Ministry
Ministering to the needs of the body and the community around us is vital to the overall mission of First Baptist Church.
Our Pastoral Care ministry, Deacon Family ministry, Benevolence ministry, Prayers & Squares,
and so many others come under this heading.
Prayers & Squares
Our chapter of the Prayers & Squares ministry began in the early summer of 2008. A sister church in Mocksville, NC had presented our church with a quilt, saying that they had prayed for us. This inspired fifteen ladies in our church to charter a group for our church. This group has now handmade close to 300 quilts that have gone all over the States and around the world. The concept is simple and the result profound. When completed, each quilt has strings that a person takes and ties into knots when that person prays for the individual. When the quilt is delivered, the person can get a feel for how many prayers have been lifted up on his/her behalf. This has been a strong encouragement to infants, cancer patients, and all kinds of hurting people. The motto for Prayers & Squares is that "it's not about the quilts; it's all about the prayers."
To request a prayer quilt, download the quilt request form below and mail to First Baptist Church, ATTN: Prayers & Squares, P. O. Box 490, Stanley, NC 28164. One of our ladies will contact you for more information.
Pastoral Care & Deacon Family Ministry
It is important to us to minister to our Church family in times of distress and in times of joy. Our eighteen-member Deacon Body carries out a family ministry program through which each deacon has a certain number of families in our church to whom he ministers. Our deacons take fruit baskets to our shut-ins at Christmas, and maintain regular contact with their respective families. If a church member has surgery, is admitted to the hospital, or has another extenuating circumstance that requires ministry, the deacons and the Pastor stand ready to minister to our people. It is a blessing to show the love of Jesus in a tangible way.
Financial Assistance
We receive a large volume of requests for financial assistance and are only able to accommodate a small percentage of those requests. It is best to contact the Greater Gaston Baptist Association first; they receive requests for aid on Thursday mornings. There are other agencies that provide assistance with food and clothing. We are not able to fulfill requests for rent assistance or make financial gifts to an individual. With this information in mind, if you require financial assistance, please come by the church office in person to fill out a request form. A committee of three men will review your information, interview with you about your need, and make a decision regarding your assistance. Please know that priority is given to those who are members of First Baptist Church. Spiritual and financial counseling is available.
