American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware

ABCOPAD Life! Blog

COVID: Milton Youth Night

 

What a great time of ministry at FBC, Milton! Although they could not physically meet, the youth group gathered online to connect with God and each other. Pastor of Youth and Young Adults Andrew Teish planned a great time connecting with our FBC students online for some fun, games, and prayer. They enjoyed a scavenger hunt! ...running through the house to find items and bring them back, including a parent!  What fun to see the students laugh and enjoy some time with one another!

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/22/2020
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COVID - Woodlawn and Facebook Live

 

Woodlawn American Baptist Church is taking full advantage of their Facebook site in the midst of the COVID-19 restrictions. It's not just Sunday morning worship! Throughout the week, they have prepared multiple opportunities for interacting with the congregation. There's even a special focus on the kids: "Kindness Counts" presented a quick "real talk" session for the kiddos ... all about what is happening in the world and a fun story about germs.

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/21/2020
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COVID - Scranton Churches

 

Several pastors in the Scranton Area have partnered with Pastor Gary Joe Eaches and the United Baptist Church of Scranton to live stream throughout an entire day bringing messages of hope and spending time in prayer. Visit the church's Facebook Page to watch the stream. Pastor Elliott Cook from Jackson Street Baptist Church and Minister Valerie June Black from the United Baptist Church of Taylor were are all on the schedule.

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/21/2020
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COVID - Walkchalk Salem
Drive-in Worship

 

Walkchalk Salem Baptist Church, Kittanning, is meeting the challenges of COVID-19 by providing members and friends an opportunity to worship Drive-In style! They built a platform near the parking lot for the service and ordered an FM transmitter that will send the signal directly to the cars FM radios. That way folk could still come together without ever leaving their cars (and follow the social distancing requirements!).

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/21/2020
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COVID - BCWC Breakfast Ministry

 

The Saturday morning Breakfast/Brunch Ministry at the Baptist Church of West Chester continues with appropriate adjustments for increased vigilance on health and safety procedures for those serving and those being served. 40+ years and still going strong!

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/21/2020
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COVID - New Britain Food Pantry

 

At the New Britain Baptist Church volunteers prepared grocery bags for distribution as neighbors met the challenging precautions of COVID-19. Bags were packed and ready for a "drive-thru delivery," as people were handed a bag of groceries without leaving their cars!

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/21/2020
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Rev. Doug Stratton at Hatboro Baptist Offers Thoughts Preparing for the Coronavirus

 

The following editorial was prepared by Pastor Doug Stratton, Hatboro Baptist Church


 

Are You and Your Church Prepared?

On Saturday, I went to COSTCO to get a kitchen mat, a pork belly (for bacon) and charcoal. When I walked into the store, I thought it was the Saturday before Christmas. There were lines from the cashiers almost to the meat department. After getting my few items, I waited and waited until I could check out. Only after I left did I discover that I had walked into a Covid19 panic/hoard location. People were preparing for an unknown pathogen that was slowly moving around the world.

After I got home, I had a little chuckle at the “foolishness” I had witnessed, and then I began to think. What would happen if Hatboro Baptist was told we could not meet for 4 weeks or more if the virus struck our community? How would we stay in contact with one another? How would we be able to help our most vulnerable?

We don’t have answers to all these questions yet, but we are asking them now because once a quarantine is put in place, we won’t be able to answer the questions.

As citizens, the suggestion is that everyone have two weeks of provision in our homes. The reality is that most of us have that right now. But in our communities, there are neighbors who don’t have those supplies. We are being advised to wash our hands many times each day. We are to avoid touching our nose and eyes. These are common sense things.

But what about churches and ministries that work with people every day? The food pantry in town has decided to provide a list of food available in the pantry, invite the consumers to select what they need from the list and then they pack it up for them to prevent spread within the pantry. Another church has suspended the passing of the peace in their liturgy. Several pastors in town have stopped shaking hands. One congregation has a parish nurse who is sending a letter to the congregation reminding them not to panic. These steps will be helpful.

But what are some other steps? Are you prepared to stream your worship service if large gatherings are restricted? Can you receive electronic contributions from those who want to continue to support their church? Do you have volunteers in place to shop for older more vulnerable members of your congregation and community? Do you have a list of people who can drive ill folk to the doctors or hospital? Is your church willing to provide emergency housing if needed? Are there members who would offer their homes?

This is not Ebola or The Plague, but during those times of danger and death, it was the Church that provided care and love and mercy when many others fled. As a result, the church of Jesus Christ flourished through the love that was shared. Today, we have the chance to offer the same in a time of need. May we be found faithful.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/5/2020
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Spiritual Disciplines For Lent

 

Vision Fellowship at First Baptist, Malvern, launched its annual tradition of Lenten Lunches on February 26, 2020. The broader Christian community in the area has been participating in these lunches at our church since 1983 when Pastor Nathaniel Jones (now retired) and his wife Virginia set the concept in motion.

 

Pastor Bob Stradling continues the tradition with fellowship at noon over homemade soup and accompaniments provided by volunteers. It’s a pleasant way to meet people from other churches—and sometimes to discover, in “small world” style, that we are friends with some of their friends or neighbors!

 

Lunch is followed by worship, including prayer, hymn-singing, Scripture, and sometimes special music. These components are capped by an inspirational message delivered by ministers from churches in the area. Pastor Bob schedules the speakers and provides a topic fitting a theme. “Spiritual Disciplines for Lent” is his chosen theme this year. As host and speaker for the first session, Pastor Bob gave a soul-stirring overview of the purpose and value of these disciplines.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/3/2020
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CLM Celebration

 

The Colonial Park Community Baptist Church family celebrated with the sister churches of the Harrisburg Baptist Association as Pastor Derek Wolfe became a Certified Lay Minister. Pastor Gary Firster brought the message of the day, Pastor Tim Munson shared the charges to Derek and the congregation, and Pastor Kelly Legg led in the consecration prayer. Everyone then gathered in the fellowship hall for a delicious meal together. It was a joyous time of celebrating God’s call on the life of His People.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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Celebrating 25 Years at Mount Bethel

 

25 years of ministry is reason to celebrate ... and that is just what the Mount Bethel Baptist Church did! Pastor Don Hasselman was honored for his twenty-five years of service as their pastor. A wonderful meal was shared by the congregation as well as a number of friends and colleagues from the Abington Association. It was a wonderful evening to honor a fine pastor and friend.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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Ash Wednesday at NCBC

 

The congregation at New Covenant Baptist Church, Pottstown, observed a meaningful time of reflection and prayer during this year's Ash Wednesday service.

 

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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Thanks, Fred!

 

Meet Fred Ewald, our ABCOPAD Regional Ministry Associate for Search Committees. (Fred is also a congregational leader at the Hatboro Baptist Church). Fred and Mark Mahserjian-Smith are working on a new project: building a database of pastoral leaders from the MinistrElife system open to serving a church in ABCOPAD. Currently the system includes many professional leaders who are not pastors as well as retired clergy and denominational staff not interested in full time or part time pastoral service. One recent search pulled 175 potential pastoral matches but it was easy to see a significant percentage of the list were not actual pastoral leaders ready to serve. So grateful for Fred and his willingness to assist with this new concept meant to make life a little easy for Search Committees already working hard to discern their next pastoral leader.

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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One In A Million

Have you met Caryl Casey? She is phenomenal! Caryl is our ABCOPAD Regional Treasurer, and does an outstanding job handling all things financial... not only managing the ledgers and records, but offering insight, ideas, and support that under-gird our regional and global witness. Living in Hatboro, PA, she and her husband KC are vital partner in ministry. She really is one in a million!

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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This Week at Tarentum

 

This Sunday at FBC, Tarentum, Rev Dr. Felicia Brock brought a stirring message from the familiar story of Abraham and God’s call to sacrifice his son Isaac, before leading us in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Pastor Brock began her ministry at FBC in September.

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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At Table

 

Once a quarter the congregation at Prospect Hill Baptist Church leaves the sanctuary to worship with a fellowship luncheon followed by Communion. It was awesome seeing the fellowship hall full with a very diverse, multi-generational, multi-cultural church family. Pastor Christopher Heisey-Terrell did a masterful job leading worship with many opportunities for church family members to participate in the service.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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Go Into All The World!

 

Comparing notes ---- Pastor Dan McDowell (GraceCrossings Phoenixville) and Pastor Dan Nicewonger along with Elder Chris Wells (FBC Kennett Square) are each doing mission work in Africa. Pastor Dan McDowell has been focusing in Uganda while Pastor Dan Nicewonger and Elder Chris Wells have aimed their attention in Togo. Each church family has sent mission teams to these countries. Exciting work!!!

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 3/2/2020
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