This Week in the BRN Family 06.27.24

VBS is in full swing across PA/SJ; BRN churches celebrate graduates and ministry milestones; and we rejoice as more than 20 people are baptized over the course of two weeks - it's a joyful week in the BRN Family!

June 27, 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:

VBS season begins at PA/SJ churches!

VBS is in full swing at many of our churches! Here are a few snapshots from Delaware Valley Baptist Church in Willingboro, New Jersey; and Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa. Both churches hosted VBS the week of June 23:

Delaware Valley Baptist Church:

Wrightsdale Baptist Church:

Harvest House Community Church engages in gospel conversations at Riverfest

This past week, Harvest House Community Church in Towanda, Pa., participated in Riverfest, a local festival held in their community. Through their participation, they were able to build relationships with their neighbors and engage in gospel conversations.

Graduates are recognized at Keystone Fellowship – South Jersey

On Sunday, June 23, Keystone Fellowship – South Jersey in Sewell, New Jersey, recognized their high school and college graduates. It was a sweet Sunday filled with celebration, worship, and ice cream! Congratulations Keystone Fellowship – South Jersey graduates!

Youth students from Mason Dixon Baptist serve and grow at summer camp

Youth students from Mason Dixon Baptist Church in New Freedom, Pa., are spending the week at Crossings Youth Camp serving, growing, and resting in the Lord! Please continue to pray for these students as the Lord works in their lives this week.

Browns Mills Baptist Church shares Jesus through Peace in the Streets event

On Saturday, June 8, Browns Mills Baptist Church in Browns Mills, New Jersey, partnered with other local organizations for the community’s annual Peace in the Streets event. During this outreach, members of the church handed out bookbags, talked about salvation through Jesus Christ, and offered prayer to all those who asked for prayer. Browns Mills Baptist Church is looking for more ways to spread the gospel of Jesus throughout their community. One of the new and exciting programs coming to the church will be a grief ministry.

BRN Pastoral Blessing: Ministry couples enjoy dinner and a show

On June 14, Pastors and their wives from the north central region of Pennsylvania and beyond enjoyed a night at the theater, courtesy of the BRN. Seven ministry couples attended the Pastoral Blessing, which included dinner and tickets to see Sight & Sound’s Daniel.

Baptisms:

Block party results in 17 baptisms at Faithbridge Community Church in McKees Rocks, Pa.

On June 20, Faithbridge Community Church in McKees Rocks, Pa., baptized 17 people at their annual block party! Praise the Lord for these new brothers and sisters in Christ! Please join us in celebrating with them and the entire Faithbridge Community Church family.

Four go public with their faith at First Baptist Church of Swedesboro in Swedesboro, New Jersey

Recently, four sisters in Christ went public with their faith in Jesus at First Baptist Church of Swedesboro in Swedesboro, New Jersey! Please join us in rejoicing with them and the entire FBC Swedesboro family!

Restored Church celebrates new life through baptism

On June 16, Restored Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., celebrated four more people going public with their faith in Jesus! Praise the Lord for these new brothers and sisters in Christ!

Ministry Milestones:

Calvary Christian Church celebrates senior pastor and family for 16 years of faithful service

On Sunday, June 23, Calvary Christian Church in Philadelphia, Pa., celebrated Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Fontell, his wife, Tirzah, and his mother, Mom Fontell, for 16 years of faithful service to Calvary Christian! Dr. Fontell also serves as a church health consultant for the Baptist Resource Network. Congratulations, Dr. Fontell and family! Thank you for your faithful years of ministry and for all you do to accelerate Kingdom movement. Your BRN Family is grateful for you!

Riverbend Community Church rejoices over new church building

Riverbend Community Church in Allentown, Pa., is celebrating a huge answer to prayer as the Lord has provided them with a church building! Praise the Lord for this provision! Congratulations, Riverbend! Hear more from Pastor Joe Velarde about this exciting development here.

In Memoriam:

Thomas “Tommy” Harmon

Thomas “Tommy” Harmon, former pastor of West Falls Baptist Church in Falls, Pa., went home to be with the Lord on June 19, 2024 at the age of 69. He served 40 years at West Falls Baptist Church. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 6, at the Curtis L. Swanson Funeral Home Inc., located at the corner of routes 29 and 118, Pikes Creek. A visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to service time. The BRN expresses its deepest condolences to Rev. Harmon’s family, friends, and loved ones. Please join us in praying for them during this season of grieving. View the full obituary here.

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.