Online Prayer Service
2022-09-06 08:00 - 08:20, 2022-09-13 08:00 - 08:20, 2022-09-20 08:00 - 08:20, 2022-09-27 08:00 - 08:20 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ELPC offers an online prayer group each Tuesday morning, hosted by ELPC member Steve Evrard. These 20-minute sessions feature scripture readings, responsive prayer, and interactive dialogue. All are welcome at this opportunity for fellowship and prayer.
Join us by clicking the link below, or you may call in by dialing 929.205.6099. Enter meeting ID 896 9680 6662 and passcode 116 when prompted.
Join via Zoom

Taizé Prayer Service
2022-09-07 19:00 - 20:00, 2022-09-14 19:00 - 20:00, 2022-09-21 19:00 - 20:00, 2022-09-28 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.

Chancel Choir Rehearsal
2022-09-08 19:00 - 20:30, 2022-09-15 19:00 - 20:30, 2022-09-22 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax) | ELPC – Sanctuary, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Chancel Choir rehearses in the Sanctuary on Thursdays, 7–8:30 pm, from September through early June (unless noted otherwise). Sunday morning rehearsals are at 10 am, in preparation for the worship service. The choir provides musical leadership at our Sanctuary worship service on Sundays.
No audition is required, just the desire to learn and have fun as we prepare to lead worship. The choir is open to everyone in high school and older.
Dr. Ed Moore is the director of the Chancel Choir.
Come join us and make a joyful noise!

Hope Academy Open Dance Class for 5-8 year olds
2022-09-10 10:00 - 10:45 (America/Halifax) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Meet one of our dance teachers, Kerra Alexander, and try out a class for 5 to 8 year old dancers. You don’t need to wear dance clothes, but you can if you’d like. Kerra will take you through a short (45 minute) class demonstrating beginning ballet, tap and jazz dance styles.
You are invited to stay after for a Cello Information Session, at 11 am, if you’d like to find out about taking Suzuki string lessons at Hope Academy
Hope Academy’s 2022 Fall Term Begins on Saturday, September 17

2022–2023 Overview calendar and schedule, courses and upcoming events for the year
Scholarship Application for students from low-income families and/or those of Black, African American or Indigenous descent

Registration in Hope Academy’s Family Portal opens on September 1

Current Families | log into account
New Families | set up an account

Private Lessons for new, tuition paying students (limited openings)

Inquiry for Private Lessons

Memorial to the Lost
2022-09-10 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-09-11 12:15 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
ELPC is joining other local congregations—including Eastminster Presbyterian, Calvary Episcopal, and Valley View Presbyterian—to host a Memorial to the Lost. Join us as we respond to God’s call to end gun violence, trauma, and despair by honoring victims of gun violence and their families.
Join us for a prayer walk on Saturday, September 10, 10 am–12 pm. The prayer walk will begin at Valley View Presbyterian (601 N. Aiken Ave.) and end at Calvary Episcopal Church (315 Shade Ave.).
And following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, September 11, Josh Fleitman of CeaseFirePA will speak in the Garth Overlook (and Zoom) on sensible gun policies and laws.
Join us in person in the Garth Overlook Room or online via Zoom. Enter meeting ID 213 262 376 004 and passcode uumLRB if prompted.
Join via Zoom

Dancewear Recycle, Donate & Swap 2022-2023
2022-09-10 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Halifax) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Recycle, Donate and Swap Gently Used Dancewear and Shoes at Hope Academy
We will have gently used dance clothing and shoes available in a range of sizes. If you are registering for Hope Academy’s ballet, tap or jazz classes, you are invited to come, with your child, to try on shoes and find appropriate dance wear for classes.
Dropping off donations
If you have any dance wear that your child has outgrown, please consider donating it so that another student can put it to good use. Our dress code includes: black leotards, pink tights, black or pink ballet shoes (leather or canvas), any style tap and jazz shoes. Dance sweaters are also appreciated.

Pull into the circle driveway on Highland Ave
Bring your bag of donations (labeled “Hope Academy’) in and hand to the person at the front desk
If the items could be labeled with their sizes, that would be helpful and appreciated
The building is open Tuesday-Thursday from 9 am to 8 pm; Friday from 9 am to 5 pm; Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 4 pm

Hope Academy Cello Program Information Session
2022-09-10 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Are you interested in having your child learn to play an instrument but you’re not sure how to help them get started? Join us for an information session with Hope Academy teaching artist, Beth Goldstein-McKee, to learn about the Suzuki philosophy, method and approach to music education. Your child can listen to someone play the cello and try out a child-sized version for themself.
The session takes place at East Liberty Presbyterian Church, located at 116 S. Highland Ave (corner of Penn and Highland), Pittsburgh, PA 15206.
Scholarships to our Suzuki program are available to students from low income families and/or those of Black, African American or Indigenous descent.
Hope Academy’s 2022 Fall Term Begins on Saturday, September 17

2022–2023 Overview calendar and schedule, courses and upcoming events for the year
Scholarship Application for students from low-income families and/or those of Black, African American or Indigenous descent

Registration in Hope Academy’s Family Portal opens on September 1

Current Families | log into account
New Families | set up an account

Private Lessons for new, tuition paying students (limited openings)

Inquiry for Private Lessons

Rally Day Kickoff
2022-09-11 09:45 - 10:45 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
All young adults are invited to gather in Derail’s office to and catch up after summer. Bagels and coffee will be provided. Whether you stop by for a few minutes or for the whole hour, we would love to see you!
Contact Derail Holcomb for more information.

Rally Day
2022-09-11 09:45 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Rally Day is the first day of our church’s programmatic year—a day when Church School classes resume for persons of all ages and when we return to our traditional Sunday worship schedule.
Join us on Sunday, September 11, to celebrate coming together as a church once more, with a fall kickoff more similar to years past—including a continental breakfast at the beginning of Church School; joyful music at our vibrant Journey service, 8:45 am, led by our Praise Team; and our traditional Sanctuary service, 11 am, featuring the music of The Brass Roots alongside Dr. Ed and our Chancel Choir.
The Children and Family Ministry Committee will host a breakfast beginning at 9:45 am. Adult Church School classes will offer bagels and coffee in their classrooms, so that classmates can greet friends—both old and new! Children and youth are invited to gather, along with their parents/caregivers, in the Courtyard for a light breakfast and an opportunity to meet their teachers. After breakfast is served, children will head to their classrooms.

Karl Sellner Memorial Benefit 2022
2022-09-11 15:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Sly Fox Brewery & Pub at the Highline, 46 South 4th Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15208, United States
Please join us for what is sure to be a great evening of music, food, raffles, games, and friendship in remembrance of former Hope Academy student, Karl Sellner. All proceeds from the event will go to a scholarship at Hope Academy.
This fund honors his memory and ensures that his love of music will live on through the beautiful voices, playing of various instruments, dance and acting of children for many years to come.
If you are unable to make it to the event, but would like to make a donation to Hope Academy’s Scholarship Fund (select the Karl Sellner Memorial option) or donate an item for the auction, click the button below.
Click Here

ABOUT KARL SELLNER
From an early age, Karl Jacob Sellner was simply captivated by his grandfather John Alden’s music, foreshadowing his life-long love of the performing arts. This passion was nurtured by his family and by his many experiences as a student of Hope Academy. As a teen and young adult, Karl became an accomplished guitar player and lyricist. As with his love of music, Karl found the other things he cared about early in life, including his wife Shelby, and his calling to join the US Army to serve, like his grandfather had during WWII. Like so many gifted musicians before him, Karl’s light was also shadowed by bi-polar disorder. On, September 11, 2016, Karl’s pain was too much and he ended his life. The support of the Hope Academy community was treasured by his parents and 6 siblings during this time of grief, and together, they channeled this sadness into the Karl Jacob Sellner Memorial Fund for Hope Academy. This fund honors his memory and ensures that his love of music will live on through the beautiful voices, playing of various instruments, dance and acting of children for many years to come.
ABOUT HOPE ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND THE ARTS
Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, an outreach program of East Liberty Presbyterian Church, offers a safe place where young people of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, religious and linguistic backgrounds can further their personal and artistic growth through the study and performance of theater, dance and music. We strive to create a diverse and inclusive artistic community that provides deep arts instruction through a sequential and progressive program; that supports the personal and artistic growth of students and teaching artists, alike; and contributes to our community’s positive growth and cultural vibrancy. Over 350 young people and their families participate in Hope Academy’s programs throughout the year.

Lessons and Practices of Revolutionary Love
2022-09-15 17:30 - 19:00, 2022-09-22 17:30 - 19:00, 2022-09-29 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
What is Revolutionary Love you ask? According to Valarie Kaur, “revolutionary love is an orientation to the world and to the work of justice that is most successfully practiced in community. It is more than emotion or feeling. It is the ongoing choice to labor for others, opponents, and ourselves.”
The Spiritual Life Committee invites you to learn more about Revolutionary Love on Thursdays, September 15–November 17, 5:30–7 pm. A light meal will be provided.
Drawing upon Kaur’s book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, we will discover together revolutionary love as a praxis for personal, spiritual, and political, transformation. We will examine stories, theories, and practices from writers, scholars, activists, and practitioners whose work has informed the framework of revolutionary love. We will connect these to historical contexts and contemporary social issues and concerns. We will engage in personal spiritual practices to challenge power inequalities, dismantle unjust institutions, and create a world that honors the humanity of us all. And each week, will practice communal learning, personal and silent reflection, and invitations to action.
The outline of her spiritual practice paradigm can be seen in the compass on the right, with a focus on loving others, opponents and ourselves. We will explore one of these each week. There are corresponding:
It is recommended that you begin reading her book before we start. Limited copies are available. Contact Pastor BJ for more information.
Watch Valarie Kaur’s TED Talk to get a sense of the arch and aim of our time together.

Church Life Extravaganza Lemonade Stand
2022-09-18 12:15 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
YAMs will host a lemonade stand at our Church Life Extravaganza—sharing free lemonade with those who stop by and visiting with one another as we serve together. Stop by to learn about upcoming YAM events, greet friends, and meet our larger church family. If you are free to lend a hand at the lemonade stand, contact Derail Holcomb.

Enneagram Study Group
2022-09-19 12:15 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | ELPC – Online, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The Enneagram is an ancient tool with modern appeal. Its accuracy can be disarming and its applied wisdom transformative. Whether you are new to the Enneagram or have been dabbling in it for years, you are invited to participate in our Enneagram Study Group, where you will glean a deeper appreciation of how we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and how that plays out in loving our neighbors.
The Enneagram doesn’t put you in a box; it reveals the box that you are already in—and offers a path out!
Participants will need a copy of The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Path to Spiritual Growth by Christopher L. Heuertz.
Join us on the third Monday of each month, 12:15–1:30 pm (September–November and January–March). Click the button below to join us on Zoom. Enter meeting ID 966 6904 5127 and passcode 9types when prompted.
Join via Zoom

About Our Facilitator
Licensed as a professional counselor, trained as a spiritual director and certified as an Enneagram practitioner, Lynn Holden is a lifelong learner who is committed to personal and spiritual growth. She creates a safe space for others to slow down and get curious about the life they are living. You can learn more about her from her website LynnHolden.com.

ELPC Ringers Rehearsal
2022-09-20 18:00 - 19:00, 2022-09-27 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
The ELPC Ringers rehearse on Tuesdays, 6–7 pm, in Dr. Ed Moore’s office and rings periodically throughout the year at our Sanctuary worship service on Sundays at 11 am. We ring on a four-octave set of Schulmerich handbells.
Please contact Dr. Ed Moore for more information on joining the ELPC Ringers.

Keeping Our Trees Healthy
2022-09-24 09:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Join the Environmental Team (of the Justice Committee), Neighbors Committee, and Tree Pittsburgh on Saturday, September 24, 9–11:30 am, as we weed and mulch around the street trees in our East Liberty community.
It also will be a chance to learn more about the many benefits these trees bring—cooling, absorbing CO2 and storm water, filtering air pollution, and much more!
We will meet at ELPC. Water and snacks will be available, and Tree Pittsburgh will provide tools and mulch. Volunteers should dress for the elements and wear sun screen. And bring your love for God’s creation!
Contact Mary Barr to sign up or ask questions.

Pizza and Kickball @ PTS
2022-09-25 12:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 616 N. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Youth are invited to an afternoon of pizza and kickball at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary from 12:30–2:30 pm. We will be walking down Highland Ave. from ELPC to PTS following worship.
Contact Sara Hackett at SaraH@coh.net for more details or if you’d like to walk with us.

2023 WMI Conference
2022-09-26 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
What does it mean to engage in God’s mission of love, peace, and justice through the major disruptions of our day? How can we lead in mission in new ways amidst such disruption?
Join us Friday–Saturday, October 7–8, in person or online, as we explore these questions in lectures, workshops and plenary. The Rev. Eugene E. Cho, president/CEO of Bread for the World, will be the keynote speaker on Friday evening.
The conference is free, thanks to sponsors, including Presbyterian Women in ELPC. Registration is required. For details, visit pts.edu/wmi-conference.

YAMS @ Emory Community Senior Housing
2022-09-29 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Emory Community Center, 324 N Beatty St, Pittsburgh, 15206, United States
All young adults are invited to an of afternoon conversation and fun with our seniors at Emory Community Center. Come on out and enjoy ice cream and play bingo with our friends.
For more information and to RSVP, contact Derail at DerailH@coh.net.
