Sherri & Bill's Cookout Reception

The prayers of many were answered and many more were overjoyed to learn of the engagement and then marriage of Sherri Brunsvold to Bill Thornton earlier this year. But instead of having a big wedding and reception, they decided to go small and low key and then have the reception at a later date in the summer. Well, they just had the reception last Saturday at their place and it was a cookout! It was a great time of fellowship, food and fun. Bill had spend much time the night before preparing all types of meat; a regular meat buffet. Of course there were plenty of other great dishes too. For example, I think Sherri may have succeeded in creating the quintessential mac and cheese crock pot casserole. To check out who was there and get a taste of the fun, see the slideshow above or click here to view the photos at your leisure.

Sherri Brunsvold was a key leader in the early days of Christian Student Fellowship and a cornerstone of New Hope Christian Community.

The Closing Ceremony

Saturday afternoon, August 2, a small group of Christians gathered together for the last time to honor the memory and the passing of a small church which blessed thousands. As it sometimes goes, our former church, New Hope Christian Community, did not die with a bang, but with a whimper. The remnant of New Hope, who last year tried in vein to continue the uniqueness of our fellowship and ministry, decided it would be good to have one final, official gathering to say goodbye and bring a formal close to this church and ministry.

Photo Album of the Closing Ceremony/Reunion
Slideshow "Through the Years" by Eric Randall
Audio of the first 45 min of the Ceremony

Thanks Eric for doing an outstanding job organizing and leading the ceremony, thanks to all who helped with setup and worship, and a special thanks to all who provided and prepared all the good food.

A Time for Everything

After many years of serving the community and college campuses of Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, New Hope Christian Community has run it's course. As Solomon wrote, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

Some of the former ministries of New Hope, such as the Connections Cafe and Angel Food Oakland, continue to exist and minster to the local community. Likewise there are many other ministries in this area in which New Hope and its members have invested. So even though New Hope no longer exists as a unique church in the Oakland area, it has sown seeds in the community which have taken root and continue to grow. A partial list follows.

Connections Cafe
Christian Student Fellowship
Angel Food Oakland
Steel City Church
CARE Ownership
The Living Ministry
Urban Fuel

If you are wondering about the previous post regarding LightHouse Church, we did meet together for the better part of 2007. It was a very good time of fellowship and I highly recommend their church for students of CMU, where they do most of their ministry and outreach.