This Week in the BRN Family 04.23.26

Serve Lehigh Valley project leaders gather to pray and plan; churches pour into the next generation; and we celebrate ministry milestones and baptisms - it's a great week in the BRN Family!

April 23, 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:

Serve Lehigh Valley project leaders gear up for 50+ project sites with prayer and planning sessions

Last week, project leaders for Serve Lehigh Valley gathered to pray for the June 26-27 mission effort and plan for the 50+ projects they will be helping coordinate and lead. BRN Director of Compassion Ministry and Partnership Development Buff McNickle met with the leaders and equipped them for their assigned project sites.

Please join us in praying for these project leaders and for the projects they will be running to bless the Lehigh Valley community!

Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church honored for 50 years of Kingdom work

Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church in Devon, Pa., recently celebrated their 50th anniversary! This ministry milestone was commemorated with a special worship service, during which the church ordained four new deacons and a youth pastor. Additionally, BRN Ethnic Church Advancement Consultant Noelson Chery presented a plaque to Senior Pastor Christian Cesar to honor the church’s ongoing Kingdom ministry and vision.

Congratulations, Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church! We are so grateful for your faithful service to the Kingdom.

South Carolina team blesses New Kensington church with presence and provision

Reclamation Church in New Kensington, Pa., welcomed a team from Second Baptist Church, Lancaster, South Carolina, last week. During the week, the SC team served Reclamation Church by helping with projects around the church building. The team also blessed Reclamation by committing to cover the full cost of re-carpeting the church’s sanctuary — what an amazing act of generosity!

We are so grateful for our partnership with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and its churches, who continue to abundantly bless our PA/SJ churches! Thank you, Second Baptist Church!

Teens from Delval Church connect through trip to Delaware State University

Teens from Delaware Valley Baptist Church in Willingboro, New Jersey, recently had the opportunity to visit Delaware State University. The trip provided the teens with a chance to connect, laugh, engage in deeper conversations with one another, and be present with each other — what a special opportunity to pour into the next generation!

Rolling Hills Church partners with local parks and rec for family paint night

On Monday, April 20, Rolling Hills Church in Verona, Pa., partnered with Penn Hills Parks and Recreation to provide a family friendly night of painting for the kids and families in their community. The night was filled with plenty of laughter, messy hands, and time well spent together!

BRN Communications team attends annual workshop

BRN Communications Director Shannon Baker and BRN Communications Associate/Associate Editor Macala Mays attended the Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) annual workshop, April 13-17, in Mobile, Alabama. During the workshop, Baker and Mays presented to the group about next year’s workshop, which will be hosted in Pittsburgh, helped facilitate affinity groups, and contributed to panel discussions.

During this next year, Baker will serve as BCA’s Program Chair as she plans the 2027 workshop!

Baptisms:

Impact Church Parkesburg rejoices over six baptisms

It was a joyful Sunday at Impact Church Parkesburg on Sunday, April 19! The church witnessed the baptisms of six individuals — Saige, Bella, Valentina, Ian, Najah, and Tyler. Praise the Lord for these brothers and sisters in Christ and their faith in Jesus!

Several students are baptized at FBC of Delaware

On Sunday, April 19, First Baptist Church of Delaware in New Castle, DE, celebrated several young people going public with their faith in Jesus by being baptized. Praise the Lord for the ways He is moving in the younger generation!

Faith Community Church Lakeside is reminded of God’s faithfulness through baptisms

On Sunday, April 12, Faith Community Church Lakeside in McMurray, Pa., heard testimony after testimony of God’s saving grace and witnessed multiple people go public with their faith in Jesus! Praise the Lord for new life in Christ and His faithfulness!

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.