“Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have won Him victory. The Lord has made His victory known; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen our God’s victory. Shout to the Lord, all the earth; be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing.” (Psalm 98:1-4 HCSB).
As a new season approaches, with school starting and new church programs kicking off, Maryland/Delaware churches are praising God with music, preaching, and outreach.
Elevate Church provided school supplies to many needy families in their community. Pastor Steve Poole wrote on a Facebook post, “Churches from all over the country have been helping us to do this by sending more than 100 boxes of backpacks and school supplies, in addition to the backpacks filled with supplies that one individual purchased for our church.”
Georgia Avenue Church donated school supplies to help Elevate Church minister to the needy in their community.
Poole said that during the summer, low-income, single parent, and dual income families have increased expenses. The children usually get free breakfasts and lunches during the school year, but in the summer there is an increased food cost and often childcare expense too. When school begins, parents have to buy school supplies and sometimes uniforms for their growing children.
“After helping more than 60 families directly, we asked the schools how we could help even more,” Poole said. They discovered that many children show up to school the first week without backpacks, supplies, or uniforms because their families cannot afford them. “Teachers and school employees will often spend their own money to help them out,” he said.
“Some children only can afford one or two school uniforms and will often wear the same clothes all week long. One local elementary school washes uniforms each evening so the students can have clean clothes. These schools love their students. It is not just a job for them.”
Marbury Baptist Church will welcome LYRA, an international a cappella choral ensemble from St. Petersburg, Russia, at 7 pm on Oct. 5.
The group performs a variety of music that includes ancient and sacred songs, chants, traditional folk music and the work of both less known and famous composers including Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Stravinsky.
According to the group’s website, they received several awards including the Montreux International Choral Festival diploma and they were a winner of the Coleraine International Music Festival in Northern Ireland.
Marbury Church will take a love offering for the group.
Montgomery Baptist Association (MBA) will have a fall revival from 7:30 to 9 pm nightly Oct. 14-17 at Colesville Baptist Church. Speakers include Danny Moore, pastor of Barnesville Baptist Church; Michael Mattar, pastor of Hope Fellowship Church; Brian Tubbs, pastor of Olney Baptist Church; and Gayle Clifton, who serves as interim pastor of Ashton Baptist Church and as Montgomery Baptist Association Moderator.
MBA churches will provide music each evening.
The annual revival kicks off immediately after MBA’s annual meeting which begins at 4:30 pm on Oct. 14.
Bay Life Church will have a community day from noon to 4 on Sept. 22. The church meets at Glen Burnie Baptist Church. The outreach will include free food, live music, activities for the children, and information booths offering resources from local non-profits and information about the church.
Freedom Church hosts a series of “Freedom Forums” as a way to define and discuss today’s social issues in light of the Gospel. On Sept. 16, the church will feature “Freedom Forum-Social Justice” at Freedom’s Windsor Mill campus at 6916 Dogwood Road, Baltimore.
Presenters include Dan Hyun, pastor of The Village Church; Ron Anderson, an elder at Freedom Church, Baltimore; Joel Kurz, pastor of The Garden Church and Stephanie LaFerriere, a life-coach at The Garden Church.