Stewardship Ministry
The Houston’s First Baptist Church (HFBC) Stewardship Ministry is designed to be a safe harbor for families and individuals to be able to discover Biblical truths and practical applications for their lives and finances. There is not a one-size-fits all progression. Classes and study groups may be perfect for some while one-on-one financial consulting may provide the most inspiration and clarity for others.
To request a conversation with a financial consultant or learn more about class offerings, send an email to Stewardship@HoustonsFirst.org.
Money is an emotional subject, and there is just no way around that fact. Fortunately, as our Creator, God knew that finances were bound to be a point of contention and concern, and He armed us with over 2,000 verses throughout the Bible addressing the topic. Among those verses, a few specific principles emerge that offer an incredible hope and opportunity to break free of the current chains you feel and experience a financial freedom that is wonderful beyond description.
As a central part of the Houston's First Stewardship Ministry, trained volunteers are available at every Houston's First campus who are actively engaging in one-on-one conversation about Biblical financial principles as financial consultants.
If you are interested in knowing more about these principles and meeting with a volunteer financial consultant who can show you the mechanics of effective financial management, please contact the Financial Consulting Team Coordinator at Stewardship@HoustonsFirst.org and indicate your interest.
This consultation is available for individuals and couples, and the Fact-Finding Sheet (available for download below) will be used throughout the initial 90-minute meeting to personalize the training to your unique personality and circumstance. HFBC membership is not required to meet with a financial consultant or to participate in and resource available through the Stewardship Ministry.
Financial Consultants
We provide stewardship ministry and mentoring in two settings: Group Classes and Individualized Financial Consulting.
Financial Consultants are church volunteers who have felt a calling to help others become more financially responsible. They are not paid by the church and there is no fee for their services. If they believe you would be better suited for more intensive work they will refer you to other resources.
Cory & Sarah Mizell
Cory and Sarah have led the Stewardship Ministry team for more than a decade as they have served as financial consultants, class facilitators, and public speakers while crafting strategic vision around Biblical stewardship. Cory and Sarah combine professional training and practical experience to share principles and habits about financial stewardship with others. Both are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals with an independent, local firm. Their heart is to educate individuals, couples, and children to manage finances in a way that is God honoring and truly freeing. The Mizells have been members at Houston’s First Baptist Church since 2010, when they also began serving with the Julianna Poor Memorial Counseling Center’s Financial Ministry.
Mason & Kelley Smith
Mason and Kelley Smith enjoy bringing Biblical principles and relational best practices to bear on financial circumstances. Mason is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a master’s degree in financial management from Texas A&M University. Kelley is a registered nurse and excels at creatively solving financial puzzles. Despite coming from different backgrounds on the topic of money, they both have learned to work together to create shared financial goals, and they love to help others do the same. They have been members at the HFBC Loop campus since 2018.
Brad Baxter
Brad Baxter has a passion for teaching others what the Lord says in scripture about how to handle money. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional and Chartered Financial Consultant with a local wealth management firm, and he leads the Building Your Finances God’s Way milestone course at the Loop campus. Brad has attended Houston’s First Baptist Church at the Loop campus with his wife, Elizabeth, since 2015.
Ben Dawson
Ben recognizes the importance of sound financial discipline in both spiritual and family life. He is a financial advisor and Certified Public Accountant with a Masters in Accountancy from Baylor University. Ben and his wife, Brenna, have triplets (one boy and two girls).
Jeff Dice
Jeff Dice has been seeking to serve God and others at the Cypress Campus since it opened in 2013. Adding to experience as a Life Bible Fellowship Teacher and a facilitator of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, Jeff has facilitated Compass’ Building Your Finances God’s Way, mentored in the T22 Mentoring ministry, and supports the Student ministry on Sunday mornings. He is married with two daughters. Jeff is a Professional Engineer and certified Project Management Professional with 28 years of experience in the energy industry, who graduated from Texas A&M where he participated in St. Mary’s Aggie Awakening retreat mission. Jeff’s financial background includes using Larry Burkett’s book Debt-Free Living to get out of debt and establish Biblically based finances.
Mary Helen Klingen
Mary Helen has a desire for helping single women walk confidently in managing the resources God has entrusted to their care. Mary Helen is passionate about educating young singles on what the Bible has to say about money and walking alongside single women as they take the next steps in their stewardship journey. Mary Helen graduated from Mississippi College in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She then went on to obtain her Masters in Professional Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin in 2016. Mary Helen is a licensed CPA in the state of Texas and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional. Mary Helen has been a member of Houston’s First Baptist Church since 2017 and currently serves on leadership in the Summit Young Singles Ministry.
Renee Johnson
Renee loves to help others experience financial freedom by encouraging them to be faithful stewards of the resources God has given them. She lives in Cypress with her husband Kyle and their two children and is a member of the Cypress Campus. Kyle and Renee are directors of the LBS class Kindred, facilitate Financial Peace University classes, and volunteer in various other capacities. Renee also works part-time in the Cypress First Friends Ministry.
Russell & Lyndsey Locetta
Russell and Lyndsey have experienced the freedom and joy that comes from understanding and applying the Biblical truth God has given us about money. They are excited to have the opportunity to walk alongside others in their stewardship journeys. Russell and Lyndsey got married in 2018, and since then they have studied what the Bible says about stewardship and have been through Ronald Blue Trust’s financial counseling as a couple. Russell was raised in a household that believed in teaching personal finance starting at age 5 and has been practicing ever since. He has completed collegiate courses in personal finance and economics and has completed Financial Peace University. On the side, Russell and Lyndsey are practicing engineers and enjoy spending time outdoors, running, and cooking. Russell and Lyndsey attend The Loop campus.
Sophia & Steven Hiller
Steven and Sophia have a passion to teach financial and biblical literacy within the church. Steven is working on staff with Cru, finishing his Masters of Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, and serving as a chaplain candidate in the US Army Reserves. Sophia is a tax accountant in the process of becoming a Certified Public Accountant. She attended the University of Houston for her Masters in Accountancy and Taxation. They have a toddler who keeps them quite busy and enjoy volunteering in the nursery and with students at the Downtown campus.
Lee Coffman
Lee has over 10 years’ experience in the financial services industry starting out in public accounting at Ernst & Young as a consultant and now working as a financial planner in the private wealth management space. He is a Certified Public Accountant and graduated from Texas A&M University with degrees in accounting and finance. He has a passion for helping individuals and families steward their financial resources wisely towards loving others and building a lasting legacy within their family and community. Lee has been a member of Houston’s First Baptist Church since 2012 where he has served in various volunteer roles including currently serving on the leadership committee for the Single Parent and Blended Family Ministry.
Anil “Neil” Chacko
Anil (Neil) Chacko has a bachelor's degree in Finance and has been in the financial industry for over 20 years. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and is also a Certified Kingdom Advisor, a Christian financial planning member organization. He works as a financial planner at a local firm in Missouri City, TX. He and his family have been members of Houston’s First Baptist at the Sienna campus since 2017.
Blaine Whaley
Blaine is a focused individual who is passionate about helping others maximize the resources and talents God has given them. He found that a simple way to do this is to help others handle their finances and be good stewards of what they've been given. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Personal Financial Planning, and now makes a living helping people be good stewards. Outside of work and volunteering, he is an avid cook and board game enthusiast.
Crystal Washington
Crystal is a staff attorney and clinical professor at South Texas College of Law where she practices estate planning, probate and guardianships. During the Spring and Fall Semesters, she also teaches both probate and guardianships. Crystal believes in Proverbs 13:22, which states, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” In probate, Crystal sees firsthand, the devastation that can come upon families whose deceased loved ones have failed to adequately plan out their estates. This failure often leads to financial problems for surviving loved ones and contributes to generational poverty. Crystal also does regular outreach with the low-income community advising them on proper estate planning—these organizations include the AARP, Harris County Grandparents and other churches and civic organizations. Crystal is a wife and mother of two and attends the Sienna campus.
Stewardship Through Life and Legacy: The legacy portion of the ministry is available after an initial conversation with one of the financial consultants.
Helpful Financial Resources
Budgeting and Tracking Resource
Financial Life Skills for Kids & Teens
Downloads
If you have any issues or concerns please contact Greg Curnutte, 713.335.6465.