Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community

Lent: from ashes to new life

2012-02-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

According to the gospel stories, after Jesus was buried Mary Magdalene and some of the other women decided to visit the tomb while the men were hiding out and nursing their wounded expectations for the messiah.

For their courage, the women were rewarded with the first appearance of the resurrected Christ. But at first, Mary confused him for the cemetery gardener and even politely suggested that he had stolen Jesus’ body:

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him” (Jn 20:15).

From one perspective, this case of mistaken identity highlights the absurdity of the situation: even Jesus’ closest friends could not conceive of a resurrection after the despair of the crucifixion. From another perspective, it highlights the meaning of what happened: like a gardener, God brought new life out of death (Jn 15:1).

As we observe Lent this year at Hot Metal, we will be looking forward to that new life that springs forth from the ashes.

February 22 @ 7pm
Ash Wednesday worship gathering
In the Bible, ashes are often used to express mourning and repentance. We will also be using them to fertilize seeds that will grow in the main hall windows throughout Lent, be planted in the parking lot garden, and be harvested for Sunday meals and The Table.

March 3 from 3pm-3am
Prayer Vigil
The main hall will be open for 12 hours on this day as a quiet space to pray and meditate. Stop by at any time to pray on your own or with others. Different prayer liturgies and prayer stations will be available, but feel free to pray any way you like.

April 5
Passover Seder dinners
Gather in homes to share the traditional Passover meal. Details for signing up will be available beginning March 18.

April 6 @ 7pm
Good Friday worship gathering
Although it sounds ironic, the title ‘Good Friday’ points to the hope that Jesus and all Christians cling to in life and death.

April 8 at 9:30 & 11:30am
Easter worship gatherings
Celebrating the victory of life over death as we know it in Jesus.

Free, all-ages show with Good Night, States!

2012-02-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 18 at 3pm

Join Good Night, States for a sneak preview of their forthcoming record, Country/Static, which has been two years in the making. The show is free, and the Franktuary truck will be outside selling franks, poutine, and drinks! The music will kick off just as the South Side Soup Contest is ending, so come enjoy live music and help provide a hospitable last stop for participants in the soup tour.

Until then, enjoy this video from their debut album, Short Films on Self-Control.

Tony Norman vs. Lynn Cullen

2012-01-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

Lynn Cullen will be this year’s first guest at the regular forum discussion titled “Tony Norman vs.” on Thursday, January 26 at 7pm.

Cullen, identified by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as one of the top fifty power brokers in the city, has been a fixture of television, radio, and print media as a journalist and political commentator since 1981.

Among her honors are an Emmy, four Golden Quills for Journalistic Excellence, and the Printer’s Devil Award from Women in Communication for “her ability to see humor in the world and to puncture the pompous among us.” She has also been honored by the YWCA for her efforts in confronting racism and bigotry.

Currently, Cullen hosts “Lynn Cullen Live,” a weekday radio talk show, on the Pittsburgh City Paper website. On Thursday evening, she will sit down with Tony Norman for a cup of tea and a wide-ranging discussion about her career and the current political landscape.

“Tony Norman vs.” is a monthly forum discussion in which Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman engages with various leaders and thinkers in the community on a number of topics important to the city of Pittsburgh. The title “Tony Norman vs.” and the comic book-style posters used to advertise it are meant to be funny, ‘tongue in cheek’ ways of emphasizing the power of rational discussions.

The House of Manna

2012-01-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

A faith community for everyday people

The Prayer 4 Peace March. This annual witness against violence

is held on Good Friday—the next march will be April 6, 2012.

Hot Metal supports the mission of the The House of Manna (HOM) by contributing a portion of our income through our quarterly tithe. We also contribute to The Cellar youth ministry.

HOM began as a new church development of the Pittsburgh Presbytery on April 4, 2010, as a church without walls for everyday people in Homewood, Pennsylvania.

A little over a year since its beginning, HOM is focusing on the revitalization of Homewood through daily street ministry and the creation of a non-profit entity, Homewood Renaissance (HR).

The primary focus of HR is to work to reverse the current situation in the community and address six crucial needs of the residents:

safety
education
employment
housing
recreation
criminal justice

To accomplish this, HOM is collaborating with other community organizations to align and enhance services to Homewood. Plans are also underway for creating a for-profit entity that will serve as an employment generator.

Enumeration

Throughout 2011, HOM has engaged the Homewood community in many ways:
1000 unique individuals have participated in the Friday Night Celebration, a free dinner followed by a multi-sensory worship service; the average number of attendees is between 70 and 80.
40 people in the core team gather for Sunday Morning Worship each week; 3 are awaiting their first baptism.
1000 personal, one-on-one contacts are made each month by members of the core team on the streets of Homewood with folks at community centers like the YMCA and beauty shops.
12 other churches partner with HOM, including the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community; 30 people from these churches also serve on HOM’s Non-Profit Development team.
1 is the number of Hot Metal pastors named Jeff who serve on HOM’s board of advisors.
500 people participated in last year’s Prayer 4 Peace March organized by HOM and other community groups.
10 young men and women have received jobs through HOM’s partnership with Small Seeds Development; 7 young men have received jobs through College Works Painting.
12,000 square feet is the area of the building donated to House of Manna by Dollar Bank. It is in the heart of Homewood and will be the future home of HOM and HR, a community activity center, recording studio, and non-profit business center.
10 African-American children participate in an afterschool program through HOM’s partnership with The Neighborhood Academy.
45 teenage boys went to summer camp with HOM through their partnership with the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation.
40 young people attended baseball games through HOM’s partnership with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
100 young men participated in basketball camp through HOM’s partnership with the YMCA.
45 girls and boys participated in a baseball league formed by HOM, Homewood Community Sports, and the Whitefield Foundation.

Transformation

Organizing pastor Eugene Blackwell aka Freedom.

Although the numbers above are impressive, the most significant thing about them is how they illustrate HOM’s commitment to people: to building relationships one conversation at a time at a baseball game, over a meal, at a beauty shop, or on the way to summer camp.

One member of HOM’s core team, a 68-year old white suburbanite with a heart for Homewood, describes the ministry there as providing a new lease on life. “God focused my second life on helping the House of Manna transform Homewood from one of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in our country, to a place our ‘most livable city’ will surely someday showcase as a role model for transformation and reconciliation.”

Externally, that transformation will be visible as the needs of safety, education, employment, housing, recreation, and criminal justice are met.

Internally, that transformation is happening in the hearts of those who are participating in the difficult work of House of Manna. The core member writes, “I keep trying to be helpful in ways my instincts tell me should work and I keep running into all the obstacles that cause most attempts at partnering between the white and black communities to fail. And I know that God won’t let that happen because week after week He keeps ‘pruning’ me and the people I’m working with; we’re all being transformed. And just like the Bible tells us, it hurts…but ultimately it brings great joy.”

A God-sized Void: What do you want?

2012-01-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

"Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?'"

food. unhealthy relationships. exercise. sex. pity. drugs. alcohol. work. need for acceptance. personal concerns of others. trying to earn Salvation…

Those are just some of the things we think we want. But St Augustine said it best in his Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Women of all ages are invited to explore this question at the Women's Bible Study on Thursday nights at Hot Metal from January 12 - February 16 at 7pm. Jump in at any time. Contact Christie for details: chrstg55@gmail.com, or leave a message at the Hot Metal Office 412-481-4010.

Who Are We, Where Are We, and What Can We Know?

2011-12-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

A discussion about postmodernism and Christianity

January 9, 16, 23, and 30 @ 7pm

You Are Not Yourself

by Barbara Kruger (1982).

A common theme in postmodern art is the

dissolution of the Self.

Over four Monday evenings, seminary intern Jennifer Frayer-Griggs will be facilitating a 'big ideas' discussion about the relationship between Christianity and culture.

We'll be asking: Is postmodernism a good thing or a bad thing for Christianity? Or neither? Or both?

In the modern period, an optimistic faith in the evolution and progress of society through the use of reason and science dominated human culture. Even Christian thinking and practice were affected and motivated by these ideas.

Recently, though, culture has become more skeptical about the ability of human reason to solve humanity’s most perplexing spiritual, social, and scientific problems. Culture is now in the midst of a pessimistic recognition that there are limits to human knowledge. How does this cultural shift impact Christianity?

To get the conversation going, Jen will introduce three major insights of postmodern thinkers:

Jacques Derrida: “There is nothing outside the text.”
Jean Francois-Lyotard: “There are no metanarratives.”
Michel Foucault: “Power is knowledge.”

In addition to these ideas, Jen will also present two major Christian responses to postmodern thought for us to think and talk about: process theology and radical orthodoxy.

Baby Jesus on the Loose

2011-12-07T11:15:00.001-08:00

What would baby Jesus do if he could walk and talk? Would the good news be heard over the hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping season? In this sketch, baby Jesus escapes the mall's nativity scene and causes a ruckus for a mall cop and two Black Friday shoppers bent on shopping til they drop!

Occupy Christmas

2011-11-27T09:45:00.001-08:00

Film Screening & Discussion
Saturday, December 3 @ 7pm

Somewhere in our history of celebrating Christmas, something good - the act of giving gifts to express love and affection - started to become a source of anxiety, greed, disappointment, injustice and very recently even violence.

What would the Prince of Peace have to say about this trend? Or, to put it another way, What Would Jesus Buy?

This film What Would Jesus Buy? follows performance artist Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they embark on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse (the end of humankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt.)

By confronting the excesses of consumerism with humor, music, and non-violent public witness, these activists help us to think of new ways to celebrate Christmas. After the screening, we'll have some time to discuss the ideas about how to "Occupy Christmas," including the benefit of supporting the local economy and backing away from sweatshop retail products, as well as brainstorming alternative ways to show that we care for the people we love.

Reverend Billy & the Church of Stop Shopping

Christmas toy drive for local families

2011-11-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

Help our friends at the Brashear Association to provide quality Christmas gifts for local children!

Pick-up gift tags: Sunday, December 4

Drop-off unwrapped toys: Saturday, December 10 or Sunday, December 11

Each gift tag has the gender and age of the child that you will shop for. Not sure what to buy? Consider spending $15-$25 on your child. In general: Books, Puzzles and Games are a great gift for any age/gender! Most toys will have an age range listed on them, and that’s a good guide to use.

Here are some other ideas:

Websites to check out for toy ideas:

Infants-3 years old

Plush Toys like Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy
Building Blocks/ABC Blocks like Melissa & Doug’s Deluxe 50-piece Wooden ABC/123 Blocks Set
Baby Teething Toys like Sophie the Giraffe - Natural Rubber Baby Teething Squeaky Toy
Wooden Toys/Games (see www.melissaanddoug.com)

4-8 years old

Play-Doh sets/kits
Put Together an Art Kit: Markers/Crayons/Water Colors with paper/coloring book
Lego Sets
Plush Toys: CoCaLo CoCaLo Plush Monkey-Jacana, Monster High Friends-Lagoon, CoCaLo CoCaLo Baby Plush Turtle, Nojo Jungle Tales Lenny the Lion, 14" Ballerina (Brun) Plush Doll
Furreal Friends Walkin Puppies
Educational Games like What’s Gnu?
Little Tikes Toys

9-12 years old

Puzzles
Board games like Sorry, Monopoly, Candy Land
Scrapbooking kits
Accessories like scarves, hats, gloves, jewelry (you can often find these items locally/Handmade Arcade). If you get jewelry, be sure to put it in an unwrapped gift box so that it doesn’t get lost/broken
Sports Balls: basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, etc.

Advent Events

2011-11-25T14:17:00.001-08:00

Gatherings for preparing our hearts and minds.

December 3 @ 7pm

What Would Jesus Buy?

This documentary film follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse (the end of humankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt.)

December 10 @ 6pm

Ornament Party

Ornament-making, Christmas music, and holiday good cheer. And of course it wouldn’t be a Christmas party if Pastor Jeff and Pastor Jim didn’t perform their interactive, improvisational version of the famous story A Christmas Carol. Bring a snack to share if you can!

December 11 & 18 during lunch

Christmas Gift Sale

Handmade and Fair Trade gifts will be for sale with all proceeds benefiting the 2012 Mexico mission team.

December 17-18

Advent Prayer Vigil

From 9am Saturday to 9am Sunday the church will be open to anyone seeking a quiet place to meditate, pray, and reflect.

December 23 @ 6 & 8pm

Christmas Eve Eve Service

Another Hot Metal tradition featuring Christmas carols and a Christmas drama.

December 24 @ 9pm

Christmas Eve Service

A meditative celebration - with candles.

Sunday, December 25

NO worship gathering on this Sunday.

January 1 @ 11:30am

Worship Gathering

One worship gathering on this Sunday. NOTE: Children’s Sunday School and Youth Bible Study will not meet.

A brief history of blood

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

For all the nerds out there: a three-minute tour of the history of blood and human health, from bloodletting and leeches to early experiments in transfusion to the creation of blood banks. But it's all in cartoon form so not gross at all!

Thanks to the technology that was developed over this time, a person can save the lives of up to three other people by donating a single pint of blood.

Click here to schedule an appointment to donate on November 25.

Click here to schedule an appointment to donate on November 25.

The Empty Chair

2011-11-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

"The Empty Chair" is a dramatic monologue about the story of Zacchaeus as told in Luke 19.

This video of Pastor Jim performing "The Empty Chair" was shot at Youth2011, a national gathering of United Methodist youth.

Give thanks by giving life

2011-11-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

On the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 25), Hot Metal is hosting the American Red Cross for a blood drive from 12-6pm.

Click here to schedule an appointment to donate.

Five million people will require blood transfusions this year. This is an opportunity to give thanks for our own good health by giving them the gift of life.

Why donate?

A single pint of donated blood can save three lives. But while thirty-eight percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood, less than five percent actually donate each year. The most common reasons for not donating are “never thought about it” and “don’t like needles.” But most donors say they give because they “want to help others.”

Who needs it?

There are a wide variety of situations in which people need blood transfusions to survive, whether in the short-term following an emergency or during long-term care for a medical condition. For example, the victim of a car accident can require up to 100 pints of blood while a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy may require daily blood transfusions throughout the treatment. About 80,000 Americans are affected by sickle cell disease and will require frequent transfusions throughout their lives.

Theurgency is increased by the relatively short shelf-life of blood. There are four transfusable components of whole blood: red blood cells, platelets, plasma, and cryoprecipitate. Red blood cells must be used within forty-two days and platelets within five days. Plasma and cryoprecipitate can be frozen and stored for up to one year. Because blood components expire the supply must be constantly refreshed by generous donors.

Four easy steps

The donation process consists of four easy steps: registration, a confidential review of your medical history followed by a mini-physical, donation, and refreshments - which will include freshly baked treats. The actual donation takes about ten minutes.

Register: Click here to schedule an appointment now.

Eligibility: If have recently traveled, gotten a new tattoo, or have a medical condition you think might make you ineligible to donate blood, click here for detailed information on eligibility. You might be surprised to learn that you are still eligible.

Trunk-or-treat!

2011-11-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Our first Trunk-or-Treat Halloween event was a screaming success!

Even the cold and rain didn't keep over 130 kids and their families from visiting Hot Metal to play games, eat pizza and chicken wings, and of course collect treats.

Annan sends special thanks to everyone who donated candy (every last piece was distributed) and to John and everyone at Birmingham Bridge Tavern for cooking and donating the wings.

Semmandakuppam!

2011-10-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hot Metaller Glen Richards has traveled to the town of Semmandakuppam in India along with husband-and-wife missionary team Jason & Michelle Schwartzman and their seven-year-old daughter, Zaili. Glen sent the following update to Hot Metal. Glen, Jason, and Michelle blog regularly at Carmel Calling where you can also see videos and photographs of their time there.

Hello, Hot Metal! I hope that things are well with you! I miss it there very much! I just wanted to give you an update on how things are going here in Semmandakuppam, India!

Just before a game of cricket.

Being with the kids is the greatest thing ever! They are full of more joy than I could ever express in words! They are incredible! I love playing with them, they have all these crazy games that involve running around. We have also been playing Cricket with the older boys, which I didn’t think I was going to like, but I do! I like it very much despite the fact that I am terrible. The kids love when it is my turn to “bowl” (pitch) because I am SO bad. They love to make fun of me!

Shortly after sunset.

It is super gorgeous here! The mountains and the trees are like nothing I have ever seen before. This landscape is just so overwhelmingly gorgeous! Everyday I see something that I think, “I NEED TO SHOOT THAT!” I love it here.

The people (most, not all) are super excited to see us, because they never see white people. The one day that we went to a church service in Dharmapuri (the next town over), everyone gasped when we walked in the room.

We walk to and from school two times a day. People are constantly running over to us to shake our hands and greet us as we walk through the village to go to school. Monday was the local elections, and so there were a lot of people campaigning, and Saturday, two different candidates gave us their flyer and told us to vote for them, which is funny because we couldn’t vote in the election, and if they are running for whatever position it is, they should know that.

Teaching has been going very well. In the morning we have 3 periods. First period we have 6th and 7th grade. Second period is 8th and 9th. Third period is 5th. That is done at noon, then we walk the 1 kilometer back to the hostel for lunch. Then we “take rest” as everyone around here says, until 2:45pm when we walk back to school and teach the 4th grade class.

Jason (right) playing a high-five game with Malar.

The class is called “Spoken English” because the kids know grammar rules better than we do - they know words and spelling - but they have trouble with pronunciation. Most specifically, they have trouble with the “th” sound. Jason found online that there are only 5 languages in the whole world that have the “th” sound, so it is very difficult for the kids to learn it because it doesn’t make sense in their native language. The “r” sound and the “w” and “v” sounds are also difficult.

I am just loving it here! It is even greater than I could have ever imagined! God’s love and God’s joy are so present here! There is one girl, named Gayathri, who is always so happy, always giggling, and just so full of joy all the time. The other night we asked her, “Why are you so happy all the time?” She just giggled, and said “The Lord is with me.” How beautiful!!! That is the answer that I hope I give if asked that question.

Thank you so much for the support and the prayers! I miss you all very much!

With much much love,
Glen

The Bible & Science

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

The ancient Hebrew conception of the universe

Do the Bible and science really clash over the origins of the universe?

On Monday, November 7 at 7pm, University of Pittsburgh professor Bob Enick will lead a presentation and discussion on the Bible and the origins of Earth and humanity. Bob will cover four of the most traditionally contested aspects of the stories in Genesis: the creation week, Adam & Eve, the age of the patriarchs, and the Flood.

Bob approaches these questions both as a scientist (he holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and writes papers with titles like “Synthesis and Steric Stabilization of Silver Nanoparticles in Neat CO2 Solvent Using Fluorine-Free Compounds”) and as a Christian who believes that the Bible is the Word of God and affirms the tenets of the Apostles’ Creed. Also, you might already know Bob as the father of Hot Metallers Liz, Lora, and Grace and the grandfather of Scotlynne.

2012 Leadership Nominations

2011-10-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hot Metal is making the process of choosing leaders more transparent, participatory, and inclusive with the introduction of a Nominating Committee.

Click here to jump to the nomination form.

Here’s how the process will work:

1. Nominate. From now until October 23, anyone can nominate someone for one or more of our five leadership teams using the nomination cards available at the info station. You can even nominate yourself.

2. Discern. The nominating committee will consist of 3 people chosen by Council, plus the pastors. They will review the nominations (with the option of adding their own suggestions) before announcing a final list of candidates on Sunday, November 27.

3. Vote. The congregation will vote whether to accept the new leadership candidates at the all-church meeting in December.

4. Ordain. New elders and deacons for the compassion team will be ordained immediately following the vote at the all-church meeting.

The leadership teams
You can read about the various teams below. Who do you know with the interests, skills, gifts, characteristics and lifestyle to be good leaders?

Building Team
Practicing good stewardship of our facilities.

This team meets each month with the building manager to evaluate projects and repairs that are necessary for our building to be a good place for worship, discipleship, and mission. Members carry out projects during the month and plan occasional church-wide Work Days where the entire congregation can contribute to the maintenance of our facility.

Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month from 7-9pm.

Members serve for 3 years.

Compassion Team (ordained)

Listening and having compassion through regular acts of love and justice, prayerful spiritual guidance, and a visible presence in the worship life of the community.

These are the deacons of the church. Together, they assist the pastors with Sunday morning worship; praying for and with the congregation; visiting those experiencing illness, injury, hospitalization, or incarceration; and organizing, preparing, and delivering meals to those in special circumstances such as illness, personal loss, or the birth of a child.

Meets the 1st Monday of each month from 7-9pm.

Members serve for 2 years.

Council (ordained)
Providing spiritual discernment and making decisions about how our community grows in faith and shares Christ’s story with the South Side, surrounding neighborhoods, and world.

These are the elders of our church. They meet each month with the pastors to help guide the church regarding worship, education, discipleship, mission, personnel, and other aspects of the life of the community. The Council elects one member to be the Clerk who works with the director of ministries to keep records and interface with our denominations.

Meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 7-9pm.

Members serve for 3 years.

Events Team
Welcoming all into community by creating, managing, and hosting events.

This team meets once a month with the director of ministries to review the calendar, reflect on past events, provide logistical support for coming events, and dream up new events. For each event, at least one member volunteers to attend as a representative of the church to welcome and assist church members or renters who are using our space.

Meets the 1st Thursday of each month from 7-9pm.

Members serve for 3 years.

Finance Team (ordained)
Ensuring good stewardship of financial resources to fund our mission.

Each year, this team prepares an annual budget to be approved by Council. Each month, they meet with the pastors and financial secretary to review income and expenses, evaluate new expenditures, and discern how to encourage the congregation to grow in its financial commitment to our mission.

Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 7-9pm.

Members serve for 3 years.

Note: A person may serve on one team at a time only.

EmailMeForm

UPDATE: The nomination period is now closed.

"Boisterous, big-bearded enthusiast" breathes new life into Bible study

2011-10-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

From a write-up published by the South Pittsburgh Reporter about the first session of Dr. Tuell's "Reading the Bible in the 21st Century":

Dr. Tuell, a boisterous, big-bearded enthusiast, explained the basic format of the "Hebrew Bible," Old Testament from the Torah to Nebi’ im to Kethubim. The Torah, he said, is the "law" or "center" of the Old Testament, with Nebi’ im serving as the "application" of the Torah.

Two sessions remain. On October 17, the topic is "'A Man of One Book': Reading the Bible with John Wesley." The class will wrap up on October 24 with a test case application of Dr. Tuell's biblical interpretation regarding the Bible and women's ordination.

Praying for Matzam, Chiapas

2011-10-07T11:22:00.001-07:00

Carrie Oakley shared this link after her parents read in the daily prayer journal of the PCUSA Mission Council about our partnership with the folks in Matzam:

So friends from Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, visited their Tzeltal friends for a third time. They worked side by side to widen the church building's walls and deepened their relationship, renewing old friendships and widening the circle of friends with new faces from Pittsburgh and Matzam. A plan to build new walls on the outside of the existing walls allowed the church to continue all its services during the construction.

Read the rest >>

HWJR: How Would Jesus Read?

2011-09-28T08:17:00.001-07:00

This Sunday October 2, seminary professor Dr. Steven Tuell will join us in worship to share a message on Matthew 5:21-37 titled "HWJR: How Would Jesus Read?"

On the following evening (Oct. 3), Dr. Tuell will kick off a four-week teaching series on "Reading the Bible in the 21st Century."

For Christians living the faith thousands of years after our Scriptures were written, reading the Bible can sometimes raise complicated questions. Dr. Tuell will share some tools for faithfully reading Scripture in the twenty-first century.

Bible 101: What the Bible Is (And Isn’t)
The Bible as True Metaphor
“A Man of One Book”: Reading the Bible with John Wesley
A Test Case: The Bible and Women’s Ordination

Dr. Tuell quickly became a popular professor at PTS because of his enthusiastic, arm-waving teaching style, hearty laugh, and genuine concern for his students and is sure to make an impression at Hot Metal as well. When not teaching the Hebrew Scriptures or cultivating a beard worthy of respect, Dr. Tuell studies astronomy, reads graphic novels, and performs the folk music of Appalachia and the British Isles with the band Sweet Creek.

The class will meet on October 3, 10, 17, and 24 at 7pm.

The Quarterly Tithe: The Cellar

2011-09-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hot Metal is spiritually and financially committed to supporting like-minded folks in the community and world.

For several years, our church has been committed to sending a percentage of the money it receives to other ministries, organizations, and individuals in the community. By letting go of these financial resources, we demonstrate our continued dependence on God’s provision and our real commitment to the community.

Every three months, Hot Metal distributes a percentage of its recent income. In the past we have supported: the Brashear Association, a social services organization in the South Side; the Lazarus Fund, which is operated by the Pittsburgh Presbytery to help families with overdue rent and utilities payments; and Imagine No Malaria, an initiative of the the United Methodist Church to raise $75 million to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.

We currently support The Cellar, the downtown outreach youth ministry of Belle and Frank Battista, and the House of Manna, a new church development in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh with about $1000 per quarter.

THE CELLAR: “KIND OF CREEPY BUT ALSO AWESOME”

The mission of this downtown Campus Life youth outreach is to be “A place to come as you are, but leave affected. A family that doesn’t judge, but encourages. A time of realizing that no one has it together, so we need to find a help. A lifestyle that above all seeks love and truth.”

Every weekday from 3:30-5:30pm, Hot Metallers Belle and Frank Battista open up the basement of First Presbyterian Church downtown to be that place, family, time, and lifestyle for Pittsburgh teens.

In the past two years, they have grilled and shared over 3,500 cheese sandwiches there while providing a safe environment to hang out, discuss ultimate life issues, build positive adult-to-student relationships, and pursue leadership opportunities.

The majority of the 30 or 40 students who call this group family are not believers. But at least one young atheist has changed his mind about the Christians he has befriended. “I don’t know why you guys want to spend time with us kids...its kind of creepy but also awesome. I don’t want to be a downer but I look around this room and probably not one of the people in here is going to pray to your God or go to church and yet you still do what you’re doing and I think that’s awesome.”

The leaders of The Cellar take great encouragement from small steps such as this. As Frank says, “They don’t know that the Holy Spirit is at work in all of us, but we do. They don’t know that there is power in the prayers being prayed for them, but we do. They don’t know about the seeds that are being planted in their hearts through many conversations just like these, but we have hope in the One who plants them.”

Many Hot Metallers have found opportunities for ministry leadership at The Cellar, including Jordan Belloti, James Conley, Sarah VanTassel, and MaryEllen Whitmoyer. Justin Nixon works there part-time. And Erica Harding and Daniel Walker hang out there as well.

In addition to the weekday after-school café, The Cellar also hosts a weekly dinner discussion, punk rock shows, a small group called Inquiry Division and an annual battle of the bands, which will be held at Hot Metal on Saturday, October 1.

The Hot Metal Union: Volunteer stewardship opportunities

2011-09-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

The purpose of the Hot Metal Union is to collectively organize for meeting the needs of our community.

There are four “chapters” serving different needs:

The Green Team: for gardening and sustainability. Jobs include watering, weeding, harvesting and cleaning and projects that promote alternatives to conventional energy use and consumption.
The Builders: for working with our building committee to maintain and improve our century-old facility.
Sabbath Crew: for providing a positive worship and community-building experience on Sundays. Job areas include: kitchen (serving food, cleaning dishes, emptying trash) and dining hall (setting up tables after worship, cleaning tables and floors after lunch)
Servant Circus: for various service projects for people in our church and community who we may be able to help. Jobs include construction, clean-up, hang-outs or anything else that would bless a person.

The Union is a stewardship opportunity. Christ asks us to give all of ourselves, whatever we have in abundance, to share with each other and those in need. Financial contributions are one way to practice stewardship, but there are other ways to practice stewardship: you can be giving of yourself, your time, and your resources other than money (tools, expertise, etc.).

Joining a chapter is easy. Just email our building manager, Dylan Rooke, at contact@dylanrooke.com and let him know which chapter you want to join. When there is a need for your service, you will be contacted. Union members are not required to respond to every opportunity, or any at all, but if you sign up, please be prepared to pitch in as needs and opportunities become known.