This Week in the BRN Family 09.04.25

BRN churches care for local families as school year begins; churches gather for meals and Bible studies; and we rejoice over baptisms - it's great week in the BRN Family!

September 5, 2025
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:

15 people give their lives to Christ at backpack giveaway at Browns Mills Baptist Church

On Aug. 30, members of Browns Mills Baptist Church in Browns Mills, New Jersey, gathered for a community backpack giveaway. Each child who attended received a backpack that was full of school supplies. The church was blessed to serve 16 families and give away 45 backpacks. While the children were at the church, Rev. Dr. Mimms, senior pastor of Browns Mills Baptist, shared a brief Bible lesson. He told them how much God loves them and how God was gracious in His forgiveness for their sins. As a result of God working through Dr. Mimms and his pastoral staff, 15 people gave their lives to Christ!

Reclamation Church New Kensington fosters relationships at Family Potluck

Reclamation Church in New Kensington, Pa., treasures gathering often as a church family. To this end, they held a Family Potluck last week, during which they packed their fellowship hall and enjoyed a time of food and fostering relationships. What a sweet time together as God’s family!

Christ Commission Ministries gathers for Bible Reading Fellowship

Brothers and sisters in Christ from Christ Commission Ministries in Berlin, New Jersey, gathered this week to read and study John 5. What a wonderful time of being in God’s Word together as a church family!

Watershed Church serves together to remove 182 gallons of trash in Philadelphia neighborhood

Watershed Church in Philadelphia showed love to the Roxborough community this past week by cleaning up along Ridge Avenue as well as around Kendrick Rec. Over the course of a few days, the church collected a total of 182 gallons of trash and debris! What a great way to care for your community as a church family.

Baptisms:

Baptisms mark significant moment at Hazleton Church

On Aug. 31, Hazleton Community Church in Hazleton, Pa., witnessed four individuals go public with their faith in Jesus, with a family at the heart of the occasion! The first to be baptized was Leslie, who was then followed by a family of three: a father, Richie, a mother, Cathy, and their daughter Brianna.

Senior Pastor Dennis Witt shared that these baptisms marked a significant moment not only for the individuals, but also for the church community. It was a tangible representation of their mission to “Come Together and Grow Together,” as they welcomed new members into their church family. Praise the Lord for these baptisms and for all He is doing at Hazleton Community Church!

Mother follows daughter in publicly declaring her faith at Keystone Montgomeryville annual outdoor service

Keystone Montgomeryville in Montgomeryville, Pa., came together for their annual outdoor baptism service on Aug. 24. It was a night filled with joy and celebration as 27 people publicly declared their faith in Jesus! From young children to grandparents, each story was a beautiful reminder of God’s work in every generation.

One especially moving moment came at the very end, when a mom – after watching her daughter take this step of faith – came forward to be baptized! Her step of obedience marked Keystone Montgomeryville’s 101st baptism for 2025. What an incredible night of transformation and new beginnings – praise God for every life made new and for all He is doing at Keystone!

Redeeming Grace Church celebrates new life in Christ through baptism

On Sunday, Aug. 24, Redeeming Grace Church in Bethel Park, Pa., witnessed and celebrated the baptism of brother Derek! Praise the Lord for Derek and his new life in Christ! Please join us in rejoicing with him and the entire Redeeming Grace 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.