OUR VISION
To influence significant community change by helping the generationally impoverished or underemployed discover their God-given purpose in work and life.
Engaging alliance with churches, we equip them for better ministry, and networking with community resource organizations for matching jobs, offering job training, recovery programs, and encouraging the life-change that comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
OUR MISSION
Lives changed through reconciliation and teaching the underemployed Biblical principles in work and finances.
Join us in connecting Underemployed with Life-changing opportunities!
Wrap uP 2021
Unprecedented seems to be the appropriate word to describe the last two years. In spite of COVID, Step uP Chattanooga has continued to grow.
January: Ten participants from our Faith & Finances class at Hickory Valley Christian Church graduated.
February: Eight Faith & Finances class participants at Brainerd Baptist became graduates. We also conducted an Ally Training Class with eight new allies joining us.
March: Stephanie made a presentation to Brainerd Baptist’s Celebrate Recovery to promote our 14 sessions of Work Life. Four individuals joined the class.
The class began in March with nine participants at Hickory Valley Christian Church. The church provided food and transportation. Five dedicated allies joined. A Work Life graduation was held in May, graduating eight. We celebrated with family and friends.
Expanding Resources: Many contacts were made in the business community in an effort to expand resources we could offer to our participants and graduates.
Monthly Reunion Groups: Four monthly reunion groups were held for graduates of our programs, each with allies and guest speakers also attending: Damon Stewart with the Tennessee Career Center, Stan Bembry of the Transformation Project, Jack Dyer, Pastor of Hickory Valley Christian Church, Deborah Gunn with Inspire, and Andrea Anderson with Vision Hospitality.
May: Both Stephanie and board member Don Hopkins attended volunteer training for Silverdale Detention Center. Our goal was to offer workshops to the Reentry participants. This, in order to develop interest in taking Step-uP classes once they were released.
Summer: Board member, Martha Langley, who has been part of Step uP since its inception, retired. She continues to post our prayer requests, and edits our documents.
Wrap uP Continued
We engaged with Stories Marketing, excited to employ their recreation of our website. New version to be released early 2022.
Fall: We were thankful to be given a home! Hickory Valley Christian Church granted us a physical address/mailing address, a place to meet with the board, a storage and meeting space, as well as classroom facilities.
Stephanie and new board member Dutch Fayard attended training sessions with Mission Increase for End of Year Giving and Strategic Planning and, joined the ministry.
November: Stephanie and Don attended a job fair at Silverdale Detention Center for Reentry.
Two new board members joined: Dutch Fayard, Accounting Professor at UTC, and Andrea Anderson, General Manager of Vision Hospitality.
December: Dutch Fayard conducted an Ally Training Class at Silverdale Baptist Church with ten new allies, the preparation for a new 12-week Faith & Finances class to begin in January, 2022, at the Silverdale St. Elmo campus.
We are thankful to the Lord for His faithfulness and direction to our ministry, and the people He provides for us, praising God for over 60 prayer partners. Prayer requests, praises, and news are typically emailed every other Monday, and also updated on our website. To be added to our Prayer, Praise and Catch-uP! Please email us stepupchattanooga@gmail.com.
Praising God for His faithfulness. As part of the body of Christ, we always share the Gospel through our relationships and in our curriculum in personal and practical ways. We break bread together, provide clothing, food and essentials; meals in sickness, transportation, housing and employment; advise in financial matters, meet and assist family members.
Thanks be to God for our dedicated allies and board members. Our board members continue to meet monthly to provide wisdom and direction.
Step uP Board Members:
- Don Hopkins
- Robert Caldwell
- Andrea Anderson
- Bonita Broadnax
- Dutch Fayard
- Joe Toombs (Treasurer)
Director S. Stephanie Toombs
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will advise you with My eye upon you.”
Psalms 32:8
Step uP Faith & Finances and Work Life Classes are outlined in the two panels below:
(We welcome volunteers who participate as “Allies.” For the Ally Job Description, Allies’ personal feedback, and Ally Training Sign-up, please click here.)
Do you know God’s purpose for your money?
Come discover it with us through Faith & Finances-a financial education ministry for people who:
⇒ Are just starting out learning how to manage money
⇒ Don’t have a lot of money to spare
⇒ Desire to overcome financial obstacles
⇒ Want to save more and pay off debt
Sound like you? Come join us for a 12-week Faith & Finances ministry as we discover God’s design for our money! Along the way, we will laugh, eat together, and learn from one another.
TWO LOCATION OPTIONS:
Hickory Valley Christian Church
6605 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga, TN
COST: $10
2021 CLASS DATES: TBA
INCLUDES: Meal, Childcare, Transportation, and Workbook
Silverdale Baptist Church, St. Elmo
4500 St. Elmo Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37409
COST: $10
2021 CLASS DATES: Begins January 13
Thursday evenings
INCLUDES: Meal, Childcare, and Workbook
MORE INFO / SECURE A SPOT:
423-488-0781 or
<stepupchattanooga@gmail.com>
CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT WORK LIFE GRADS AND ALLIES HAVE TO SAY
Looking for Work?
Join our Work Life Job Readiness Class!
We’ll eat, laugh, and struggle together as we learn about:
⇒ God’s design for work and for our lives
⇒ Our Roadblocks to employment and how to overcome them
⇒ Our Strengths and Abilities
⇒ Workplace culture, and how to thrive in it
⇒ How to create a great resume and other tools for landing a great job
Come and consider how you can add value to God’s world through work!
CLASS LOCATION:
Hickory Valley Christian Church
6605 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga, TN
COST: $10 –
CLASSES: Begin Spring 2021
INCLUDES: Childcare, Snack dinner and Workbook
MORE INFO / SECURE A SPOT:
423-488-0781 or
<stepupchattanooga@gmail.com>
Click here to see:
Step uP Chattanooga
Over the Years
Talk to Us
Address:
6605 Shallowford Rd. Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37421
Phone: 423-488-0781
Partner With Us by Donation:
Not only does it take dedicated volunteers for our outreach, but it also takes passionate people who are willing to invest – people like you.
Partner with us by Alliance – Connecting Community
Read about current and “in the works” partnering ventures on Call to Action page. Then contact us to get started!
Want to be an Ally?
Read what our allies are saying about their experiences on the Blog. Then contact us to get started!