This Week in the BRN Family 09.19.24

Churches spread the love of Christ through creative outreach events; church families rest and retreat together; and we celebrate new life through baptism - it's a joyful week in the BRN Family!

September 19, 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:

BRN churches extend the love of Christ to West Oak Lane community through annual Hope 4 Philly event

On Saturday, Sept. 14, three Philadelphia area churches – Great Commission Church, Riverside Church, and Believers Bible Fellowship – partnered together to host Hope 4 Philly, an annual, free event that blesses the West Oak Lane community. This year, the event was able to provide food for 500 families, haircuts for kids, backpacks, a health fair, a prayer tent, and plenty of fun, family-friendly activities – such as line dancing, a 3-point contest, and face painting. Mayor Cherelle Parker and Councilman Anthony Phillips even made an appearance and connected with the community through the event. Most importantly, the three churches had numerous opportunities to share the gospel through this effort!

Wrightsdale Baptist Church makes a splash with SOAKLANCO

Earlier this summer, Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa., brought back one of their most favored outreach events: SOAKLANCO. In partnership with two local fire departments, SOAKLANCO transformed Wrightsdale’s parking lot into an all out, free waterpark, complete with a giant water slide, sprinklers, and mini pools for the youngest attenders. This year, the event allowed the church to connect with over 500 people in their community! Nearly 50 volunteers from Wrightsdale helped make the day possible.

Men at LifeWay Baptist Church enjoy father/son retreat

Men at LifeWay Baptist Church in Philadelphia recently hit the great outdoors to enjoy a father/son retreat. These brothers in Christ spent time camping, sharing a meal, praying, and studying God’s Word together. What a great picture of iron sharpening iron!

Rolling Hills Church hosts annual churchwide retreat

Last weekend, Rolling Hills Church in Verona, Pa., experienced a refreshing weekend away for their annual churchwide retreat. They enjoyed a vintage atmosphere at The Castle as well as many impactful times of worship, teaching, small groups, and having fun. What a unique and restful way to gather as a church family!

BRN pastor explores God’s design and desire for ‘A Healthy You’ in latest book

In his latest book, Pastor Dan O’Deens, Breathe Community Church in Coatesville, Pa., asks “is your ‘soul’ healthy?” A Healthy You will help you discover and lay a solid foundation for effective and efficient systems, strategies, and structures to successfully guide you as you pursue health and wholeness in the ways God designed and desires for you.

Breathe Community Church hosts first Community Connect event

On Saturday, Sept. 14, Breathe Community Church in Coatesville, Pa., hosted their first ever Community Connect event. At the event, they saw over 50 new families come and register and engage in great conversations. Through the event, Breathe Community Church provided food and family-oriented activities for its community. The church family also benefited by getting to know each other better by serving alongside one another!

Baptisms:

Riverbend Community Church rejoices over two baptisms

On Sunday, Sept. 15, Riverbend Community Church in Allentown, Pa., celebrated two young women making public professions of faith in Christ through baptism! Praise the Lord for these sisters in Christ! Please join us in celebrating with them and the entire Riverbend Community 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.