News from East Liberty Presbyterian Church
August 11, 2010
Isaiah 5:4: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
Additional worship and prayer opportunities during the week
- Taizé prayer service:Every Wednesday, 7:00 pm in the Chapel. Childcare available from 6:45 pm to 8:15 pm. August 11 Taizé service followed at 8:15 by a Tower Sing!
 Closed toed/closed back shoes required. Climb ELPC’s tower and sing Taizé, folk, and evening songs over the city. Meet in the Narthex around 8:00 (after the Taizé service). See news section below for more information.
- Labyrinth prayer walk: Wednesday, August 11, 9:00 am - 9:00 pm; Monday, August 16, 9:00 am to 1:30 pm. In the Social Hall.
- Centering prayer: Tuesday, August 17, 7:00 pm. Room 250.
Youth and young adults
Young adults study session
All those in their 20’s and 30’s are invited to come on Wednesdays through August 25 at 8 pm to watch and discuss the DVD-based study of Bishop N.T. Wright’s book Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. in Room 234. Contact
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ELPC weekly news highlights
 You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out...
A healthy body can help support a healthy spiritual life. Give yourself a gift that keeps on giving! JourneyDance is offered every second Friday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm (McKelvey Room). Open to all ages and bodies. Cost is an offering from the heart. If Friday evenings don’t work, we also offer a yoga class that runs every Thursday evening from 7:15 to 8:45 pm, in the Sewing Room. Cost is an offering from the heart.
 Malawi guests will be coming to Pittsburgh at the end of Sept.
The Pittsburgh Presbytery will be welcoming a group of visitors from Malawi, the warm heart of Africa, at the end of September. Volunteers are needed to host, help with transportation, and more. Watch the church bulletins in the coming weeks for more details on the visit, or speak with Kay Schissler.
Hygiene Kits for Disaster Victims
 The Presbyterian Women are collecting hygiene kits through Labor Day. Can you help? Individual items and/or complete assembled kits are welcomed. Don’t like to shop? You can donate $10 to cover the cost of an individual kit. Pick up instructions on the PW bulletin board outside the library. Please leave items or completed kits in the church office. If you wish to make a monetary gift, used for kits or shipping costs, make checks payable to “Presbyterian Women in East Liberty Presbyterian Church.”
Did you know?
Are you ready for Tower Sing? Here is some background on one of ELPC’s bells, courtesy the church’s history:  On April 21, 1867 Mrs. Barbara Anna Negley offered to purchase a celebrated Meneely bell for the church. The bell was contracted to, made, and installed by A. Fulton & Company of Pittsburgh. The making of a bell is a difficult operation. It is made of several different metals, primarily copper and tin. The bell maker mixes the metals and then tries the mixture for tone. He continues to add more of one or another type of metal until the alloy, and consequently the tone, is exactly right. The bell’s tone is pitched in the approximate area of E above
middle C. It weighs 2,760 pounds. It was hung during the last week of Mrs. Negley’s life, and she died May 10, 1867 Mrs. Negley passed. On May 12 1867, the bell’s first chimes played her requiem as her remains were carried to her family lot in the Allegheny Cemetery where she now lays with her husband and 12 children. The bell currently resides in the bell tower of the current church.
Community Development Update
There’s a lot of construction happening around ELPC,  from the Carnegie Library to the new commercial/residential building on Penn Ave. In addition, East Liberty Development Inc. (ELDI) unveiled the 2010 East Liberty Community Plan. Goals include:
- Neighborhood Stabilization: Continuation of a comprehensive housing strategy
through a variety of mixed-income alternatives to provide housing for all.
- Commercial Core Revitalization: Reinforce East Liberty’s commercial heart by
providing a mix of national and local products, services and entertainment.
- Connectivity: Improve transportation infrastructure. Priorities include
pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, bicycling amenities, street grid reconnections,
parking, transit development and Penn Circle two way conversion.
- Greening: Prioritize green project and sustainability in each development.
- Workforce: Unify workforce initiatives into one strategy that addresses
employers’ and job seekers’ needs.
- Youth Engagement: Engage youth in decision-making and share information
about healthy activities, jobs and career preparation.
- Community Engagement: Improve collaboration and communication among
service providers, neighborhood safety initiatives, small business advocates, block
groups and tenant councils.
Email lists have been developed for people who are interested in these areas of
the Community Plan. Email Becky Maclean at hera314@gmail.com or Katherine
Camp at katherine.camp@eastliberty.org to be added to a list. For more
information, visit www.eastlibertypost.com.
Hope Academy Fall 2010: registration, brochures, scholarships
 Hope Academy’s course brochure, registration form, policy info form, and scholarship applications are now available to download as pdfs. In an effort to cut costs (and save some trees) we will be mailing postcards to let everyone know that they can download everything here. If you would like a complete printed brochure, they are available at the front desk. For more information, click to the Hope Academy’s blog.
ELPC in the Community
East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) Food Pantry
The EECM Food Pantry provides food for individuals and families facing hunger in Pittsburgh. August’s “Food of the Month” is rice.
East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) Men’s Shelter
During the month of August, the Deacons are collecting XL men’s underwear, tee-shirts, and deodorant for EECM’s Men’s Shelter. Donations may be left in the hallway baskets. Thank you for your support! |
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