Sharpsburg Family Worship Center

Sharpsburg Family Worship Center in Sharpsburg is not your every day ordinary church. First, it is a new church that started just three years ago as a ‘church plant’ from another church. Holding contemporary worship with preaching and programs that are relevant for today’s life issues, it reaches not only today’s generation, but also people of all ages. “We believe in being very present in the community,” Pastor Russ Horne said.

That presence in the community has already resulted in a growing church that now holds two Sunday services to accommodate everyone at 200 Eighth Street in Sharpsburg. Meeting at 9 and 11 a.m. for worship, Children’s Ministries for Grades 1 through 5 are held at the same time. Preschool and Nursery are also held in conjunction with the morning worship services. Pastor Horne said, “we believe in transforming the community” [with the gospel of Jesus Christ]. The church holds many community events and participates in other community events. One such event is a yearly Easter Egg Hunt at Kennedy Park. Over 2,000 people participate according to Pastor Horne. They also hold a yearly Patriotic Picnic in July, Light The Night on Halloween, 3 on 3 Basketball Youth Tournament, Back To School Block Party, and Ladies Teas events. They also participate in the community’s Guyasuta Days with a booth.

The church has many programs for those attending in addition to the community outreach events above. One of the more dynamic ones is Velocity Student Ministries for grades 6 through 12. With a mission of raising up a generation of young people who passionately seek to follow Jesus Christ, approximately 50% of the 100 to 120 youth participating come from the surrounding area and are not children of church members. Velocity Student Ministries is a vibrant program that is growing. Several youth in the program have already been called into the ministry. The teens meet Sunday nights at 6 p.m.

Another community service is the After-School Center that promotes lasting change in a safe and fun place for 6th-8th grade kids. Operated in conjunction with The Network of Hope, the Center is a place where students can explore the arts, get help for homework, have fun in a game room and enjoy refreshments. Other programs the Family Worship Center and the Network of Hope have are Mom’s Time Out, Search For Significance, a Food Bank and an Overcomers Group (women).

Hurricane Ivan in 2004 flooded much of the region including the Family Worship Center church basement. Pastor Horne called the Network of Hope for help and aid was immediately sent. That led to the church and the Network of Hope setting up flood relief efforts. Many volunteers and donations of material took place and the church actively helped others during this critical time.

Small Groups is another series of programs. Each group focuses on a particular topic or subject area. One is a worship and intercessory prayer group, another is a Bible Study on the books of the Bible, and a men’s group study personal holiness in times of temptation. On Wednesday nights “The Search For Significance” is held at the church while other programs are held at homes in Tarentum, Millvale, O’Hara Township, Glenshaw and Sharpsburg. The Tarentum Small Group is a church plant group that is exploring establishing a church there.

Pastor Russ Horne

There’s no question that Sharpsburg Family Worship Center is a vibrant and growing church. Meeting people on common ground has attracted a number of new members who are experiencing change in their life. The church, in fact, is already looking for additional property to house a community and youth center.

Pastor Horne told us that planting the church in Sharpsburg was nothing short of a miracle. The church they are in was the former St. John’s United Church of Christ, founded in 1888. When it was closed the building went up for sale for $200,000.00. The Allison Park Assembly of God offered $25,000.00, all they had for this work. After much deliberation, St. John’s accepted the offer opening the door for the new church.

Pastor Russ Horne is no stranger to the Pittsburgh area. A native of Shaler, he graduated from Shaler Area High School, Central Bible College (Springfield, MO) and the Assembly of God Theological Seminary. He went into youth ministry work in Cleveland, Ohio where he met his wife, Jamie. He returned to Pittsburgh to become Assistant Pastor at the Allison Park Assembly of God in 1997. The Allison Park church, under Pastor Jeff Leake, has aggressively planted new churches. Pastor Horne was asked to plant the Sharpsburg Family Worship Center, the fifth new church coming out of Allison Park Assembly of God. Today, he and his wife live in Sharpsburg.

For further information on Sharpsburg Family Worship Center, call 412-799-0701 or visit the church’s web site at below.

Watch the video interview with Pastor Russ Horne and learn more about this ministry at:

Visit the Church web site at: http://www.sfwc.org

Visit Velocity Student Ministries at: http://digbig.com/4kwjj