This Week in the BRN Family 01.09.24

BRN churches ring in the new year with first gatherings of 2025, DR volunteers bless a BRN church, and we welcome a new member to our team - it's an exciting second week of 2025 in the BRN Family!

January 9, 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:

BRN churches rejoice over first Sunday of 2025

The first Sunday of 2025 was a thrilling one for many of our BRN churches! Gathering as a church body for the first time in the new year can create some very special memories and powerful worship! Here are just a few “first Sunday” moments from some of our BRN churches:

Calvary Christian Church, Philadelphia:

First Baptist Church of Delaware, New Castle, DE:

Edgewood Church, Beaver Falls, PA:

New year brings new life at Agape International Baptist Church

Last Sunday, Jan. 5, Agape International Baptist Church in Vorhees, New Jersey, rejoiced over 8-year-old Serena accepting Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior! What an exciting way to kick off the new year! Congratulations, Serena!

Christ Commission Ministries hosts first gathering of the new year

On Jan. 4, Christ Commission Ministries in Berlin, New Jersey, hosted their first church fellowship gathering after the New Year. It was a joyful time of fellowship, complete with Christmas caroling and a birthday celebration!

PA/SJ Disaster Relief team blesses Whitestown Road Baptist Church

A Disaster Relief (DR) team coordinated by PA/SJ Disaster Relief Director Kenton Hunt and DR Volunteer Don Boore recently blessed Whitestown Road Baptist Church in Butler, Pa. The team arrived on Wednesday, Jan. 8, to remove drywall and spray for mold in the church basement. Nearly a dozen workers committed to serving Whitestown in this way! View a special video from Whitestown Road Senior Pastor Bob Hurd here.

Riverbend Community Church youth explore new neighborhood through Christmas scavenger hunt

The youth at Riverbend Community Church in Allentown, Pa., kept the Christmas spirit going well past Dec. 25 as they participated in a Christmas City scavenger hunt around Riverbend’s new neighborhood on Dec. 28. The activity gave students the opportunity to get to know their neighbors and explore the new area their church will be serving. What a cool and creative way to get to know your neighborhood!

Baptisms:

FBC of Swedesboro concludes 2024 with baptism

First Baptist Church of Swedesboro in Swedesboro, New Jersey, concluded 2024 in the most exciting way – with a baptism! Before the new year, the church celebrated a young man saying ‘yes’ to Jesus and witnessed his baptism. Please join us in celebrating with this young man and the entire FBC of Swedesboro family!

Welcome to the BRN Family:

Gerald Waters, BRN Church Advancement Consultant, Philadelphia Region

We welcome Gerald Waters, senior pastor of Proclamation Community Church in Philadelphia, as the BRN’s newest team member! Equipped with deep roots in the City of Brotherly Love and a heart for the pastors and churches there, Gerald joined the BRN team as the Church Advancement Consultant for the Philadelphia region on Jan. 1. 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.