East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Taizé Social Gathering
2025-06-04 20:00 - 21:00, 2025-07-02 20:00 - 21:00, 2025-08-06 20:00 - 21:00, 2025-09-03 20:00 - 21:00, 2025-10-01 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join us on the first Wednesday of each month following our Taizé prayer service for a time of fellowship with some light refreshments in the Narthex.
Taizé is a unique spiritual community at ELPC, and we desire to have time for those who gather to get to know one another, converse, and move from solitude into community and expand the connection that exists amidst our prayerful songs and quiet meditation.

Juneteenth Parade
2025-06-21 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | PA
ELPC has had a presence in the Juneteenth Parade and this year is no exception! Join us on Saturday, June 21, 10 am. If you would like to walk or ride in the church van, let us know (space is limited).
For information or to sign up, contact Lenore Williams.

Fridays @ Frick: Barrels to Beethoven
2025-06-27 17:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Frick Park, Beechwood Blvd. & Nicholson St., , Squirrel Hill, 15217
The ELPC Connections Groups Ministry invites you to attend Fridays @ Frick on Friday, June 27, 5 pm, to enjoy a free performance by Barrels to Beethoven, an education group dedicated to reaching audiences about steelpan.. Music starts at 6:30 pm and ends around 8 pm.
Grab your blanket or chair and come join us for these free outdoor concerts! Bring a picnic meal for yourself or plan to buy food from the vendors on site. Relax and talk with other EPLC folks while we enjoy music.

Reckoning with ELPC’s Tie to Enslavement
2025-06-29 11:15 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | PA
In 2022, our church family learned that one of our most revered founders and donors enslaved and sold two women, Nell and Poll, in the early 1800s. Over the past year, a small team of ELPCers has sought to learn more about these women and their lives. Who were they beyond the scant details in the dehumanizing 1808 bill of sale?
Join the Facing Systemic Racism Committee after worship on Sunday, June 29, for a presentation on what we have learned about Nell, Poll, and their family. We also will have time for discussion and reflection on what we must do to reckon with this part of our church’s legacy. We’ll gather in the Social Hall and a light lunch will be provided.

LGBTQIA+ Day Retreat
2025-07-19 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | PA
Balancing self-care with care for our loved ones while reaching out to those in need in our community can be challenging, especially in these ever-changing and divisive times. Take a step away from your regular schedule and come together with others who are seeking this “care” balance as well.
Members of the ELPC community are invited to a day retreat, led by guest presenter, Debra Flint, and sponsored by ELPC’s Justice Committee and LGBTQIA+ Ministry for LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies.
Join us as on Saturday, July 19, 9 am–3 pm, at Harold’s Haunt in Millvale, a local queer establishment, for a day of exploration, laughter, reflection, creativity, and food—there is always food! Contact Wil Forrest or Carol Chonoska with questions.
You must pre-register by July 13 with Wil Forrest at wil@coh.net or 412.441.3800 x218. A cost is involved in attending, but scholarships are available.

Family Fun Day with Pittsburgh Black Pride
2025-07-26 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Pride continues in neighborhoods all around Pittsburgh and at ELPC on Saturday, July 26, with Family Fun Day co-hosted by Pittsburgh Black Pride, ELPC’s Justice Committee, and ELPC’s LGBTQIA+ Ministry, as we share fellowship, food, and fun—including a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a talent show, bowling, face painting, jewelry making, and much more.
This is a free event open to the public from 12–4 pm. Come visit with current friends and make some new ones! All are welcome!

Stained Glass Tour
2025-08-03 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Halifax) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join our tour guide for an in-depth tour of the stained glass in our Sanctuary and Chapel.
Designed and created by eight Pittsburgh stained glass shops during the 1930s, the windows tell the history of Presbyterianism and our faith, as well as many Biblical stories, including the amazing depiction of Revelation in the balcony.
Please gather at the Highland Lobby to participate.

All Together Now! Music Festival
2025-08-07 - 2025-08-10, 2025-08-10 | PA
ELPC members Ted Cmarada and Susan Spangler have organized the All Together Now! Music Festival to benefit our immigrant community. The festival will be held Thursday–Sunday, August 7–10, at various venues around Pittsburgh.
All proceeds will go to the Collaborative for Immigrant Impact to help immigrants access legal services, housing, healthcare, education, English classes, career development, food assistance, and more, ensuring our immigrant neighbors have the opportunity to thrive. The Collaborative for Immigrant Impact is a network of 20, Pittsburgh-based organizations that serve as a critical safety net for more than 20,000 immigrants in our community.
The festival concludes on Sunday, August 10, 3 pm, with An Afternoon of Storytelling and Multicultural Music and Dance in the ELPC Sanctuary. This free event will feature multi-cultural performances of music and dance from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Mexico, Brazil and Bhutan; storytelling of the immigrant experience in Pittsburgh; speakers from the Collaborative for Immigrant Impact, a colorful array of community richness; and, an address and special proclamation by Mayor Ed Gainey. This will be a true gathering of community with neighbors old and new celebrating the power of coming All Together Now in support of one another.
Visit alltogetherpgh.com for a schedule of events and ticket prices, the listing of bands and artists, to purchase tickets and t-shirts, and to make a donation.

August LGBTQIA+ Ministry Spiritual Gathering
2025-08-10 11:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
You are invited to the next Spiritual Gathering of ELPC’s LGBTQIA+ Ministry to share food and fellowship at the church. Allies and LGBTQIA+ folks alike are welcome.
Contact Wil Forrest at 412.441.3800 X218 or Wil@coh.net to learn more, to RSVP, and/or to participate. A Zoom option will be available if expressed need is communicated to Wil before the Friday preceding the gathering.
GOD CREATED YOU. GOD LOVES YOU. BE YOURSELF.

ELPC Fire Safety Training and Drill
2025-08-17 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | PA
ELPC’s Safety & Security Advisory Committee (SSA) will be presenting a series of trainings over the next several months concerning important issues to create a safer church for us all.
Following worship on Sunday, August 17, all are invited to stay for a fire safety training and drill presented by our very own Isaiah Wilson, who is a fire safety professional. The congregation will be invited to stay in the Sanctuary after worship ends for this session.
Over the next few months, we will have trainings on first aid, Stop the Bleed, AED, CPR, and intruder threat. All these trainings will be attended by staff members and open to church leaders. Some, such as the fire safety/fire drill and intruder threat, will include sessions intended for all congregation members to attend.
We believe that part of being radically hospitable is keeping all who enter our building as safe as possible. We invite you to pray for us in our work and to keep an eye out for training sessions in coming months in which you can participate.
The SSA Committee is Sandy Brake, Don Breitbarth, Lynne Chadwick, Carol Chonoska (Chair), Carol Chontos, Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz, Wil Forrest, Sara Hackett, Tom Morton, Rev. Jim Tinnemeyer, Isaiah Wilson, and Nancy Wright.

Games with Friends
2025-08-23 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
All are welcome to this game day co-hosted by ELPC’s LGBTQIA+ Ministry and local queer gaming groups as we share fellowship, food, and fun. Bring a game or snack to share, or just come and enjoy the event.
Please email Wil Forrest or call him at 412.441.3800 x218 in advance to RSVP and/or with any questions.

Connections @ Reservoir of Jazz
2025-08-24 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | PA
The ELPC Connections Groups Ministry invites everyone to Highland Park Reservoir for a performance by Paul Cosentino’s Boilermaker Jazz Band on Sunday, August 24. Music starts at 5 pm and ends at 7 pm.
Grab your blanket or chair and come join us for the free outdoor concert! Bring a picnic meal for yourself or plan to buy food from the vendors on site. Relax and talk with other EPLC folks while we enjoy music.
RSVP to connectelpc@gmail.com.

Bearing Witness: Nell & Poll Documents at Heinz History Center
2025-09-06 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-09-08 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | PA
In June, our congregation learned about the lives of Nell, Poll, Sam, Savara, Jack, Sukey, Isaac, Frank, Het, and Maria—the family enslaved and sold by two of our founders.
The Reparations Ministry Team and Facing Systemic Racism Committee invite you to the Heinz History Center Detre Library and Archives on Saturday & Monday, September 6 & 8, 10 am–12 pm, to view the primary sources we relied on for our research: the bills of sale for Nell and Poll, the registry of births of babies to enslaved mothers, and other documents that gave us insight into the lives of the family. We will provide a brief recap of the information from our program in June, and an archivist will be on hand to answer questions about the materials, which will be available for you to view in person. Viewing the documents can be a powerful experience and is a chance to bear witness as we begin to reckon with our church’s tie to enslavement.
Afterward, attendees are encouraged to visit the “From Slavery to Freedom” exhibit, which provides information relevant to enslavement, abolition, and the civil rights movement in Pittsburgh.
Attendance is free, but space is limited. Call or text Hollen Barmer at 412.512.0786 with any questions.
Sign up online

Visitor Sunday
2025-09-14 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | PA
What brings you to church on Sunday? It may be for divine inspiration after a challenging week, to find peace in our sacred space, or to connect with friends, new and old, within our congregation. We hope that all these reasons—and more—pull you in for worship and reflection.
On Sunday, September 14, we will celebrate Visitor Sunday. We encourage you to invite someone—a newcomer to Pittsburgh seeking community, a family member, a friend, or a neighbor, someone who may appreciate experiencing a moment of God’s grace in our Cathedral of Hope. If you attend online, welcome a friend or relative to participate alongside you.
As part of Visitor Sunday, we will have joyful music, and our Membership and Outreach Committee will sponsor a Social Hour after the 11 am service. Visitors are encouraged to stop by our visitor table for a gift bag after either the Journey service or the Sanctuary service. A church tour will be available after the 11 am service as well.

Family Picnic and Games
2025-09-21 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | PA
Join us after worship Sept 21st for a picnic and games in the play yard on Balm Blvd. as we kick off the year and share information about our 25/26 program year. RSVPs to Sara Hackett appreciated but if you decide that day you can join us … PERFECT!
The Children and Families Ministry team is hosting monthly family events to foster a caring community of families at ELPC, where kids and adults feel loved and empowered to explore their faith.
Save the Date for our Monthly Family Events on the Third Sunday of the month …

October 19 – Bowling at ELPC
November 16 – Arts and Crafts
December 21 – Hot Chocolate following the Christmas Pageant
January 18 – Host a Variety Show at the Nursing Home
February 15 – Make Dog Treats for Ellie’s Pet Pantry
March 15 – Board Games with the Happy Wanderers
April 19 – Bowling at ELPC
May 17 -Service Projects around the Church

World Communion Sunday & International Lunch
2025-10-05 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – McKelvy Room (114), 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
On World Communion Sunday, October 5, the ELPC Board of Deacons will be hosting “A Taste of Nations” International Lunch. Join us in the Fellowship and McKelvy Rooms after our Sanctuary worship service for a sample of global cuisine. There will be sign-up sheets at the Penn and Highland entrances for the congregation to indicate their donations representing their favorite ethnic dish.
For more information, please contact Deacon Linda Sanders or Peta Harrigan Cole.

Full Inclusion Sunday
2025-10-12 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | PA
Join us for worship on Full Inclusion Sunday, October 12. In the afternoon, our Cathedral Concerts series will present an Organ and Winds performance featuring Windfluence—a Pittsburgh-based professional woodwind quintet—and organist, Dr. Edward Alan Moore. The concert will feature the Concerto for Organ and Wind Quintet by Daniel Pinkham.

Walk, Give, Change the World
2025-10-12 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | PA
CROP Hunger Walks are community-based walk fundraising events held in cities and towns across the U.S., created to support the global mission of Church World Service, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. After a CROP Hunger Walk ends, 25% of the funds raised is returned to the host community to support local hunger-fighting efforts.
This year’s Pittsburgh East CROP Hunger Walk will take place on Sunday, October 12, and 25% of what is raised will support the local hunger work of Wilkinsburg Community Ministry (WCM), a four-star rated charity by Charity Navigator, that has served the community of Wilkinsburg for over 55 years. WCM currently provides both a storefront and a mobile pantry, serving people at seven locations, to better reach our hungry neighbors.
If you’d like to participate, register as an individual, sign up for the Waverly Presbyterian Church team, or consider making a donation. There are 1.5 mile and 4-mile courses available. Participants will gather at Waverly Presbyterian Church (590 South Braddock Avenue, 15221). Registration begins at 1 pm and the walk begins at 2 pm. Enjoy a leisurely stroll around the East End and do some leaf peeping while supporting our neighbors in need!
REGISTER OR DONATE ONLINE

Cathedral Concert - Organ and Winds
2025-10-12 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Sanctuary, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Organ and Winds
Windfluence – Pittsburgh based professional woodwind quartet. https://windfluence.org/
Edward Alan Moore, organ
Featuring the Concerto for Organ and Wind Quintet by Daniel Pinkham
The concert is free and open to all. A freewill offering will be received at the concert.
Click the button below for the printed program:
CATHEDRAL CONCERT PROGRAM – October 12, 2025

Family Bowling
2025-10-19 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Bowling Alley
Families with children and teens are invited to stay after Sanctuary worship on Sunday, October 19 for pizza and bowling. RSVP to Sara Hackett.
The Children and Families Ministry team is hosting monthly family events to foster a caring community of families at ELPC, where kids and adults feel loved and empowered to explore their faith.
Save the Date for our Monthly Family Events …
November 16 – Arts and Crafts
December 21 – Hot Chocolate following the Christmas Pageant
January 18 – Host a Variety Show at the Nursing Home
February 15 – Make Dog Treats for Ellie’s Pet Pantry
March 15 – Board Games with the Happy Wanderers
April 19 – Bowling at ELPC
May 17 -Service Projects around the Church

ELPC Connections Potluck Lunch
2025-10-19 12:15 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | PA
“What if we heard the voice of God saying ‘How can you be lost when I am right here?’”
With those words from Pastor Michael’s sermon on September 14 ringing in our hurting hearts, we invite you to celebrate our Connections Ministry’s 2025–2026 season kick-off with an ELPC Connections Potluck Lunch following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, October 19, in the Good Samaritan Room!
Connections events build bonds, forge friendships, and create community that heals the disconnected, the fearful and the lost—including us—through monthly, small-group activities.
Jesus as shepherd rejoices when the lost—an unseen, unknown, or uncertain person—is found. Connections—a home meal, a concert, a hike, etc.—celebrates when we beloved folks find each other.
Jesus welcomed those accepted and rejected by society and so do we. That’s why we added an intentional LGBTQIA+ affinity group to affirm Pastor Michael’s words that “divine love always seeks us out.”
Even if you’ve yet to register for a Connections group, we’d love to get to know you at the ELPC Connections Potluck Lunch. For planning purposes, please sign up online.

Sign Up

Christ always had room at his table; so do we at ELPC!

Reformation Sunday
2025-10-26 12:15 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join us for worship on Reformation Sunday, October 26. Following our service, our Facing Systemic Racism Committee will give a presentation. Then at 3 pm, our Cathedral Concerts series will present the Fox Chapel High School Chorus and Orchestra, led by Ben Murray, choral director, and Mairi Cooper, orchestra director. The concert will feature Illuminare for string orchestra, piano, and choir by Elaine Hagenberg.

Cathedral Concert - Fox Chapel High School Chorus and Orchestra
2025-10-26 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Sanctuary, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Fox Chapel High School Chorus and Orchestra
Benjamin Murray, choral director
Mairi Cooper, orchestra director
Featuring Illuminare for string orchestra, piano, and choir by Elaine Hagenberg
The concert is free and open to all. A freewill offering will be received at the concert.
Click the button below for the printed program:
CATHEDRAL CONCERT PROGRAM – OCTOBER 26, 2025

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time
2025-10-29 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | PA
What if you could encounter Jesus with fresh eyes—free from assumptions, clichés, or familiarity?
Join Pastors BJ and Michael this fall for a four-week journey utilizing Marcus Borg’s influential book, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. Together, we’ll explore Jesus as:

Spirit Person – a man deeply connected to the sacred
Teacher of Wisdom – offering timeless guidance for life today
Social Prophet – challenging systems of injustice
Movement Founder – inspiring a community of transformation

Each session will blend teaching, scripture, conversation, and spiritual practices, creating space not just to learn about Jesus, but to experience his presence anew.
We’ll share dinner together at 6:30 pm, and you’re warmly invited to stay for our contemplative Taizé prayer service at 7 pm. Come curious. Come hungry. Come ready to meet Jesus again—for the first time.
Please register using the form below. You only need to register ONCE for the series, although this form is found in all 4 instances of this event, it is just there for ease of access to people joining.
