Dear Bellefield Family,

When I talk with people who are engaged in university ministry around the country, I often get asked how Bellefield went about establishing a presence on the campus. I usually tell them that we had a long-term strategy: "Build a church and then patiently wait for a university to surround you."

I'm only half-joking when I say that, because that's essentially what happened here in Oakland. You may know that our congregational roots go back all the way to 1801, and a group that met downtown in the very first Pittsburgh courthouse. They eventually built a church on 7th Avenue, before later moving to the much-less crowded area of Oakland. 

If "much-less crowded" and "Oakland" are terms you've never put together, then take a look at the picture below. This is the oldest photo I've found of our building, and was taken from the hillside behind us. 

Our building was built in 1898, the same year as the Schenley Hotel (now the William Pitt Union) across the street. In this photo, you can also see Forbes Field and the edge of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, both of which were built in 1909--meaning that the challenge of getting to our building through the mess of local construction is something we've faced from the beginning of our time in Oakland. 

The point is not to give you a brief history lesson. The point is to say that only the Lord could have known that we would one day be as embedded as we are in the university and medical communities that now surround us. Our unique location provides us with an opportunity to love and serve those communities in the name of Jesus. 

In our study of the book of Acts, we'll see the apostles go to different cities and regions in order to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When they got there, they established local congregations who were committed to gathering together for times of worship and prayer as well as seeking to care for those around them. 

In his providential purposes, God has placed our local congregation not in Athens or Corinth or Berea, but here in Oakland. It may look different now than it did when we first got here, but our commission is the same: to bear witness to the risen Lord Jesus and to make disciples who will go and take his name to the nations. 

Grace and peace, 

Josh