A Family of Faith and Friends on Grubb Road
Hixson First Baptist Church has long anchored the north end of the Tennessee town of Hixson from a single address on Grubb Road, drawing a multi-generational crowd that the church itself calls a family of faith and friends. Members say you make life-long friends through Life Groups, and that a church family that actually takes care of one another is what you will find here, along with a pastor who preaches the truth of the Bible.
The church's motto is Believing, Belonging, Becoming Together. Believing is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation; Belonging is living as a genuine church family who cares for one another; Becoming is growing day by day to look more like Jesus as His disciples. The vision is to guide others on the path of life transformation through the Gospel, and the mission is to make disciples who know God intimately, serve others compassionately, and share Jesus joyfully. Three values flow from that mission: Exalt Jesus, Equip Believers, and Engage the Community and World.
Two Sunday Mornings, Wednesday Night, and Online
Sunday is the rhythm of the week. Two identical morning services meet at 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM, both in person in the sanctuary and online through the church's YouTube channel. The 11:15 AM service is labeled the Contemporary Worship Service in the sermon library. Music, prayer, and a Bible message run roughly 60 to 75 minutes.
Between and after the two morning services, Life Groups meet for all ages. Sunday morning Life Groups gather at 10:10 AM in classrooms across the campus, and a separate Sunday evening Life Group meets at 6:00 PM in the Adult Education Building. Wednesday is the second weekly anchor: at 6:15 PM, the church runs a Pastor's Bible Study alongside student and children's activities, and worship and band rehearsals follow at 7:15 PM. The sermon archive on YouTube holds more than 50 messages and reaches back through 2025 and 2026.
KidZ Jam and the Children's Building
Children are a major part of the church's identity. KidZ Jam is the children's worship experience, with music, games, and devotions for kids ages 4 through 5th grade. The Sunday morning flow is built around it: at 9:00 AM, nursery care is available for children up to age 3, while children 4 and up sit with their parents in worship. At 10:10 AM, children from babies through 5th grade head to age-graded Life Groups in the Children's Building. During the 11:15 AM service, children 4 through 5th grade start in the sanctuary, sing with the congregation, and are then escorted under adult supervision to the KidZ Jam Worship area.
Children's Ministry Director Angela Farley, who joined the staff in 2008, oversees the program. The church points to dedicated teachers such as Jolene, who has been sharing the Word with children for more than 30 years, and Becky Cunningham, who leads the 2- and 3-year-old Life Group and serves on the board of Lifeline, INC, a ministry that works with families affected by special needs.
Student Ministry
The Student Ministry is built for middle and high schoolers. On Sunday mornings, students in 6th through 12th grade meet at 9:30 AM in the Christian Life Center for Youth Life Group, then transition to the 11:15 AM worship service with the rest of the church. The Wednesday night gathering at 6:15 PM adds hands-on Bible study, video lessons, open discussion, prayer, snacks, games, and monthly outings. Tyler Shannon, the church's Worship and Family Ministry Pastor, oversees the ministry.
Adult Life Groups Across the Decades
The church's adult Life Groups are a defining feature of the congregation. They are organized by life stage and meet in the Adult Education Building or Christian Life Center at 10:10 AM. The Faith Partners group, led by Nick Workman, focuses on adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Crusaders for Christ, led by Scott Farley, is geared toward adults 40 and older. The Hannah group, led by Betty Weeks, is for ladies 50 and up; Shining Stars, led by Ron Fuqua and Terry Adams, is for mixed couples and singles 50 and older; and Aquila and Priscilla, led by Ron and Karen Barnett, members since 1987, is for couples 50 and older. For older adults, Searchers, led by Diane Barnes, serves those in their 70s and up, Agape, led by Lynda Gooden, is for women in their 70s, and Good Samaritans, led by John Alvis, is for men 60 and older. Agua Viva, the Spanish-language Life Group, is part of the church's Hispanic ministry. The Barnabas group, led by Don and Patti Harris and Ron and Barbara Nelson, meets Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM in Room 16 of the Adult Education Building and starts with a brown-bag dinner before digging into Scripture.
Women, Men, and Seniors
The Women's Ministry, Men's Ministry, and Senior Adult Ministry each build community around life stage. Women gather for ongoing Bible studies, seasonal events such as luncheons and retreats, and the Widow's Nest Ministry, which provides focused care and connection for widows. The Men's Ministry runs Bible studies, prayer times, fellowship events, and service projects aimed at helping men grow as spiritual leaders in their homes, church, and community. Senior adults are described as active and involved in nearly every ministry. They provide meals for shut-ins and members in need, lead music and entertainment at local life care centers and retirement homes, teach Life Groups, and serve in the children's ministry.
Worship Teams, Choir, and Orchestra
Worship at Hixson First Baptist is led by a full team of singers, musicians, and tech volunteers. Tyler Shannon directs the worship teams, the choir, the band, and the orchestra. The worship teams and choir rehearse on Wednesday nights at 7:15 PM in the sanctuary. The worship band and orchestra rehearse at 6:15 PM in the sanctuary. A creative and tech side offers additional opportunities in sound, lighting, stage and set design, PowerPoint and media, and video. The church invites anyone to join, with no prior experience required.
Rooted in God's Word
Hixson First Baptist is a Christ-centered, Bible-believing church that affirms the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The church teaches that the Bible is God's written Word, inspired by Him and completely true in all it affirms. It believes in one eternal and triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It holds that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, rose bodily, ascended to heaven, and will return in glory. Salvation is by God's grace, received by repentance and faith, and involves regeneration, justification, sanctification, and final glorification. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as a symbol of union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and the Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of remembrance and anticipation of His return. The church also teaches that the Bible is the final authority for belief and life, that every believer is a steward of time, talents, and resources, and that sharing the gospel is the privilege and responsibility of every follower of Christ.
Hixson Primera Iglesia Bautista
The church's Spanish-speaking congregation, Hixson Primera Iglesia Bautista, is led by church plant pastor Miguel Perez. The group meets in the Christian Life Center, with Bible study at 9:30 AM and worship at 10:45 AM on Sundays. The Agua Viva (Living Water) Life Group is part of this Hispanic ministry, gathering on Sunday mornings at 10:10 AM in the Christian Life Center and using a discipleship curriculum provided by the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
The Child Development Center
Hixson First Baptist runs the Hixson First Baptist Child Development Center, a weekday preschool program for infants through K5. Director Katie Workman, who has led the CDC since December 2017, oversees a curriculum that blends age-appropriate academics with biblical teaching. The Beginner's Bible is used in toddler classrooms, while preschool classes use the Mother Goose Time hands-on curriculum. Weekly tuition runs from $206 for K4 and K5 to $233 for infants, with grade-by-grade pricing for toddlers and preschoolers. The CDC also partners with Soccer Shots and Loud and Proud Gymnastics for enrichment activities. Online registration is available for enrolling families, and a parent handbook, lunch and snack calendars, and sick-child guidelines are provided to current families.
Missions Near and Far
The church is committed to sharing the gospel locally, across the United States, and around the world. It gives through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, and the Golden Missions Offering of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, and it describes itself as one of the leading churches in the Tennessee Baptist Convention in annual giving to the Golden Missions Offering.
Primary mission partners include the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and the Hamilton County Baptist Association. The church also supports a range of other ministries: Child Evangelism Fellowship; Cru, with a focus on campus ministry through Olivia Holden; Healing Honduras, supporting the work of Gary and Susie Loggins in Roatan; Adult and Teen Challenge of the Midsouth, a Christ-centered recovery program; Gideons International; Bible in the Schools, a Chattanooga ministry that provides Bible history classes as an elective in public schools; Union Gospel Mission, serving men and women experiencing homelessness; Chattanooga Rescue Mission; Chattanooga Room in the Inn, a winter shelter for women and children; and the Christian Motorcycle Association. The Good Samaritans Life Group in particular supports a house at Bethel Bible Village through monthly donations and weekly lawn care, the Loggins family in Honduras, Olivia Holden with Cru, and the Mulvihill family serving in Belize.
GriefShare
For those who have lost a loved one, the church hosts GriefShare, a support program that meets regularly. The church points visitors to a GriefShare online listing to learn about the current group.
The Pastoral Team
Dr. Steven Granger has served as Senior Pastor since January 2016. Called to the preaching ministry in 1981, he has pastored churches in Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and holds a Bachelor of Theology from The Baptist College of Florida, a Master of Arts in Christian Education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Theology from Covington Theological Seminary. He and his wife Cindy, originally from Chattanooga, have been married since 1980 and have two grown children and two granddaughters.
Tyler Shannon joined the staff in April 2019 as Worship and Family Ministry Pastor. A Chattanooga native, he has led worship in churches for more than ten years and previously worked as a counselor and Director of Ministries at Pathway Counseling Ministry. He earned a Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School in 1999. He and his wife Amy have three sons, Owen, Tanner, and Blake.
Angela Farley serves as both Children's Ministry Director and Director of Finance, having joined the staff in 2008. She and her husband Scott are active in the church; together they have an adult son, Logan.
Katie Workman has been the Child Development Center Director since December 2017. She worked in education for nine years before becoming director and served on the CDC Committee as a volunteer for four years. She and her husband Nick, members since 2013, have three children.
Miguel Perez leads Hixson Primera Iglesia Bautista as church plant pastor.
Visiting Hixson First Baptist
First-time guests are welcomed at 5800 Grubb Road, Hixson, TN 37343. The phone is (423) 877-2467, and the general email is info@hixsonfirstbaptist.org. The mailing address for gifts is P.O. Box 1538, Hixson, TN 37343. Dress is come-as-you-are; jeans and T-shirts sit alongside business casual. Guest parking is available near the main entrance off Grubb Road, and greeters will point visitors to the worship center, kids' check-in, and restrooms. A Plan a Visit form lets guests save a seat, after which a team member follows up with information about parking, kids, and where to go when arriving.