Encounter Eternal

Music is one of the most powerful sources of social bonding! It can mend broken relationships, strengthen long-lasting ones; those who were once strangers are fast friends and are soon embracing each other; and lasting memories are made for everyone. And it often takes only one song to do all of that. Encounter Eternal never fails to do that and more. All of that was certainly revealed in one song: “Hypnotize,” with the banging of heads, shouting, cheering, strangers hugging each other, and raising of hands to the One they were singing it to. A huge thank you to Sidebrook Baptist Church for another great year of the Knox Rocks show.

Three things can describe this past Saturday night with Encounter Eternal: rain (again), ear plugs, and cameras. Needless to say, it was a rather wet night, with the almost continual pouring down of rain. But inside the “Esther 4:14” room at Morristown Church of God, God was raining down many blessings on those who came out to see them, as well as Dustin Greene, and The Shine Effect, both of whom made a point, sometimes more than once, to get everyone excited about sEEing Encounter Eternal. Prior to the show, the guys handed out ear plugs. After all, it was a rather small room, and they are, as you know, loud…but that’s why you come out to see them, right? The question now is: Who didn’t have a camera, other than the band members themselves? It’s a wonder that the band is not blinded now from all of the flashes. Great pictures were taken of some eternally wonderful times with them. Thank you to Morristown Church of God for a great night of ministry. If you didn’t get enough of Encounter Eternal, and would like to hear them again and hang out with them, join them next week at the Knox Rocks Festival this coming Saturday at 5 PM at Sidebrook Baptist Church in Knoxville.

Many thanks to everyone at City on a Hill and Rock it Out Walk it Out Ministry for having Encounter Eternal last night! All of you went the extra mile to make them feel welcome, allowing them to have a great time of ministry. On behalf of the band, thank you to those who came out to support them. Everyone did well in “shredding the stage,” with not only the air guitar contest just before they came on, but coming up close to the stage while they were. Encounter Eternal shredded the stage themselves in not only the simultaneous guitar solo that Dale Johnson and Paul Belcher did, and Jon Hopkins randomly singing “The wheels of a bus go ‘round and ‘round” during “Hypnotize,” but also in throwing guitar picks out to everyone. Jon introduced everyone to “Scars,’ a new song even to Hopkins himself that he had to get some of the lyrics from his cell phone. Talk about a band who’s not afraid of being themselves! Finally, and most importantly, to pray over them right after the show was a very true sign of respect, favor, and honor.

If you were chosen to be a guest at someone’s special event, I’m sure you would feel honored and humbly and enthusiastically accept their offer. That is exactly what Encounter Eternal did for Lighthouse Fellowship Church in Sevierville this past Saturday. Lighthouse Fellowship had just moved their church to a different location and wanted to host an event to get the fire burning for future events there. For some of the people who were there, they had seen Encounter Eternal at Jam 4 the Lamb back in October and remembered lead singer Jonathan Hopkins as “the guy who wore that jack-o-lantern t-shirt.” Jon outdid himself in being a “Jon of all blessings”, making it almost like a variety show. First of all, there were two words that must have spoken to many people there: “Be you.” This thought was further reinforced in their song “Enough is Enough”: “We are who we are, and we’re gonna stay.” The way that Jon applied this: while introducing the band, he made the audience laugh with them by mentioning Paul’s green guitar and Dale’s black guitar. As they were wrapping up, he encouraged everyone to buy their merchandise. But they did so in style: they got a young girl up there with them who was wearing one of their purple t-shirts. That developed into a hula-hoop show, with another young girl joining them, followed by a few others blowing bubbles and air jump-roping. So, if you ever need a band who can do more than just provide good music for your first, fifth, or even fiftieth annual celebration, Encounter Eternal is, as someone from the audience from the other night said, “the bomb.”

For those of you who have seen Encounter Eternal, you know how they go all-out for their fans. They will do whatever heroic act it takes to make sure that they get what they know their fans need from them. Yesterday, they ministered at an outdoor benefit concert for a little girl who is overcoming leukemia. On the way there, they had some difficulties with the wheel bearing of their trailer. Though this caused a slight delay in the start of this benefit concert, it did not stop them from getting to the park in Harriman. It was also very cold outside, but that did not stop these five men from doing what they were there to do, which was to show some brotherly love to a little girl, and also to warm the hearts of those who love the powerful messages in their songs who came out for this great cause.