Pastoral Letter regarding Lightning Strike

Dear Beloved of Third Church,

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!

As many of you are aware, on Friday morning the spire of our Sanctuary sustained damage from a lightning strike. We are exceedingly blessed and overwhelmingly thankful that no one was injured when this occurred.

Out of an abundance of care for the safety of our congregation and community, we will worship this Sunday remotely. While we believe the damage is limited to the spire and that the building remains secure, we will not be able to have a structural engineer assess the spire and surrounding facility until early next week. Until that assessment is complete, we are also asking that only essential personnel enter the church building.

For those who wish to gather in person, we will also meet for Trail Church at 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning at the Bowling Green in Frick Park. We would be glad to have you join us for outdoor worship.

The lightning strike caused considerable debris to fall onto Negley and Fifth Avenues, the sidewalks, both bus stops, and the church’s front lawn. Seeing the extent of the debris only deepens our gratitude that no one was hurt.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who responded so quickly and faithfully. Pittsburgh Police, Fire, and Public Works were on the scene immediately to secure the roads and sidewalks. Third Church staff quickly went into action to assess the situation, address any further risk to the Sanctuary, and contact all necessary parties. Our Trustees and Session have been convening virtually to make decisions and keep our response moving forward. We even had a few Third Church members dip their toes into television stardom by graciously giving interviews to the local media!

Our next priority is to have a structural engineer carefully assess the spire and the surrounding facility. Our staff and Board of Trustees diligently worked to arrange the assessment to happen this weekend, but unfortunately, a structural engineer is not available until early next week.

We know that a sudden event like this can be unsettling, especially when it involves a place that holds so much meaning for our congregation. Please know that we are taking every appropriate precaution and will continue to communicate with you as we learn more.

Whether we gather for Trail Church in Frick Park or join together for worship remotely, we remain the Body of Christ—connected in prayer, worship, and love, even when we cannot gather within the walls of our Sanctuary.

We give thanks to God for protection in the midst of this unexpected event, for all those who responded so quickly, and for the community of Third Church as we care for one another and for this place entrusted to us.

Grace and peace,

Pastors Kyle and Tara, on behalf of Third Church Leadership