This Week in the BRN Family 10.12.23

BRN churches show gratitude to volunteers; teachers have a sweet Monday thanks to one church; and we celebrate new life with many new brothers and sisters - it's a great week in the BRN family!

October 12, 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:

St. John Memorial Church in Philadelphia, Pa., expresses gratitude post Serve Tour Philly

Volunteers a part of Serve Tour Philadelphia blessed St. John Memorial Baptist Church over the Sept. 15-16 weekend. Volunteers provided the church with a shipping container for storage, helped clean out the church basement, and added a fresh coat of paint to the main sanctuary and hallway.

Rev. Nate Holder, senior pastor at St. John Memorial Baptist Church, expressed the church’s gratitude, saying, “Thanks to Serve Tour and the Baptist Resource Network for blessing us.”

Edgewood Church in Beaver Falls, Pa., makes in-service day a little bit ‘sweeter’ for local teachers

It was a tasty Monday for Edgewood Church and teachers in the Beaver Falls, Pa., area! On Oct. 9, members of Edgewood Church showed some love to the teachers and faculty at Riverside School District by taking them donuts and coffee during their in-service day. What a sweet way to love your neighbors!

Renovating hands are celebrated at Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Southern Lancaster County

After church on Sunday, Oct. 8, Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa., hosted a special “thank you” luncheon for their hard-working volunteers who have spent hundreds of hours repairing and renovating parts of the church building. Volunteers were rewarded with food, watching a before-and-after video, and limited-edition t-shirts! How wonderful it is to celebrate the many helpful hands of the body!

Baptisms

Harvest Church campuses gather for OneService and see 52 people go ‘all in for Jesus’

Harvest Church, located in western Pennsylvania, is one church in four locations – Allegheny North, Indiana, Kittanning, and Petroleum Valley. Each year at the close of August, Harvest Church brings together all four campuses to worship as one body for their OneService event.

This year’s OneService, held in the amphitheater at the Riverfront Park in Kittanning, Pa., on Aug. 27, welcomed over 1200 Harvesters and guests. As a special bonus, 52 people publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ by being baptized in the Allegheny River! Praise the Lord for these many, many new brothers and sisters in Christ! Please join us in celebrating with them and the Harvest Church family!

Garwood Baptist Church in Daisytown, Pa., celebrates a couple stepping out in faith together

On Sunday, Oct. 8, Garwood Baptist Church in Daisytown, Pa., celebrated a couple testifying of their faith in Christ and being baptized together. Congratulations to Leann and Guy on their baptisms! We praise the Lord for you! Please join us in celebrating with Leann, Guy, and the whole Garwood Baptist 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.