Spotlight:

Rally Day is next Sunday, September 13
Our church school classes and services return to their regular times on Rally Day, September 13: Good Samaritan at 8:00 am; Journey at 8:45 am in the Music Room, and the Sanctuary service at 11:00 am. Please join us at 9:30 am in the second floor hallway for a light continental breakfast before classes start at 9:45.

Hope Academy's Hopping!
Hope Academy's fall term begins September 19. Register online anytime, or in-person at ELPC on Saturday September 12. HA offers after-school and Saturday courses and private lessons in dance, music and theater for 4- to 18-year olds. Courses include Musical Theater (singing, dancing and acting), Shakespeare Workshop, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater dance (creative movement, pre-ballet and ballet 1), Voices of Hope vocal and drumming ensembles, HAT Co (our new teen theater company), EL CEO (our new community engagement orchestra for music students and their musically-inclined parents), and private music instruction for piano, composition, violin, viola, cello, classical and electric guitar, bass, clarinet, flute, organ, percussion and voice students. With a combination of tuition-based and free courses there is something for everyone. Program details, course information, registration form and scholarship applications are available online.

Sunday services and classes

September 13 Services

• 8:00 am: Good Samaritan Worship; Mr. Brian Diebold, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary student and ELPC intern, delivering the message.
• 8:45 am: Journey Worship; the Rev. Patrice Fowler-Searcy preaching.
• 11:00 am: Sanctuary Worship; the Rev. Dr. Randall K. Bush preaching.
• 7:00pm: Koinonia Service of Praise; the Rev. Heather T. Schoenewolf preaching. Join us before the service at 6:00 for a potluck dinner; RSVP to (412) 441-3800 x21.

September 13 Christian Education
ELPC offers classes for persons of all ages and stages in their faith journey. Join us for breakfast at 9:30 on the second floor, then pick a class! Hope to see you there.

• Contemporaries: "Who will you follow? How will you lead?" An effective and positive Christian approach to team building. Second floor parlor.
• Journey with Scripture: Prov. 1:20-33; Ps. 19; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38.
• Parenting Circle: All are welcome. On Rally Day we'll catch up from the summer and share joys and concerns. Our book this fall is the "pray" chapter of eat, pray, love; books available.
• Seekers: On Rally Day we'll catch up from the summer and share joys and concerns. Our book for discussions on the 20th and 27th is Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism.

Additional worship and prayer opportunities during the week

• Taizé prayer service: Every Wednesday, 7:00 pm in the chapel. Childcare available from 6:45 pm to 8:15 pm. September 9 service followed by Sacred Harp/Shape Note singing, led by Charles Anderson. Second floor parlor. 
• Labyrinth Prayer Walk: Mondays, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, and Wednesdays, 10:00 am - 9:00 pm.
• Centering Prayer: Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, room 250.

ELPC weekly news highlights

Deacon's bulb sale: Be a "Garden Angel"
Each year, the Deacons provide food baskets at Thanksgiving for community families in need. Please help fund this great project by supporting the Deacon's "Bulb Sale," where you can purchase (flower) bulbs for your garden. If you're not a gardener, please consider purchasing bulbs that can be used to help beautify ELPC's grounds! You'll find order forms in your Sunday bulletin. Payment is due September 13, with delivery on October 11.

Extended session needs volunteers
Christian Education provides three classes: newborn-age 2
(in nursery), age 3-4 (Room 240), and K-Grade 3 (Room 224). Classes are led by a group of ELPC parents, adults and youth volunteers, but we need more hands in order to continue to provide a loving and safe environment for our children! We need teachers, assistants, and even arms to rock babies. We need YOU so that we can continue to offer extended session every Sunday! Please consider sharing your time, and call Heather Lawrence, (412) 486-0826 or Sandy Edgecombe, (412) 781-3295.

Connections dinners
Connections dinners are small (7-10) groups of people who meet for conversation and a pot-luck dinner, usually in each others' homes. This is a great way to meet, have fun, and get to know your fellow church members! Look for the sign-up sheets during Fellowship time on Sundays: September 6, September 13, September 20.

Youth and young adults

Youth ministries: Club One Sixteen
The Wednesday "Connections" program begins on Wednesday, September 23, including free Hope Academy classes, snacks from Whole Foods, homework help, bible study with Pastors Heather and Randy for adults, a simple supper for families in the McKelvey room, followed by the Taizé service at 7:00 pm. For more information about the Connections or Club One Sixteen programs, contact Rev. Heather Schoenewolf, (412) 441-3800.

Young adult ministries: Young adult small groups
Are you a young adult in your 20's or 30's? Are you interested in becoming part of a Young Adult Small Group? If so, please contact Brian Diebold to see where you might fit in. We'll form several groups of about 6-8 people that will commit to meeting for fellowship, study, and prayer. This is a great opportunity to meet people in your age group and to get involved with the life of ELPC!

ELPC in the community

East End Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry
We continue to answer the call in the struggle against hunger. September's requested food-of-the-month for donations is: jelly, jam. Thank you.

Help the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank win a truckload of food
For every action you take, you can earn minutes, and your accumulated totals will be assigned to the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The food banks with the most accumulated advocate minutes at the end of September will win a truckload of food! Feeding America, formerly America's Second Harvest, is sponsoring "September: Hunger Action Month." Through this advocacy program, the agency is asking the public to lend their voice in support of public policy solutions to hunger, and hopes to recruit new advocates in the fight against hunger, educate the public about the role of advocacy in hunger relief efforts, and deliver meaningful actions in support of child nutrition programs. You can help us accomplish these goals by becoming an active advocate. Thank you!