This Week in the BRN Family 12.11.25

BRN churches engage in Christmas outreach opportunities; Philadelphia pastors enjoy a pastoral blessing; and we celebrate baptism milestones - it's a festive week in the BRN Family!

December 11, 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:

‘Tis the Season for Christmas Outreach!
BRN churches share the true reason for the season through holiday happenings:

Edgewood Church continues tradition of Hope for the Holidays Event

On Saturday, Dec. 6, Edgewood Church in Beaver Falls, Pa., hosted its annual Hope for the Holidays Event. During the event, 150 volunteers from Edgewood served 65 local families and provided over 1000 gifts for hundreds of children in their community!

Wrightsdale Baptist volunteers serve at OCC Processing Center in Baltimore

Volunteers from Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa., traveled to the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center in Baltimore, Maryland, to help inspect shoeboxes and make sure they were ready to be sent to kids all over the world!

Reclamation Church New Kensington connects with community at local Christmas parade

Last weekend, Reclamation Church in New Kensington, Pa., spent their Saturday spreading Christmas cheer at their community Christmas parade! Volunteers from the church passed out hot chocolate to community members and looked for Gospel opportunities, all while supporting those in their community performing in the parade.

Community members in Mount Wolf, Pa., ‘step into the Christmas Story’

On Friday, Dec. 5, Mount Wolf Community Church in Mount Wolf, Pa., invited community members to “step into the Christmas Story.” Participants walked through five scenes of Christmas, enjoyed refreshments, and kids received free backpacks filled with Christmas goodies! Watch Recap Video

Other BRN Family Happenings:

Pastors and planters in Philadelphia enjoy pastoral blessing

On Nov. 22, BRN Ethnic Church Advancement Consultant Noelson Chery and BRN Director of Discipleship and Leadership Development David Ludwig teamed up to bring pastors and planters in the Philadelphia and South Jersey region together for a morning of fellowship and encouragement, and to discuss Kingdom movement and discipleship making. A special thanks to pastor Curtis Saxton and his wife Christina Saxton for hosting this event at Ekklesia of North Philadelphia.

Thirty graduate from Send Network planting and leadership development cohorts in Philadelphia

Recently, churches and pastors in the Philadelphia area celebrated the graduation of 30 individuals from the Send Network Training Cohort for church planters and/or the Pipeline Leadership Development Cohort! The graduates were recognized and honored for this achievement at Delaware Valley Baptist Church in Willingboro, New Jersey. Those in attendance also had the privilege of being encouraged by Dr. Robert Smith, former professor at Beeson Divinity School.

Baptisms:

Plaid Community Church celebrates baptism milestones

On Nov. 16, Plaid Community Church in Pittston, Pa., celebrated nine baptisms. These baptisms marked 29 total for Plaid in 2025 and helped the church reach another exciting milestone: baptizing more than 100 people since opening its doors! Praise the Lord for all of these baptisms and all He is doing at Plaid Community Church.

In the News:

Wholesome Riches featured on New York based talk show, ‘Sherri’

Matt and Michele Pilla of Wholesome Riches, a nonprofit based in Camden, New Jersey, were recently featured on Sherri, a New York based talk show, to share how they started Wholesome Riches and how the nonprofit has grown to feed more than 1,400 families a month. After sharing their story, the Pillas were surprised with several shopping carts filled with food donations given by the show audience and a $20,000 check from Acme! What an amazing blessing for this wonderful ministry! Watch Full Interview

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.