Our Cockeysville baseball teams are on a roll and now the Cockeysville Pirates have claimed the 13-15 Regional Championship, competing against a dozen teams from Lutherville, Towson and Cockeysville.
Capping off a successful season, which included just a single loss, the Pirates had an exciting run in the playoffs ending with a walk-off double to win the championship. Congratulations to the Pirates — Daniel Anthony, Bryan Ator, Matthew Bach, Wyatt Ball, Nick Dukes, Emmanuel Moore, Trevor New, Drew O'Donnell, Daniel Olsson, Tommy Podles, Trevor Schreibeis, Zayne Stranko, Roy Vandermer, Scott Wilson and Coach Mike Stranko. Many of the boys have played together since their earliest baseball days and are in their final year playing for Cockeysville Rec., so it was especially nice to go out as champions!
Hunt Valley Church once again had an amazing week of vacation Bible school as they welcomed almost 500 children to explore their Cave Quest program. With 230 volunteers on hand to run the camp, all sorts of crafts, activities and good old-fashioned fun was on tap during the busy week. One of the centerpieces of the Bible camp is outreach and Hunt Valley Church always does a terrific job of having the children themselves have an impact on the world around them. This year's project was support for the Assistance Center of Towson Churches, a program that provides help to the poor and the needy in our area. The children raised more than $10,000 to benefit the center, providing 6,117 packed lunches for people in need. What an impact that will have right here in our community.
So much is happening at Epworth United Methodist Church, in Cockeysville, as they just welcomed the Rev. Kate Payton as their new lead pastor on July 1. Pastor Payton joins the church from Washington, D.C., where she most recently served as the associate minister of serving and young adult ministries at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church and lead pastor at Wesley United Methodist. Welcome to Pastor Kate and her husband, Abraham! The congregation also bid a very fond farewell to Pastor Trisha Watson in early June, as she left to take on her next assignment as pastor at First Saints Community Church in California, in St Mary's County. The Epworth Mission Team was also busy as this past week as they turned their attention to their own campus with building projects, painting and lots of upkeep. The biggest project was the construction of an outdoor altar, which will be a lovely setting for many outdoor activities. Finally, Epworth just kicked off its annual vacation Bible school, welcoming children from their congregation and the surrounding community.