American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware

ABCOPAD Life! Blog

Houston Volunteer Mission Team

The ABCOPAD Mission Team serving in Houston, Texas sent these pictures as they consider to serve in Houston. Looks like everyone is hard at work. Pastor Mark Brady wrote: "Had a great day. Attended a house blessing this afternoon. One part of our team worked on the house today and they have considered it complete. It was beautiful." Please continue to pray for the team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Ministries, General ~ Date: 5/21/2018
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Urban Acres

 

Meet a great partner in ministry. Mike Minor is one of the congregational leaders at Central Baptist Church of Wilmington. Mike has served on mission trips to Haiti. In Delaware, however, Mike is super busy as the gardening / produce season is in high gear. Mike leads Urban Acres in Wilmington, a ministry that includes community gardens and nutritional education. It was fun spending a little time with Mike and hearing about all the good things taking place via Urban Acres. http://centralbaptistcdc.com/our-work/urban-acres

 

 

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/21/2018
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Delaware LLC Gathering

The Delaware Association LLC got together at the Central Baptist Church of Wilmington, DE. The group spent time drilling down into the book Canoeing The Mountains by Todd Bolsinger. Pastor Jeff Collins (Christ Memorial B.C. of Dover) facilitated the discussion. Following the meeting, the group had lunch together. Pastor Corey Fields (Calvary Baptist, Newark) and Pastor Terrance Keeling (Central Baptist, Wilmington) along with Pastor Jeff Collins and had a great time laughing and catching up with one another. All these pastors are wonderful Partners in Ministry.

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/21/2018
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Jim LaVan Ministry Celebration

 

Slatington Baptist Church held a surprise celebration in honor of Jim and Wendy LeVan’s 30 years of ministry in their midst. Frank Frischkorn had the privilege of preaching the morning message and then participating with the congregation in a catered luncheon. It was a great morning of encouragement and celebration, thanking God for all He has done over these 30 years of ministry.

 

 

Jim’s wife Wendy had a series of photographs at the luncheon marking the 164 baptisms that have taken place under Jim’s ministry. 

 

 

 

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/21/2018
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Jefferson Baptist Church in Haiti

Jefferson Baptist Church has been leading many recent mission trips to Haiti including the trip this past January. Recently one member of the mission team created a great YouTube video with highlights from the trip.

 

 

Categories: General, Ministries, Region Life ~ Date: 5/21/2018
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Meet Our ABCOPAD Pastors

Wandering across Pennsylvania, our region staff has opportunities to catch up with several ABCOPAD pastors ---

 

 

Meet Pastor Ron and Jamie Wagner. Pastor Ron is a bi-vocational minister who owns his own HVAC company and serves as lead pastor at the Montandon Baptist Church. Pastor Ron’s wife Jamie is also very active in the ministry of Montandon BC, using her musical gifts and love of Children’s ministry in the life of the congregation. Both Pastor Ron and Jamie have been long time members of the church, allowing them to understand the community the church serves as well as the ability to tailor ministries to the neighborhood. As a result, the church has been connecting with community members who have now started attending morning worship. The church also has an exciting partnership with a senior living center where the church family connects with the residents who often live alone and have little to no family supporting them.

 

 

Meet Pastor Debbie Marker. Pastor Debbie recently completed her Academy of Christian Training and Service (ACTS) education and received her Certification from the Northumberland Baptist Association through the Montandon Baptist Church. Pastor Debbie finished her ABPS profile and is now in the process of discerning where God wants her to serve.

 

 

Meet Pastor Jillian Hankamer of First Baptsit Church of Lewisburg. Pastor Jillian began ministry at FBC at the beginning of April. It was fun getting to know Pastor Jillian who previously served as an Associate Pastor in Indiana before receiving a call to Lewisburg. During lunch, Pastor Jillian shared her love of travel including leading students of her former church on a mission trip to Macedonia and a trip she and her husband Eric took to Singapore.

 

 

Meet Rev. Cory Hartman and his wife Kelly. Cory is the former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hollidaysburg and now the founder of  Fulcrum Content. Cory is a gifted writer and is seeking to use his talents and skills to help ministries in sharing their message. It was good connecting with these friends and partners in ministry launching out in this new business endeavor seeking to reach our culture in new and innovative ways

 

 

Meet Rev. Paul Carter. Pastor Paul and his family reside in Lewistown; however, Paul has been commuting to Harrisburg to participate in a Chaplaincy program at one of the hospitals in the area. It was great hearing many of the stories coming out of Pastor Paul’s experience often being on call to care for individuals and families who had been through extraordinary trauma as well as making regular visits for patients on the various floors of the hospital. Pastor Paul described some of the self discovery coming out of his time working with the Chaplaincy team. It was good catching up with this partner in ministry continuing to serve in retirement.

 

 

Meet Pastor Brad Lacey, Senior Pastor at FBC, Conshohocken. Brad and his church family host a weekly radio show on 1210 WPHT in Philadelphia.

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/11/2018
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FBC Pittsburgh Installation

 

On May 6, a Service of Installation was held at the historic First Baptist Church, Pittsburgh, as the congregation welcomed their new pastor, Rev. Charles Fox. Pastor Chuck and Ruth had been ABC missionaries to Thailand for thirty years before accepting the call to serve at FBC. Welcome!

Categories: General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/11/2018
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$1,000 MATTHEW 25 GRANT AWARDED


A $1,000 Matthew 25 Grant from American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) helped First Baptist Church in Sharon, PA, purchase food this past year for an after-school program the congregation has run since 1991.

“Kids hit the snack table as soon as they come in the door from school, and we provide lots of hot chocolate for them during cold, snowy afternoons,” explains the Rev. Cindy Swogger, First Baptist Church’s pastor. “They enjoy Bible study, games, music, crafts, computers, homework help and chapel. I cook supper for the kids three days a week. It is so gratifying. When we say they can get seconds, look out because they get pretty excited. It is wonderful to feed children who appreciate a home-cooked meal. I just love our kids!” Pastor Cindy explains the initiative welcomes 45-80 children each day depending on after school sports activities, weather and darkness.

Read the whole story HERE

 

Categories: Ministries, General, Region Life ~ Date: 5/9/2018
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