Maryland/Delaware Roundup, July 28, 2022
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise him with my song.” Psalm 28:7
Ham Dinners for Seniors
A feeding ministry was a major step in Barnesville Baptist Church’s outreach efforts through the years and that move has transformed the small church that is meeting many needs and ministering around the world.
Members of Barnesville Baptist Church prepare ham dinners for seniors. (Photo submitted)
Church members recently celebrated “Love Our Seniors Day.” They purchased ham dinners, Dickerson Market cooked them and then church members picked up the food, bagged it, and delivered 27 hot meals to senior church members’ homes.
Pastor Danny Moore said “Providing food for people builds bridges to share the gospel. So many conversations happen in the back of a pickup truck when you hand someone a bag of food and a Bible.”
Read more about this church’s ministries in this Baptistlifeonline article.
Partnership Missions at Gates Church
The Gates Church (TGC) in Armistead Gardens in Baltimore is having a whirlwind summer of outreach while working to make improvements on their building. They’ve had six mission teams partner with them, assisting in a variety of improvement projects while lending a hand with the outreach.
A young adult team from Rock Springs Church in Easley, South Carolina will lead a “youth camp” from 5-8 p.m. on August 3-8 for students in middle and high school.
They’ll have Bible study, music, free food, games and giveaways. Those that attend all three nights will get to go to a Baltimore Oriole’s game.
Rock Springs Church, which is TGC Pastor Austin O’Donald’s home church, is having their own youth camp before coming to Baltimore. “They’re bringing it all and condensing it for us,” O’Donald said. “This is huge. They’re a team of a dozen college-aged students, passionate about their faith. And they have a neat mix of (college) majors — medical, arts — a variety.”
A mission team from Corinth Baptist Church in Seneca South Carolina painted a mural of the Baltimore skyline at The Gates Church. (Photo by Austin O’Donald)
O’Donald and his family, with others in the church, are also doing outreach using a snowball (or sno-cone to the southern teams) machine for ministry. They take the machine to various locations near the church and give out snowballs, chat with folks, promote upcoming events and when able, tell Bible stories. O’Donald said one especially nice day he was able to share that it may have been such a day when Jesus blessed and multiplied loaves of bread and fishes, and then O’Donald went on to tell the story.
Former NFL Player Shares at East Baltimore Graffiti Church Sports Camp
NFL alumni Ray Sydnor, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles, spoke at East Baltimore Graffiti Church’s Sports Camp this week. Sydnor, raised in Baltimore, was a National Honor Society student and became an All-American football and basketball player. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1980 but was injured for most of his career and began using drugs and then became addicted. In 1981, the Eagles went to the Super Bowl but Sydnor had to sit on the sidelines. The drug use escalated and Sydnor found himself in jail. He turned to Jesus. Now Sydnor shares his testimony, desiring to help young people avoid the mistakes he made and directing them to seek God.
Mason Dixon Baptist Church Family Car Show
Mason Dixon Baptist Church in New Freedom Church, Pennsylvania, will have a free family car and bike show on July 29, a first for the church. The guest speaker will be Dr. Kenny Craig from Chambersburg Baptist Church in Pennsylvania, an avid motorcyclist. He will share about caring for vehicles and relate it to caring for the soul.
Jim Quoss, the pastor of Freedom Biker Church in York Pennsylvania, will emcee the event and help with judging.
There will also be pit beef, burgers and ice cream.
The car show will be a finale for the church’s VBS and a kick-off for a girls’ dance from August 1-5.
Bayside Baptist Church “12nine” VBS
Bayside Baptist Church’s “12nine” Ministry seeks to equip and disciple children, students and adults with disabilities into the life and community of the church. It’s based on II Corinthians 12:9, “But He said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.”
Sherri Swanson, the wife of Glenn Swanson, pastor of Bayside Baptist Church (BBC), said the ministry kicked off in March. “They are moving slowly,” she said, allowing organic growth. Classes for adults and young adults are at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesdays and include music, crafts and Bible stories. For younger children and youth, the emphasis is more on inclusion. They also have had several parties and special events. Buddies are available for those who need more assistance.
Using the Lifeway Spark Studio curriculum designed for those affected by disabilities, Sherri said she adapted the material for BBC students — fewer songs, repeating and reviewing the Bible stories each day and snacks and crafts crafted especially for their participants. One of the students was Glenn and Sheri’s daughter, Anna.
“We had a great time!” Sherri said. “Anna has always volunteered, helping with games, snacks and music in our past Vacation Bible Schools. She was hesitant about this “12nine” VBS but she loved it after the first day and she wants to do it again next year. It’s great to have a community where no one feels out of place.”
Quotable Quotes
“It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.” (Fanny Crosby)
History Bites
- “In 1846, after the first year of operation, the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) reported that only two missionaries had been appointed to one field – China. By 1891, however, the board had raised nearly $2 million and increased the number of missionaries to 91 serving in six fields. Today Southern Baptists have the largest Christian missionary force among evangelical churches and have given more than $1 billion for international missions.” (The Christian Index)
- “Second Baptist Church of Baltimore led the way in Sunday School work. Its July 17, 1797 minutes stated, ‘Agreed that we do see to it that the youth be assisted in the learning of God’s Word on the Lord’s Day; that Brother Carman be the leader for the School.’ Begun sometime before 1803, this was the first Baptist Sunday School in the South, believed to be the first in the United States to use the Bible as its text and volunteers as its teachers and was perhaps the first denominational Sunday School anywhere.” (You Are a Great People, by W. Loyd Allen)
- August 10: Connect Lunches! For Children & Youth Leaders — Let us take you to lunch! You deserve it! Connect with BCM/D Children’s and Youth Ministry Consultant Kris Buckman and other children’s and youth leaders in your area.
- August 23: Core Values Index Webinar (CVI)— The CVI quantifies the unchanging innate nature of a person that inscribes where a person can make their highest and most productive contribution to the world. This is an interesting tool that can help you in your ministry and personal life.
- Sept. 14 — Healthy Leaders for Healthy Churches: Revitalizing Volunteer Leadership — Volunteer leaders are a vital part of any non-profit organization, including churches. Leading volunteers well is necessary to promote the effectiveness and success of your team. The material presented in these sessions is built on the leadership training strategies of Mark Miller, the Vice President of High-Performance Leadership for the Chick-Fil-A corporation. (Skycroft Conference Center)
- Sept. 15 — Healthy Leaders for Healthy Churches: Revitalizing Volunteer Leadership — Volunteer leaders are a vital part of any non-profit organization, including churches. Leading volunteers well is necessary to promote the effectiveness and success of your team. The material presented in these sessions is built on the leadership training strategies of Mark Miller, the Vice President of High-Performance Leadership for the Chick-Fil-A corporation. (Baptist Center Offices, Columbia)
- Sept. 24 — Going Beyond Live With Pricilla Shirer — An Event for Women Seeking Jesus. Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena at UMBC 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore.
Feature photo: Saints Church members are “takin’ it to the streets!” They want the community to know they’re in Severna Park and they want to love people and share the good news about Jesus. The church members recently participated in the annual Severna Park July 4th parade, a big deal that folks look forward to each year. It gives the area a “small town” feel. (Facebook photo)
