The SOAR Church in Woodbine, New Jersey, partners with community organizations for coat drive before Christmas

Just before Christmas, The SOAR Church in Woodbine, New Jersey, joined forces with several other community organizations – such as Glenwood Ave Elementary, New Jersey State Police, Hope One of Cape May County, and more – to provide coats, hats, gloves and other winter apparel for local children!

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This Week in the BRN Family 01.05.23

Churches provide clothes and meals for neighbors just in time for Christmas; we welcome a new church to the BRN family; and churches ring in the new year with worship and baptisms - it's a celebratory week in the BRN Family.

January 5, 2023
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:

The SOAR Church in Woodbine, New Jersey, partners with community organizations for coat drive before Christmas

BRN EVANGELISM GRANT: Iglesia Biblica La Verdad shares true meaning of Christmas over dinner

The Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, church hosted a dinner for their community in order to share the true hope of Christmas. more

Wrightsdale Baptist Church names winners in ugly Christmas sweater contest

Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa., challenged its members to an ugly Christmas sweater contest during the holiday season. The winners were announced during the Christmas day service, with “Living Christmas Tree” by Heather Childress and Everleigh claiming first place!

BRN EVANGELISM GRANT: Restored Church uses creative Christmas outreach events to present gospel to Wilkes-Barre community

Over the Christmas season, Restored Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., utilized BRN evangelism grant funds to host creative outreach events and share the gospel with their neighbors. more

Edgewood Church in Beaver Falls, Pa., kicks off 2023 with a night of worship

On Jan. 2, Edgewood Church in Beaver Falls, Pa., hosted a worship night. All were welcome to come and enjoy a time of worship, prayer, and fellowship – what a great way to start the new year!

Welcome to the BRN Family

Rev. Daniel Arter, Grace & Peace Bible Church | Philipsburg, Pa.

Grace & Peace Bible Church officially opened its doors to the Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, community in November 2020, mere months after Pastor Daniel Arter and his wife, Natalie, moved to the central Pennsylvania region. Two years after their launch, and just a few short months ago – in November 2022 – Grace & Peace Bible Church took another step in their ministry by affiliating with the Baptist Resource Network (BRN). Please join us in welcoming and praying for our new brothers and sisters at Grace & Peace Bible Church! more

Baptisms

Church plant in Reading, Pa., celebrates first baptism three months after launch date

Anastasis Fellowship Church in Reading, Pa., celebrated their first official baptism on Dec. 11, exactly three months since their launch on Sept. 11. Praise the Lord for this new life in Christ! Please join us in welcoming our new sister in Christ!

Great Commission Church in Philadelphia, Pa., rings in the new year with three baptisms on New Year’s Eve

On Dec. 31, Great Commission Church (GCC) in Philadelphia, Pa., celebrated the beginning of a new year with new life – as three women were baptized during their New Year’s Eve service. Praise the Lord for these new sisters in Christ!

At GCC, they believe in full body immersion baptisms, but on Dec. 31, they had the opportunity to honor and baptize Karis Canty, daughter of BRN staff member and Send City Missionary Dr. Kyle Canty, through another form of baptism, due to Karis being on the Autism spectrum. This provided Karis with a way to share an outward demonstration of her inner commitment of faith to Jesus Christ with her church family!

Please join us in celebrating with these three new sisters in Christ and the GCC church family!

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.