ANNUAL REPORT 2017

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

THE BIBLE CHAPEL EXISTS TO DEVELOP FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE SOUTH HILLS OF PITTSBURGH, IN THE GREATER PITTSBURGH AREA, AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS WHO WE ARE

1963

Nine couples began a midweek in-home Bible study in Upper Saint Clair. This was the beginning of The Bible Chapel.

1965

First official service of St. Clair Bible Chapel was held in that same house, with eleven adults in attendance.

1968

Purchased a church on Circle Drive in Upper St. Clair to call their church home, and services were led and taught by the elders of the church.

1976

Added on a new sanctuary, as the congregation had come to outgrow the existing one.

1985 1991

Moved to Peters Township High School for services, as the current building again couldn’t hold everyone.

The first Senior Pastor and primary preacher, John Munro, was hired.

1989

Ron Moore joined the staff as Associate Pastor.

1992

1995

OUR FIVE ESSENTIALS Wo r d

Purchased land on Gallery Drive for the current South Hills Campus site, and Ron Moore was named Senior Pastor. The congregation moved into the current South Hills facility, and the church was renamed as South Hills Bible Chapel to reflect its new location.

The Bible Chapel exists to develop followers of Jesus Christ in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, in the Greater Pittsburgh Area, and throughout the world. We are a non-denominational multi-site church built on more than 50 years of history, and are always watching for where God would have us go next. We believe there are five areas in which a follower of Christ must be growing in order to maintain a healthy relationship with the living God: word, worship, connect, serve and share.

Consistent and dedicated Bible study

2009

Robinson Campus began as the first multisite location, and launched in Showcase Cinemas West. The church again changed its name to The Bible Chapel, to show that it was no longer a church just in the South Hills.

2011

The Washington Campus was launched on West Wheeling Street and services were streamed online for the first time.

2013

The Wilkinsburg Campus started meeting in Pittsburgh Urban Christian School.

2017

The Rostraver Campus was added, formerly Pricedale Union Church.

Wo r s h i p

Praising and honoring God both privately and corporately, with every aspect of our lives

Connect

Being in relationship with other believers

Serve

Using our God-given gifts to do his work and help others

Share

Spreading the good news of the Gospel with our words and actions

2017 SNAPSHOT B A PT I SM S

44

N EW M EM BERS

144

CH I L DREN D EDI CATED P EO P LE IN CH A PEL GROU PS AV ER AGE WEEKLY AT T E NDAN CE

66

602 3,942

Special Needs Ministry The Special Needs Ministry experienced awesome growth in 2017, and was pleased to welcome infants and toddlers into the Sunday and Wednesday programming for the first time. Director of Special Needs Jaclyn Royall shared, “Many of our families have started coming through word of mouth, they are trusting us with their children, and are also telling their friends about the programs as well. We have grown from having two

peer mentors in 2016 to seven in 2017. What I have realized in the last few months is that we are building a very unique community through the ministry that we are doing. It has been wonderful to be a part of that and I can’t wait to see how God continues to grow it.” In addition to the weekly programming, the ministry also hosted Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, for the second year in a row. Like the

weekly ministry, this event keeps growing in reach and impact, and this year 200 guests came to our South Hills Campus for a night of dinner, dancing, and the red carpet treatment, with 500 volunteers supporting the effort and making the evening possible.

Va c a t i o n B i b l e S c h o o l

Sports Ministry We are amazed at the big ways God works through Vacation Bible School. This year, we held a VBS at four of our campuses, and God brought 955 children through our doors for fun, fellowship, and learning about the love of Christ. By the end of the week, 138 children accepted Jesus as their savior across all of our locations! Many of our campus children’s directors noted how much they enjoyed the event, and how God worked in so many ways in their

Our Robinson Campus was invited by the Sto-Rox Family Health Center to be a part of their community Open House. The Open House included free medical clinics, an inflatable bounce house, free food,

individual sites. Taffy Kulp of the Washington Campus shared, “VBS really brought the congregation together! We saw new volunteers step up, and other congregants becoming more engaged with our campus, and with each other.” Kathy Golinsky of the Robinson Campus was thankful not just for their first VBS, but also for their new building that made it such a success! She shared, “I can’t help but think of the VBS program we held at Pittsburgh Technical

College, and how the kids could not be loud because classes were in session...praise God that he provided our new Robinson location for our very first VBS! The volunteers and children were very loud, making joyful noise to the Lord as the volunteers were singing, and the worship area was rocking. The church became one and that feeling was amazing. All serving under God for a purpose, to highlight Him and to bring kids in a loving building having fun!”

Sto-Rox Diaper Drive

emergency response vehicles, and snow cones. Our partners in ministry, Choices Pregnancy Services, sent their mobile ICU unit to provide cost-free pregnancy testing and ultrasound services, and The Bible Chapel

was set up next to them. Not only did we pass out more than 10,000 diapers to 118 families, we were able to pray with all who had need along with extending an invitation to church!

Four of our campuses came together for this year’s student retreats, and Director of Student Ministry Lorraine Shipman shared, “It was great planning as a team with each director having a role on one or both retreats. After the retreat, I received an email from a parent telling me how much her daughter enjoyed getting to know the girls from Rostraver. One thing we really focused on for the retreat was spiritual growth, not just on the retreat but afterwards. We didn’t want it to be just a spiritual high so we provided 40-day devotions based on our theme and challenged the students to make a change. Students have told me that they are waking up 30 minutes earlier each day to do their devotion. I had a parent send me a picture of her student doing the devotion and stated she has never seen her do it on her own before.”

Across all of our campuses, more than 600 kids participated in our sports programs, such as Upward basketball and football, cheerleading, sports camps, and wrestling. The desire for these programs is that they will provide us with an opportunity to share the gospel with those who may not otherwise attend church. While some of the participants are from our church body, more than half, and in some cases, up to 75% of the children who participated were not from The Bible Chapel. Regarding the sports camps, one parent shared, “You guys did an amazing job this week. My kids have LOVED every day, and they don’t even like sports!”

Student Retreats

M u s i c , A r t s , a n d Wo r s h i p M i n i s t r y Sonja Kim spent 20 years in Cambodia doing missionary work with her husband and children. In December of 2015, Sonja was traveling to the United States for Christmas to visit her extended family when she contracted H1N1. She fell incredibly ill, her husband and children still in Cambodia, and ended up in the hospital, where doctors feared she would never leave. Sonja shared, “As I laid lifeless on the bed with the machines keeping me alive, my family never gave up the fight. They called out to all their friends and extended family to pray. It was like a dome of prayers covering me. People

from Cambodia to America, Spain to the Philippines and India to Israel were calling on the Lord for Him to restore my health. Over New Year’s Eve my conditioned worsened. My lungs were only functioning at 60%, my carbon dioxide level was rising in my blood, and I was becoming septic. The doctors at the hospital wanted to try one more technique before deciding they could no longer treat me. They flipped me on my stomach to try and get my lower lungs to work. It was unsuccessful, and they told my family they could no longer treat me. As the doctors discussed which hospital to send me to

with my sister and niece, a nurse caught my sister’s attention and told her that he worked at UPMC Presby and they had experience with my condition. God placed the right person in their path, a messenger to help direct my family’s decisions. When I was released from the hospital March 23, 2016, I was frail, I could barely carry myself let alone walk any distance, and I was on continuous oxygen. At my follow-up visit after being released from the hospital, both my pulmonologist and internal surgeon commented that they did not believe they would see me out of the hospital. They were

amazed. I told them, “God is a miracle-making God and I am a walking miracle.” They had to agree. Time and time again I have had opportunities to talk about God freely with others as I tell them about how He saved me from death. I’ve always been open to God to use my life, so this is just another way He is using me to speak about His wondrous ways.” During on worship service at The Bible Chapel this fall, Sonja heard about the Joy: An Irish Christmas concert, and came up for prayer and to share her story at the end of the service. She talked with Suzie Ackerman, a member of

the music ministry, and became excited about the possibility of participating in the Christmas production and singing again for the Lord as a testimony of what he had done in healing and saving her. She participated in the concert, and through the preparation process she met many choir members, and felt a family connection to them all. She then tried out for the choir, and now sings on the platform at the South Hills Campus. When asked about Sonja, Suzie shared, “When I think of Sonja, joy comes to my heart. When she came to me about the Joy Christmas Concert, it had been two years since her

illness ensued, and participating in that event became a marker in the sand for what God has done for her, allowing her to not only live, but to sing again. With what she has endured, she has persevered and is embracing the joy of singing to the Lord again, finding connection with others at The Chapel, and strengthening her lungs all at the same time. The doctors have told her that her oxygen levels are the highest they have ever been (99%) and asked her what she has been doing to make the improvement, and her response was ‘singing in the choir at church.’”

A note from a congregant

C o l o r Wa r s

Every year Color Wars grows and God brings more and more youth to himself through the event. In 2017, 395 sixth through eighth grade students attended from 40 different schools. More than 220 of them were not from The Bible Chapel, and 70 of them were not part of a church at all! What a tremendous outreach to the community, and a way for our students to share the Gospel with their friends in a fun, non-threatening environment.

Our Young Adult Ministry really gained momentum in 2017, and approximately 80 people are gathering weekly at our South Hills Campus for worship, teaching and fellowship. They also held their first Night of Worship this year, where 100 people from all campuses and some who were new to our church went to our Robinson Campus to worship God with one voice and be refreshed with the powers of prayer and praise. The ministry also launched Core Groups this year, and group leader Cami Walsh shared, “I now have community! Praise the Lord! When I was asked to lead a Core Group, I did not realize

Yo u n g A d u l t s

what I was really missing nor did I feel as though I needed community in that way. Now that I have a group, I would not have it any other way. These girls have helped me see, experience, and communicate the Gospel. They not only point me to Jesus, but they are my friends. And we enjoy doing life together. It reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 2:8, ‘Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.’ The Lord is working and I am so blessed to be a part of it! He is so good!”

One day, a work colleague wore a button labeled “If?” Curiously, I bit and he asked, “If you were to die tomorrow, do you know where you’re going?” I smiled and said heaven due to the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for me. He smiled and said he’d see me there. I shared the story with my husband that evening and it sparked a conversation that I had taken for granted. Being a believer since childhood, I assumed he was too despite growing up not going to church with his family. He would attend church with me but confessed that he felt lost. He said that if he were to die on a plane home from work that he knows we’d be taken care of financially and then he assumed it was “lights out!” I cried and he couldn’t understand why. Fortunately, the colleague who wore the “If?” button also handed me a short book that I asked my husband to read. In the meantime, a neighbor had invited our family to visit The Bible Chapel. Our daughter had been enjoying the Upward Sports Cheer program, but I went kicking and screaming, feeling like I was cheating on my church. At the end of the first service, someone asked us to join their Core Group. I looked at my husband and said, “I think we just joined a Bible study!” We went and continued to go to the church services. The kids fell in love with it and I became closer to Christ than I ever had been. During the Easter service, Ron Moore asked if anyone in the service wanted to say the prayer of salvation with him to “repeat after me.” I did and prayed that my husband would, too. Afterward, my husband smiled at me and said, “I’ll see you up there!” It was one of the happiest and most comforting moments of my life.

HE’S GOT YOUR BACK During this year’s He’s Got Your Back backpack drive we collected 463 backpacks and $235 in donations, and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of God’s people. Even the youngest of our congregation are using this drive to serve and reach other children who are in need. One young girl brought in 40 backpacks that she fills year-round as she can. Another little girl raised more than $500 at a lemonade stand for an impressive 32 backpacks! FOSTER CARE AND ADOPT This year we launched a new component for our Foster Care and Adoption Ministry. Clothes

Off Our Back provides donated clothing to children ages birth through teenage years who are awaiting adoption. The clothes are contained in a storage unit funded by The Bible Chapel, and one of our volunteers works with case workers from Try It Again Homes to connect kids in need with this necessary service. In addition to the clothing, the unit also contains bouncers, strollers, highchairs, and other care items for babies.

Mission’s food pantry. In total, we were able to provide 187 food items to Light of Life and five bags of food for City Mission.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD We are so thankful for God’s continued blessing on our annual Operation Christmas Child collection, which allows us to reach children all over the world with the life-saving message of Jesus Christ. This year we not only acted as a regional collection center, but as a church we LOCAL PARTNERS contributed 2,586 boxes to the During the football season, total collection, which amounted our Upward families donated Thanksgiving food for Light of Life to 8,604! Thanksgiving baskets and City

Outreach

M i s s i o n Tr i p s

Short-term mission trips are a great way to experience and partake in God’s work in the lives of people all around the world, and this year 139 people were sent to various states and countries, including Panama, Honduras, Kenya, Thailand, New York and Louisville. This was the first year we sent a team to Thailand to work with Faith House, where team members taught leadership development and delivered resources to the team there that will allow them to continue and strengthen the work they are doing to help girls at risk for human trafficking. In Latin America, marriages are deteriorating

at an alarmingly high rate, and so this year’s Honduras team brought marriage materials with them to our friends at Impacto Church, and opened discussion about how to address this topic for the first time. At AIC Zion in Kenya, we helped them to expand their educational offering to the children of the slum by adding the equivalent of grade ten to their school. Our prayer is that we can add a new grade each year to complete the school, and afford these children a way out of the slums and into new lives for themselves.

Wo m e n ’s M i n i s t r y

Wilkinsburg Campus

At all of our campuses, ladies’ Bible studies take place weekly throughout the year. The hope of these studies is not just to gain biblical knowledge, but for the women to apply what they learn to their lives so that they can experience transformed lives for Christ. One Bible study participant shared, “I wanted to thank you for the lesson this morning. I know I, for one, really needed to hear it. Not just as in ‘yes, this all applies to me on some level,’ but as in, ‘God and I have been wrangling about it this very morning!’” One Bible study group discovered one of their members was dealing with issues around caring for her aging mother. As she told the story of what was happening, the group quickly realized that there was little they could do to help with the day-to-day care needs, but they could be involved in one project that was immediate and overwhelming: packing up her mother’s home and helping her downsize. This group of ladies put their faith into practice in a way that made an overwhelming task disappear and was a tremendous blessing to their sister in Christ!

M e n ’s M i n i s t r y Every year the Men’s Ministry holds a weekend retreat where men can be refreshed and encouraged to be the spiritual leaders of their homes and godly men for Christ in all areas of their lives. This note from an attendee to one of our ministry leaders this year shows how God uses these weekends to work in the hearts of his people. “I can’t thank you enough for encouraging me to go on the retreat this year. My life was changed forever. The three years of backsliding ended this weekend. This morning, I rededicated my life to Christ. Without you, I would’ve never been there this weekend. God had a purpose and used you as an avenue to get a hold of me. It wasn’t just another retreat. This is the one that changed me. Please pray for me as I continue to grow and regain my faith and love for Jesus. You have been a great blessing to me, and thank you for never giving up on me.”

Our Wilkinsburg Campus has made a huge impact on children and youth in their community this year. Not only has the Children’s Ministry grown to nearly 60 children every Sunday morning, but this year we launched Chapel Youth on Wednesday nights, and 25 students are coming weekly to hear about the love of Christ and learn from the leaders there. Every room in the new campus facility is full on Sundays and Wednesdays with young people learning about Jesus and volunteers eager to serve them and help them develop as followers of Jesus Christ. Beyond Sundays and Wednesdays, they also welcomed more than 60 children into their basketball program, and anticipate more growth in this area next year! Finally, one of the largest areas of influence is happening every Sunday morning before worship, when the Breakfast Ministry serves a hot meal to more than 80 people. Volunteers read Scripture and pray with the folks who come in before the meal, and Campus Pastor Dave DiDonato shared, “We are starting to see God break down the walls in their hearts to the message of Jesus.”

Chapel Sages This year Chapel Sages launched a new initiative called SageNet, a monthly gathering to encourage each other on ways to ‘Be the Change,’ which was the ministry’s theme for the year. In September, the ministry organized a conference on Courageous Grandparenting where author and speaker, Cavin Harper, offered practical tools on how to leave a lasting spiritual legacy in the lives of our grandchildren.

Wa s h i n g t o n C a m p u s HELPING HANDS Joel and Megan Dille, a young couple who have been at the Washington Campus since its launch, have been stepping up and stepping out into greater degrees of service and leadership. Although they have served in a variety of capacities over the years, they felt the Lord tugging at their hearts to use their gifts to build up the church in a more meaningful way. By coupling their strong giftings of administration and craftsmanship, Joel and Megan have now officially launched the “Helping Hands” ministry at the Washington Campus. This ministry exists to help those who

are physically unable or in a difficult circumstance to complete minor home repairs. Under their leadership, the campus is now organizing a service project every third Saturday of the month, and has already executed several successful projects. The hope is that both congregational care and the campus’ service opportunities will multiply as the ministry grows. BUILDING RENOVATION On April 22, 2017 The Community Circle Food Pantry, which had occupied the lower level of the Washington Campus since The Bible Chapel moved into the building, was successfully moved to a larger, more suitable location nearby, making room for

the space that used to look and feel much like the “basement” to be transformed into a clean, updated, and dynamic space for Children’s Ministry and discipleship. This move has been an absolute game-changer for the children and youth in Washington, nearly doubling the classroom space available for our next generation to be engaged, equipped, and employed to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ into a world that so desperately needs to know his love. GENEROUS GROWTH Lastly, in 2017, the Washington Campus not only met its targeted giving goals for the year, but it dramatically exceeded them!

Campus Director Zeb Thomas shared “God is faithful, and he continues to meet our needs as we seek to develop followers of his Son, Jesus Christ. In just six years of ministry at the Washington Campus, we have seen God provide exactly what we need to accomplish that which he is calling us to do — and he continues to do so! In fact, the Washington Campus gave well over 30% more in 2017 than it had the previous year. We are so very grateful for those who have generously, sacrificially given to see the work of Christ expand here in our community.”

Rostraver Campus

In 2017, God expanded the multi-site footprint of the Bible Chapel in a much different way than we anticipated. After many years of prayers concerning a presence in the Mon Valley, God led us to Pricedale Union Church in Rostraver as they were going through a season of transition with the resignation their Senior Pastor. Given doctrinal, governmental and missional alignment, The Bible Chapel assumed operation control of the church in June and welcomed Nate Stevens as the first Campus Pastor in January 2018.

Robinson Campus

As part of the church-wide Go Weekend! initiative, the Robinson Campus congregation came together to support the Biblebelieving non-profit organization called Heroes Supporting Heroes (HSH). HSH supports military families on deployment, veterans, and the elderly, and the campus deployed 55 volunteers to serve families in the Pittsburgh area through this organization. At the end of the day all the teams returned to the campus for a fellowship meal where they were joined by three of the five residents whom they had the privilege to serve earlier that day. One of the residents who was impacted is 89-year-old Alfred, who served for 23 years in the US Airforce and is recovering from a terrible fall that landed him in the hospital for an extended period of time. While in the hospital, Alfred’s daughter, Carolyn, had learned about HSH. Below is a note that we received from Carolyn after the fellowship dinner that she and her dad attended: “I just wanted to send along my heartfelt thanks to you and everyone who came to work on

my father’s house and yard this weekend! There really are no words to express our gratitude for the time, talent, and energy each of you so willingly gave! I know each of you has a family and other jobs and priorities to attend to, yet you set aside an entire day to take care of my dad. You were wonderful to meet and spend time with, thought of every single thing you’d need to do the work, and came in the true spirit of service. It is both humbling and inspiring to see how you honor the veterans who have given the best years of their lives in service to all of us. I feel I must mention that, besides being a veteran, my father is also the best father and grandfather a person could hope for. He always puts family first, provides every good thing it is in his power to do, and never asks for a thing in return, so to see him honored in such a personal and meaningful way is amazing! The steps, railings, door, yard work, repairs to the blinds, gutter cleaning, hauling away of things from the basement and garage - this was an enormous amount of work we could never have accomplished without you!”

T

his year was Mike and Mallori’s first year of marriage, which can come with its own set of challenges. When you add to that some serious health concerns for family and friends, a transition from one campus to another, new serving opportunities, and pregnancy, it makes for a year of leaning hard into God’s peace and comfort. Mallori shared, “God has majorly been in our lives this past year. We just hit our first year of marriage, and for a first year we’ve had one heck of a ride. And God has been through it all, and he is very much present and at the center of our marriage. When times are rough, because of course marriage is tough, we are reminded why we’re together, and that God did put us together, and I am reminded of things that we went through with counseling before we got married of just talking through things and being present with God so that you remember those things. Definitely the two scariest things were our friend, Zach’s, brain surgery, and Mike’s dad’s heart issues, and those were terrifying, but God was there every step of the way, and he got us through it.” The couple met at the young adults group at the Robinson Campus. It was there that their relationship blossomed, they built a community of friends, and grew stronger in their faith. This year, however, they felt God calling them to the Washington Campus, and it wasn’t easy to make the change, but they wanted to be obedient to God’s call.

“ Mallori explained, “The transition was more difficult for me because I was very involved with Robinson, and I’m more of a people person and so I was very connected with people there, and I’m still involved there because of serving with the youth and friendships, but I feel like we were led to Washington for a reason. Mike really wanted to go there, and I felt like as an obedient wife I should go there with him, and so we started going to Washington and both fell in love with it. We got involved serving right away because they really needed people to step up and help.” Mike admits he is much quieter and more reluctant to jump

Serving weeks are tough, but you get so much more involved, and you’re serving God more than just campus they’re at. Mallori going to church on a Sunday, and what shared, “Youth in Robinson it makes it feel more like a family. has really changed. Now we

into things, but he had gotten involved in Robinson and with the Young Adult Ministry on Tuesday night, so the change was difficult for him too. “I started with young adults on Tuesday nights getting involved with the tech side of things, mostly because of my friendship with Zach. Then when he became the worship leader in Washington, we had a couple of conversations about transferring that skillset to Washington as well. Though it is a completely different tech environment and different equipment, it was a

pretty easy transition to make. It was definitely a hard decision to leave Robinson because of the connections that we had there, but we felt called to Washington and getting connected there was easy, and now we’re both connected and serving.” Though the pair now has deep roots in Washington, Mallori still serves weekly with the youth in Robinson, and is excited about how God is working there as well. She and Mike agree that The Bible Chapel just feels like one big church to them, no matter

have Cody, and we have like 35 kids, and it is just huge. At first, we always had a group of like five kids who came, and it’s blossomed already, and Cody and us leaders have big plans for the ministry already this year in just the few months he’s been there.” When asked what advice they have for anyone who feels they aren’t connected, or can’t find their place to serve, the pair encourages people to just jump in and try something. Mike empathized with those who may

be feeling lost, and shared, “I struggled with that, too, finding my place, and you just have to get out there and try different things and see what is going to work best for you. Because what works best for someone else isn’t ultimately going to work best for you and so you just have to find your niche spot and grow and evolve into it.” Mallori agreed, adding, “Talk to someone, or observe what stands out to you when you come to church on a Sunday morning. Did you notice the people greeting at the door, or did you appreciate the snacks and coffee? You can also take the test online that lays it out and tells you what your personality would fit into. Pray about it, and just talk to people on the different teams and get a feel for where you would fit in. But I would definitely say get plugged in. Serving weeks are tough, but you get so much more involved, and you’re serving God more than just going to church on a Sunday, and it makes it feel more like a family. I mean, when you have a family event, everyone works together to accomplish something, and that’s what happens every Sunday. At different services and different campuses everyone is working together to create the best experience that people can have by being greeted, and having a warm cup of coffee, and sitting down and talking to someone before or after the service to make it feel like you’re not just coming in and going out, you’re part of something bigger.”

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ike and Patty went to church together for years, but didn’t feel they had a relationship with Christ. Church was a ‘holy day, check off the box’ thing, until they began attending church at the The Bible Chapel, and encountered Christ in a new way. And for Mike, for the first time. Mike shared, “We were blessed enough to run into a high school friend when I first started at The Bible Chapel. He belongs to a Core Group here in Washington, and they invited us to join them. At the time, I didn’t know what a Core Group was, and hadn’t really even read the Bible, but it didn’t take me long to go up to the bookstore and get one! I went to another church for many years because Patty [belonged to that denomination], and at 28 years old I started to try to be [like that] and it didn’t fly. For 20 years I just went because I wanted the kids to have a church experience, but it wasn’t for me. A couple of weeks at The Bible Chapel got my attention, though, and I thought, ‘Boy, have I been missing out on something.’ Patty added, “Here we have a relationship with God. We are both much more grounded, and more responsible Christians. We just have this desire to obey now, where it used to be a holy day, check-the-box type of thing. I’m not faulting other churches, but this is just a better fit for us. God’s plan was to get us here and we’re just so grateful. “ This year, Mike received the news that he has cancer, and the couple shared what it has been like to walk through this trial with God at

the center of their lives, and the difference he makes in how they handle the situation. “ To me, it was the inner peace that he gives you, and I wouldn’t have that otherwise,” said Mike. “Through the church we’ve met with many Christians who have taught us so much. Many good friends have helped to make our faith stronger than it ever was. Since I became a believer late in life, it was more shocking to me that I missed all of that time, so it’s a lot easier for me to grasp what was offered through Christ and his peace. Trusting in him is more than enough for me.”

Patty shared, “I think you always know when things are good, that they aren’t always going to stay that way. I never took that for granted. You know at some point you’re going to have some struggles. So, when the diagnosis came that Mike’s symptoms were cancer, I thought, ‘Ok, I wonder how this is going to turn out.’ Immediately we felt God’s peace, and his grace and mercy get us through each day. Today is a good day, and tomorrow will probably be good as well, but then we start another cycle and the days may not be so good. But no matter what, every day we want to live

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in his peace. We’ve had so much support from our Christian friends and their prayers, and we are just so grateful. We look back and see how we’ve been prepared for this journey. The anchor is ready, and it’s in the storm, but we are just riding out the storm and keeping our eyes on Jesus. Ten years ago I would have been crying and saying, ‘What’s going to happen,’ and now I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen but I know that today we have today, and tomorrow we have tomorrow, and don’t look past that.” “With God as your anchor, you don’t have to worry about the

outcome, because it’s God’s,” shared Mike. “I always say ‘God wrote the book and we’re not deviating from it.’ Whatever it says, that’s it. I’m happy with it. I know what’s at the end of it and he wrote me in it, and that’s what is so nice about it.’” “In James it says you are to give thanks when the trials come, not if, but when they come,” added Patty. “We’re in this trial, and we know it’s being worked out for his good. I’m not sure that we will see the fruits of this, and that’s fine. If we have planted some seeds while we were sitting in the waiting room,

If we have planted some seeds while we were sitting in the waiting room, or just shared sweet time with other cancer patients, we’re just thankful for that. This has given us an opportunity to share our faith...

or just shared sweet time with other cancer patients, we’re just thankful for that. This has given us an opportunity to share our faith and show people that there’s really nothing to be afraid of. It’s been truly a lesson in submission, and it’s funny because it’s so easy to submit to God in this big trial, but then little trials come up day to day, and you want to take control of them. I have to slap my hand and tell myself, ‘Wait a minute, no, give that to God and pray, and don’t take it back into your control.’ That lesson in submission is a daily thing! God has everything under control, and that takes pressure off of me because I am a control freak! But I am learning to submit, and when you do that, the weight is taken away and you feel God’s peace.” When asked what advice they have for others facing trials like theirs, Mike shared, “I would say if they don’t know Jesus, then that’s the place to start. Talk to people who know Christ. It’s up to God to ignite their spark and get them moving.” Patty emphasized the importance of gaining comfort from God’s Word, sharing, “I write in a journal, and it’s a story of submission. When I journal and look back at God’s Word, there’s just so much comfort in that book. We serve an awesome God, and everything in his Word is true. It’s everything you need and it brings comfort and peace. I cannot thank God enough for his faithfulness, love, grace and mercy.”

“

I felt like God was calling us to get involved, and I had never felt that calling before. Before we were just going to church every Sunday, but now it’s like, ‘What can we do for the church?

T

urahn and Di’Ray moved from the west end of town to the east, and were struggling to find a church home for their growing family, visiting church after church on the weekends to get the right fit. There was even a time when they were each going to separate churches they were each used to, but they didn’t feel that was right for their kids or their marriage, and desired for God to show them a place where they would find community. “I was playing on my phone one night and found The Bible Chapel on the internet, and I’d never heard of it, but it wasn’t far from us,” shared Turahn. “So we came

[to the Wilkinsburg Campus], and we had been to a lot of churches, and we just immediately felt the love when we walked in here. We came here last Palm Sunday and we’ve been coming ever since. It was meant to be. The kids are happy and we’ve made a lot of friends.” The couple serves with the youth on Wednesday evenings, Sunday school once each month, and volunteered for VBS this year. It’s a significant difference for them, serving in such a huge way, but Turahn shared, “I felt like God was calling us to get involved, and I had never felt that calling before. Before we were just going to church every Sunday, but now it’s like, ‘What can we do for the church?’” Di’Ray added, “I didn’t feel that way at any other church that we went to. We were just in a place where we just didn’t know what we were going to do, but we knew we needed to be in a home church. We were actually about to join a church that we had been visiting, and it was in the North Side. But then we moved, and it was like, we weren’t going to go all the way to the North Side for church every week, and so we started looking and found The Bible Chapel. We really like it because there are a lot of families our age with kids. It’s just a blessing…I am a guarded person with a lot of walls. And when I came here I just felt the love and the friendship and I felt like I could take down some of those walls. I let people in, and as far as the circle of people, this church has helped me make friends and

have friends that care about God and are just on fire for him and it just feels really good to have the support. It’s just different. I try coming to women’s Bible study and just stay connected the best way that I can. It’s not just about being in a church, but it’s about having a relationship with God. Anybody can go to church, but that doesn’t mean anything by itself.” “If you would have told me a year ago, I would have never thought we would have found this,” said Turahn. “It has always been a point of contention, that we’ve never had a church home, and when we would fuss we would always say, ‘This is because we don’t have a church home.’ And it’s true. So a year later to have a church and be involved and have our kids be excited to come to church….I mean there used to be an emptiness, a void that we just couldn’t fill.” The couple went through Living Grounded with Campus Pastor Dave DiDonato, and Di’Ray reflected on how that experience changed her view of her relationship with God. She shared, “I always felt like God was a friend of a friend. Like I had to meet God by going through [another person, someone more ‘connected’ to God than I was]. But when we came here, I heard the message, ‘Di’Ray you have the right to have your own relationship with God. You don’t need anybody’s approval to have relationship with God. You can have your own.’ So that was just a turning point for me, a game changer.”

“

I’ve seen God work by bringing me closer in my relationship with him and working in how I needed to rely on him a lot more. Youth group is definitely something that I really want to bring people to because I want them to share the same experiences I’ve had.

M

organ began attending The Bible Chapel with her parents and brother three years ago, and after some empty experiences in past youth groups and previous churches, she was reluctant to get involved. She has since seen God moving in her life, and the lives of people around her. Morgan shared, “I’ve seen God work by bringing me closer in my relationship with him and working in how I needed to rely on him a lot more with different things that have happened in my life with friends and school. Through different situations I’ve lost friends in my life and they kind of just walked away from me, so I had to learn not to rely on people and rely on God, and he’s brought me through it no matter what and I know I can rely on him.” As Morgan got involved with the Student Ministry at the Robinson Campus, she noticed a difference in how she was treated and accepted, and it has led to her to bring more and more of her friends to the group. “I definitely like the youth group at Robinson,” shared Morgan. “I’ve been in ‘cliquey’ youth groups before, and as soon as I stopped going

to that church those friends just took me out of their lives and I don’t really know why. But as soon as I started going to the youth group in Robinson, it felt very family-oriented. The leaders, Cody, Tommy, Mallori and everyone there just brought us all together and it’s not cliquey; we hang out all of the time and it’s kind of like a little family. There’s even a group of us that stays until like 10:30 every group night just hanging out together. This past year I went on the retreat too, and it was different from what I’m used to. It was very nice because I didn’t know a lot of people, but the whole group of girls took me into their group and just really shared a lot with me and made me feel really included. Youth group is definitely something that I really want to bring people to because I want them to share the same experiences I’ve had. In my past groups I felt weird bringing new people because no one would really talk with them, but now when I bring people to the Robinson youth group everyone talks to them and they just feel really included. The group has definitely had a positive effect on me in my school life too, because all of the stuff that happens at youth group I want to share with everyone so that they can come. Even whenever my friends at school say things like ‘I want to or need to go to church,’ because they feel like they need to go to church or something, I’ll just say, ‘Hey, if you feel like you need to go to church, why don’t you come to our youth group?’”

D

ave, his wife, Jen, and their daughters Amanda and Katie began attending the Rostraver Campus this year since driving to the South Hills was considerably farther for them. It was a hard decision since they had been at South Hills for such a long time, and at first they weren’t sure where to get plugged in; but God quickly showed them the places he had saved for each one of them, even the quietest of the bunch. On Wednesday nights, a bus drives around the Rostraver area to gather children and students from their homes and bring them to the church for classes. It takes several trips to pick everyone up, and the kids must patiently wait until all children arrive for the programming to start, and that’s where this family steps in! “We all serve in some way,” shared Jen. “I help with Chapel Kids on Wednesday nights and do crafts to keep the kids occupied after dinner because we have so many runs of buses that come in. So the first run of kids come in off the bus, and we were just watching and the kids are so bored waiting for the other buses to come in and don’t have anything to do, so I thought, ‘We need to do something.’ So Dave took on games, and I took on crafts. Dave originally signed up to do youth, but there was such a need for children’s volunteers that he moved over to children’s. We were really close with people at the South Hills and I served with the Jr. High ministry out there . . . and then Rostraver opened up, and so we got in here

“

and I started to see the path that God laid out for me here because I am able to help with the youth group because I know what to do because I’ve done it before, and I could just see God work because I can see how our daughters have grown in the Lord. They didn’t want to volunteer or be part of the youth group before, but now they serve and they go to youth

group and everything just flowed right into place. This place now is definitely home. I learn so much helping out here.” Dave admitted, “What I liked about the South Hills Campus initially, and this is going to sound awful, but you could choose to be anonymous if you wanted to be. You could show up to church, listen to the message, talk to

some people, and just go home if you wanted to. You don’t have to be recognized, and in most churches, 20% of the people do 80% of the work, and I didn’t want to be part of the 20% all of the time. But here, there’s enough people who serve that I feel needed, but I don’t feel overwhelmed. . . Since we’ve been at The Bible Chapel, I have

yet to meet anyone who just gives me lip service. These are people who live out what they believe. Not that anyone’s a saint, but we thought, ‘Wow, here are people who are being what they say they’re trying to be.’” Dave and Jen’s daughters serve in both the Children’s and Worship Ministries, learning new instruments and getting to try their hand at teaching.

have for someone who is stuck in a spiritual rut, or feels there’s no place for them to serve, Jen suggested, “Try serving in a different place ... God has grown me because he stepped me outside of my comfort zone. At first, I disliked crafts, and I didn’t want to work with younger kids. I had always worked with the teens and so I always served with 56 or Jr. high. I am the last person

We all serve in some way... It’s definitely grown us…I’ve seen it in our whole family. Their older daughter, Amanda, is a dancer, and even began teaching her preschoolers dance before Wednesday programming begins. She shows up early to teach kids who can’t afford dance lessons or just want to explore the art in a Christian atmosphere, and they even put on a small dance production after Sunday services one week. What began with eight to ten girls is now up to 20, and they had to split it into two groups to accommodate everyone. Amanda shared, “I never liked to get involved in anything. But there are different places where you can serve, and you don’t have to be in the middle of everything talking to everyone. My mom loves to be in the middle of everything, but that’s not me, and you can still work in other places. I’m teaching preschool and dance, and there’s a place for you, even if you aren’t comfortable being a ‘people person’. Get involved in tech!” When asked what advice they

who would enjoy picking out a craft, making a craft for the kids… and now we even did glue one day! I spent all day working on the craft for the next day and I enjoy doing it. That is way outside of my comfort zone! Just get involved because there’s a place for everybody. And try something different because it could be where God wants to put you. Every week I tell the Children’s Director Kim, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing crafts!’ and she says, ‘What do you mean?’ and I say, ‘Because I don’t like crafts!’ But my family will tell you that I enjoy making them now! I have the next four weeks planned out already! It’s definitely grown us…I’ve seen it in our whole family.”

MANAGED WITH INTEGRITY

At The Bible Chapel, we are committed to financial stewardship that honors Christ, secures our congregation’s trust, and nurtures our vision and expanding ministries. As such, we maintain a system of financial planning and management that upholds:

B e s t Pr a c t i c e s

Our Finance Ministry Team has a pedigree that rivals its counterparts in the private sector. Its leaders bring proven credentials and senior-level experience in corporate finance. Each year, The Bible Chapel proposes a budget that is balanced and conservative while still fostering our growth, and expanding our reach, into our communities and beyond. The budget is analyzed monthly against

giving in order to facilitate vigilant and realtime expense management. The Bible Chapel employs a successful strategy of capital acquisition accompanied by aggressive mortgage debt reduction. Our Beyond These Walls initiatives focus on specific ministry goals; adhere to measurable financial objectives; and target creditable programs, time-honored partners, and pragmatic projects.

Accountability

A system of checks and balances among our Finance Ministry Team, Accounting Team, and Board of Elders ensures that financial management at The Bible Chapel remains faithfully sound and true to course. Before it is implemented, the annual budget undergoes multiple levels of scrutiny and approval: first by The Bible Chapel’s senior leadership and Finance Ministry Team, then by our Board of Elders, and finally by congregational vote.

The weekly offering at each service across each campus is triple-checked for integrity: totals are recorded by a team of volunteers vetted by The Bible Chapel, then verified by the Accounting Team, and finally approved by the chair of the Finance Ministry Team. To procure any new mortgage debt, The Bible Chapel must first propose the project in question at a congregational meeting and gain approval via congregational vote.

I n d i v i d u a l Pr i v a c y

The Bible Chapel is committed to preserving the confidentiality of each congregant’s giving history. While the weekly giving totals are published in our

weekend bulletins, individual giving records are never published and never accessed by unauthorized staff, pastors, or elders. Only a limited number of Accounting Team members may access these records.

Tr a n s p a r e n c y

The Bible Chapel encourages our congregation to take an active role in evaluating our financial stewardship. The congregational meeting held at the beginning of each new year presents a published analysis of the previous year’s performance, along with a proposed budget, so that congregants may review these materials and ask questions.

The Bible Chapel by-laws state that we cannot pass a budget without formal approval from the congregation. Each year, an external CPA firm audits our finances in order to provide us with a consistent, unbiased, expert examination of our accounting processes. Congregants are welcome to a copy of our budgets and audited financial statements upon request at any time.

A Snapshot of 2017 Stewardship

The previous pages tell stories of lives impacted through a commitment to following Jesus Christ. These pages tell a story, too, but use numbers rather than words. The story here is of a growing church that seeks God’s kingdom; of congregants who give from their hearts; and of a God

who pours out his blessings in perfect measure according to our needs. Following are key 2017 figures. For the complete 2017 financial statement and budget analysis, please contact us at (724) 941-8990.

SOUTH HILLS WORSHIP CENTER EXPANSION

Total church-wide yearly giving increase from 2016

$8. 4M M

2006 MO RTGAGE DEBT

15.4%

$5,023,667

$5,799,159

2016

2017

$2. 3M M

2017 MO RTGAGE DEBT

$10 MM ORIGINAL PROJECT COST

EXPENSE MANAGEMENT

$5,909,365 2017 Giving, Tuitions, and Prior Year Surplus

$5,714,295

Total giving in 2017 amounted to approximately 104% of projected giving!

SOUTH HILLS CHILDREN’S MINISTRY EXPANSION AND SPECIAL NEEDS ADDITION

$2. 5 M M

2015 MO RTGAGE DEBT

2017 Expenditures

$2. 0 M M

2017 MO RTGAGE DEBT

656 FAMILIES PARTICIPATING

BEYOND THESE WALLS NEXT APRIL 2014 - MARCH 2017

$3.1 MM ORIGINAL PROJECT COST

$ 5 ,5 3 2 ,0 0 0 Total Pledged

$ 5 ,2 2 3 ,0 0 0 Received

$2. 9 M M

BEYOND THESE WALLS, APRIL 2017 - MARCH 2020 $3.56 MM PLEDGED $1.65 MM R E C E I VE D

ROBINSON AND ROSTRAVER PERMANENT LOCATIONS

2015 MO RTGAGE DEBT

556 FAMILIES PARTICIPATING $3.5 MM ORIGINAL PROJECT COST

$2. 6 M M

2017 MO RTGAGE DEBT

SANCTIFY THEM IN THE TRUTH; YOUR WORD IS TRUTH. JOHN 17:17