GRACE

Gather Groups

Gather Groups meet at the church, online, and in homes throughout Massillon. They combine the structure of Sunday School with the comfort of smaller, more personal settings.

We are created for community, made in God’s likeness to live in relationship. Jesus modeled this by calling a small group of disciples to walk closely with Him, showing that deep transformation happens in close-knit fellowship (Mark 3:7-14).

Community is central to Christ’s mission. Jesus prayed that we would be one, reflecting the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 17:11, 21). Our unity is a powerful witness of God’s love. Gather Groups at First Baptist help us grow in faith and live out this calling through authentic connection.

All Groups

Foundations

Foundations provide a simple and welcoming way to explore what FBC is all about and to discover your place in God’s Kingdom. These sessions are offered monthly, before
worship, on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Sundays of each month.

Foundations Track

Counseling

Stephen Ministry

Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2, NRSV). Stephen Ministry offers a proven and effective way to organize, equip, and supervise a team of congregation members—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, one- to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties.

Stephen Ministry is appropriate for people experiencing:
 Grief
 Divorce
 Cancer
 Hospitalization
 Physical Rehabilitation
 Long-Term Care
 Chronic Illness
 Terminal Illness
 Job Loss
 Loss Of A Home
 Military Deployment
 The Onset Of A Disability
 Spiritual Crisis
 Many Other Life Struggles

Premarital Counseling

Congratulations on your engagement. Don't forget to do the important work before the ceremony. The idea of premarital counseling is to build a strong foundation. What you have right now is beautiful. You are engaged. You are in love. But how can you make sure that you don’t end up a statistic? No one gets married planning on getting divorced.

The key is building a strong foundation of principles and knowing what it takes to be successful. Our primary tool for Premarital Counseling is called SYMBIS. SYMBIS stands for Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts.

Pastor David has a passion for weddings and moving couples from dating to engagement to marriage. If you are interested in having your wedding at FBC Massillon, click here. If you would like Pastor David to officiate your wedding elsewhere and guide you through premarital counseling, please click here.

Greif Share

A support group to help you move through the grief process.

A GriefShare support group is a safe and welcoming place where individuals can understand and navigate the complex emotions associated with grief. Through this 13- week group, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s “normal” in grief.

Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief, in all its unpredictability, and gain solid support each step of the way.

Pastoral Counseling

Rev. Dr. David Anderson

In addition to his preaching and pastoral care, Pastor David (DMin in Pastoral Counseling) is available to provide pastoral counseling.

To schedule an appointment, please contact the church office. We are pleased to offer free biblical pastoral counseling to all members of First Baptist Church of Massillon. We believe that Scripture offers timeless wisdom and guidance for everyday life, and we pray that each person here may experience the joy and peace that comes from growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Galatians 5:22-23).