This Week in the BRN Family 05.30.24

BRN churches pour into the next generation; churches host Memorial Day picnics and outreach events; and ethnic pastors enjoy a time of fellowship and encouragement - it's a busy week in the BRN family!

May 30, 2024
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:

Youth are encouraged and equipped through weekend event at Delval Church in Willingboro, New Jersey

It was all about the youth at Delaware Valley Baptist Church (Delval) in Willingboro, New Jersey, May 24-26! Over the weekend, the youth of Delval were taught the importance of financial literacy and grew in their team building skills by completing an escape room. They were also encouraged through powerful sessions led by the pastors and leaders of Delval. To close out the weekend, the youth helped lead Sunday worship by providing music and dance. What a beautiful weekend of pouring into the next generation!

Reclamation Church participates in Greensburg fire department event

On Saturday, May 25, Reclamation Church in Greensburg, Pa., participated in Greensburg Fire Department’s “Party in the Park.” This community wide event gave the church an opportunity to build relationships with their neighbors and support their local fire department!

Rolling Hills Church partners with Penn Hills community to honor service members

Rolling Hills Church in Verona, Pa., continued to foster relationships with the Penn Hills community by participating in the town’s Memorial Day Parade. The church partnered with the Penn Hills Parks and Recreation to honor those who gave their lives in service to the U.S. Rolling Hills also helped cook and pass out over 500 hot dogs and provided water and bags of chips for those in attendance. What a full day of serving and loving your neighbors!

Memorial Day picnic kicks of summer at Redeeming Grace Church

Redeeming Grace Church in Bethel Park, Pa., kicked off the summer with a church wide Memorial Day picnic on May 27. The picnic gave the church a chance to gather for a meal and enjoy sweet fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.

America’s favorite pastime provides refreshment for men at New Horizon Church

Men from New Horizon Church in Mars, Pa., enjoyed a night of fellowship and baseball at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on May 24. What a great way to spend time as brothers in Christ – especially when the Pirates pull out a win!

BRN Ethnic Pastors Breakfast encourages pastors to keep ‘moving the gospel forward’

On Saturday, May 25, the Baptist Resource Network (BRN) hosted a special breakfast for Ethnic Pastors at Ezekiel Baptist Church in Philadelphia. The event was organized by Pastor Noelson Chery, BRN Ethnic Church Consultant, and included a special sermon from Pastor Dolly Bation, senior pastor of Good Shepherd Community Fellowship, and an encouraging word from Dr. Larry Anderson, BRN director of church health and evangelism. Dr. Anderson encouraged the pastors and thanked them for their continued service to our churches. He also highlighted the importance of Kingdom mindedness and moving the gospel forward through strategic and systematic planning!

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.