whole. We are expecting God to do some big things in our kids.

 

Here is the current info, with more details to come in the near future:

 

Dates: Monday, July 27 – Thursday, July 30
Times: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Eastwood Church
Ages: 4-12
Cost: To Be Determined
REGISTRATION WILL BE OPENING SOON
updated June 13, 2020 – info for sunday

We will continue to meet outside, under the tent for our Sunday service on June 14. Basically, everything is the same as it has been, but just a few reminders for you for tomorrow:

  • Please bring your own chairs.
  • Please bring your own bibles.
  • Arrive at 10:45 a.m. and set up wherever you feel comfortable.
  • Service will begin at 11:00 a.m.
  • Please be mindful of social distancing and the personal space of others.
  • There will be no greet time or passing of the plate for offering. Offering boxes are available.
  • There will be nursery.
  • Children and youth will remain under the tent for our service.
  • There is no official Sunday school time; however, some groups are choosing to meet outside or in one of our large, open areas, so please contact your class leader to find out your group’s plan.
  • If you are sitting underneath the tent, we ask that you park further out beyond the light poles. Please leave the parking spots behind the tent and closer to the tent for those folks who are sitting in their cars or outside the tent for social distancing purposes. We thank you for helping with this.
  • Thank you for your grace, love, patience, and understanding during this time.
updated June 10, 2020 – SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE

The threat of severe weather for tonight appears to have only worsened, so we will be moving our corporate worship into the GYM, and small groups, children, and youth will move accordingly as well. Here are the specifics for tonight’s Wednesday service.

  • Bring your own chairs
  • Arrive at 6:15 p.m. to set up IN THE GYM comfortably spaced out.
  • Worship will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will end by 7:00 p.m.
  • There will be nursery like normal. Temps will be taken.
  • There will be Children’s Ministry. After worship, the children will go with Mrs. Payne to the Kidz Zone room. She will take temps of all the kids present.
  • Youth large group teaching and small groups will meet spread out in the GYM.
  • Other small groups will meet in the largest, open areas we have. Please ask your leader where your group will meet.
  • If you have any questions, please feel free to text/call Sean at 423-598-0286.

Hope to see you all tonight.

updated June 9, 2020 – info for wednesday
In anticipation for Wednesday services for June 10, the forecast appears to have some severe weather on tap for the Greater Chattanooga area, so we wanted to send out some information about our planning. Like last time, we will make a decision on what we are going to do by 2p.m. on Wednesday and will try to communicate with you by 2:15-2:30 p.m.
Our current plan if severe weather will in fact happen during our service time:
  • Corporate worship before small groups will be IN THE GYM with the doors open and people spread out as they see fit.
  • Corporate worship will once again begin at 6:30 p.m.
  • Please arrive at 6:15 p.m. so you can get set up in a spot that is comfortably spaced out for you. We are still encouraging social distancing.
  • Masks are not required but are encouraged if that allows you to worship more freely and comfortably. We are still leaving this as a personal choice.
  • Small groups will disperse to designated locations after corporate worship around 7 p.m. If you are in a small group, please contact your small group leader for the location.
  • There will be nursery.
  • There will be Children’s Ministry activities. These will take place IN THE KIDZ ZONE ROOM.
  • There will be Youth Ministry activities. These will take place IN THE GYM.
  • We are still asking you to bring your camp chair to use in the gym and in your small group.
  • If you are not in a small group already, we have plenty of options for you to join one if you desire. We really hope everybody will come who wants to just to be with the body of Christ, to worship together, and to connect in a small group after. If you are not connected in a small group and want to be, please contact Sean (423-598-0286) or see him Wednesday night.
  • There will be NO FELLOWSHIP MEAL.
If the weather allows, we will be outside under the tent. The above plan is only if severe weather does in fact happen during our service time. As always, we continue thank you for your prayers, your grace and patience, and your understanding during this time. We really are excited about what God is doing at and through our church, and we hope you are too. Please let us know if you have any questions.
updated June 3, 2020 – info for wednesday

Some informational notes for our Wednesday Service:

  • Please bring your own chairs again.
  • Arrive at 6:15 p.m. to set up your chairs wherever you are comfortable under the tent.
  • Service will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the youth band leading all of us in worship.
  • There WILL be nursery, which will open at 6:20 p.m. 
  • There will be Children’s activities. Children will be with parents during the worship set and then will go with Mrs. Laura after into the gym.
  • It is FIRST WEDNESDAY for the youth. Invite a friend. After large group teaching time under the tent, the youth will go up to the field for games.
  • Adult Small groups will run from roughly 7-8 p.m.
  • There will be NO FELLOWSHIP MEAL.
updated June 1, 2020 – woodlands freestyle
After much prayer, deliberation, discussion, and seeking, Woodlands has made the very difficult decision to CANCEL all of their Freestyle camps for Summer, 2020, which means they will NOT be coming to Eastwood this year. Their hope and prayer is to resume in 2021.
This saddens us greatly, but we certainly understand the difficulty in planning mass gatherings so we trust God with this decision, as we know they are very prayerful and mindful to hear God’s voice.
This does NOT include their plans for their regular overnight Woodlands Camp at their facility. Mrs. Laura will be contacting you (or has already) about their plans for your children. Let us know if you have any questions.
We have already begun praying and asking for God’s guidance for what He would have us do this summer for your children to replace Freestyle. We ask that you join us in prayer for this. It might be that we do a Freestyle-like week on our own. We will be updating you soon with our plans, but our hope is to do something in order to pour the gospel into your kids and their friends. Whatever we do, it will most likely occur the last week in July, (27th-31st), so save those dates for now.
Please be praying and be on the lookout in the near future for more information. We thank you for your grace, patience, and understanding during this time, and if you have any questions, please contact Laura Smith at 423-284-9337.
updated May 30, 2020 – info for sunday

We just wanted to highlight some information for this week’s Sunday service. Most everything will be the exact same as last Sunday, but there are a few additional pieces of information we would like to bring to your attention.

  • There WILL be nursery this Sunday. Please contact Laura Smith at 423-284-9337 if you have any questions.
  • There will once again be NO separate Children’s or Youth. Everyone other than nursery will be under the tent for the worship service.
  • Last week, a number of people sat outside the tent in order to enhance their social distancing and were able to hear very well. If you feel more comfortable doing this, please feel free to do so. You are even able to park your car down the far end of the tent and sit in your car and hear just fine as well. If you have any questions about how this works, please contact Sean at 423-598-0286.
  • This week, we will be doing a combination of printed lyrics on paper like we did last week and a PowerPoint projection of the lyrics on the tent ceiling. We did this on Wednesday night, and it worked pretty well. If you are sitting in the back, it may be harder to see the projection, so we ask that those in the front save the printed lyrics for people in the back.
  • There is no church-wide coordinated Sunday school; however, we do have several groups that are choosing to meet. Please contact your group leader to find out if your group is meeting and where. If you have any questions about this, please contact Sean at 423-598-0286.
  • Please bring your own chairs once again.
  • Please bring your own bibles.
  • We do once again strongly encourage everyone to practice good social distancing, wear masks if that is what you prefer, and be mindful of other people’s personal space.
  • Once again, we will not do our greeting time, nor will we pass the plate. There will be 2 offering boxes in which you can place your offering.
  • Please arrive at 10:45 a.m. to get situated. Service will be begin at 11 a.m.

We also once again ask that you come with your heart filled with grace and love. We are thankful to God for providing an opportunity to worship in person as a community again, and we hope you arrive tomorrow with your heart prepared to worship and prepared to hear from God. It should be a great morning at Eastwood.

updated May 26, 2020 – info for wednesday

As we have mentioned previously, we are excited about gathering together tomorrow (Wednesday, May 27) for corporate worship and small groups. Our service this past Sunday was such a powerful experience of connecting with God, and we believe Wednesday will provide more of the same. We hope you are excited and plan to attend. Here are some basic informational items:

  • Please bring your own chairs again.
  • Arrive at 6:15 p.m. to set up your chairs wherever you are comfortable under the tent.
  • Service will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the youth band leading all of us in worship.
  • We will transition from worship into small groups by 7:00 p.m.
  • Small groups should end around 8:00 p.m.
  • You will use your camp chair for your small group also.
  • Check with your small group leader for the location your group will meet.
  • If you are not in a small group already, we have plenty of options for you to join one if you desire. We really hope everybody will come who wants to just to be with the body of Christ, to worship together, and to connect in a small group after. If you are not connected in a small group and want to be, please contact Sean (423-598-0286) or see him Wednesday night.
  • There WILL be nursery and Children’s activities. Nursery will open at 6:20 p.m. Other children will be with parents during the worship set and then will go with Mrs. Laura after. She will email parents separately with her plan for the kids. Be on the lookout for this communication. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Laura Smith at 423-284-9337.
  • There will be NO FELLOWSHIP MEAL.
  • WEATHER PERMITTING: There is a chance of thunderstorms. In the event of severe weather, we may have to cancel all Wednesday activities. We will make this decision by 2:00 p.m. and will send out mass communication shortly thereafter. If we do have to cancel, please plan to meet in your small groups by Zoom. This includes youth as well.

As always, we thank you for your prayers, your grace and patience, and your understanding during this time. We really are excited about what God is doing at and through our church, and we hope you are too. Please let us know if you have any questions.

updated May 23, 2020 – info for sunday
We just wanted to communicate a few more pieces of information for our Sunday service. Hope this helps answer any additional questions that have arisen.
  • For Sunday, May 24, there will be no nursery, no Children’s Ministry, and no separate Youth activities. All attendees will be together under the tent. We will be evaluating this for future weeks and will announce our plans in advance from week-to-week.
  • You are more than welcome to sit outside the tent if that is more comfortable for you. The sound should carry a decent distance into the parking lot. It’s also possible if your car is close enough that you could hear the sound from your car with the windows rolled down. We make no guarantees of this, but it is possible. There are a number of parking spots relatively close. Those will be open for parking. We also ask that if you see someone sitting outside the tent that you pay special attention to being mindful of personal space and social distancing. We are asking for this anyway, but if someone is outside the tent, please be extra mindful.
  • There is no current plan to video stream the service or post video after; however, we do plan to record the audio of the sermon like we always used to do and post that sometime after the conclusion of the service. We will do our best to post this as promptly as is possible. We will evaluate this element as we move forward to see what provisions we need to make to keep those of you who are unable to attend connected to the teaching. We hope the audio will be sufficient for those of you wanting to hear the sermon.
  • Please bring your own chairs.
  • After the service, please allow the worship team to do their own tear down of the equipment. This will help guard against a large collection of people in close quarters. They are prepared to do this.
  • Bring your own bible, if you want to follow along with the scriptures.
  • Please come with your hearts filled with grace for the entire process.
Additionally, we are planning to have Wednesday service and bible studies on Wednesday, May 27. There will be no meal, but we plan to meet under the tent at 6:30 p.m (plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early) for corporate worship with the youth band leading us. Then, we will break off into our regular Wednesday bible study groups. These groups will meet outside, so please plan to bring your own chairs again. We are excited about what God is doing, and we hope you are too. We also would love your prayers. Thank you!
updated May 22, 2020 – reopening

As most of you have probably heard by now, Eastwood Church will be beginning it’s reopening this coming Sunday, May 24. We have prayed and prayed about what God wants for our church, and we feel He has guided us to open for at least the first three weeks outside, underneath a large tent. It should be exciting to be back together again worshiping together, while also providing plenty of open-air space to provide ample social distancing. Here are some basic informational items, so you’ll know a little bit about what to expect:

    • Arrive at 10:45 a.m. to get situated
    • Bring your own chairs for your family
    • Sit wherever and however you feel comfortable, spaced out from other families and people.
    • Please be mindful of social distancing.
    • Service to begin at 11:00 a.m. and go until approximately 12:00 p.m.
    • Masks will be available but not required. We are leaving this up to each individual person’s preference. Again, please be mindful of others who may differ in their thinking on these topics.
    • Hand sanitizer will be available.
    • The passing of the plate for the offering will NOT happen. Instead, there will be boxes where you can drop off your offering.
    • There will be no greet time.
    • We will not have PowerPoint, so we will provide sheets with the lyrics to the worship songs.
    • Also, since there will be no PowerPoint, you are encouraged to bring your bible to follow along if you wish.
    • There will be no organized Sunday School time. We are actually leaving this up to each individual group to prayerfully consider and decide what to do. If you are in a class that decides to meet, those meetings will occur outside. Your camp chair will be used for that as well. Please check with your class leader for plans.
    • The building will be closed, except the courtyard door between the gym and the sanctuary so that one set of Men’s and Women’s bathrooms can be used, if necessary. We encourage the usage of these bathrooms to be kept to an absolute minimum if at all possible. 
    • Grace toward one another in every aspect is a must.
    • Please be praying for our service, our body, and everything surrounding our church during this time.

Here is also a video you can watch with some information about Sunday!

We look forward to being with those of you who are able to attend. We have missed worshiping with you!

updated May 9, 2020 – what’s next?

So, what’s next for Eastwood Church? Listen as Pastors, Bill Spencer and Sean Hanzelik, discuss how God is currently revealing plans for re-opening.

updated May 2, 2020 – a message from your pastor

There are a lot of questions and uncertainties in our country and community at this time, and we are sure there are a lot of questions and uncertainties in our body at Eastwood. Please watch the video below for a message from our Pastor, Bill Spencer, as he shares a little bit about the vision and thinking Eastwood has during this time and moving forward. We also continue to ask you for your prayers for wisdom and guidance as we seek God for His direction for our church. We thank you for praying with and for us.

updated April 14, 2020 – meals
Meal Opportunity for Families Without Power
Eastwood Family, Lisa Lawrence and Deb Jeffers are going to be cooking our regular Penne Pasta meal on Thursday for any families in need of a warm, home-cooked dinner for Thursday evening. We have a lot of families without power, so if you are in need of a meal, please contact Deb Jeffers at 423-595-3050 to make a reservation.
          Also, we need one person to volunteer to help coordinate deliveries to families, so if you are able to do this, please contact Deb Jeffers also at the number above. 
updated April 2, 2020 – easter celebrations

Watch the video below for some information on our upcoming Easter celebrations and services.

updated March 30, 2020 – info for children’s & youth ministries

Watch the video below for some information on Children’s & Youth Ministry teachings and parental partnership.

updated March 28, 2020 – ways to give

First of all, we want to thank each of you that have continued in your giving to Eastwood during the recent few weeks. God has proven to continue to be faithful in His protection of and provision for our church, so we praise Him wholeheartedly. We’ve had a lot of questions about the operation of the church (i.e. is the office still open, will people be there, will my checks be deposited promptly, how do I give, etc), so we wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some of those answers.

          Yes, the church office is open during the week. There are people there at various times and on various schedules, but yes, regular office work is getting done. We do ask for your patience and understanding during this time, and we also encourage you to text Sean (423-598-0286) ahead of time before coming by, just to make sure he or someone else is there. You can do this anytime. Also, any checks received will be deposited the following Monday or Tuesday after the day on which the check is received, which is our normal schedule anyway.

          Lastly, how can you continue to be faithful in your giving to Eastwood during this time? There are multiple ways you can give, as outlined below:

  • Bring your contribution by the church: As noted above, please text Sean ahead of time to make sure someone is there.
  • Mail a standard check to the church office:  The address is 4300 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd – Ooltewah, TN 37363. Again, the check will be deposited on the Monday or Tuesday after it is received.
  • Do an e-check through your online banking bill pay system: Same mailing address as above. Only difference is that these checks take approximately 7 days to be received. Once received, it will be deposited the Monday or Tuesday after receipt. NOTE: There is no fee for this, for you or the church.
  • Give online: Go to CLICK HERE. Click the link, follow the prompts, etc. If you have any questions, call or text Sean. NOTE: There are fees for this. See below for details.
  • Text To Give: This is a new feature for our church. Below are the steps:
    1. Text to Give Number: 423-301-5378 (save this number in your phone as Eastwood Text To Give)
    2. Go to your Messages/Texting app on your smart phone
    3. Enter the 423-301-5378 as the recipient
    4. In the message block, type the numerical amount of your donation. You do not need a dollar sign.
    5. Hit send
    6. You will receive a response text with a hyperlink. This is a registration link for you to enter your personal information and banking info.
    7. After clicking the link and entering all your personal information, hit the “Process” button at the bottom.
    8. This will complete your donation.
    9. You will receive a confirmation text. You can also set up recurring donations through this. You can also cancel your donation through this.
    10. If you have any questions, please contact Sean at 423-598-0286. Once your registration is done, you will not have to go through that process every time. After set up, you will be able to just text the dollar amount with one-click submission. Easy peasy!

Just a few other notes people often ask about:

  • If you give online via credit/debit, there is a 2.75% fee that the church pays. You are able to absorb this fee on the website.
  • If you give online via ACH, the fee is only 1%. The church does absorb this fee, but you can also choose to increase your donation if you would like to absorb it.
  • If you give by text, the fee is 2.75% also, but there is no way for you to absorb it unless you manually increase your donation.

As always, we thank you for your faithfulness, and if there are any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out to Sean at 423-598-0286.

updated March 21, 2020 – what’s coming?
We are so thankful for the grace of God during this time and also your grace as we navigate trying to “do church” and spiritually lead our people in new and vastly different ways. It’s been really amazing to see God’s hand of provision and protection already, despite being overwhelmed with so many new ways of looking at doing things. It’s made us stand in awe at the awesomeness of God, and we hope you are taking time amidst the hustle and bustle of learning and doing new things to just praise Him, thank Him, and truly worship Him. He is on the throne and is always working for the good of those who love Him.
          So, what are we going to do going forward? For now, our plan is outlined below. We know this will probably evolve and change as we learn and grow, so we ask for your patience and understanding.
Sunday Teachings
Starting tomorrow morning, Sunday, March 22, we will post a video teaching each Sunday morning, at roughly 10:30-10:45 a.m. to coincide with our normal service time. These videos will run anywhere from 10-20 minutes and will more often than not feature Bill teaching on whatever God puts on his heart. Tomorrow’s video will be slightly different as it will be more of an introduction into this type of teaching and will feature both Bill and Sean just sharing some of their thoughts to kick off this new way of teaching.
Student Ministry
Wednesdays and Saturdays will be the most likely days for Jonathan to post a video teaching for our Youth Ministry. Wednesday’s teaching will most likely post around 6:30 p.m. Saturday’s teaching will probably hit sometime in the afternoon. These may feature Madison or other leaders who will provide additional insights into the topics at hand.
Children’s Ministry
Laura will be developing some video teachings for our Children’s Ministry. We will probably stagger these on different days throughout the week. We hope this will keep your children connected to the word of God and the body of Christ at Eastwood, while also giving parents some added things to talk about with their children. We hope this will be a springboard into families centering their lives more around the truth of God moving forward.
Daily Devotions
We will also be posting a very brief (probably 5 minutes or less) daily video devotion done by Bill and Sean. We hope this will be a good way for you to kick off your day meditating on the word of God.
          We also are working on putting some things in place for our small groups to be able to do video meetings. Some groups have already tried these out, and the feedback has been great so far. Stay tuned for more information on this as the days go by.
          We have a lot of things in the works, and we are learning more and more every day. We ask that you just pray for God’s guidance and provision during this time, and please pray that He does a mighty work of making us even stronger during this time so that when things go back to normal we will have an even greater hunger and passion for the world around us than ever before.
          We love you all, and as always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
updated March 19, 2020 – A Letter from your pastor
Dear Eastwood Family, 
          I know this is been a trying week for everyone. It is difficult not being able to be together and carry out our normal routines as we keep social interaction to a minimum in order to slow the spread of the virus and protect those most vulnerable among us. Meeting together really is the heartbeat of who we are as a church, so we have been praying and seeking God for ways to keep our connections alive and strong during this time.
         We have been working on setting up some platforms to be able to connect as a church in Christ-centered relationship during this time. We recognize these connections are so important to Eastwood, from our little kids through our youth, young adults, and all the way to our senior adults. We, as a church, are much more relational than technological, so this has been a challenge for us. We hope to be rolling out to you very soon some options for being able to connect in your small groups, one-on-one meetings, and also as a church for regular Sunday worship. 
          We feel it’s very important that we comply with the request of the CDC and our government to stem the tide of the infection in our country, so we will not be meeting on Wednesday nights or Sundays in person at least through March and probably April, assuming things remain the same. We are taking things day-by-day just like everyone. Our suggestion is even though they have asked us not to meet in groups larger than 10 that we would be careful even in doing that. Taking precautions now will hopefully enable us to get back to normal sooner than later.
          We will be contacting you in the near future on how to connect, and we will be relying on our small group leaders and Sunday school teachers to help organize and facilitate those connections. Thank you for your cooperation and for your prayers as we all trust God and seek to follow him as we walk through this together
          As always, if you need anything, please feel free to reach out. 
          I love each of you with the love of Christ,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Pastor Bill Spencer