Arrival
Come in the green side door off the alley. Bernie will be at the coffee urn and will hand you a printed order of service.
Sundays
Seventy-five minutes and a bowl of soup
We meet at 4:30 every Sunday in Lodge 41 on Ashworth Street. Here is the whole thing, honestly.
Doors open at 4:00. The piano starts at 4:25 and we begin on time.
Your first Sunday
What to expect
Nobody will ask you to stand up, fill in a card or say anything.
Seats
Eighty folding chairs in a half-circle. The back row is for parents with babies and people who'd like to leave early.
Kids
Kids start with us and go upstairs for the sermon. Molly and one other adult are always with them.
Length
About 75 minutes: songs, two readings, a sermon of about 25 minutes, prayers, and communion.
Communion
Bread and wine (or grape juice) every week. If you're not ready to take it, cross your arms and Isaac will pray for you instead.
Access
The side entrance is step-free. The hall is on one level; the kids' room is up a flight of stairs.
4:00 to 6:30, more or less
Doors and coffee
Bernie has the urn going. The bar stays roped off.
We begin
Songs from a printed sheet. Lyrics and chords on the back, for the musicians.
The sermon
Isaac preaches through one book of the Bible at a time. This autumn: the Gospel of Luke.
Communion and prayer
Come forward to the table, or stay seated and we'll bring it to you.
Soup in the back room
Two pots, bread from the bakery on Butler, and long tables. Everyone eats.
Butler StAshworth StAllegheny RiverLodge 41 (Ashworth Street Church on Sundays)
Find us
Lodge 41, off Butler Street
4110 Ashworth St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201- Parking
- Free street parking on Ashworth and 41st on Sundays. The lot behind the hall belongs to the lodge members, so please leave it for them.
- Transit
- Routes 91 and 93 stop at Butler and 41st, two minutes' walk. The 54 stops at 40th and Penn.
- Access
- Use the green side door in the alley; it is step-free. Accessible restroom on the main floor.
Questions
Things people ask Isaac on the sidewalk
Why 4:30 in the afternoon?
Because the hall is free then, and because it suits the neighborhood: people who work Saturday nights, parents who need a slow morning, and anyone who likes the idea of church followed by supper.
What kind of church is this?
A Protestant church that holds to the historic creeds. We read a lot of the Bible out loud, take communion every week and try to keep the service simple. The beliefs page has the longer answer.
Is it weird to visit a church this small?
A little, for about four minutes. Then it's soup and conversation. Nobody will make a fuss.
Do I need to bring anything?
No. If you want to help, bring napkins. We always run out of napkins.
Sundays are only half of it
Most of the church happens around four dinner tables on Tuesday nights.