Connections Group @ the Botanical Gardens
2021-09-11 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens, 799 Pinkerton Run Rd, Oakdale, PA, 15071, United States
Have you been a member of ELPC’s Connections Group in the past? Would you like to reunite with some old friends? We are planning an outdoor gathering at the Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens in Settlers Cabin Park on Saturday, September 11, 11 am. Bring a bagged lunch. We’ll meet in the picnic area and then enjoy a walk through the gardens.
If you have not participated in a Connections Group in the past, you are more than welcome to join us! Connections Groups are small groups that previously met up monthly for coffee, lunch, or dinner at a restaurant or at someone’s home. Since this is difficult to do at this time, we thought it might be nice to get together so we can all remain “Connected.”
The cost is $12, $2 if you have an EBT card. Please email us at connectelpc@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Clothing Drive for ACJ
2021-09-12 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-09-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
As a Matthew 25 congregation, we are committed to supporting our siblings in Allegheny County Jail in a variety of ways, and we have been generous in response by collecting books, magazines, and toiletry items.
Now, the Justice Committee is hosting a clothing drive to provide dignity and clothing to those who are returning to our community. And you can help by donating sweatshirts and sweatpants for men and women in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL (no solid red or orange, please).
You may purchase items and drop them off following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, September 26, at the Highland Avenue entrance, or at the drop box near the security desk during the week. You also may make a monetary donation, designated “Justice Committee–ACJ Sweats,” and the Justice Committee will purchase items.
For more information, contact Judy Mancini at mancinijs@gmail.com.

Stonewall Jackson Window Updates
2021-09-12 12:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, September 12, the Peace, Property, and Facing Systemic Racism Committees invite you to a conversation on the future of the stained-glass window depicting General Stonewall Jackson, located in our Sanctuary’s East Transept. The window has been the subject of prayerful research by a Session-appointed task force, which is ready to share its findings with the congregation.
Our conversation will include a brief overview of how Confederate monuments and symbols have been used since the Civil War to help create a revisionist history that glorifies Confederates as cultural heroes, rather than the violent defenders of white supremacist ideology. More importantly, the task force will be seeking your input on how ELPC can meaningfully respond—with justice and faithfulness—to the display of this problematic symbol in our church.
If you’re watching our Sanctuary worship service livestream on YouTube or Facebook (beginning at 11 am), you may use the same feed to see the presentation. Or, click here at 12:15 pm.
To listen to the audio portion of the presentation (beginning at 12:15 pm), you may call 301.715.8592. Enter meeting ID 883 0027 9230 and passcode [REDACTED] when prompted.

Taizé Prayer Service
2021-09-15 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-09-22 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-09-29 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-10-06 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-10-13 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-10-20 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-10-27 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-11-03 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | ELPC – Chapel, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ELPC offers evening prayers with chants from Taizé every Wednesday, 7 pm, in the Chapel. The hour-long service includes sung prayers, beautiful music, a time of silence, spoken and silent prayers, and opportunities for individual prayer and anointing. For more information, view our Taizé page.
Download this week’s bulletin.

About ELPC’s Taizé Prayer Service
Our Taizé prayer service is based on a style of worship developed at the Taizé community in France founded in the 1940s by the late Brother Roger. Originally a refuge during the war, Taizé has developed into an ecumenical prayer center for visitors from all over the world. Today, the Taizé community is made up of over a hundred resident brothers, both Catholics and from various Protestant backgrounds/traditions. Taizé wants to be a sign of reconciliation between divided Christians and between separated peoples.

Rain Garden Workday
2021-09-18 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Halifax) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
If you are inspired by God’s beautiful creation and like to play in the dirt, consider joining us for a workday in the Rain Garden on Saturday, September 18, 9 am–12 pm. Green thumbs are not required—just bring your energy, curiosity, and commitment to our community.
RSVP to Megan Leisher.

Church Life Sampler
2021-09-19 12:15 - 14:00 (America/Halifax) | ELPC – Social Hall, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ELPC’s annual Church Life Sampler will be held following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, September 19, outdoors on Whitfield Street (weather permitting). Stop by to learn more about the various ministries that are a part of our church life together!
Every committee and ministry area at ELPC will be on hand to highlight fall programming and share how you can get involved! And a special treat will be provided by the Children and Family Ministry Team for you to enjoy on your way home.

2021 CONSPIRE Conference Simulcast
2021-09-24 10:00 - 18:00, 2021-09-25 10:00 - 18:00, 2021-09-26 12:30 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Over the weekend of September 24–26, the Spiritual Life Committee invites you to join us in person at ELPC, for a virtual simulcast of the Center for Action and Contemplation’s CONSPIRE Conference, Me/Us/the World: Living Inside God’s Great Story.
In this time of great unknowing, how do we expand our sense of self to include love, healing, and forgiveness—not just for ourselves and those like us, but for the entire world? Join spiritual seekers across the world for an interactive, global gathering to experience God’s love, grace, and compassion. Presenters include James Finley, Barbara Holmes, Jacqui Lewis, Brian McLaren, Fr. Richard Rohr, and Mirabai Starr.

Participate in contemplative sits led by Fr. Richard Rohr each morning.
Connect with other participants around the globe and at ELPC.
Deepen your experience with presentations, workshops, and book talks.
Learn about opportunities to nourish your path of transformation and live into new ways of thinking and being.

Join us in person for free at ELPC! Pastor BJ will stream the conference in the McKelvy Room. Please register by Friday, September 17, and indicate the day(s) you will attend. Lunch will be provided each day. You are welcome to join us for any portion or all of the conference. Our schedule is as follows:

Friday, September 24 | 11 am–6:45 pm
Saturday, September 25 | 11 am–6:45 pm
Sunday, September 26 | 12:30 pm–6:45 pm

VIEW COMPLETE SCHEDULE

SSL Information Session
2021-09-26 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Have you ever considered language learning as a spiritual practice? Are you interested in learning Spanish as a second language (SSL)?
Come to our SSL information session on Sunday, September 26, 12:30 pm, via Zoom. This will be a new beginners class, where we can answer your questions and gather ideas of what you want to study together.
Learning a language isn’t just about vocabulary and grammar. It’s about learning a people, so I invite you to come to this information session and learn more about the unique perspective of the SSL class at ELPC.
Join on Zoom

LGBTQ Ministry Spiritual Gathering
2021-09-26 12:30 - 14:30 (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 LGBTQ Ministry to share food and fellowship at the church. Allies and LGBTQIA+ folks alike are welcome.
Contact Wil Forrest at 412.441.3800 X118 or Wil@coh.net to learn more, to RSVP, and/or to participate.
God created you. God loves you. Be yourself.

Environmental Book Club | Walden
2021-09-30 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Highland Room (Room 108), 116 South Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Environmental Team invites you to read Henry David Thoreau’s classic nature book, Walden, and join a discussion on Thursday, September 30, 7 pm.
In 1845, philosopher and writer Thoreau built a tiny cabin in the woods near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, where he lived alone and self-sufficient for two years. His observations and reflections became the basis of this book. It is an essay collection with the themes of:

Nature as eternal guide and teacher;
Living independently and breaking free from the expectations and conventions of traditional society;
Minimalism or detaching ourselves from a goal-driven, materialistic worldview; and
Self-improvement with a focus on meditation, and understanding our place in the universe.

Katherine Hackney will lead our discussion. For more information, or to tell us you are coming, contact Nancy Heastings at n.heastings@comcast.net.

Pizza and Kickball
2021-10-03 12:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 616 N. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Youth in grades 6–12 will get together for pizza and kickball at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary on Sunday, October 3, 12:30 pm. We will be walking from ELPC to PTS at 12:10 pm. RSVP to Sara Hackett at SaraH@coh.net is required.

CANCELED: Creation Spirituality at Garfield Community Farm
2021-10-09 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Garfield Community Farm, Corner of Wicklow and Cornwall Streets, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, United States
This event has been canceled. Check back for updates.

The Spiritual Life Committee invites you to a day of exploration of Creation Spirituality at Garfield Community Farm (GCF).
GCF’s mission is to provide fresh produce and educational opportunities with our neighbors and volunteers, and demonstrate God’s restoration of creation through urban agriculture in the Garfield community. GCF also exists as a natural monastery that invites us into a conversation, a dance with Creation—the Earth—”the Original Cathedral.”
Please join Stephanie and Kevin Bell (www.philoxenialife.com) as they introduce us to GCF and invite us to encounter the wisdom of the trees, ingest the healing powers of the herbal plants, journey within the Sensory Peace Labyrinth, and engage the inner creative spirit within you and in all creation.
What to Bring: Face mask, water bottle, sunscreen, long pants, comfortable clothes and shoes (appropriate for the weather conditions), and a lawn chair (if uncomfortable standing or sitting on benches).

Chamber Music Pittsburgh - Sphinx Virtuosi
2021-10-11 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
Hope Academy families are invited to a live, in-person chamber music concert featuring SPHINX VIRTUOSI on MON Oct 11, 2021 at Carnegie Music Hall. Tickets have been generously donated to us by our partner, Chamber Music Pittsburgh. This live performance is recommended for vaccinated students and their families Please read about the performance, so that you know what to expect; and the etiquette guidelines, so that you understand the expectations. Then let your teaching artist know how many people in your family would like to attend so that we can reserve tickets for you. There will also be a virtual watch party of the concert on Monday, October 18; we will email our music students details about the watch party next week.

The Sphinx Virtuosi are the nation’s most dynamic, exhilarating professional chamber orchestra, dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. Comprised of eighteen of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists, the Virtuosi are primarily alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition, and its members work together as cultural ambassadors reaching new audiences.

PROGRAM
Xavier Foley Ev’ry Voice
Florence Price String Quartet No. 2 in A minor
II. Andante Cantabile ARRANGED FOR SPHINX VIRTUOSI
Samuel Coleridge Taylor Four Noveletten
1. Allegro moderato / 3. Andante con moto
Jessie Montgomery Banner!
Andrea Casarrubios Seven (for solo cello)
Ricardo Herz
Inocente
Mourinho
Ginastera Concerto for Strings
IV. Finale furioso

HOW TO BE A GOOD AUDIENCE MEMBER
It is important that audience members remain quiet during the performance. Since music is mostly a listening activity, any extra sounds that are not part of the music can get in the way and will distract and disturb the musicians and other audience members.
Before the Concert
Wear something you might wear to a special event – because it is!.
Please don’t wear anything that might be distracting (light up shoes, clanging jewelry, etc)
Arrive no later than 7:00 pm to get your tickets.
Before You Take Your Seat
Take care of all rest room needs
Leave all food, drink, and gum outside, in the lobby.
Leave all cameras and recording devices outside, as well.
There are strict copyright guidelines about recording concerts.Turn off all cell phones, pagers, ipads, watch sounds, alarms, or anything that might make a noise.
The only sounds that should be heard are the ones that appear in the musical score (and the audience reaction after the music).
Once You Take Your Seat
A parent or guardian must sit next to each child.
Remain seated and quiet while the musicians are playing.
Do not get up during the concert or change seats.
No talking, whispering, sighing, tapping or kicking feet, or rattling of programs or papers.
Be sure to sit without fidgeting so you don’t distract your neighbors or the performers on stage.
Feel free to leave during intermission, if this is a late night for your children; and if they fall asleep during the concert, that’s okay too. This should be an enjoyable experience for them, and you!

A Conversation on Critical Race Theory
2021-10-17 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
One of the Facing Systemic Racism Committee’s roles is to inform the congregation of current issues regarding race. This month, we are pleased to present an online conversation on Critical Race Theory (CRT), which has come to the forefront of the racial issues in our country. We will provide an opportunity to learn more about the origin of CRT, what it is, and how it became such an issue—especially in K–12 education.
On Sunday, October 17, 12:30 pm, we are honored to have a keynote speaker, Dr. James Phillip Huguley, associate dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and associate professor at the School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, and a panel of our own ELPC educators who represent early childhood through higher education. They will discuss what CRT is, what it is not, and what the implications are for public school education. The keynote and the panel will be followed by a Q&A session.
We look forward to your participation.
Click the button below to join via Zoom, or call 301.715.8592 and enter meeting ID 892 1999 1165 and passcode [REDACTED].
JOIN VIA ZOOM

LGBTQ Ministry Spiritual Gathering
2021-10-23 09:00 - 11:00 (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 LGBTQ Ministry to share food and fellowship at the church. Allies and LGBTQIA+ folks alike are welcome.
This month we will meet in person (with a Zoom option if requested in advance). Contact Wil Forrest at 412.441.3800 X118 or Wil@coh.net to learn more, to RSVP, and/or to participate.
God created you. God loves you. Be yourself.

Yard Work
2021-10-23 10:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
6th-12th graders are going to help some church members get things done around the yard!

Garden Work Day
2021-10-24 12:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
John Kovalak from Davey Tree will be leading a volunteer work day after church on Sunday, October 24, 12:30–3 pm, to teach members of the Gardening Crew how to prune the different varieties of shrubs and bushes around our church grounds. John is a certified arborist and the knowledge he shares will help us become better stewards of our church grounds and our home gardens.
The church will have some pruning tools available, but feel free to bring your favorite hand pruner, hedge shears, or lopper if you’d like. We hope you can join us on the 24th from for this informative and fun volunteer opportunity!
Contact Megan Leisher at MeganL@coh.net if you plan to attend.

YAM Fall Series | Exploring Taizé
2021-10-26 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
All young adults are invited to join us on Tuesday, October 26, 6:30–8 pm, as we continue our fall series to learn about, discuss, and attend Taizé prayer services.
ELPC’s Taizé service is based on a style of worship developed at the Taizé community in France in the 1940s by the late Brother Roger. Come explore as we collectively learn and discuss what Taizé is, its roots, and how we can implement it into the ways we practice our faith. We will use a variety of texts, stories, and images, and welcome a couple speakers.
No prerequisites are needed. Come to one or come to all, just come as you are!

Canceled: Mindfulness Meditation
2021-10-28 08:00 - 08:30 (America/Halifax) | ELPC – Prayer Room (Room 135), 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15206, United States
This week’s Mindfulness Meditation has been canceled. Our regular schedule resumes next Thursday, November 4.

“Meditation means to be in the process of realizing that God is wholly present in each step along our way. It is to be slowly awakening to the divine destination of our journey manifesting itself in the divinity of our own breathing, our own beating heart, our simply being who we are.”—James Finley
Mindfulness meditation is the practice of resting in present moment awareness without judgment, opening to the heart of love and compassion for ourselves, others, and our world. Each Thursday evening, Susan Spangler and Ted Cmarada will guide us in these practices and offer support for practicing meditation in everyday life. Those new to meditation and those with experience are welcome.
Click the button below at the scheduled time to join via Zoom or call in by dialing 312.626.6799 and entering meeting ID, 959 8065 3992.

Passcode: [REDACTED]

Dial-in Passcode: [REDACTED]
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About Susan Spangler and Ted Cmarada
Susan and Ted began practicing Mindfulness Meditation in 1990 with the beloved Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Naht Hanh. Over the years, their practice and appreciation of mindfulness and related meditation practices has deepened through relationships and study with teachers from various meditation traditions. They bring to their teaching the warmth, humor and compassion modeled for them by these teachers, a caring presence cultivated through the practice of psychotherapy, and loving hearts nurtured through their deep and life-long commitment to the Christian path.

The Role of Educators in Affirming Racial Identity
2021-10-31 09:45 - 10:45 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Critical Race Theory in schools is a hot-button topic today. Not long ago, it was bussing Black kids into white neighborhoods. Before that, it was school segregation. The topics of race and education are—and have always been—inextricably intertwined. So, let’s talk about it! Let’s discuss the connections. Let’s discuss the problems. And let’s discuss the future and how to make it better.
Join the Facing Systemic Racism Committee during the Church School hour on Sunday, October 31, for an intergenerational conversation through story. Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz will share a personal vignette that addresses the intersection of race and education. Dr. Linda Lane will help facilitate a discussion about why this personal recollection from Dr. Harris-Schenz’s youth is relevant to each of us today.
If you are interested in learning more about racial identity in the classroom from the lived perspective of Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz, join the Facing Systemic Racism Committee for this vignette on race.
Click the button below to join via Zoom, or call 301.715.8592 and enter meeting ID 810 5099 0117. Please note, this link is different than the one used for your normal Church School class.
JOIN VIA ZOOM
