Maryland/Delaware Roundup, January 26, 2023
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-47 ESV)
Several churches are praising God for growth in numbers and new buildings!
Building Dedication
Redeeming Grace Baptist Church (RGBC) in Calloway had its building dedication on January 15 — the fruition of over a decade of working, planning, and dreaming.
Pastor Adam Polk said the day was one of worship and celebration, thanking God for the new facility as they dedicated it to Him. Polk emphasized the church’s mission — “We exist to exalt the Lord, equip disciples and engage the world with the gospel.”
Redeeming Grace Baptist Church moved into its new 20,000 square feet over the Christmas holiday. (Photo by Mark Dooley)
BCM/D Director of Evangelism Mark Dooley, formerly the pastor of Leonardtown Baptist Church (LBC), who planted RGC in 2009, was a guest speaker. Dooley congratulated the congregation on the new building and encouraged them to grow and be a presence in the community.
BCM/D Evangelism Director Mark Dooley was a guest speaker at RGBC’s building dedication. (photo submitted)
Others from LBC were at the service to show support, as well as visitors from Lexington Park Baptist Church, who planted LBC.
Adam Polk preached from 1 Kings 8 following the dedication of Solomon’s temple. Polk stressed that the new building is not a place to be comfortable. Rather, it has a purpose, It is a tool to equip and a place to mobilize as members go into the world.
RGC moved from their previous home at Kings Christian Academy over the Christmas break to their new home at 20741 Soaring Eagle Way in Callaway. They began worshipping in the new building on January 1.
The new 20,000-square-foot building seats 400. It provides room for education space, a children’s ministry area, and church offices along with the sanctuary.
Three hundred twenty attended the dedication. Polk said the church was averaging 200 before they moved, and that number has risen to 250. “Our attendance is up. There are a lot of new people, some are stopping in because they are curious. Others are looking for a church home,” Polk said.
“We’re extremely excited having a space. We really feel blessed in many ways,” he said.
Rebounding from Covid and building
Emmanuel Church in Huntingtown is seeing significant growth in its family ministry. Senior Pastor Rick Hancock said the church is excited and praising God for His blessings.
Emmanuel Church’s new building is taking shape! The building is scheduled to be completed in October. (photo courtesy of Emmanuel Church)
Hancock said even as attendance dropped during Covid, the church continued to strive forward. They hired new staff — Justin Manry as the student pastor and Nancy Massey as a full-time children’s ministry director, strategically trying to build their family ministry. Manry is the son of John Manry, the pastor of North Harford Baptist Church in Jarretsville. Justin grew up in Maryland/Delaware and was part of the Baptist Student Ministry at Towson University.
Both the children’s and youth ministries grew with the added staff. Hancock said, “We’re running 30-40 youth. And they’re active. They went and served with Pastor Charlie Brown at East Baltimore Graffiti Church for their Christmas outreach, and they went to M-Fuge in South Carolina. The youth ministry is really gaining momentum, and we’re really excited about that.
“Our Children’s ministry pre-covid was about 100-110 on average, and we went to zero. Last Sunday, we had our best (post-Covid) worship service (Jan. 22), with 433 in worship. We’re getting close to where we were pre-Covid,” said Hancock.
Hancock said BCM/D Youth and Children’s Ministry Consultant Kris Buckman has been a blessing and tremendous help in encouraging and supporting the children and youth ministry.
The children’s ministry at Emmanuel Church is growing and is almost at the pre-Covid level. (photo courtesy of Emmanuel Church)
One of the most exciting happenings at the church is the construction of a new 16,800-foot family life building with a full-size basketball court and pickleball court. Hancock said they’re already getting calls from community groups seeking to use the gym when it is built. Plus, they’ll have 14 classrooms and a covered porch on the side of the building. Hancock said the new building would provide much-needed space. The elementary and middle schoolers will be on the first floor and high school students upstairs. In addition to educational rooms, the church’s large, active Celebrate Recovery Group will have room to spread out for their small group meetings.
The center will also allow the church to host large events. Hancock is especially excited about the 2024 Night to Shine in the new building.
The foundation will be poured on January 30. The church expects the building to be complete in October.
Hancock said he’s pleased to work with General Contractor Matthew Keen, a Christ follower, who has worked with several other churches in the Potomac area, including building a family life center for Bayside Baptist Church in Chesapeake Beach; Southern Calvert Baptist Church, Lusby; Calloway Baptist Church, and put a roof on Dunkirk Baptist Church.
Walk Thru the Bible
Immanuel Church in Rosedale will host a “Walk Thru the Bible” Old Testament event at 10:45 a.m. on February 5. The interactive experience has the audience on their feet, acting out various parts of the Bible to give participants a big-picture of the overarching story of God’s love. Attendees learn 40 hand motions and stories to help people experience the Bible in a unique way, bringing the story to life.
The first session will take place during the worship service. There will be lunch and then the second session. The first session is free, and the cost is $20 for those who stay for lunch and the second session. Register online.
The event is sponsored by Walk Thru the Bible.
Restoring Biblical Manhood
Oak Grove Baptist Church in Bel Air will host a “Man Up – Restoring Biblical Manhood” conference from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Feb. 4, featuring legendary professional wrestler and now minister Nikita Koloff.
On his website, Koloff writes, “My heart is for soul winning and discipleship, with an emphasis on men’s ministry. More than accolades on a football field or winning championship belts in a wrestling ring, my journey with Jesus is the true highlight of my life. The fact I get to partner with Him, travel the world, 
preach the Good News, call myself a child of God and help build His Kingdom is the highest honor bestowed upon a man, I believe.”
Register online by January 31.
Women’s Ministry Events
Marbury Baptist Church will host the Potomac Baptist Association’s Women’s Conference from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on March 25. The guest speaker is Author and Coach Laura Acuna. Her topic will be “A Clean Slate — Your Past Does Not Define Your Future.”
The event is free. Register by March 15 on the Potomac Association website.
Village Church, Hampden, has a laid-back evening event for women — Woman’s Hang Out Night. Ladies bring their own dinner, plus games, puzzles, and crafts, and just hang out together. Their next gathering is at 6:30 p.m. on February 10.
Dream Conference
Oak Ridge Church, Salisbury, will host their 11th annual Dream Church Conference on March 2-3. In just over a decade, the popular conference has been instrumental in training 1,272 church leaders regionally and 2,886 globally in seven countries, including Kenya, India, China, Macedonia, Japan, Togo, and Benin. It is specifically designed for church leaders and volunteers who dream of a healthy and growing church.
Senior Pastor Brian Moss will share how early in his pastorate, he went to conferences that sparked a dream for his church in his heart. But he didn’t know where to begin. “So, over the years, we began to learn the tools and the methods and the systems to help begin to bring a dream to a reality,” Moss said, explaining the DREAM Church Conference shares what Oak Ridge has learned. “We believe that everything we’ve learned, we can teach others. And if we can do it, you can do it.”
Conference sessions will teach participants the following D.R.E.A.M.:
- Designing weekend services that unchurched people love to attend, building a crowd, and then from there,
- Reaching people with the Gospel and recovering the wounded and the hurting in this world;
- Engaging people in authentic community through small groups and then growth opportunities through the church’s class system;
- Activating members into ministry and service, and
- Mobilizing those folks into fulfilling God’s mission, not only in their local city, community, and country but also globally across the world.
The conference will also cover keys to creating a great guest experience; ways to build a service lost people will love; keys to preaching to the unchurched; effectively reaching your community; steps to get people serving, and practices that get them out of the pews and into the streets.
There are also multiple breakout sessions for various areas of ministry.
Rick Hancock, the pastor of Emmanuel Church in Huntingtown, will be a guest speaker along with Moss and other Oak Ridge staff.
The Earlybird (by Jan. 31) cost is $79 or $59 for groups of three or more. On February 1, the price goes up to $99 and $79 for the group rate.
For more information and to register, visit the DREAM Church Conference website.
Night to Shine
Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine proms for individuals with disabilities ages 14 and older return in person this year! Four Maryland/Delaware churches are participating: Cresthill Church, Bowie; Emmanuel Church in Huntingtown, Faith Glen Burnie; and First Baptist Church of Waldorf.
Volunteers are needed, especially “buddies.” Buddies accompany and assist the special guests through the evening, engaging them in conversation, providing companionship, and assisting as needed.
Contact the individual churches for details about attending or volunteering.
BCM/D Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars and plan to attend these upcoming events!
February 11: George Leile Missionary Breakfast sponsored by the African American Fellowship 9 a.m. – noon Sharon Bible Fellowship in Lanham. For more information and to register online.
March 10-11: The BCM/D Women’s Conference: Strengthen & Stir South Shore Church, Heritage Harbor Click here for more information and to register.
February 25: Disaster Relief Training 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Faith Glen Burnie Train to be a Disaster Relief volunteer or update your skills. Classes offered are the following: Introduction to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Feeding Team, and Recovery Team. Click here for more information and to register. April 22: Disaster Relief Training 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. First Baptist Church Upper Marlboro Train to be a Disaster Relief volunteer or update your skills. Classes offered are the following: Introduction to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Feeding Team, Recovery Team, laundry, and administrative. Click here for more information and to register.