"So if the Son sets you free,
                                                you will be free indeed." 
                                                             (John 8:36)
On Sunday, August 5th 2018 - Freedom Community Church held a special baptism service at Fenon's Grove in Andreas, PA where two members of our church were baptized.  Pics of this event are below!  
The pond awaits those who would be baptized and the witnesses gather together as Pastor Mark and Brother Dave enter the pond.
Our first member to be baptized (Jimmy - Dave and Sue Wapensky's grandson) professes his belief in and commitment to Christ and Pastor Mark and Brother Dave prepare to immerse Jimmy.  
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Jimmy is immersed in water (symbolizing the death and burial of his "old self") and then is brought back up symbolizing his new life in Christ.  
Our second member to be baptized (Gail) makes her way into the pond and then gives a brief testimony of how she came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.  
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Gail is immersed in water (symbolizing the death and burial of her "old self") and then is brought back up symbolizing her new life in Christ. 
On Saturday, Dec 12th 2015 we hosted a free Christmas Party for the people of our community.  We had games, crafts, and snacks for the children and we gave out 70 backpacks filled with toys and essentials.  A very big thank you once again goes to the mission team from Zion Hill Baptist Church in Lawndale NC who brought the backpacks to us.  Some pics of this event are below.  
The Christmas cookies and water all prepared for our guests. 
A small sampling of the 70 backpacks that were given to us by Zion Hill Baptist Church in NC through the North American Mission Board's Appalachian Regional Ministry and Pastor Mark's wife (Mina) inspects the games that have been set up.
Our helpers relaxing before the people come in and Geri mans the registration table.
People roaming about the auditorium and Pastor Mark directing the children how to receive their backpacks after he gave the Gospel message.
The children search through their backpacks and a little boy tries his backpack on (with his father's help).
On Thanksgiving Day - 2015 - Pastor Mark took pie slices and bags of candy into the community of Lehighton to give to people who were working to encourage them and thank them for their service.  Check out some of the pics below!
Fresh baked pumpkin pies ready to be sliced and portioned for delivery.
We also gave out small bags of candy which contained a Gospel tract and church invite.
Pumpkin and apple pie slices ready to go and Pastor Mark packs up the car.
Pastor Mark outside a nursing home facility he delivered to and a "selfie" in front of a local gas station.
In the beginning of August 2015 a mission team from Bethel Baptist Church in NC joined our church in serving the Lord by running a Backyard Bible Club for the children of our community.  The children had a great time doing crafts and playing games while learning about trusting God.  Also, each day they heard the Gospel message.  Below are some pics of this event.
On Wed, Aug 5th we had a kick-off cookout celebration where the children and their parents played games and enjoyed free hot dogs and soda. 
Children playing bean bag toss and enjoying their food at our kick-off celebration.
Children watching a short video and children gathered together for their lesson time on Day 1. 
The children working on a pillow craft and Miss Thomissa shares the Gospel. 
The theme verse for this year's BYBC and children working on their hula-hoop skills.
Children working diligently on their painting craft on Day 2 and some finished products.
Children having some crazy fun and a wide shot of the Grove Park in Lehighton PA where we had the BYBC event.
On Saturday, Dec 13th 2014 we hosted a free Christmas Party for the people of our community.  We had games, crafts, and snacks for the children and we gave out 68 backpacks filled with toys and essentials.  A very big thank you goes to the mission team from Zion Hill Baptist Church in Lawndale NC who brought the backpacks with them and helped us show God's love to our community.  Some pics of this event are below.  
A sampling of the backpacks we distributed and Pastor Mark gets his picture taken with them.  
Our registration table and Christmas cookies ready to be eaten.  
We had two different kind of crafts for the children - a Gospel tree (l) and a Christmas coloring page (r).  
A young lady prepares to play a game of Pin the Nose on the Snowman and a young man tries his luck at the Elf Hat Ring Toss.
Children working on the Gospel tree craft and enjoying a game of catch with a football.  
Pastor Mark preparing for his Gospel talk and Pastor Mark talks to folks as they wait to receive their backpacks.  
The children get in line to receive their backpacks and a group picture of the team from Zion Hill Baptist Church in Lawndale NC.  
On Thanksgiving Day 2014 we made Thanksgiving dinners and had pie slices and we distributed them to people who were working in our community.  We went to several gas stations, our hospital emergency room, nursing homes, and convenience stores.  We also handed out church invites and Gospel tracts. Check out the pics below.
Our turkey halfway through the baking process and some sides.
Disposable utensils with "Thank You" cards, the tracts that we handed out, and the delicious pies which are ready to be cut.  
'Mina (Pastor Mark's wife) carefully cuts the pies into slices and the sides cooked and ready to be made into meals.  
The finished Thanksgiving meal and Pastor Mark fills the trunk of his car with pies and Thanksgiving meals.  
Pastor Mark preparing to deliver meals to a local gas station and Pastor Mark outside Lehighton Hospital's emergency room.  
On Saturday October 18th 2014 my family and I walked the streets of Lehighton during our annual Halloween Parade talking with people and handing out church invites and bags of candy with a Gospel tract inside. Check out the pics below.  
Many bags of candy and the Lehighton High School band starts the parade.  
There were many interesting sights at the Halloween Parade including the Yuengling Clydesdale horses.  
Pastor Mark takes time to talk with a family and gets his picture taken with a scary clown.  
Pastor Mark and his daughter, Evangeline (on the right with her hood on) continue to talk with the people of Lehighton and hand out bags of candy and church invites.   
The parade goes by as Pastor Mark makes his way through town spreading God's love.  
In the middle of August 2014 a missions team from Georgia came to PA to help us do door to door surveys and share the Gospel with the people of Lehighton.  On Saturday August 16th they helped us run our Back to School BBQ outreach event where we gave away free food and school supplies for the children.   Below are some pics of this event. 
Pastor Joel from the GA missions team talks to the kids as others gather their school supplies and brother Gene from GA grills the hot dogs. 
Liz from the GA missions team shares the Gospel with 2 young girls using dolls that she crafted herself and a group of children crowd in ready for sno-cones. 
Pastor Mark makes a brief visit to the crafting table to help two young ladies and a sampling of our crafts - clothes pin airplanes and caterpillars.
Brother Dave from Freedom Community Church serves at the drink and sno-cone table and a happy young man shows off his smile. 
In the beginning of August 2014 a missions team from North Carolina from Cashiers Baptist Church came to Lehighton PA to help us share the love and Good News of Jesus Christ by running a puppet show and Backyard Bible Club.  They did one show and Bible club in the morning at the Lehighton Amphitheater and in the evening we went to the Gypsy Hill Apartments to minister to the children and parents there as well.   Some pics of these events are below. 
Light bulb puppets open the show singing, "This Little Light of Mine" and two women from the NC missions team do a skit which guides the children to clues about who Jesus is. 
Song time for the Backyard Bible Club at the Lehighton Amphitheater. 
During this event the children also did crafts and played fun games. 
The puppets make their appearance at the Gypsy Hill Gardens in Lehighton. 
Game time at Gypsy Hill and a nice team photo of the NC missions team.
In the beginning of July 2014 a missions team from NC came to PA to help us run a Backyard Bible Club for
the children of our community.  Below are some pics from this event. 
The NC team unpacks and prepares for our first day and the big red floppy guy is ready to welcome the children. 
The children listen to Miss Gail from the NC team teach on loving God and 3 young ladies from the NC team lead song time. 
Kids from the NC team act out a skit to reinforce the lessons and the children enjoy themselves as they work on a craft. 
Miss Mina (Pastor Mark's wife) prepares the snacks and Pastor Avery from the NC team leads the children in a game of Four Corners. 
Pastor Lee from the NC team shares the Gospel with the children by using a Rubik's Cube and
Evangeline (Pastor Mark's daughter) is declared winner of Four Corners. 
The children enjoying sing time and a young lad has fun with a Spy Academy secret spy glass. 
In early July 2014 the NC Missions Team also helped us run a Baseball Camp for children in our community where they not only learned how to play baseball, but also about God's Word and the Gospel.  Below are some pics of this event. 
Pastor Avery from the NC team prepares the children by having them warm up and practice throwing the ball. 
The children practice their catching skills. 
More throwing practice on the second day and 2 children look on with laughter. 
More catching practice and Miss Francis from the NC team teaches the children about Jesus. 
Now time for some serious hitting practice and training. 
At the end of day 3 the children enjoyed a friendly game of baseball together and put into practice what they learned over the past few days.