This Week in the BRN Family 08.11.22

Churches continue to seek Jesus and pursue fun through VBS; BRN collegiate missionaries represent PA/SJ at national Collegiate Week; and several head to the beach to be baptized - it's an exciting week in the BRN Family!

August 11, 2022
Macala Mays

This Week in the BRN Family shares quick highlights of BRN churches and ministries throughout Pennsylvania and South Jersey loving their neighbors. Check out the latest happenings, baptisms and accelerating Kingdom movement stories below:

River City Church experiments with fun and cooks up gospel conversations with Wonder Lab VBS

Children and youth in the Pittsburgh, Pa., area stepped into God’s Wonder Lab at River City Church to learn about Jesus doing the impossible and how much God loves them! Kids in Kindergarten through fourth grade enjoyed crafts, conducting experiments and making new friends.

First Baptist Clarion shares the light of Jesus through VBS

First Baptist Church of Clarion taught 122 local children and their families about Jesus through Vacation Bible School. more

Faithbridge Community Church serves McKees Rocks, Pa., community through food bank

Faithbridge Community Church in McKees Rocks, Pa., hosted a food bank earlier this week for their community, giving out baked goods, bread, meat, canned goods, paper towels and toilet paper!

Crosspoint Baptist Church in Souderton, Pa., ‘submerges’ into fun with summer VBS

Crosspoint Baptist Church in Souderton, Pa., took local kids on a week-long water adventure with their Submerged themed VBS. Children enjoyed songs, crafts, Bible stories and a Wacky Water Wednesday!

BRN collegiate missionaries gather in Oklahoma for national Collegiate Week

Director of BRN Next Collegiate Ministry Stanley Williams and Drexel University missionary Rev. Brian Musser and intern Jon Rice all made their way to Falls Creek, Okla., this week for the national Collegiate Week convention. Both Rev. Musser and Jon Rice led a breakout session at the conference, which hosted a total of nearly 3,000 college students and missionaries!

Baptisms

Four people step out in obedience through baptism at Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa.

On Sunday, July 24th Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa., saw four people baptized in obedience to Jesus! Wrightsdale Senior Pastor Ryan Day explained that at the conclusion of the baptisms, “the church family unites their voices in a joyful cheer of, ‘Just one more!” to remind us to keep reaching out with the gospel of Jesus.” Wrightsdale has baptized 23 people since 2020. Please, join us in celebrating these new brothers and sisters in Christ!

Millcreek Community Church baptizes several through beach baptisms at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pa.

On Aug. 7, Millcreek Community Church (MCC) in Erie, Pa., gathered at Presque Isle State Park to baptize several people who decided to take the next step in following Jesus! Please, join us in welcoming these new brothers and sisters in Christ!

Be a part of This Week in the BRN Family

Have exciting things happening in your church!? Let us know so we can celebrate with you and share the good news with our BRN Family. Submit stories of your church accelerating Kingdom movement, loving their neighbors or celebrating baptisms on our News Tips page. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Macala Mays

In 2022, Macala Mays stepped into her current role as Associate Editor of BRN United and Podcast Producer for the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey (BRN). Before taking this position, she worked as a contracted Podcast Producer in 2021 and a freelance writer in 2020 for the BRN. During her time with the BRN, Macala Mays has produced three different podcast series, including 50 Stories of Transformation (2021-2022), The #LovePASJ Podcast (2022), and Celebrating Cooperative Missions (2023). She also has written over 60 articles for the BRN and has been nationally published by The Baptist Paper and Baptist Press. She is also a member of the Baptist Communicators Association (BCA).

Prior to working with the BRN, Macala interned at the State Capitol of Tennessee in the Publications Division under the office of Secretary of State. She also remotely wrote news for TalkErie, a radio station in Erie, Pa., and previously worked as a News Director/Producer for WJET-TV in Erie, Pa.

Macala Mays holds a master of arts in communications from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (EUP) as well as a bachelor of arts in journalism/public relations from EUP. During her graduate years, Macala worked as a Graduate Assistant and helped manage the on-campus radio station. She also served as a managing editor for the university’s newspaper, which led to an interest in music journalism.
Macala and her husband, Robbie, live in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, where they attend Big Woods Bible Church and Robbie serves as the Associate Pastor of Campus Ministry. Both Robbie and Macala find great joy in discipling and walking alongside college students at Lock Haven University.