Arundel Association
The Arundel Association will host a media training seminar at Glen Burnie Church on Jan. 9, for beginners and on Feb. 26, for those at an intermediate level. The seminar will cover Power Point, Media Shout and sound. For more information, email the ABA office at info@arundelbaptist.info.
Crossroads Church, Odenton, will have a poverty meal of rice and beans this month as a way to identify with those who have little to eat and to raise money to help the homeless. Members will bring crock pots with rice or beans to share. Each family will contribute what they would have normally spent for a family meal. The funds will go to support Light House, a homeless resource center in Annapolis.
South Shore Church, Crownsville, will present the musical drama, “Mary D” at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 13. The program features a mix of Biblical truth and fiction.
Baltimore Association
Iglesia Bautista Principe de Paz, Armistead Gardens, planted a new church that meets on Wednesdays at Patterson Park Church and they’re working on another plant in Towson. Currently they have two families meeting in a home on Thursday evenings. Valley Church has offered a room to help with this new work.
The Armistead Gardens church is also is helping the mission effort in Senegal and sent a team to help in April. The church is working with Pastor Gilbert Rowe, a missionary from Costa Rica who works in Senegal. Rowe adopted 20 children to teach them the Gospel of Christ and support them with the help of the U.S. Hispanic Church in the United States. Iglesia Bautista Principe de Paz is helping by adopting a little girl that Rowe cares for, providing education, clothing and food for one year.
Loch Raven Church launched their new youth group called “B.A.M.M.” at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. B.A.M.M. stands for Bible and Music Ministry youth group. Each week the church has games and “hang” time, praise and worship and a Bible study. Special speakers are scheduled for the first Sunday of the month and occasionally local Christian bands will provide music. Currently the study is about the life of Christ.
Leaders of the group plan to offer opportunities for teens to earn service hour credits by helping senior citizens at the church. They’re also planning local mission outreaches such as helping at shelters and throwing a Christmas party for needy children.
Lisa Yeager, a B.A.M.M. leader, said the church is inviting churches without youth groups, or those with small youth groups to join them on Sundays.
Blue Ridge Association
South End Church, Frederick, celebrated their 50th anniversary with a catered dinner event on Oct. 23 followed by a homecoming special anniversary worship service on Oct. 24.
Smithsburg Church participated in Convoy of Hope at the Hagerstown fairgrounds. Over 1,000 people stopped by for prayer and 100 made commitments of faith.
Delaware Association
Berlin First Church will present the Christmas cantata “O Holy Night” on Sunday evening, Dec. 19. Lynnhaven Church, Pocomoke City, will have its annual “Walk through Bethlehem” Christmas extravaganza on Dec. 11, 12, and 17-19 from 7 to 9 p.m. Each year the church constructs the town of Christ’s birth and dramatically recreates the nativity using costumed actors.
Mid-Maryland Association
Westminster Church had a VBS fall “Saddle Ridge Reunion Roundup” last month with a moon bounce, basketball shooting contest, floating ping pong, popcorn, snow cones and more. The outreach was an opportunity to reconnect with summer VBSers and their families.
Montgomery Association
Pastors and congregations from all over Maryland and Virginia recently attended Poolesville Church’s prophecy conference entitled, “The Glorious Reign: Rethinking the Return of Christ.” It was a conference on Eschatology and the church’s mission in the world. Speakers included Robert Dalrymple, Koinonia Graduate School of Theology, CA; Alan Bandy, Oklahoma Baptist University, OK; Howard Griffith, Reformed Theological Seminary, VA and Jace Broadhurst, Pastor, Poolesville Church. Podcasts of the discussions can be accessed for free at the church website, www.poolesvillebaptist.com.
Potomac Association
First Church, LaPlata, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special service and luncheon on Oct. 17. The church had a “Hallelujah Harvest Party for children on Oct 30.
Trinity Church, Waldorf, will welcome the Port Tobacco Players, a local prestigious theater group in Charles County at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12. Church members will offer coffee and desserts following the performance. The church will provide shelter for the homeless Christmas week as part of the Safe Nights program.
Prince George’s Association
Rommel Peñaranda was installed as the new pastor of Victory Missions International Church (VMI) on Oct. 17 at the church’s new home at Cresthill Church, Bowie.
Rommel Peñaranda was installed as the new pastor of Victory Missions International Church (VMI) at the church’s new home at Cresthill Church, Bowie. His wife, Natalie Lee, is standing with him.
Jonathan Master, Pastor of Trinity Community Church of Bowie, shared a personal testimony and encouraged Peñaranda. James Painter, Pastor of Cresthill Church, presented the installation message.
“God is so good. God-willing, I will do my best for God to be glorified in this church. It is a privilege to be an under-shepherd and to be the leader that helps guide them into maturity,” said Peñaranda.
VMI is presently comprised mostly of Filipino-Americans. However, the new pastor would like to see the church reflect the multi-ethnicity of the Bowie community and neighboring areas.
Before becoming the head pastor, Peñaranda served as the administrative pastor of VMI under Tohbie Balasoto, the outgoing head pastor who will now concentrate on the church’s mission outreach in Honduras. Peñaranda’s previously served as a missionary youth pastor to the Philippines. That’s where he met his wife, Natalie Lee Villanueva, a physician currently seeking residency in the States either as a doctor of internal medicine or as a pediatrician.
A 2003 graduate of Washington Bible College in Pastoral Ministries, Peñaranda is currently working on his Masters in Divinity in Pastoral Ministries at Capital Bible Seminary, Lanham, MD.
Susquehanna Association
Pleasant View Church, Port Deposit, will have a men and women’s conference entitled “Cultivation 2010” on Nov. 5 and 6. The guest speakers are Paige Patterson, President Southwestern Theological Seminary and his wife, Dorothy Patterson, Professor of Theology in Woman’s Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The conference begins with a dinner on Nov. 5 followed by the first session, “Men, the need for real manhood in a day of real battles. For women, the session is “Being a biblical woman in a land that is not.” Session two begins at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6 is for men and women. It’s called, “Biblical marriage – God’s answer to a questionable future.” Childcare is $10. For more information, contact lwilson@pvbchurch.com or call (410) 378-4476.
Western Association
Welsh Church, Frostburg, was the lead church in a mission trip to Haiti in August. Fourteen people from seven churches, five women and nine men ranging in ages from 18 to 68 participated. Welsh sent six volunteers including one elder and the pastor, Tom Winborne. Pleasant View Church, Oakland, partnered with Welsh and sent one pastor and two leaders.
The team worked from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day doing everything from digging foundations, laying block, building rafters, covering roofs with tin, and building and installing doors.
“The average daily heat index was 115 degrees so we obviously had bouts with heat exhaustion and dehydration. It was very difficult work, but we were able to work on approximately six houses during our time in Damien,” Winborne said.
Welsh and Pleasant View are teaming up again to return to Haiti on January 8 to 15 and again next summer with the intention of building houses and doing some backyard Bible clubs.
“Every day in August we were swamped with dozens and dozens of kids at every work site. They just want to be around you while you are there. We thought backyard Bible clubs would be a great way to influence them toward the Gospel. We’ll also probably pair that up with some soccer instructional from a couple of our college students who will be going with us this time. The kids all love soccer there.”
“We are looking forward to seeing how God will use and impact our people during and because of these trips,” Windborne said.
Check out the church’s video of their trip at: http://www.welshbaptist.com/serving_your_world.php.