This Week in the BRN Family 03.12.26

Churches host retreats and new events; the BRN team meets to pray and prepare for spring opportunities; and we celebrate new life in Christ through baptisms - it's an exciting week in the BRN Family!

March 12, 2026
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:

Keystone Harvest hosts first Women’s Connect event

After hosting their public launch on March 1, Keystone Harvest in Norristown, Pa., hosted their first Women’s Connect event on Saturday, March 7.

Themed as Sisters in Sweats, women gathered in their comfy clothes and cozied up to hear the Word of God, enjoy fellowship, and just have fun together as sisters in Christ. Praise the Lord for these sisters desiring to grow in Christ together!

Catalyst Church Altoona helps bring Night to Shine to Blair County

Catalyst Church in Altoona, Pa., recently helped host the Blair County Night to Shine, where the church welcomed 300 guests and over 100 volunteers to the Jaffa Shrine Center in Altoona for a night of fun, karaoke, and dancing. Guests were crowned king and queens of the night and were reminded of God’s great love for them!

Men from Harvest Church campuses gather for 2026 Men’s Retreat

Over the weekend of March 6-8, men from all four campuses of Harvest Church (Kittanning, Indiana, New Bethlehem, and Petroleum Valley) came together for a Men’s Retreat. It was a full weekend of brotherhood, worship, and growing in God’s Word. Praise the Lord for these men desiring to grow in the Lord!

Nebo Baptist Church hosts Worship Karaoke Night

Nebo Baptist Church in Nanticoke, Pa., recently hosted a Worship Karaoke Night for their community. The night served as a fun way for people from the church to gather as a church family, while also presenting an opportunity for them to invite their friends from the community. What a fun way to fellowship together!

Calvary Christian Church catches glimpse of Revelation 7:9 with Heritage Celebration

On Sunday, March 1, Calvary Christian Church in Philadelphia caught a glimpse of Revelation 7:9 as they were hosting their 2026 Heritage Celebration. The church celebrated the diversity of cultures present in their church body by representing different heritages through clothing, food, and worshiping together. What a beautiful way of celebrating God’s wonderful, diverse design!

Southside Baptist Church blesses Lumberton community with Pop-up Pantry

On Saturday, March 7, Southside Baptist Church in Lumberton, New Jersey, hosted a Pop-up Pantry for their community. The pop-up pantry was coupled with the church’s regular First Saturday Pantry, which enabled the church to bless even more of their neighbors. What a great way to serve your community!

BRN Team gathers to spend time in prayer and prepare for spring events

On March 4, the Baptist Resource Network (BRN) team gathered at the BRN Hub in Harrisburg to pray together, review what the Lord has done so far in 2026, learn together through breakouts, and look ahead to Advance and other exciting spring opportunities. Please pray for the BRN team as they continue to care for our pastors and churches across Pennsylvania/South Jersey.

Baptisms:

Two publicly proclaim their faith in Jesus at Riverbend Community Church

On Sunday, March 8, Riverbend Community Church in Bethlehem, Pa., witnessed two sisters in Christ publicly proclaim their faith in Jesus and be baptized. Praise the Lord for these women and their testimonies! Please join us in celebrating with them and the entire Riverbend Community Church family.

Redeeming Grace Church witnesses three baptisms

Redeeming Grace Church in Bethel Park, Pa., celebrated three baptisms on March 8. During their Sunday worship, the church joyfully witnessed the baptisms of Kayla Paul, Sarah Paul, and Caleb Tancordo. Praise the Lord for new life in Christ! Please join us in rejoicing with these individuals and the entire Redeeming Grace Church family.

BRN Family Missionary Update:

Alta Brandenberger | Prauge, Czech Republic

International Mission Board Missionary Alta Brandenberger, who has roots in Pennsylvania, is currently serving in Prague.

February was filled with many gospel opportunities for Alta! God has been kind in providing a consistent group of five people at Alta’s English Club, and has continued to help her grow in friendship with her language teacher, who recently helped her practice her testimony and gospel presentation in Czech, even though he is not religious. Another God moment was reconnecting with some of her friends from the university class she attended in the fall. During the dinner party, God gave Alta the opportunity to share the gospel with her old classmates.

March is bringing warm weather, sunshine, and new ministry opportunities for Alta. She will begin leading a middle school English class this month, and will be joining a street hockey pickup team. Please be praying for God to grant good relationships that are open to the gospel, but are also enjoyable for Alta in her English club and hockey games.

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.