Members gather on Sundays at four campuses throughout the Houston area: The Loop, Downtown, Cypress and Sienna as well as online. Houston’s First also has multiple Faith Centers, which are spaces specifically focused on community outreach programs and mission work.
Last year, the Faith Center-Spring Branch served 48,271 individuals in the Houston area and distributed almost $1 million in funds.
“Even though the amount of ministry and things that were happening in that building was amazing, we'll be able to do more since the facility has been upgraded and modified and a lot of the areas of the [old] building weren't being used to their fullest potential,” said Director of Communications Mary Katherine Hassebrock.
The Faith Center-Spring Branch is used for:
- a benevolence ministry, where individuals can receive monetary assistance
- a clothes closet
- a food pantry
- missions training classes
- apartment outreach ministry
- ESL classes
- financial counseling and more
The new space will allow all of the church’s current outreach programs to continue as well as the addition of a foster care and adoption ministry.
“Families who are walking the journey of adoption and foster care can go and receive full, holistic care,” Hassebrock said. “That includes speech and occupational therapy, access to a nutritionist... all of these services those families typically need but all under one roof.”
The renovated Faith Center also opens up opportunities for Houston’s First to collaborate with other organizations. The new building will also be used as a meeting space for a classical school, a Spanish-speaking church and a Vietnamese-speaking church.
“[The new space] will create more opportunities to be a light to the community,” said Local Missions Services Director Claudia Reyes. “The shared space with different ministries will create connections to serve our community.”
The church paid for the renovations through a generosity initiative called Kainos, which is the Greek word meaning “new.” The funds raised also contributed to other church programs such as Bible translation projects and mission work across the world.
“We are thrilled to be in a facility that is essentially new on the inside,” said Seale. “No longer will we go through the annual battle of attempting to keep the building cool in the hotter months or warm in the cooler [months]. We are confident that with all new air conditioning, electrical systems, and plumbing we can put the main focus on people.”
Interested in volunteering at the Faith Center-Spring Branch? Learn more about volunteer opportunities online. Individuals interested in visiting one of the four Houston’s First Baptist Church’s campuses can learn more at the church’s website.
The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
