Greetings from Berwick and Danville!
So much has happened since my last update. We’re excited to bring you all up to speed! Our family has been living in Berwick for over two years now. We’re loving being in town while having the space to raise our family and animals. Our roots seem to be growing deeper in our community.
Throughout the Fall and Winter, Iron Mill Church began to transition many of my Danville-focused leadership responsibilities to other well-equipped leaders at Iron Mill Church. My time and energy have also been shifting towards Berwick. Instead of being in the office at Iron Mill two days per week, we have transitioned to only one day per week.
Small group at our home
We started a small group meeting in our home last Fall, and beginning in January, we transitioned to a study that is not connected with Iron Mill Church, which has allowed non-Iron Mill attendees to join our group as well. We’re currently studying the book of Acts. What better book to study in preparation for beginning a church than the book about the beginning of THE Church!
We have a name!
We will be Foundry Church! The American Car and Foundry was a large industry in Berwick for decades. They primarily manufactured rail cars until WW2, when they also made tanks for the U.S. military that were sent to Germany. The American Car and Foundry continued to operate until the 1960’s when it was finally closed. The American Car and Foundry is a large part of Berwick’s heritage. We also feel that the theme of metal working ties in great with Iron Mill’s theme.
We have a location, vision, and values!
We’ve chosen a location to worship! We’re still working on signing all the paperwork. The location is downtown Berwick with parking and the rent price is within our budget. Our vision is also becoming more clear. We’re focusing on restoration of individuals, families and our community. We’ve also developed our core values: 1. We believe in a simple church: we want to invite people to corporate worship, small group and serving. Our desire is that we would not have “all the programs” at our church but instead, our people would feel empowered to join other community organizations to fill needs. 2. We believe in a “go” mentality: just like Jesus went from heaven to earth to reach us, we want to have the same mindset of going to others. We don’t want to expect others to come to us to be ministered to; rather, we want to go to people to do ministry and ultimately share the gospel. 3. We believe that the gospel is best conveyed in community: life done together brings us closer to Christ.
We have leaders! But still need more!
We’ve started to gather our core leadership team. Our leadership needs include children’s ministry leader, worship music leader, outreach team leader, youth leader, deacons, elders, technology leader, financial advisor, etc. Some of these roles will need to be filled before launching and others may be filled as we continue to progress after our launch date.
Want to pray for specific dates? Or join us!?
There are a couple of future dates to keep in mind. On March 19, after Iron Mill’s regular service, we’ll be having a question-and-answer lunch time. We’ll be discussing our vision and values and answering anyone’s questions. We’re inviting folks from Iron Mill who are interested in joining our launch team, folks who may be on the fence, and people who would like to get more specific information to join us in prayer. On May 21, Iron Mill will be commissioning us and our whole launch team to be planted in Berwick! If you’re considering coming to an Iron Mill event, we would love to have you join us for this time! Also, if you’re planning to join our church plant in Berwick, we would love to have you join us for this date as our sending church will be praying for the Holy Spirit to empower our whole congregation to share the gospel and make disciples in Berwick.
Changes in giving financially!
Lastly, our residency program at Iron Mill will officially conclude at the end of April. In collaboration with Iron Mill and our District leadership, we have developed a budget for the church plant’s first year. We will be on our new budget beginning May 1. This means that all expenses will be paid for out of this new checking account beginning May 1, 2023. If you have been financially supporting us in the greenhouse program, we greatly appreciate your generosity! I am asking if you would consider continuing to partner with us. We have a goal of seeing $28,000 come from individuals’ giving between May and December. This figure also includes giving from people attending our church. If you have given in the past or are currently giving, we would ask that you now give to the “Berwick Church Plant.” You can give online at https://ironmillchurch.churchcenter.com/giving and then choose “Berwick Church Plant” from the dropdown menu. You can also send checks made out to Iron Mill Church with “Berwick Church Plant” marked on the memo line. Their address is 2 Church Hill Rd, Danville PA 17821. The money received in this new account will go towards Foundry Church’s general funds rather than my salary specifically, as it had been previously with the greenhouse program. Beginning in May, we’ll have our own online giving portal that will be connected to our own website, and we’ll also have a mailing address to send checks directly to Foundry Church. If you have questions about giving, please let me know!
Would you pray for us?
We ask that you pray for more leaders to join our core team, for physical, emotional, spiritual and financial health for the launch team, for the power of the Holy Spirit to be manifested through boldness, healings, signs and wonders (Acts 4:29-30), and for people to come to know Jesus in the Berwick area.
Thank you for your continued interest, support, and encouragement to us in our church planting journey!
Serving Jesus with you,
Brandon Glenn
Iron Mill Church
Church Planting Resident
