 The Munhall Community Band Spring Concert will be at the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood on Sunday, March 26, 2023. Doors open at 3:30, show at 4:00!
Music from Carmen, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, The Beatles, and more! Special guest conductor Dr. Yugo Ikach of the Washington Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are free, with a $5 suggested donation. Reserve your seat today! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/521256410957 We seek your help in making our sanctuary a place of graceful beauty and meaning on Easter morning. Through your donation, we can accomplish this. Flowers can be ordered using the form in the newsletter, emailed to Judy at (office@fpcedgewood.org), or using the online order form found here. The cost of each plant is $8.00. Please send check (payable to FPCE or pay online at fpcedgewood.org/donate) with form and return it to the Church Office. Deadline is March 27, 2023.  “What does it mean for us to be vital today?” That’s the question many of us in the church are asking. Churches don’t look like what they did when we were kids. The PC(USA) is asking this question as a whole and has charged congregations with pledging to live the gospel. Our denomination calls this living out Matthew 25, and part of the Matthew 25 campaign is building “Congregational Vitality.” The Office of Vital Congregations (OVC) within the Presbyterian Mission Agency has laid out 7 marks of vital congregations, and I’ll be sharing a bit about each one each month as we continue to look at the saints and heroes of the church. The first is LIFELONG discipleship formation versus complacent “Christian” piety, simply teaching good morals, or offering the latest programs. Let’s take Dietrich Bonhoeffer as an example! Bonhoeffer was born in 1906 in Breslau, Germany. He grew up in an elite German family, with extravagant parties and frequent trips to the family’s country cottage. When he was merely 12 years old, he knew he was called to a life of ministry. It took him many years of education and many encounters with those of different backgrounds to mature in his faith. As Hitler was rising into power, he was reconciling his faith with all of the injustice around him. Eventually, he helped form the Confessing Church, which sought to oppose Nazi Germany. He is most notable for his involvement in an attempt to assassinate Hitler, which ultimately led to his imprisonment and execution. Bonhoeffer left us with a legacy of the importance of Christian community and Christian formation–having led an underground seminary during Hitler’s reign. Lifelong discipleship formation starts at the cradle and leads to the grave, seeking to be formed for right living with God and with all people. What is faith? It’s seeking understanding, cultivating wisdom, and actively following Christ. OVC writes, “It is not an extracurricular activity nor merely head-knowledge.” The OVC defines discipleship as being “awakened and engaged in issues facing today’s culture: injustice, inequality, divisive segregation, oppression, suffering, abuse of creation. Discipleship formed and strengthened in the community of Christ permeates daily practices and daily living.” Bonhoeffer speaks to us today. As the church, we are called to equip and empower all people to interpret faith in daily life. We are to engage in–not hide from–difficult conversations in society (i.e., sexism, racism, classism, ageism, and all other “isms” that divide). How can we grow as a church so that Lifelong Discipleship Formation takes root? What would need to change in our communal life? Our home life? Our daily life? How can this community help nurture and equip you for lifelong discipleship? Peace be with you, Pastor Jason   The season of Lent is upon us, and we begin our journey to the cross on Ash Wednesday. Join us at 7:00PM in the sanctuary on Wednesday, February 22 for a service of communion with the imposition of ashes.
 Join us on Sunday, February 5 as we recognize the efforts of Scout Troop/Pack 23 and their leaders, honoring the long-standing partnership and charter between FPCE and the Boy Scouts of America.
 Zen Shakuhachi Concert & Meditation with
Grandmaster Cornelius Boots February 5, 2023 at 4:00 pm in the Sanctuary General $20 ; Students & Seniors $10 Tickets at door or advance tickets available here Edgewood resident and certified Grandmaster (dai shihan) Cornelius Boots presents the living tradition of shakuhachi -- the rare bamboo flute from ancient Japanese Buddhism. The old monastic repertoire shares the program with robust solo compositions that slowly emerged as the bamboo was integrated into Boots’ original training as a creative jazz woodwinder in the lineage of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Meditation, music and nature form the roots of this earthy and ephemeral performing art. Natural bore (jinashi) and larger, low-pitched flutes (bass or alto) flutes are featured on this program: they provide a strong connection – for both the player and the listener – to a deeper, almost primeval past: echoes from the ancient days of the Earth. Artist Bio Cornelius Boots is a certified Dai Shihan (grandmaster) of Zen shakuhachi and an award-winning composer. A lifelong woodwind performance innovator, Boots also earned three music degrees from the renowned Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and has released over 12 albums as a leader and written over 100 compositions for under-represented instruments (bass clarinet and shakuhachi). A finalist in the 2018 World Shakuhachi Competition, he was also a featured performer or presenter that same year at the World Bamboo Congress (Xalapa), the World Shakuhachi Festival (London) and the Sony E3 Conference (LA).  All active members of the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood are asked to attend the annual Congregational Meeting immediately following worship on Sunday, January 22. The purpose of this meeting is to receive and review the Annual Report and its reports from various committees and to review the final budget approved by Session. Additionally, the remaining slate of nominees not yet secured at the December meeting will be elected to their offices and positions on Session, Deacons, the 2023 nominating committee, and auditors. Please join us as we take care of the business involved in continuing our ministry at FPCE. As required by our FPCE bylaws, this announcement and official notice of the meeting will be made from the pulpit 2 weeks prior to the meeting and printed in the worship bulletin. 
 Trauma and Healing: A Gun Violence Prevention Forum
First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood Saturday, January 14th from 1:30 to 3:00PM Hear from Panelists and Gather Resources Jason Dauer, Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood Bhavini Patel, Edgewood Councilmember Allan Willinger, Edgewood Neighbors for Gun Safety Josh Fleitman, CeaseFirePA Wilkinsburg Sanctuary Project for Peace LGBTQIA+ Affirming Ministries of Pittsburgh Linda Lennon, H.O.O.P Alliance Dr. Raquel Forsythe, Director of Trauma, UPMC  FPCE is going to be building Blessing Bags on January 15 following the church service. These bags will be available for anyone to take and pass out to those in need. If you would like to make a financial donation, please do so by January 8 or consider dropping off requested items (see list below) before January 15. If you have any questions please email Tyler McGuigan, mcguigantyler@yahoo.com
Items needed: applesauce, granola bars, crackers, tuna packets, bottled water, socks, plastic, forks/spoons, toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, comb, wet wipes, Chapstick, small packs of tissues, hand sanitizer.  Merry Christmas! There will be NO in-person worship this morning so that families can keep their usual Christmas morning routines and traditions. We have crafted a video presentation that will serve as our worship service in a sort of "Christmas Special" format. Please join us on Facebook and YouTube from the comfort of your home. The service will “go live” at 11:00AM so that all may view it in real time, and then it will be available to watch any time after that.
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