SHADYSIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

One of our greatest needs today is to find a place where we belong, where we are known, and where we can contribute to something in which we believe. For 140 years, Shadyside Presbyterian Church has been that place to its members. But the city has changed significantly over the years and so have the neighborhoods around our church:

• We are within walking distance of struggling communities that look to the churches to be their partners in building hope. We have already begun to give not only our money, but also our time and hearts to this urban mission.
• Thriving Jewish and Islamic congregations are conducting worship within blocks of our church. If we do not intentionally work at building mutual understanding with these faith communities, our divided religions will contribute to the problems of the city.
• Shadyside is strategically located near two large universities, a world-class museum, and the ever-growing UPMC hospital system. The future promises unique opportunities for our congregation to take leadership in building bridges among the faith, science, and art communities.
• The many who are now joining our church frequently come from other parts of the country. They are looking not just for a place of worship, but also for authentic experiences in community and friendship. They also want to learn about the faith, and they are looking for a place that makes room for their kids.
• We have only begun to take advantage of our unique relationship with Pittsburgh Seminary, which offers an exciting new model of community between the theological academy and our congregation.

In order for our congregation to rise to these challenges, it is important for us to build on the tradition of those faithful leaders who have gone before us. As they built the church we have received, so it is now our moment to build our ministry in response to these new opportunities God has placed before us.

Building a Learning Community
Shadyside has always had a strong history of educating people of all ages in our faith. In fact, the church began as an extension Sunday School for East Liberty Presbyterian Church. But our education facilities are now limited in both size and technology. There is no adequate place for our youth, and our nursery needs substantive improvement. Our adult classes meet in parlors, the gym, and on a stage. We are far behind other churches that can take advantage of new forms of learning through video and computer technology. If we are going to respond to the opportunities to take leadership in creating forums addressing the contemporary questions of faith and science, the arts, divorce and grief, and the socio-economic issues of the city, then we need workable space to teach adults. Specifically what we need to build is:

• A new nursery and youth facility
• Improved children’s facilities developed in cooperation with the Shadyside Presbyterian Church Nursery School
• New adult classrooms that also permit large conferences on faith and life
• Musical training and rehearsal facilities
• A new church bookstore and center for distribution of worship CDs

Building Community in the City & Beyond
Not wanting only to spend substantial resources on our own facility, the Session strongly believes that we also need to commit both our treasure and our heart to major gifts to the city and beyond. To build upon our well-established Mission Outreach activities, we will dedicate significant support to building community outside our congregation.

Building Community in Fellowship
In order to become the family of Christ, it is not enough to worship together. We have to know the other members of the family and develop deep relationships. As our worship attendance continues to grow, we need a space closer to the sanctuary that is better suited for people to gather before and after worship. We also are in need of a facility designed for the many church dinners, which are only growing in number through the week. Since it is clear that God is giving us many visitors and new members, we have a responsibility to create a hospitable environment in which people know such basic things as where the front door is, how to find an information desk or pastor, and how to get to the fellowship centers after worship without going outside in the winter. Currently, it is hard to find a good place in the church to have a conversation on Sunday mornings. In other words, we need to create a people-friendly atmosphere in our church home. Specifically we need to:

• Create a living and dining room for the church, possibly using the parish hall
• Redevelop our kitchen facilities making them reliable and efficient
• Ensure that a growing College and Young Adult Ministry is adequately facilitated
• Re-envision the space used by the cloister, parlor, and chapel – possibly connecting them with an all-weather atrium that can be used for fellowship following worship and receptions following weddings and funerals

The Call to Build
It is not our interest simply to remodel facilities so they can be nicer, but we are devoted to building our ministry’s commitment to community among our members and among the other communities that surround us in the city. That requires an investment. The Session of the church has spent well over a year prayerfully discerning what God is now asking of our congregation. We believe this is it. Now the challenge is, will we seize this opportunity to ensure that Shadyside Presbyterian Church is a light to the city?