This Week in the BRN Family 11.21.24

BRN churches partner with Wholesome Riches to serve families in the Camden, NJ, area; churches deepen their outreach strategies; and we celebrate new life through baptism - it's a wonderful week in the BRN Family!

November 21, 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:

Wholesome Riches serves over 200 families at Catto School in Camden, NJ, just before Thanksgiving holiday

Earlier this week, Stagecoach Road Christian Fellowship in Sicklerville, New Jersey, helped Wholesome Riches get ready for Thanksgiving at Catto School in Camden, New Jersey. Thanks to volunteers from the church and the school, Wholesome Riches was able to serve 235 families! Praise the Lord for this ministry and these volunteers!

Philadelphia churches team up for prayer station training

On Saturday, Nov. 16, St. John Memorial Baptist Church joined other area churches at Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia for a prayer station training. Those in attendance enjoyed the opportunity to foster new friendships, be prayed over, and put their training to use by hitting the streets and practicing their newly learned witnessing strategies. It was a full day and the harvest was plentiful!

God’s Field Church packs 50 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child

Tis the season for packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a Samaritan’s Purse ministry! As many of our churches are gathering to pack shoeboxes, God’s Field Church in Ambridge, Pa., recently got together and packed a total of 50 boxes for OCC! Praise the Lord for those who donated and those who gave time to packing boxes at God’s Field!

BRN EVANGELISM GRANT: East Shore Baptist shines light during frantic Election Day

East Shore Baptist Church in Harrisburg, Pa., served as a polling place on Election Day. The church took hold of this opportunity as a way to share the gospel and care for their neighbors amidst a frantic Election Day. Read More

Baptisms:

Restored Church celebrates record amount of baptisms in a year after two more go public with their faith in Jesus

On Sunday, Nov. 17, Restored Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., celebrated two more people going public with their faith in Jesus! These two baptisms contributed to Restored reaching a new record of how many baptisms they have recorded in a year. In the last 11 months, the church has had 29 baptisms.

“We have so many people that are regularly sharing the gospel in their everyday lives, and Jesus is producing so much spiritual fruit in them and through them,” said Restored Senior Pastor Tim Walker.

Praise the Lord for these new brothers in Christ and for all He is doing at Restored Church!

Three are baptized and thirteen commit to membership at Harborcreek Community Church

Harborcreek Community Church (HCC) in Harborcreek, Pa., rejoiced over much on Sunday, Nov. 17, as they celebrated three baptisms and welcomed thirteen new members into their church family. Praise the Lord for these individuals and the meaningful steps they are taking in their faith! Please join us in rejoicing with them and the entire HCC family!

Collegiate Corner:

Campus ministries at LHU partner with Big Woods Bible Church to pack OCC boxes

Students a part of Athletes’ Bible Study and NewLife Campus Ministry at Lock Haven University (LHU) teamed up to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child last Monday. The campus ministries packed a total of 32 boxes! The boxes were then delivered to Big Woods Bible Church in Lock Haven, Pa., which serves as the local drop-off location.

Evangelism grants contribute to year-round outreach at Drexel University

Throughout the academic year at Drexel University, BRN evangelism grant funds have contributed to outreach events and gospel-conversation opportunities conducted by Baptist Campus Ministries. 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.