Creating space for love, justice, and service to flourish
Community and Impact
When the worshipping community at St. Andrew Lutheran Church gathers, it is not simply a weekly ritual; it is a time of reminding ourselves and one another that God loves us and the world. We come from many places, holding many identities, because St. Andrew is a harbor where we have been invited as wholly beloved and welcomed. St. Andrew strives to be a place of celebration and inclusion, where we “love everyone; exclude no one.” Our community gathers in our historic building, in the shadow of beautiful stained glass depicting Jesus welcoming the children and triumphing over death, so that we too can proclaim God’s love and life.
St. Andrew was the first Lutheran Reconciling in Christ congregation in the Pittsburgh area, proclaiming our intentional welcome and affirmation of the LGBTQIA+ community, long before it was common among progressive Christian churches. Our welcoming statement describes our ongoing commitment to open our hearts to “all who are seeking a place of healing and wholeness – a nurturing, faith-forming, spiritual home…embracing people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and family constellations.” We live out this commitment to welcome and justice through intentional antiracist reflection and practices, shaped by our ever-deepening relationship with Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. We worship, sing, and serve together with the people of Bethel, acknowledging the ways in which white churches have perpetuated the sin of racism, and strive to put our repentance into active works of repair and reconciliation.
St. Andrew takes our call to be good neighbors seriously. We do this through direct service to those in need by providing a product distribution site with the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, and stocking our Little Free Library and Little Free Pantry. Additionally, St. Andrew regularly organizes opportunities for learning and reflection to better support our immigrant neighbors, grow in peacemaking, work to dismantle antisemitism, and more, as evinced through the numerous workshops, meetings, and programs hosted by the church. These efforts guide us in fulfilling our baptismal promise of serving all people.
Through our programs, space sharing, and volunteer hours, along with the congregation’s spending in the local economy through operations and building maintenance, St. Andrew gives back around $250,000 a year. The hosting of organizations, events, and programs serves approximately 1,000 people per month through our ministry, with 95% of them in the community beyond our congregation. Among these ministries is our twice-monthly produce distribution, which serves an average of 110 households, around 300-350 people a month.
Project Details
Our capital Campaign aims to raise $1,000,000 to fund the following improvements to the building:
*Full replacement of historic roof with new terra cotta tile
*Replacement of damaged soffit, fascia, and gutters
*Necessary and urgent wood and masonry repairs
*Repair of the two towers, including masonry, windowsills, rafters, and roof.
The stretch goal of $1.5 million would allow us to also include:
*Waterproofing of the church’s basement
*Creation of new ADA accessible ramp and entrance
Please, join us in building community together. Your contribution to this campaign will help us continue our commitment to love, justice, and service by ensuring that the building is safe and accessible. This isn’t just about preserving a church building. It is about continuing to create a space that embodies welcome and justice in a world that seeks to tear down and divide. We have been given the gift of our corner of Centre and Morewood, and want it to flourish as a center of worship, learning, and community.
Funds can be pledged in the following ways:
*Cash, Checks, and Credit Card
*By scanning the QR code to donate
*Marketable Securities or Real Estate (please contact us using the information below for further information).
Correspondence may be addressed to:
St. Andrew Lutheran Church
Campaign Operations
304 Morewood Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
or to Treasurer@standrewpittsburgh.org