The Spire Online

Welcome to the online version of the Spire.

If you prefer a printable version, view and download a printable PDF copy of any previous issue here.


The Need to Pull a Weed

By Kathy Peelor Westminster Gardener and Weed Puller For years I would drive by Westminster Presbyterian Church and wonder if I would "fit in" with the people of such a beautiful and very big church. Would that be the place for me? I was Methodist all my life but on the recommendation of my friend, Ellie Pigman, I visited Westminster off and on for several months. During those visits I…

Continue reading

Livestream ... Chartiers Bend Style

By Sandy Shanahan In early 2021, my husband Jim and I moved to an independent living community, Chartiers Bend, in South Fayette Township. Because of mobility issues I continued livestreaming worship; livestreaming began during COVID. One day in early 2023, a member of our Bible Study group commented that it would be nice if we could livestream worship from the National Cathedral in our theater.…

Continue reading

WPC logo

A NOTE on a Little Holy Intervention

By Christine Hestwood his is my church! In 1996 I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a master’s degree in choral and orchestral conducting. While at CMU, I was waiting tables at the Grand Concourse. I wasn’t a very good server (lots of spilled drinks on customers!), but I was friendly and loved to chat with my customers. One evening, I was talking with a family and lamenting how dif…

Continue reading

Team God

By Mark Rhoa A few years back when we were moving to the South Hills and looking for a faith community, we were immediately drawn to Westminster. The church offers so many different ways to get involved. Wednesday night church dinners have become a staple of our weekly schedule during the school year and allowed us to meet new families like ours. I play on the church softball team (led by the…

Continue reading

A Place to Dance

By the Roode Family We think the church can mean many things to many people, the meaning of which can evolve over time. In the case of our family right now, Westminster is a place of worship, learning, community, and for meeting new people. And if you’ve ever been to or perhaps watched the stage left area of the 9:45 Bridge Contemporary service, also for our dancing. As one can imagine, with o…

Continue reading

We Indeed Found Our Spiritual Home

As background, I lived my first 22 years in Texas as a member of the Disciples of Christ denomination. The next four years were spent at sea as a US Naval officer. I then went to work for a company based in Pittsburgh, living in Cincinnati, Boston, and Houston. I moved to Pittsburgh in 1981 with my family and began looking for a church. We chose Westminster because it was very welcoming. My…

Continue reading

A Family Tradition

By Max and Lindsay Senge For our family, Westminster feels like home. Starting with my great-grandparents, there have been four generations in my family who have attended Westminster. Westminster is a place that we associate with fun, comfort, and happiness. It is so much more than a building though. We have many memories both within the walls of our church and with our church family. Our roots…

Continue reading

Holy Generations

By Lauren MacWhinnie As a little girl, I can remember feeling a sense of comfort as my parents, four sisters, three brothers, and paternal grandparents squeezed into the front, right-side pews of the Westminster sanctuary. My grandparents, Russ and Dorothy McClintock, were first generation members of the church, and my parents, Bruce and Sue McClintock, became second generation members. My seven…

Continue reading