Let’s face it. Sometimes things happen that we just can’t handle alone. Perhaps you are dealing with the stress and anxiety of a separation or divorce. Or like many, you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed as a single parent, trying to be both dad and mom. Or maybe you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one and are having a difficult time coping. If any of these situations seem all too familiar, Riverdale Baptist is here to walk with you through your situation.  

You see, Riverdale Baptist understands and practices the principle of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4…”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (NKJV) God desires to comfort you in whatever you are going though, and He often accomplishes this using other people who are experiencing, or have experienced, the same trials. 

First, our trained and experienced staff of pastors is available for you to talk with  confidentially. Pastoral support can range from individual, engaged and married couples’ counseling as well as referral for professional counseling support. Secondly, we have partnered with Church Initiative to provide quality support groups, where you will benefit both from facilitators who have experienced similar trials that you are going through, as well as sharing with other individuals who are currently dealing with same circumstances. 

We offer DivorceCare, DivorceCare for Kids, Single and Parenting and GriefShare on a weekly schedule. To find out more about these ministries, click on any of the links below:

About Our Facilitators:

Betty Garrison, Lead Facilitator, DivorceCare and Single & Parenting

Perhaps no one more embodies the Scripture passage found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 than Betty Garrison. A brand new Christian married for fifteen years with four children, she watched her mother, her best friend and confidant, die slowly from a massive stroke. Sadly, along with her mother, her marriage had also been slowly dying for the past two years, despite her efforts to keep it alive. On Christmas Eve, her mother passed away. Four days later, Betty, her husband and their children attended her funeral. Later that same day, her husband walked out on her and their children, never to return.
Without a program like DivorceCare or Single & Parenting to turn to, Betty had to trust God to get her through these crises. Only by His grace and love was she able to survive those terribly dark days of multiple losses, but during this time He taught her so much about how to cope with the losses. Today, Betty is grateful that God has not only brought her through the difficult times, but has allowed her to minister to others who are going through similar life-altering situations through DivorceCare and Single & Parenting.

Vivian Lewis, Lead Facilitator, GriefShare; Co-Coordinator, Single & Parenting

Vivian desires to be an instrument in God’s hands, bringing truth, comfort, and hope to light in the midst of a dark world. Vivian’s mother unexpectedly died during a routine surgical procedure when Vivian was 17 years old, leaving her to raise and care for her seven siblings. Three months prior to her mother’s passing, her aunt who was very close to her died after a long battle with breast cancer. Later in her adult life she experienced an emotionally painful divorce. Through her own personal trials and professional experiences, Vivian has developed a passion for working with adults and adolescents. With a heart bent toward the hurting, she is eager to help people through providing hope, healing and restoration through the power of Jesus Christ. Vivian believes that programs like GriefShare, DivorceCare and Single & Parenting allow the church the opportunity to minister to its members and the community who are in emotional pain and help them develop new skill sets that will be useful in their everyday lives. Vivian is fully convinced that God has “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) and that it is only through Jesus Christ that we can do anything (John 15:5). 

Education

MA in Human Services (Relations) Counseling - Liberty University

Specialty

Women's Issues
Spiritual Growth Issues
Individual & Marriage Counseling
Sexual Abuse & Recovery
Personal Life Coach