American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware

ABCOPAD Life! Blog

FBC Factoryville ABW

 

AB Women of First Baptist Church of Factoryville (Abington Association) assembled 170 health kits for Mennonite Community Central to be distributed overseas and overland. Items collected were hand towels, soap, toothbrushes and nailclippers.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/29/2017
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Salem Walk Chalk Baptist Church
Mother-Daughter Banquet

Mark Mahserjian-Smith had a chance to visit with Pastor Chuck Layne at the Salem Walk Chalk Baptist Church near Kittanning. The congregation was holding its annual Mother and Daughter banquet. About 80 ladies including little ones, moms, and grandmoms attended this exciting event. Pastor Chuck allowed me to join the men of the church cooking the food and serving the banquet. See the complete photo album HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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GraceCrossing Community Church Installation

Recently, Fred Ewald (ABCOPAD Search Consultant) and Kevin Walden were honored to be a part of the Installation Service for Rev. Dan McDowell at GraceCrossing in Phoenixville, PA. A lot of wonderful childhood friends from Emporium and Seminary friends joined in the service. God bless you Pastor Dan and Terry!


 

 

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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Bethlehem Baptist Ruff Creek

 

On Mother's Day, Jeff and Karen Johnson spent the morning with the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Ruff Creek, just outside of Waynesburg. Jeff was filling in for Pastor David Earnest who with his wife Amy and their two sons were in China getting their two adopted sons.

 

After attending Sunday School, Jeff during worship with the help of a few young men presented all the ladies of the church with a white carnation which is the official flower of Mother's Day. To ladies in the church shared their personal testimonies of having a godly mother and mother-in-law.

 

Jeff then preached the morning message and invited folks to come forward to pray which individuals did. Jeff and Karen then visited family in the area since both their mothers and Karen's grandmother live in SW PA. Jeff preached at Bethlehem Baptist in his teens back in the very early 1980's when Ron Evans, former ABCOPAD area minister, was the pastor and became one of Jeff's mentors. There are still folks there now who remembered him then.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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2017 FBC Reading

On Mother's Day, Kevin Walden joined FBC Reading for Sunday School and Worship. Interim Pastor David Turley is doing a wonderful ministry among the people. In Sunday School they are doing a walk through of the book of Genesis, chapter by chapter, which was very interesting and everyone was actively interacting. In worship, the Bell Choir shared both in the prelude and special music; they did an excellent job. Mothers were all given a beautiful red carnation.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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2017 Clergy Ethics Course

Our clergy ethics course was recently held at West Shore Baptist Church in Camp Hill, PA. Pastors Tim Munson and Kevin Walden are teaching the annual course this year. The conversation has been lively and deep! How would you describe the relationship between morals and ethics?

 

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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Camp Carmel 2017 Spring Clean Up

 

Jeff Johnson dropped by Camp Carmel for a couple hours during their annual work weekend. There are more than fifty people from more than a half dozen different churches (Olive Branch, Redeeming Grace, FBC-Connellsville, East Mahoning, FBC-Jeannette, Mount Moriah, Bethlehem) from three different associations (Laurel, Monongahela, Ten Mile) that came during the weekend to get things ready for the camping season that begins in one month.

 

There was grass cutting, wood chopping, staining new cabin doors...

 

...building new benches at the basketball court (the original ones were constructed 25 years ago when I was the chairman of the camp's board of directors). There were also ventilation fans installed in cabins.

 

Protruding rocks were also broken up on the camp road for better access.

 

While there, I presented the camp's treasurer (Chris Carson) and the camp's secretary (Josh Iams) with a grant check which they plan to use to provide new believer materials to campers who make a first time commitment to Christ, also resources to their counselors, as well as follow up materials to send to the campers after they return home. Chris and I were campers in Carmel forty years ago. I was BOTH Josh's camp pastor AND home pastor when I served the North Ten Mile Baptist Church.

 

The two men at the table saw are Chris King (foreground, the camp board chairman) and Curtis Kemp (background, a camp board member who goes back in time to being at Carmel some fifty plus years ago when he was a member as a kid at the recently closed Mount Pleasant Baptist Church). LOTS of history here friends and I am thankful for all of it. Some of my closest relationships/friendships that still exist today started in this place.

Don't forget that our ABW have been collecting for almost a year now, contributions for six camps related to our region. Their efforts will culminate at their annual conference in July. Their goal is $15,000 which will be shared among the six camps within ABCOPAD. To know more about their efforts as well as contribute, check out their webpage: /Ministries/ABWM/Our-2016-2017-Region-Mission-Project.aspx

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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Upland Baptist Church Worship

Kevin Walden recently joined Upland Baptist Church for worship. Rev. Brenda Shaw is the pastor. Pastor Brenda had an excellent sermon on judging! Her husband John led the Bell Choir in several numbers, and they did an excellent job leading us in worship. Brenda is a great leader in the Riverside Association, and great regional partner. It was a joy to be with them.

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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Northumberland Baptist Association

The Northumberland Baptist Association held a Certification Council this afternoon for Debra Marker at the Montandon Baptist Church where Pastor Ron Wagner is serving as the Interim Pastor. Happily, the gathered delegates unanimously affirmed Deb for Certification by the Montandon congregation at an upcoming service.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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Mount Moriah Baptist Church
Worship Celebrations

I spent the morning at the Mount Moriah Baptist Church. Attended one of their adult Sunday School classes taught by the chair of their diaconate board. They are going through the book of Matthew and parked on chapter 14, discussing calling and sending the disciples for mission and ministry.

 

I then, on the front end of their morning worship service, had the blessing of dedicating to the Lord Taleah Daryl Edgar, the five-month-old daughter of Pastor Darrell and Joyce Edgar. Their five-year-old Tasso also participated.

 

I was privileged to preach the morning message and during the invitation time various people came forward to pray, some with the pastor for the lost, the church, their loved ones, as well as themselves.

 

On the way out, I had the blessing of meeting Madelyn "Tootie" Morgan who turned 96 today.

 

Also, Ian Eckert turned nine. In the picture with him is his dad (Paul), his mom (Christy), and his sister (Emma). Ian gave out cookies in celebration of the occasion. I didn't get a pic of the cookie I was given, as it didn't last long enough to take a picture :-) lol

 

It was a WONDERFUL day to celebrate individual families and the church family. Oh, by the way, Pastor Darrell and Paul Eckert were both campers at Camp Carmel when I served as the camp pastor years ago.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/22/2017
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The Empty Chair

While at Bethlehem Baptist, Ruff Creek, over the last weekend, Jeff Johnson noticed a handful of chairs throughout the building in the fellowship hall, Sunday School classrooms, the sanctuary, and the overflow area with a piece of paper attached to each. It is a prayer practice that I have advocated for years, The Empty Chair prayer. I have shared it a lot throughout our region and the country. Bethlehem took my words to heart some time ago by placing these reminders to pray for the people that aren't yet at the church but are coming. They come in, not because we open the doors at a given time, but rather the church goes out through those open doors, makes meaningful connections with people in their spheres of influence, and brings those individuals back with them to fill these unoccupied but prayed for spaces. Actually, when these new folks come in, they are asked to take the paper off the chair, take that seat, and put the paper on another chair or space and pray now along with the rest of the church for the next person who will come. Usually the new person will bring the next person since they more than anymore know unchurched people. Your church should give this a try. It raises everyone's expectations.

 


 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/17/2017
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ABCOPAD and Volunteers in Mission

 

A team from ABCOPAD met with Rev. Dr. Adalia Gutierrez Lee, International Ministries Area Director of Iberoamerica and Caribbean ministries. Along with Rev. Adalia, Rev. Sandra Dorsainvil and Emily Ferrin, who watch over volunteer mission trips, introduced themselves. Pastor John Dorean from Jefferson Baptist Church and Jonathan Johnson from FBC Waynesburg, seeking to do missionary work in Grand Goave, Haiti, met with this team to share their vision. Our own Frank Frischkorn pulled together the group. It was a great meeting dreaming about future ministry in Haiti. 

 

Categories: Ministries, General ~ Date: 5/9/2017
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2017 Spring Region Board

 

The ABCOPAD Regional Board gathered in Breezewood for our Spring Board Meeting. It was great hearing about so many wonderful stories of great ministries taking place in our Region. Despite a very rainy day, the Son was shining throughout the meeting. Lots of pics of leaders offering their reports of praise to our God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/9/2017
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FBC Lancaster Installation

 

First Baptist Church of Lancaster held an installation service for their new pastor, Rev Luminitza Nichols. Members of the congregation along with pastoral leaders from the Harrisburg Association and the Central Union Association along with many guests joined in the celebration. Rev. Dr. George Hancock-Stefan Associate Professor of Church History at Palmer Theological Seminary brought the message, Rev. Dr. Frank Frischkorn gave the charge to the pastor and congregation and Rev Brad Lacey the installation prayer. Many others participated in the celebration. It was a great day of rejoicing for all our partners in ministry. Many more pictures in this photo album.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/9/2017
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Luther Wesley Smith Education Award

Congratulations to our own Rev. Eric Kraihanzel for winning the prestigious Luther Wesley Smith Education Award for faithful, effective leadership in strengthening Christian education at an American Baptist-related college or seminary. This award is presented by the American Baptist Home Mission Societies. 

 


 

 

Categories: General ~ Date: 5/4/2017
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MacKenzie Scott Farewell

Following an evening fellowship dinner last night, the church family at FBC, Lewisburg said farewell to Rev. MacKenzie Scott today as he concluded his ministry as Pastor. The service was filled with a host of beautiful music, including two selections played on the bagpipes. An added blessing for Pastor Mac was having his two sons, Sam and James, serve as worship leaders. Following the service, a reception was held for Mac and his wife Lisa, along with their two sons.

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/2/2017
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