In the News

18 Valley Residents Complete "Hands On Ministry"
Training at Valley Baptist

HARLINGEN, August 9, 2006 – Eighteen Valley residents recently completed a 42-hour “Hands On Ministry” training program held by Valley Baptist Health System. The program, for local pastors and lay leaders interested in improving their pastoral ministry and visitation skills, is taught by Valley Baptist chaplains over a seven-week period.

The participants included Raquel Patterson, Amelia Zavala, Diana Fernandez, Eva Cano, Sabina DelaGarza, Janie Corona, Yadira Cantu, Francis Phillipp, Arnulfo Cano, Bill Patterson, Samuel DeCorse, Juan Morales, Ramon Valenzuela, Corina Herevia-Zambrano, Eddica Solis, Buddy Nott, Pete Guzman, and Linda Hines.  Chaplain David Mann serves as Hands on Ministry Coordinator for Valley Baptist, while Joe Perez serves as Valley Baptist’s Vice President for Pastoral Services.

The program covers such topics as “Learning to Listen,” “Issues of Grief,” “Ministering to Terminally Ill Persons,” “Human Beings - Being Human,” “Authority in Ministry,” and “A DISC Personality Inventory.” The participants received a Certificate of Participation from the Baptist General Convention of Texas for completing the course.

An additional “Hands on Ministry” class will be offered this fall on the VBMC-Brownsville campus. Requirements for enrolling in the course are a letter of recommendation from the participant’s pastor or priest and a $25 registration fee to cover the cost of the book. The class typically meets two evenings a week, for three hours each night. For more information, please call the Valley Baptist Pastoral Services Dept. at (956) 389-1194.