Category: Religion
Pittsburgh native fighting to ‘revive government’
By Kim Roberts Point Park News Service Stephanie Summers spends her days in Washington, D.C., smack in the middle of conversations about two very touchy subjects: religion and politics. As the Chief Executive Officer for the Center for Public Justice, the 35-year-old Pittsburgh native is particularly busy this election season educating citizens about a biblical [...]
Church members take their faith to the streets
By Kimberly Smith Point Park News Service All Zack Durkin wanted was to meet his friend for lunch at Noodles & Co. in Market Square when he was approached by two men professing about the “female image of God.” The men continued walking down the block with him, pulling out Bibles with highlighted passages in [...]
Pittsburgh residents gear up for Diwali, “The Festival of Lights”
By Ligaya Scaff Point Park News Service Later this month, bursts of fireworks will light up the sky as children excitedly wave flickering sparklers. Families throughout the city and across the globe will prepare mouth watering sweets and exchange gifts of silver and gold jewelry. This is not some out of sync Independence Day celebration [...]
Pastor moves to Pittsburgh, impacts Millvale youth
By Pete Bridge Point Park News Service Anthony Ortisi had never been to Pittsburgh when he was asked to be the worship pastor of the Element Church in Millvale last year even if it took him awhile to get here. The 29-year-old could not sell his Detroit house, so the job was filled by the time [...]
Pittsburgh students and foreign relations experts respond to ‘Innocence of Muslims’ trailer
By Ligaya Ganster Point Park News Service When Hanan Alshubbar saw numerous expressions of love for the Prophet Muhammad on Facebook last week, she soon learned that the posts were in response to the now-infamous “Innocence of Muslims” YouTube video. For Alshubbar, a 20-year-old Biological Sciences major at Point Park University, the video shows inaccurate [...]
New City Church kicks off weekly services Downtown
By Kim Roberts Point Park News Service Worshipers at the New City Church proclaimed a collective “Amen” during its first weekly service on Sunday, Sept. 9, after over a year of planning, meeting and praying. The church aims to fulfill the spiritual needs of students, young adults and empty nesters in downtown Pittsburgh. “We’d like to create [...]
Muslim discrimination
By Sean McKeag Point Park News Service Twenty-two-year-old Reem Hobeld in her native garb was at the beverage station at the Pittsburgh Burger Company in the waterfront when a man yelled, “Hey friend! Why do you have that thing on your head? Ain’t you American?” The “thing” that this man referred to was the hijab, [...]
Contemporary church in Wexford combines fitness and faith
Orchard Hill Church in Wexford incorporates faith, healthy competition and values into their sports and recreation programs By Natalie Simon Point Park News Service Cindy Runco wanted to bring the 2,500 members of Orchard Hill Church closer together. She wanted a stronger contemporary church community beyond the doors leading into the Heinz Hall replicated theater [...]
Not your grandpa’s cellar, program offers teens a safe place to relax
By Celeste Begandy Point Park News Service In the basement of the First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, there is a dimly lit room filled with ripped couches, a pool table and punk music blasting from a small stereo. No crucifixes, prayer beads, or Bibles were immediately present, though. Appropriately named “The Cellar,” this space to [...]
Small towns come together through churches
By Rebecca Warner Point Park News Service As Pastor Wilmer J. Olszewski recalls the tragic death of a little boy who was found dead in a septic tank in 2009 in his area, his eyes become glassy with tears. A small-town preacher, Olszewski has learned that every tragedy, every event that occurs in his community [...]
