Adult Formation 

“until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ . . . we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ . . “ Ephesians 4:13, 15, NRSV 

The Ministry of Christian Formation is a response to Jesus’ command to “make disciples. . . by baptizing. . . and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20, NRSV). Christian formation engages the whole person—head, heart, and hands. Through Bible studies, discipleship classes, intergenerational events, retreats (private and group), web resources, small groups, and spiritual guidance, First Baptist Church shapes a meaningful way of being Christian and putting Christian faith into practice. 

Robert Mulholland defines Christian formation as “the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” We use the word FORMATION because God forms us into Christ’s image. Our part is to release control to Him to shape us into this image for the sake of others. There can be no wholeness in the image of Christ which is not incarnate in our relationship with others, both in the body of Christ and in the world. 

Because we must be intentional in releasing every part of life to God, our question is, “Where are you in the process of allowing God to conform you into the image of Christ?” Evaluate the state of: 

§       your HEART – your relationship to God, self, and others; 

§       your HEAD - identifying, developing and using your God given call, gifts, skills, and knowledge; 

§       your HANDS – putting into action God’s call on your life to minister to others in His name. 

When all three aspects of our being are attuned to God’s mission in the world, God is able to more effectively transform us. What is the spiritual condition of your heart, head, and hands today?

Christian Formation Ministry Team:

Steve Booth, Associate Pastor
Walter Morton, Formation Administrative Assistant
Mary Hiteman, Minister of Weekday Ministry
Robin Hendricks, Weekday Secretary
Candi Brown, Minister to Children
Megan Lowe, Children’s Ministry Assistant
Brenda Woods, Children’s Min. Secretary
Suzanne Mason, TLC Coordinator
Hannah McMahan, Youth 2 Resident
Ann Carter, Youth 1 Associate
Lindsey McClintock, Formation & Compassion Resident

Formation Teams:

Formation Ministry Team, Karen Linkous, Team Leader
Member Equipping Ministry Team, Martin Law, Team Leader
Weekday Ministry Team, Debbie Berry, Team Leader
Preschool Ministry Team, Beth Buckbee, Team Leader
Children’s Ministry Team, Amylin Booker & Vicki Pope, Team Leaders
Youth Ministry Team, Beth Holthaus, Team Leader
Adult Bible Study & Teaching Team, Lewis Myers, Team Leader
Disciple Bible Study, Kay Smith, Coordinator
Exploring Christianity/ALPHA Ministry, Tammara Kidd, Coordinator
First Word Library Team, Lila Williams, Team Leader
Connections Class Team , Christy Somerville, Team Leader
Puppet Ministry Team, Sharon McCauley, Team Leader
Scholarship Fund Team, Jim Markham, Team Leader
Nominating Team, Fran Hudgins, Team Leader