First Baptist Conroe: A Downtown Church Building 10,000 Transforming Relationships
First Baptist Conroe sits on North Main Street in the heart of downtown Conroe, Texas, where the church has been gathering since 1891. More than a century after its founding, the congregation still describes itself in relational terms: by 2030, the people of FBC Conroe want to be involved in 10,000 transforming relationships, walking alongside neighbors one heart and one family at a time. Their motto sums up the goal plainly - "Transforming lives through Christ-centered community."
The church campus, just minutes from the Montgomery County Courthouse, hosts three English-language worship services and one Spanish-language service every Sunday, a Wednesday night program that begins with a shared family meal, and a wide network of Life Groups, classes, and ministries that span every stage of life from newborns to retirees.
Three Sunday Mornings, One in Spanish
FBC Conroe runs four Sunday services in three worship styles, so newcomers can pick the setting that fits them best.
The 8:15 am Classic service keeps the traditional Baptist feel that has marked the church since its founding, with a choir, an orchestra, and the great hymns of the faith. Members who love the deep theology of older songs describe this service as warm and unhurried.
The 9:45 am Blended service mixes modern worship songs with the classic hymns, appealing to people who enjoy both. At 11:15 am, the Modern service leans fully into new music, with current songs and fresh arrangements of older ones.
All three English services are broadcast live. A 30 Day Prayer Guide, sermon notes, and event registration live on the First Baptist Conroe app, available for both iPhone and Android.
In the Spanish-language service, held every Sunday at 11:30 am in Hooper Chapel, congregants pray, sing, and study the Word together in Spanish. The gathering is described as a time of "compañerismo, oración, cantando y meditando la palabra de Dios" - fellowship, prayer, singing, and meditation on God's Word.
Children and students have their own Sunday morning programming alongside the services. Main Street Kids Life Groups meet at 9:45 am in Building 8 for children from birth through 6th grade, with Kid's Worship at 11:15 am for K through 2nd graders. FC Students (7th through 12th grade) gather at 9:45 am in seven different Life Groups divided by grade and gender.
Wednesday Nights Start with a Family Meal
Wednesday is the busiest night of the week at First Baptist Conroe, and it begins with dinner. From 5:00 to 6:15 pm, the church serves a sit-down meal in the gym. Pricing is straightforward: $10 per adult, $5 for children, and a $35 cap per family. Recent menus have included taco stack-ups, pot roast with carrots, smothered chicken, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, chicken parmesan, chicken and dumplings, and chicken enchiladas.
At 6:30 pm, the night splits into parallel classes. Pastor Jeff Berger's Bible Study is the headline adult class, alongside a Men's Wednesday Bible Study and a Women's Wednesday Bible Study, both with semester-long studies that cost $20 and run in dedicated rooms. Foundations of Faith introduces people to the basics of the Christian life, while the Missions & Prayer Class focuses on local and international outreach. A Spanish Bible Study meets the same evening, and the church's Choir and Orchestra rehearse during this slot.
Children and students also gather at 6:30 pm. Main Street Kids - "MSK W's" - offers games, Bible teaching, and activities for birth through 6th grade in Building 8. FC Students runs a high-energy, large-group gathering for 7th through 12th graders, designed to be the front door for new students to walk in, hear worship, study Scripture, and meet adult leaders.
Life Groups for Every Stage of Life
FBC Conroe organizes much of its adult ministry around Life Groups, smaller classes that meet on Sunday mornings and, in one case, on Tuesday evenings. The church lists nearly twenty Life Groups, each tailored to a particular season or demographic. Examples include:
- Fellowship Class - meets at 8:15 am, focused on loving and serving God.
- The Well - ages 35 to 55.
- Married with No Kids - couples without children.
- Older Married with Young Kids and Younger Married with Young Kids - two parallel groups by life stage.
- SALT - mostly married 20s and 30s.
- Kingdom Seekers - 20s through 40s, mostly married with kids.
- Wayfarers, Wonder Years, Disciples, and Bridge Builders - stages from 40s through empty nest.
- Prayer Warriors, Care Givers Men's Class, Care Givers Ladies' Class, Challengers, Uplifters, Encouragers, Esther - mostly retired and active-adult classes; Esther is for ladies ages 70 and up.
- Adults at 11:15 am - a Life Group designed for those attending the Blended service.
- Faithful Followers - meets Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm.
Spanish-speaking adults have their own parallel options: Grupo de vida para hombres (men's group at 9:45 am in the gym, second floor, Room 207) and Grupo de vida para damas (women's group at 9:45 am in Room 6200).
Young Adults in Downtown Conroe
The young adult ministry is one of the most visible parts of FBC Conroe and intentionally anchored in the city around it. The 18-25 Young Adult Life Group meets Sunday mornings at 9:45 am in the gym's Room 209, with breakfast pastries baked fresh each week. A Sunday night Bible study for the same age group meets at 6:30 pm in Room 209, beginning in October.
On Thursday evenings, the ministry moves out of the church campus and into Hooper Chapel for DOWNTOWN: Worship Night - a gathering for young adults ages 18 to 27 in the heart of downtown Conroe. The invitation is simple: worship, prayer, and learning together in the city.
Men's Ministry: Hobbies, Brotherhood, and Bible Study
The men's ministry at FBC Conroe emphasizes biblical manhood, integrity, and accountability. Men meet on Wednesday nights for a semester-long Bible study, and they gather on Mondays at 7:00 pm for Men of Valor, a men's connection group.
What makes the men's ministry distinctive is its Connection Groups - small circles built around shared hobbies. Men can sign up for Classic Car & Truck, Cycling, Disc Golf, Fantasy Sports League, Gaming, Golf, Kayak Fishing, "Not Golf" Golf (a fellowship-heavy take on Top Golf, putt-putt, and Golden Tee), Shooting (sporting clays at Blackwood Sporting), a Veterans group, or a Weightlifting group at Crunch Fitness. Each group is led by a member and welcomes men of any experience level.
Women's Ministry: Bible Study, MomCo, and Ladies' Luncheon
The women's ministry at FBC Conroe is anchored by two weekly Bible studies. The Monday morning study, "Seek First the Kingdom" by Christine Hoover, is an eight-week walk through Matthew beginning in September at 9:30 am (childcare is not available). The Wednesday night study alternates two semester-long courses - recent offerings have included "More Than Enough" on 2 Corinthians and "The S.O.A.R. Study" through Proverbs and James - and meets in Room 6203.
MomCo is a mothers' community meeting twice a month during the school year from 10:00 am to noon. Mornings begin with breakfast, followed by guest speakers, discussion, creative activities, and mission projects. Preschool-aged children attend KidCo in a separate program. Registration is $50 per semester plus a $37 international fee, with scholarships available.
The Ladies' Luncheon gathers women of all ages from 11:15 am to 1:00 pm in Herrington Hall on the second Wednesday of each month for food, fellowship, a guest speaker, and a brief devotion. Lunch is $10. The group also raises scholarship money for students in the student ministry and supports local schools and mission causes.
Senior Adults: Game Nights and a Ukulele Band
Senior adults at FBC Conroe have their own rhythm. On the second Sunday of each month at 4:00 pm, the 55-plus Game Night meets in Herrington Hall for board games, card games, dominoes, and snacks. Tuesday mornings at 9:30 am bring the Happy Strings ukulele band together in the same hall. Happy Strings is open to amateur musicians of any skill level, not just ukulele players, and the group performs at various locations throughout the year.
First Baptist Academy and Literacy First
First Baptist Academy is the church's weekday preschool program, directed by Caroline Gilcrease. Families choose the academy for small class sizes, a dedicated enrichment tutor, and chapel programs woven into the week. The school is Christ-centered and intentionally affordable.
Literacy First is the church's free English as a Second Language program. Classes run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:00 am on the FBC Conroe campus. New students register before the start of each semester, and all levels - from beginners to more advanced learners - are welcome.
Counseling, Feeding Conroe, and Mission Trips
The FBC Counseling Center is a Christ-centered, faith-based practice that walks alongside individuals, couples, and families through marital and pre-marital counseling, family work, depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, abuse, and crisis intervention. Sessions are 50 minutes long and cost $50, with financial aid available; checks are payable to FBC. The counseling team includes Larry F. Renetzky, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 65 years of experience; Charlotte Montgomery-Day; Kristy D. Buchanan; and Chris Adams.
Feeding Conroe is the church's local outreach to those who are unsheltered or in need of a hot meal. The ministry welcomes volunteers and is one of the most visible ways the church serves its city.
Beyond Conroe, FBC Conroe runs international mission trips through the year, partnering with missionaries around the world. The Mission Trips ministry is coordinated through the church office.
Beliefs and Values
First Baptist Conroe holds that all Scripture is divinely inspired and serves as the final authority in belief and behavior. The church teaches that human beings are created to worship God, that the family is God's foundational institution for human society, and that every Christian is called to ministry - not just pastors, but every member. The church also affirms personal evangelism, biblical stewardship of time, talent, and money, and the daily pursuit of growing more like Christ.
Five values shape everything the church does: Biblical Teaching, Christ-centered Worship, Kingdom-focused Prayer, Developing Leaders, and Missional Living. The church defines "Missional Living" as treating every relationship as a potential opportunity to show and share the love of Christ.
The church's vision statement makes the goal concrete. By 2030, the people of FBC Conroe want to be involved in 10,000 transforming relationships - long-term investments in other people, not random acts of kindness or short-term charity. The examples the church gives are specific: befriending a non-Christian coworker and praying for them, mentoring a student at a local school, "adopting" an elderly neighbor whose family lives far away, walking alongside someone going through crisis, or meeting regularly with a new believer to help them follow Christ. In Montgomery County, the church sees neighbors who are lonely, marriages that are fracturing, families in chaos, and people turning to addiction or contemplating suicide. FBC Conroe's answer is relationships - patient, prayerful, long-haul relationships - aimed at bringing peace to the chaos.
Giving and Getting Connected
Members and friends can give online through Pushpay, by check or money order at the church office, or by cash during Sunday morning services. Personalized offering envelopes are available on request, and gifts of stock can be arranged through the Finance office at 936-756-6601. The First Baptist Conroe app, available on iPhone and Android, includes giving alongside daily devotions, sermon notes, and event registration.
For anyone curious about plugging in, the church's Get Connected page lays out the paths: Life Groups, Bible studies, volunteer service, prayer support, and a First Steps class designed for newcomers who want to learn more about the church. The church's contact number is 936-756-6601, the address is 600 N. Main St., Conroe, TX 77301, and the building is easy to find in downtown Conroe.