Pittsburgh City Outreach: Pastors Brian Bolt and Jonathan Schafer

On Tuesday, February 13, I was also able to catch up with some friends of mine, Pastor Brian and Pastor John. They are pastoring Church plants, planted by my home church, Allison Park Church. The Church Plants of Allison Park are near and dear to my heart because When I was 12 years old, My family transitioned out of APC to start Ridgewood Assembly of God, in my Neighborhood, West View. Over a year ago, Ridgewood was in need of a new Pastor and Chris Hezlep from another Church plant, Evangel AG came to join us along with most of his congregation, and left his church building and the rest of his congregation to Pittsburgh City Outreach, who were in need of a place to meet. This building on the North Side of Pittsburgh was in a great location for Brian's Ministry. This is where my connection with PCO started. I quickly found myself in love with both churches and actually attending both churches services sunday morning. I love helping out every summer with the kids camp at Pittsburgh City outreach. The ministry of PCO is to reach the lost hurting, poor, broken, and addicted people of Pittsburgh. Pastor John is now planting their second church in a part of Pittsburgh called Braddock, where he grew up. These churches don't jsut have a building where they have sunday morning services, they have a women's and Men's recovery homes, where drug and alcohol addicted people, or people who have had trouble with the law and typical family system can go and find refuge and restoration in Christ. It is so cool to have been able to witness first hand people set free from addictions and have restored relationship with family members including regaining custody of children! Brian and John both came from messed up situations, both former drug addicts, they are faithfully following God's call to reach out and help people who are in the same situations they used to be bound in.