Another program we support is Food Co-Op, an invitation-based ministry that seeks qualified Knox County residents to participate in a food cooperative requiring both commitment and consistency. The Food Co-Op’s mission is to provide food in an affirming environment for neighbors in need doing so in a way that empowers recipients and that helps them gain ownership and create communities in which they may exercise their own giftedness. Food Co-Op meets every other Tuesday.
The First Baptist Benevolence Team meets with people with specific needs every Tuesday. This team serves as a point of resource and referral, care and compassion, to help address needs with dignity and grace.
Over 30 mentors go out from First Baptist Knoxville each week as part of the KidsHope Mentoring Program. In partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Knoxville, this program allows us to invest in children’s lives as voices of encouragement and hope. Participation in this ministry requires an application and approval process.
First Baptist Church also offers Getting Ahead Classes for adults seeking to do more than just
Our church is exploring new opportunities to engage with international students and refugees in our community. Over the last year, families have hosted international students for Thanksgiving, participated in a city-wide refugee event, and co-hosted a dinner for international students in cooperation with the University of Tennessee Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
Our church is a host congregation for Family Promise. This program provides opportunities to serve homeless families in transition through providing a meal, serving as a congregational host, or simply being a friendly face for conversation.
Other mission opportunities regularly arise within our walls. Each invites different gifts and skills while purposefully engaging volunteers, enabling them to live out their own sense of call. While we believe everyone is called to mission, we also believe in training and equipping those we send. Therefore, we offer Bridges Out of Poverty training for those seeking to learn how to improve their relationship skills with those on our city’s margins.