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First Tampa Church of East Bay
10102 Old Big Bend Rd
Riverview, FL 33578

Contact: Pastor Myers

Book Recommendation: American Baptist Association 2008 yearbook

Religion: Christian

Denomination: American Baptist Association

Web Page: http://www.firstbaptistchurchofeastbay.com/

The Service

The First Tampa Church of East Bay is located not too far from where I live - practically down the road. But it's more than just the site for a church - it turns out, the site runs an entire school from Kindergarten through the 12th grade.

In a way, the week I choose to use as my sample service was both the best time to visit, and possibly the worst time. Like other areas in the Tampa Bay region, the school had been visited with a very nasty cold that had put much of its staff out - in fact, Pastor Myers, my contact, had himself been sick for most of the week. In fact, the pastor turned down my offer to wait a week - he was determined to get through his duties.

His congregation as well were ready and willing to do what it took to fulfill their duties as well. The First Tampa Church is a very service and missionary directed church - the visitor for that day was himself a missionary, using his time and talents to gather support from the local congregation for his efforts. The missionary service, it turns out, is for more than just spreading the Baptist word of God, but also working to service the people where they can.

The services were in many ways rather typical of other churches that I had attended - many hymns sung, then a prayer offered on behalf of the sick and afflicted, a pair of ushers gathering offerings, and the sermon by the minister. There were, as there are in all services, some important distinctions.

What I Found Beautiful

Back when I wrote reviews of computer games and the like, I'd often say that you can tell when something was built out of love. That's true for movies, books, games - when you put your love into something, it shows. The time and effort you put into the project can sometimes transcend the individual parts.

Here, I found a congregation that was clearly built on the backs of love and dedication to the work. Here was a Pastor, that while he could have stayed at home and rested, had enough love and dedication to his flock that he pushed ahead to serve them. And a congregation that clearly loved the man back, praying for his speedy recovery, and working to spread their message to the world.