This Week in the BRN Family 09.12.24

School is back in session and our PA/SJ collegiate missionaries are hard at work reaching the next generation with the gospel! This week, we are rejoicing with them as they enter a new academic year and praying for their ministries - it's an exciting week in the BRN Family!

September 12, 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:

PA/SJ collegiate ministries kick off another semester

Over the past few weeks, many of our PA/SJ campus missionaries have been hard at work engaging the next generation as students return to campus and another academic year gets underway. This week’s BRN Family section is dedicated to all the Lord is doing on campuses across Pennsylvania/South Jersey and through our more than a dozen campus missionaries. Please join us in celebrating their efforts and praying for their ministries!

University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University

At the University of Pittsburgh, campus missionary David Domalski and Steel City Church hosted a cookout with live music that welcomed new students and got them connected to members of Steel City Church. During that cookout, Domalski met a friend group of guys who then joined him for dinner the next week. This gave him the opportunity to give a brief gospel presentation as well as challenge each of them to make discovering their faith a priority while in college.

Later in the week, the campus ministry passed out ice cream and free coffee, reaching students both at Pitt and at Carnegie Mellon University.

PennWest Clarion

BASIC campus ministry at PennWest Clarion in Clarion, Pa., led by Campus Missionary Scott Underhill, kicked off their fall semester by participating in the university’s activities fair the Sunday before classes and inviting students to join them for their Monday night gathering. At their first Monday night gathering, they saw 33 students come out to join them for worship and fellowship!

PennWest California

The NewLife campus ministry at PennWest California in California, Pa., led by Campus Missionary Kim Carson, had a busy welcome week! From hosting a block party and luau to an on campus worship service and Bible study, the campus ministry was hard at work interacting with new and returning students.

Penn State University (Main Campus)

NewLife campus ministry at Penn State University (PSU) in State College, Pa., led by Campus Missionary Eric Reiber, added a four-legged friend to their welcome week crew to host a Pup and Pops event for students. Through the event they met 30 students and gained many contacts. The PSU NewLife team also added an intern to their roster, Maggie (see in below, left photo.) Maggie is a recent graduate of Penn State and is a great addition to the NewLife team – welcome Maggie!

Delaware Valley University // Montgomery County Community College // Gwynedd Mercy University // Chestnut Hill College

Campus Missionary Brady Rennix serves multiple campuses in the Philadelphia area, including Delaware Valley University (Delval), Montgomery County Community College (MontCo), Gwynedd Mercy University, and Chestnut Hill College. To kick off the semester at Delval, the campus ministry there hosted a worship and game night. Rennix also serves as the Delval football team chaplain and had the opportunity to meet with the Delval football team during their first week. Bible studies have begun at Gwynedd Mercy University and Chestnut Hill College, and the MontCo ministry leadership team is preparing for welcome week activities as they start back next week.

Lock Haven University

The quiet town of Lock Haven, Pa., came to life as students returned to its campus! The NewLife campus ministry at Lock Haven University, led by Campus Missionary Robbie Mays, kept busy during welcome week by hosting first day of school pictures, passing out pop-tarts, and partnering with Big Woods Bible Church for an indoor cookout and kickball tournament. The campus ministry also started back up their Monday night Athletes Bible Study, where they saw nearly 40 students attend, and their Tuesday night NewLife Bible Study.

Penn State – Mont Alto Campus

At the Penn State Mont Alto campus, Campus Missionary Austin Burton, who is commissioned by Central Baptist Church in Waynesboro, Pa., has started an on campus Bible study. The Bible study crew has held two meetings so far, with four students attending both times. The group is currently studying through Philippians.

Drexel University

Welcome week is just around the corner for Drexel University in Philadelphia, where campus missionary Brian Musser and his wife, Jennifer, serve as well as Jane Elliot and her husband, Jack. Brian serves as the Director of Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) at Drexel, while Jane serves as the Associate Director of BCM. In the coming week, these missionaries will be helping students as they move-in for the new academic year and hosting a variety of welcome week events. Read More

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.