http://embracebaltimore.com/index.htmlHot News!en2012-05-25T09:16:44-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Fri, 25 May 2012 09:37:08 -0500Stories2012-05-25T09:16:44-05:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/053db1b34ade7008d2e65bd8bf35087c-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/053db1b34ade7008d2e65bd8bf35087c-8.html#unique-entry-id-8by Sharon Mager, Baltimore Baptist Association Correspondent

If the Apostle Paul lived in Canton, he may very well have been a dog owner. The people of Canton and surrounding neighborhoods love their four-footed furry friends. Canton has one of Baltimore’s only fenced-in dog parks where Fido and pals can romp around without a leash. It was a natural for Canton Baptist Church, literally around the corner from the dog park, to pamper pets in an effort to minister to their community.

“Every Sunday we’d see people walk through the courtyard with their dogs to the dog park,” Steve Wolverton, pastor of Canton Church, said. Wolverton prayed for opportunities to reach those people. The church began envisioning an outside venue where people could come to the church and sit outside with their dogs and still participate in the Sunday morning service and other church events with their dogs.

“AKA – Canine Cathedral,” Wolverton laughed.

]]>Stories2012-04-05T16:20:11-05:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/6197cf1e0ade33f1de91f19541becff0-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/6197cf1e0ade33f1de91f19541becff0-7.html#unique-entry-id-7by Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent

Valley Baptist Church is on a mission and each member is working to discover his or her personal mission field.

“Missions used to be about going on mission trips and only highly trained specialized people did long term missions. Now everyone is struggling to see themselves as a missionary and every believer is working to find his or her own people group,” Jeff Elkins, associate pastor of Valley Church said.

Elkins said church members are looking at their people groups as neighbors, members of their community associations, parents and friends at local schools and recreation leagues. Some members are working with the homeless community and others are ministering to prostitutes.

]]>Stories2012-04-05T16:13:17-05:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/b8a3cfb5d67eecb93f437c93b0dad925-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/b8a3cfb5d67eecb93f437c93b0dad925-6.html#unique-entry-id-6by Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent

North Point Church has leapt from plateaued to revival. Attendance doubled in two years. The church is moving out into the neighborhood and is now reflecting the North Point community.

The church called Pastor Mark Swan in February 2010. Swan began ministering to a wary congregation. They’d been without a pastor for six months. The mostly senior congregation was declining. They were in a rut. Like many churches, they wanted to advance God’s kingdom, but had lost their vision along the way and were inwardly focused, Swan said.

]]>Stories2012-04-05T16:03:52-05:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/d21bf81a078af1797370f43916a32a56-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/d21bf81a078af1797370f43916a32a56-5.html#unique-entry-id-5by Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent

Joshua Smith, minister of Intentional Living at Gallery Church, practices what he preaches. He lives in West Baltimore in an old refurbished drug house and his door is open - to prostitutes and drug addicts who stop in for water, to talk and pray, for a moment of refuge.

“These are the people who Jesus’ heart broke for—the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the heroine dealers.” They’re probably not going to go to a church, Smith said. “I wouldn’t either if I smelled bad and didn’t have any decent clothes to wear,” he said.

]]>Stories2012-04-05T15:50:39-05:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/73a531bfad019ddd382612cce0d87dd6-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/73a531bfad019ddd382612cce0d87dd6-4.html#unique-entry-id-4by Sharon Mager

When Catonsville Baptist Church made a commitment to serve their community, that community responded.

Last fall, Catonsville members served free food to over three hundred people who attended the church’s first classic car show.

“For our very first car show the community’s response was phenomenal,” Mark Klimovitz, Catonsville’s senior pastor said excitedly.
]]>Stories2012-04-05T15:16:03-05:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/975193fa9e55d07d8aabda7e64718591-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/975193fa9e55d07d8aabda7e64718591-3.html#unique-entry-id-3by Sharon Mager, BBA Correspondant

God is blessing Baltimore with new pastors. Three of those highlighted here are “homegrown,” and one is from Texas. All of them are excited to be ministering in the area and have fresh Holy Spirit driven plans to engage their communities and share the Gospel of Jesus.



]]>Stories2011-11-08T14:40:20-06:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/e79b0ddde119f36f26053b9fa0879048-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/e79b0ddde119f36f26053b9fa0879048-2.html#unique-entry-id-2by Pastor Samuel Cho, Nepal/Bhutan Baptist Church of Baltimore

First of all, thank you for your prayers and participation in this block party.

God blessed us greatly through our worship service and medical activities. About 200 people participated, consisting of Nepalese, Bhutanese, Koreans, Americans, Chinese and Thai. During our worship service, 35 persons accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

]]>Stories2011-11-08T12:20:09-06:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/98c039601d9f4e94edeac1ffd060850e-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/98c039601d9f4e94edeac1ffd060850e-1.html#unique-entry-id-1by Becki Miller, Students & Recreation
First Baptist Church, Mauldin

There were months of planning for our team to come to Baltimore, Maryland, for our Youth Summer Mission Trip. We met with Bob Mackey, Executive Director of Missions, Baltimore Baptist Association, and the planning took off! There were many people involved in the Baltimore area that helped to make this trip possible. We met with church leaders and laymen, and we prayed about each church and their neighborhoods.

]]>Stories2011-10-26T16:05:47-05:00http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/hyde-park-takes-texas.html#unique-entry-id-0http://embracebaltimore.com/stories/files/hyde-park-takes-texas.html#unique-entry-id-0by Jamie Ray

High-fiving with one hand and holding a melted grape snow cone in the other, 40 children ranging from three to 16-years old, ended their afternoon of Vacation Bible School to the tune, “You’re my brother, you’re my friend…”

In July 2011, a team of 10 from Hyde Park Baptist Church, Austin, Texas, led by children’s minister Brandy Caffey, hosted a Texas-themed Vacation Bible School from 5:30-8:30 each evening at the Marble Hall Apartments in Baltimore, Maryland, as a partnership with Infinity Church.

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