This Week in the BRN Family 06.29.23

NC Baptists on Mission care for BRN Guest House; BRN Woven Women in central PA discuss healthy boundaries; and BRN churches celebrate new church leaders and years of ministry - It's an exciting week in the BRN family!

June 29, 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:

North Carolina Baptists volunteer time and effort to BRN Guest House in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

During the week of June 18, friends from Rowan Baptist Church in Clinton, North Carolina, came to Harrisburg, Pa., to do work on the BRN’s Guest House. They refaced the front of the house and put in new sidewalks. The Baptist Resource Network shouts thank you to our Baptists on Mission friends!

Plaid Community Church welcomes PA/SJ Disaster Relief Director

On Saturday, June 3, Plaid Community Church in Pittston, Pa., hosted PA/SJ Disaster Relief Director Kenton Hunt to share what it means to be a “Ready Church.” The goal of a Ready Church is to help community residents and municipalities in the case of a local disaster, such as floods, tornados, earthquakes, etc. The Plaid Community Church family is looking forward to how it can serve and help its community amidst natural disasters!

Women in Central Pennsylvania gather for Summer Seminar series

BRN women from Central Pennsylvania gathered at Living Legacy Church in Hershey, Pa., on Saturday, June 24, to discuss healthy boundaries as a part of the Woven Women Summer Seminar series. The teaching was thought-provoking and healing! There are two more opportunities to join the discussion: July 15 at Pittsburgh Baptist Church; and August 19 at Macedonia Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Learn More

Great Commission Church in Philadelphia, Pa., ordains new church leaders

On Sunday, June 25, Great Commission Church (GCC) in Philadelphia, Pa., recognized and ordained four new deacons and deaconesses. Congratulations to Sam Harris, Teresa Moore, Marjorie O’Meally, and Ayanna Johnson on your new role at GCC!

Restored Church etches names into auditorium floor and sends up prayers

On June 25, Restored Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., gathered at their partially completed auditorium for a prayer and worship night. The church spent time thanking God for his generosity and His goodness. They also wrote the names of hundreds of people on the plywood floor that they want to see come to Christ and prayed over those names!

Harvest Community Church campuses saddle up for a night of Cowboys and Christ

All four Harvest Community Church campuses in Pennsylvania – Kittanning, Indiana, Allegheny North, and Petroleum Valley – had a rootin’, tootin’ time at their Cowboys and Christ event on June 25. The Harvest Church community gathered for a time of horseback riding, horse training, Bible study, and prayer. The church also shared in preparing and enjoying a home-cooked meal.

Valley Baptist Church pastor retires after 24+ years of ministry in the Pennsylvania/South Jersey region

On Sunday, June 25, Rev. Jerry Cowan preached his final sermon before retiring as the senior pastor at Valley Baptist Church in Middletown, Pa., where he has served for 24 years. Prior to his time at Valley Baptist, which is among one of the first SBC churches planted in Pennsylvania and a mother church for many other BRN churches, Cowan planted and served at Red Land Baptist Church in New Cumberland, Pa.

“Jerry was an extremely hard worker; he was very strategic [and] he was a good thinker. I always enjoyed his sermons. He was just very creative in worship [and] he was a good model of church planting,” said former BRN Associate Director Stan Smith, who worked closely with Cowan as he planted Red Land Baptist and sat under Cowan’s preaching for a number of years.

Congratulations on your retirement, Rev. Cowan! Thank you for your years of service and for all that you’ve done to accelerate Kingdom movement in Pennsylvania/South Jersey! May the Lord bless you in this new season of life!

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.