 from the February 2007 issue of The Spire
InSPIREd Dear Friends, Boy, do we know how to kick off a celebration, or what? 2007 marks 225 years of organized ministry for our church in downtown Pittsburgh. Most congregations begin such festivities with worship services or special gatherings, always proper and usually quite boring. Not us. We began with a fire on New Year's Day, and our routines will never be the same again.
Scaffolding now reaches every point in the sanctuary, and an impressive sight it is! It will remain for the next several weeks. Worship is being conducted in, around and through it. It's actually kind of fun. Ministries continue uninterrupted through the week. Young people from Urban Pathways Charter School play basketball in the gym during the day, and homeless people sleep there at night under the auspices of the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter. Wednesday worship at Noon is being conducted in the chapel, AA meets on Wednesday and Friday, and our walk-in ministries continue full force. We've added new staff, Church Council is working diligently and enthusiastically, and people are excited. Life is good! You know what else is good? The publicity we received for several days following the fire was front page We honored the man who discovered and reported our fire to the officials, a Jesuit priest by the name of James Conroy, during worship on January 14. He quipped that the news headlines should have read, "Catholic Priest Saves Protestant Church." Our gratitude to Pittsburgh firefighters and police officers is deep, as well. I know this letter is somewhat disjointed, but that's the way things are right now. Smooth, calm, routine, and ordinary have had their day. We're now casting nets on the other side of the ship! Sincerely, The Fellowship Hall of Smithfield United Church of Christ Stored Memories for All
Yes, the Sanctuary is precious and beautiful. It is where we worship God – hear His Word. However, THAT room, the Fellowship Hall, was where the heartbeat of Smithfield lived! It was there that we practiced the lessons we learned.
"It was only a 50' x 50' storage room that burned." In retrospect maybe the newscaster was right – the Fellowship Hall of Smithfield United Church of Christ stored so many memories for all. Mariruth Stoecker-Keebler Providing Warmth to Children in Need – Project Linus
Women's Fellowship met after church last month to prepare our Linus blankets to be delivered. After a delicious lunch prepared by the capable hands of Mariruth Keebler, we settled down to work. Special "Linus" labels were sewn on so that those receiving them will know where they came from, and Smithfield tags were attached so they will know who made them. Project Linus uses a phrase in their literature, "We deliver a hug in the form of a blanket when it is needed most." After we labeled, tagged and counted we had 41 HUGS to deliver Dee Fickley New Members and Staff We were pleased to receive new members on Sunday, January 28th. New to our congregation, officially, are Bob and Mary D'Angelo, Judy Kehm, and Nathan Hart. Look for profiles of each in an upcoming issue of The Spire. In the meantime – welcome! New to our Church Staff in the last couple of weeks are Maria Ashby, Church Secretary; Anna Wade, Pre-School Supervisor; and Danielle Cuomo, Children's Coordinator. As with our new members, you can expect to learn more about each one of them very soon. Coffee for a Good Cause
Drum Circle Once a month drum circles with Jim Donovan continue to grow in numbers and enthusiasm. They are held on Thursdays from noon until 1 p.m. The cost is $10.00 per person. Drums are provided. Beginners are absolutely welcome! The next Drum Circle will be on February 15th. Get caught up in the Smithfield web!
2/5/07 |
To update you briefly: Actual fire damage was contained in the fellowship hall, which was completely destroyed. The
rest of the building sustained serious smoke and water damage. However, cleanup efforts began immediately and
will be ongoing for several more weeks. Every surface, nook, and cranny in the building is being cleaned, disinfected and,
in some cases, repainted. This includes stained glass, plaster, light fixtures, carpets, furniture, walls, ceilings, historical documents, organ console and organ pipes (all 3,743 of them).
, optimistic and accurate. Reporters, writers and cameras told our story, generating an influx of visitors and church seekers. This has been invaluable, and I am hopeful that all of us will make every effort to welcome our new guests.
While driving home from work the week of the fire, I heard a newscaster remark that the room that was damaged by the fire at Smithfield United Church of Christ was only a 50' x 50' storage room that housed church instruments. This really bothered me, for it was NOT SO! Much like the kitchen of a family home, the "Social Hall" was THE base of our Church. It was the room you first viewed upon entering from the street. It was the room wherein every Sunday you learned of someone's joys, sickness and passing. Here we congregated before the service – laughing, sharing. The window that was blown out was of Jesus and the children, and many confirmation classes had their pictures taken there.
50th Anniversaries were celebrated in that room. Milestone birthdays of parishioners, bridal showers, christenings, wakes and even our custodian's wedding reception were held within that "50' x 50' storage room." We held weekly lunches so our church members, as well as members of sister churches, could enjoy each others' company. Women's Fellowship had held its long standing bazaar in that room since the early years of Smithfield. When it rained, we held our Annual Strawberry and Apple Festivals in there, where hundreds of people were served. AA met there weekly. The Ostomy Society and Afrika Yetu worshipped in there. The homeless have sat in there as well as the downtrodden, waiting to speak with the Minister or Business Administrator to receive assistance and guidance during Help Weeks. Those walls also have heard the words of our Church Council as it held its meetings there.
The Sunday after the fire we held our regular worship service in the Sanctuary. We were joined by the members of Afrika Yetu in a celebration that in the fire no one was injured or worse. We installed new Church Council members and celebrated with Holy Communion and a reception in the hallways and chapel in an act of solidarity. We are proud to be 225 years old in 2007, and we will find a way to continue to serve Downtown Pittsburgh. 
As mentioned in our January 2007 newsletter, Project Linus is a worldwide ongoing project that provides homemade quilts and blankets to children who are traumatized or seriously ill.
– through you and me!