AssociationLIFE comes primarily from church and association newsletters, bulletins and written reports on events that are sent to BaptistLIFE. Due to space restrictions, articles received may be edited. You may feel free to fax news to us at (410) 290-6627 or e-mail to smager@bcmd.org or post directly on BaptistLIFE’s Facebook.
Arundel Association
Crossroads Church, Odenton, members are planning their third annual trip to Brenton, W.V., in October. They’ll serve with Appalachia Service Project to help winterize homes.
Over 200 people, some from Pennsylvania and Delaware, came to Severna Park Church’s fourth annual “Cruisin-In” car show in June. 
The outreach included over 50 classic cars, chicken barbecue, hot dogs, hamburgers and snow cones as well as moon bounces, face painting and jugglers for the children. Church members gave away Bibles, tracts and information about the church. They also registered children for VBS.
Severna Park Pastor Dave Brown said the church hosts the annual car show to provide another “connection” with the community.
“We want to show that we are not just stuffy people inside a building but that people in our church are real. We have joys and interests just like everyone else, but we know the greatest joy in God’s love. So, this event becomes a touch point for us to communicate about our relationship with Jesus Christ,” Brown said.
Baltimore Association
Garden Community recently hosted mission volunteers from Virginia and Texas who helped with a free market, painted the recreation center where the church meets and passed out 1,000 cards in the community promoting the church’s “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” (NHN) initiative.
Church member and Johns Hopkins Ph.D. student Paul Rottmann began the NHN movement, focusing on identifying needs in the neighborhoods around the church and securing people to meet those needs.
Pastor Joel Kurz said he’s excited about the connections being made. He shares about a man with whom he has been praying for God to help him connect.
“I don’t know why, but whenever I’ve seen him in the neighborhood, my heart is drawn to him yet I’ve been unable to connect,” Kurz said.
One of the NHN sites asked Kurz to stop by while they were helping someone. Kurz was humbled when he realized the man the team was helping was the very same person with whom Kurz had prayed for God to connect him.
The man had received a card one of the volunteer youth had left and he called the number. He has since been attending Garden Community.
Infinity Church had a free sports camp in July at Marble Hall Garden Apartments in Baltimore.
Blue Ridge Association
Paramount Church will have a “last days of summer” retreat on Aug. 10. They’ll enjoy a day of fellowship, worship, swimming and fun at Greenbrier Park.
Summit Trace Community Church, Frederick and Daybreak Church, Frederick, merged in May. Dan Housam, pastor of Daybreak, is now the senior pastor of Summit Trace. Drew Boswell has been called to a church in Valdosta, Ga.
Delaware Association
First Southern Church started a third worship service on Easter Sunday. Church members marched in the Old Dover Days parade in May and distributed 750 packets with candy and cards promoting their VBS and sports camps.
Hockessin Church held services at the restored Queen Theater on Market Street in Wilmington on May 15. Over 500 people attended.
Eastern Association
Allen Memorial Church is collecting school supplies for needy students at Salisbury Middle School.
The First Baptist Church of Delmar (501 Bi-State Blvd, Delmar, MD) will be holding its Fourth Annual Labor Day Community Day on Sept. 5th from 11 a.m.–p.m. The event will include: special music by The Promise Land Quartet and Bill and Karen Itzel, car show, skydivers, hotdogs, hamburgers, crab cakes, cotton candy, snow cones, waterslide, bounce house, games and much more. Entry is free and all food is sold at nominal prices. This is a day for the family to celebrate community and enjoy fellowship. For more information find us on facebook: First Baptist Church Delmar or call 410-896-3284.
Mid-Maryland Association
Recently members of Hope Church, Laurel, Md., elected Waldo King as Deacon Emeritus. Waldo and his wife, Muriel, have been members of the church since 2005. The church presented Waldo a plaque and the family was honored at a luncheon following the worship service.
Mid-Maryland Association will have their annual golf tournament on Sept. 20 at Oakmont Green in Hampstead. Proceeds will benefit Open Door Community Development Corporation, benefitting the needy in Baltimore. The cost is $75 per player. For more information call (410) 549-7156.
Montgomery Association
Montgomery Association will have its annual fall revival from Sept. 18-21 at Olney Church. Services begin at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Evangelist Jerry Drace, from Humboldt, Tenn., will be the guest speaker. Drace has conducted over 1,000 revivals, crusades and missions throughout the United States and internationally.
Gayle Clifton, pastor of Upper Seneca Church, led worship during their “Big Apple Adventure” VBS this summer.
Churches from the Montgomery Association will man a booth at the Montgomery County Fair Aug. 12-20.
Montrose Church, Rockville, had a full schedule for children this summer. The church hosted a summer fun camp, VBS and a performing arts camp.
Olney Church won first place for their float in the Olney Days Parade.
Potomac Association
Hughesville Church started a health support group that meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The purpose is to minister to those who have family members suffering from cancer, Alzheimer’s and other illnesses.
Fifty women attended a Women on Mission annual tea at First Church, La Plata, Md. The event doubled as a baby shower for the Catherine Foundation pregnancy care center.
Prince George’s Association
White Hall Church, Accokeek, Md., installed their new pastor, Douglas White, on July 10. White and his wife, Cathi, have one daughter, Sara, who is a student at Frostburg University.
Susquehanna Association
First Church, Northeast, Md., ordained Phillip Meekens, Sr., to the Gospel ministry on June 12.
North Harford Church had their annual children’s camp at Camp Wo-Me-To last month. The kids had fun with chapel, “Missionary Moments,” arts and crafts, fishing, boating, volleyball, swimming and campfire time. They had a special presentation time for parents at the end of the week.
Western Association
Cumberland Community Church has been growing steadily. The church began with two families sitting at a dining room table in 2003. On Easter this year, nearly 400 people attended.
Little Meadows Church, Grantsville, members ministered at Grantsville Days in June. The Western Association partnered with the church providing their new “Baby Comfort Station II.” The association bought a new comfort station as a result of having to move locations while ministering at the Garrett County Fair.
Kenny Heath, director of misisons, explained: “Last year, at the Garrett County Fair, our spot was moved, as the original location was part of the spot where they’re building a new big multipurpose facility. Our new spot was much better, right where the midway, dirt track, and farm families’ campers met. Only problem was–and no one knew this until we tried driving in the tent stakes–there’s a rock shelf about six inches down, all through that area. We wound up lashing together four pop-up canopies to have the Baby Comfort Station.
“In the year since, the Lord has blessed us with enough special missions funds to buy a King Canopy about two-thirds the size of the original BCS tent. We can anchor the canopy without driving stakes. We’ll still use the big tent at the Allegany County Fair, but take BCS II to Garrett County and other smaller events as the Lord opens doors,” he said.