Here’s a list of what’s happening this week in our Church School classes. We offer Christian Education classes for persons of all ages, from infancy through adulthood, on Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, unless otherwise noted. Youth classes are currently meeting after our Sanctuary worship service. Read more about our adult classes and children and youth offerings. Read More
Blog
Pastoral Message | June 2021
My dad never got a chance to go to college. After a short stint in the Navy, he started work at my grandfather’s small family business—a metal plating shop in Kansas City, Kansas. Eventually my father ran this business, refinishing silver, chrome, nickel, and brass objects that antique dealers or collectors brought to him. Someone would bring him an old brass cash register or a tarnished silver tea set and he would carefully take it apart, clean it in mild acids, buff and lacquer it to a high gloss shine, and then reassemble everything. He was a craftsman in the fullest sense of the word. Read More
Composting Site for ELPC Members and Friends
Garfield Community Farms has generously agreed to allow us to take our kitchen scraps and yard clippings and more to a specific bin on their property. They have given us a list of “What you can put into your compost” and “What you should not put into your compost.” See below.
The drop off will be at the bins that are alongside Cornwall Rd., right outside the gate that leads to the caterpillar tunnel. There will be a sign posted that says “Add Material Here,” so that folks know where to put the new stuff.
What You Can Put Into Your Compost
- Garden prunings (if not treated with nonorganic chemicals)
- Lawn clippings (if not treated with nonorganic chemicals)
- Garden waste (if not treated with nonorganic chemicals)
- Mulched woody branches
- Straw mulch materials such as hay, lucerne, pea straw, sugarcane mulch, etc.
- Leaves (break down faster if mulched or mowed over with lawnmower first)
- Pine needles (small amounts)
- Cut flowers (if not treated with nonorganic chemicals)
- Kitchen scraps (fruits and vegetables)
- Breads, cereals, rice, flour
- Coffee grounds and tea bags (not the plastic tea bags)
- Egg shells (partially crushed)
- Bamboo skewers, wooden chopsticks, toothpicks (chopped/broken into smaller pieces)
- Vegetarian animal manures (chicken, sheep, cow, rabbit manure, etc)
- Pet hair and feathers
- Newspaper
- Cardboard and egg cartons
- Brown paper bags
- Unbleached non-glossy paper
- Saw dust and wood shavings (small amounts)
- Wood ashes (small amounts)
What You Should Not Put Into Your Compost
- Diseased plants (can cause diseases to spread in the garden)
- Noxious weeds which regrow from cuttings, seeds or roots, like Knotweed
- Pet poo from non-vegetarian animals (contain many pathogens which are a health hazard and can cause diseases)
- Fish and meat scraps, fats, or foods containing these (will rot, smell unpleasant and attract pests such as rodents)
- Dairy products (will rot, smell unpleasant and attract pests such as rodents)
- Cooking oil
- Glossy or coated paper, eg. magazines (contain toxic chemicals)
- Bleached paper, eg. office paper (contain toxic chlorine-based chemicals which shouldn’t be composted)
- Sales receipts and thermal paper (contain a mix of toxic chemicals which shouldn’t be composted)
- Sticky labels, such as the ones on produce and packaging (are made of plastic and/or contain toxic chemicals in the glue)
- Vacuum cleaner dust and dryer lint (once recommended, but now contain too many synthetic fibres which don’t break down)
- Ashes from coal/ barbecue briquettes (contain toxic chemicals)
- Treated wood pieces or sawdust (contain highly toxic copper, chromium and arsenic which will contaminate soil)
- Personal hygiene products, such as tissues, tampons (unhygienic, health hazard)
- Plants treated with toxic pesticides and herbicides (will contaminate compost, soil and food with toxic chemicals)
- Large branches (unless they are mulched first)
Worship with Us | Week of May 30, 2021
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship. As a reminder, our services are currently being held virtually. Click here for a live feed of worship services at their scheduled times. Please note, there will be an error message if there is no live broadcast.
Journey Worship | Sunday, 8:45 am
An interactive, energetic service for those seeking a fresh encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This month’s theme is Re-Emerge. Pastor Heather will preach from John 3:1–8, 16–17.
Join us on YouTube or Zoom on your computer, mobile device, or tablet. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Sanctuary Worship | Sunday, 11 am
Our largest service, with music from the Chancel Choir and an organ prelude prior to the service. Download this week’s bulletin. Pastor Heather will preach from John 3:1–8, 16–17, and her sermon will be titled “In This Together.”
Watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Taizé Prayer Service | Wednesday, 7 pm
Pastor BJ and our Taizé musicians will lead a live service guided by Romans 8:14–17 with a focus on “The Indwelling Presence of the Spirit.” Watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook.
Church School Classes | May 30, 2021
Here’s a list of what’s happening this week in our Church School classes. We offer Christian Education classes for persons of all ages, from infancy through adulthood, on Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, unless otherwise noted. Youth classes are currently meeting after our Sanctuary worship service. Read more about our adult classes and children and youth offerings. Read More
Worship with Us | Week of May 23, 2021
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship. As a reminder, our services are currently being held virtually. Click here for a live feed of worship services at their scheduled times. Please note, there will be an error message if there is no live broadcast.
Journey Worship | Sunday, 8:45 am
An interactive, energetic service for those seeking a fresh encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This month’s theme is Re-Emerge. This week, we celebrate Pentecost. Pastor BJ will preach from Acts 2:1–18.
Join us on YouTube or Zoom on your computer, mobile device, or tablet. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Sanctuary Worship | Sunday, 11 am
Our largest service, with music from the Chancel Choir and an organ prelude prior to the service. Download this week’s bulletin. This week, we celebrate Pentecost. Pastor BJ will preach from Acts 2:1–18 and his sermon will be titled “Spirit Dreams and Visions.”
Watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you’d like to join by telephone, call 929.205.6099 and enter Meeting ID 188 135 194 when prompted (press # if asked for a personal ID).
Taizé Prayer Service | Wednesday, 7 pm
Pastor BJ and our Taizé musicians will lead a live service guided by Isaiah 6:1–8 and a focus on the Trinity. Watch our livestream on YouTube or Facebook.
2021 Pentecost Offering
God’s vision for the world is that everyone find a place within God’s kingdom. At Pentecost, we celebrate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit by God, so that people of every identity and language can hear a word of welcome into the kingdom of God. We all belong to God, and so it is only righteous and just for us to live together, learn together, and celebrate together in peace—despite our differences.
As Presbyterians, at Pentecost, we look especially to the children, youth, and young adults with whom God has called us to live. The psalmist reminds us of the importance of faith being established during our earliest years, saying, “God from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.” Our youngest church members—and our community—need help to build their full potential in both faith and life—and all of us have a role to play. When we pay attention, we may find that children and youth teach us more than we realize about faith in Jesus Christ and how the Holy Spirit is moving in our world.
During this Pentecost season, the ELPC Mission Board encourages us to celebrate the fact that we are building a life of faith and building the community of God inside and outside our church’s walls by supporting children, youth, and young adults.
ELPC will receive the Pentecost Offering on Pentecost Sunday, May 23. You may give by mailing your donation to the church, submitting a designated gift through electronic bank transfer, or donating online. Please give generously, as you are able.
Church School Classes | May 23, 2021
Here’s a list of what’s happening this week in our Church School classes. We offer Christian Education classes for persons of all ages, from infancy through adulthood, on Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, unless otherwise noted. Youth classes are currently meeting after our Sanctuary worship service. Read more about our adult classes and children and youth offerings. Read More
How to be an Informed Voter on Tuesday, May 18
In advance of the May 18 elections, the ELPC Justice Committee encourages everyone to have their voice heard and vote. To help explain some of the issues on the ballot, consider reviewing these resources so that you can make an informed vote.
- No-Knock warrants in Pittsburgh and Solitary Confinement at the Allegheny County Jail are both issues on the May 18 ballot, however, the language may not be clear. Click here to read more about both measures.
- The League of Women Voters where they have posted video responses from District Magistrate Candidates to two questions on the use of cash bail and alternatives. Click here to watch.
- The ACLU sponsored a panel discussion Magistrate District Judges, providing an overview of the role of Magistrates with respect to cash bail. Click here to watch.
Don’t neglect to vote on Tuesday, May 18.
A Total of 1,090 Items
The ELPC Mission Board thanks everyone who donated toiletry items at our April drive-by collection in support of people housed at Allegheny County Jail. The event was a wonderful success and we were able to supply the Chaplain’s Office with 21 boxes of toiletries and 3 boxes of puzzles. In total, we collected:
- 354 bars of soap
- 123 bottles of shampoo
- 28 bottles of conditioner
- 78 bottles of body wash
- 31 bottles of 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo, and conditioner
- 171 sticks of deodorant
- 101 tubes of toothpaste
- 85 bottles of lotion
- 119 puzzles
We also thank Jason Lucarelli, Carol Chonoska, Michele Bossers and Judy Mancini for volunteering their time to receive and pack the donations.