To the church in Pittsburgh, PA and all those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ our Lord.

I thank the Lord for all of you and pray that the Lord will be your strength each day.

My focus as your pastor is two fold: First of all I want to lift up Jesus. John 12:32 tells us, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." I want people to experience a loving relationship with Jesus and through lifting Him up is the way in which this will be accomplished. By lifting up Jesus we may have an eternal impact not only on our area but on the world. The second area of focus is in how we can lift up Jesus. This will only come through personally abiding in Jesus. In John 15:5 we find these words, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." As we personally abide in Jesus we will be changed to bear His image and truly lift Him up.

The Lord has blessed us with great freedoms and opportunities. I pray that you do not wait for a future time to abide in Jesus and lift Him up. Take the opportunities you now have and dive into Jesus so that He becomes your strength today and everyday and all the world will be drawn to Him.

Blessings,
Pastor Austin