Pastor's Message - September 2025

~ 75th Anniversary Celebrations, “Let Our Light Shine”~

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid…

Let your light shine before others.”

~Matthew 5:14-16

Dear Members and Friends,

Bower Hill Church is 75 years old! The theme for our celebrations is, “Let our light shine.” A special service of worship will kick things off on Sunday, September 7. On that day, we will loosely re-enact our very first service of worship which took place on September 10, 1950—all except the hymn “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,” which will be played on the violin but not sung. (Google the lyrics to see why. Alas, 1950 was another age!) Wear one of the “liturgical colors” in our stained-glass—red, green, purple, blue or yellow—to unlock donations to our 75th campaign. Stay for lunch and programming after the service. But what are we celebrating? Why are we celebrating? And how are we going to celebrate?

WHAT ARE WE CELEBRATING?

>God’s faithfulness in the past, which calls us into the future.

>The many ministries and missions we’ve successfully undertaken down through the years.

>Our church’s unique identity, which fits us for specific callings and ministries in our times.

WHY ARE WE CELEBRATING?

>To foster a sense of pride and belonging at Bower Hill Church.

>To create excitement about the ways that we are being called to serve in years to come.

>To re-establish connections between our church and our community.

>To re-energize our church with a sense of identity and purpose.

>To get a clear vision of the future of religion in America and especially OUR PLACE in it.

Wait, what was that last bullet point? “To get a clear vision of the future of religion in America and OUR PLACE in it”? What does that mean? The role of faith in American life has changed enormously since 1950, when 76% of the population held membership in a church or synagogue. Today, only about 37% of the population holds membership in a religious body, and that percentage declines each year. How do we live faithfully in these times, just as the founders of our church lived faithfully in theirs? To answer that question, we’re hosting a 3-Part Speaker Series on the future of faith in America…and how to lean into it. Possible names for this series might include: Faithful Futures, The Unfolding Faith, or Beyond the Steeple. It will consist of three dinners and programs led by well-known personalities in the trajectory of religion in the 21st century. These dinners, at Cefalo’s, will be advertised and open to the public, especially to leaders of religious organizations. These include: Wednesday, March 11 with Ryan Birge (just Google him); Wednesday, April 22 with Andrew Root (again, Google him; he’s famous); and in May, a panel discussion featuring Dr. Gregory Jones of Duquesne University (also a member of First Baptist Church of Bridgeville). Details TBA.

HOW ARE WE CELEBRATING?

See below! Look inside this newsletter for the events that occur on February 1 and the grand weekend of May 16-17, when former BHC pastors and members will be present.

The life of faith is a grateful response to the grace God lavishes on us. We have much to be grateful for at Bower Hill Church and much to share with our world. Let’s shine that light into the next 75 years.

Christ’s Peace,

~Brian