Fairhaven United Methodist Church

04/01/2026

On Maundy Thursday (4/2), we'll remember Jesus' Last Supper and gather around his table as we step into his betrayal and pain, experiencing the story against the backdrop of blues music.

You're invited to this special service at Fairhaven.

03/16/2026

A cool piece of Overbrook history: a photograph of JFK's motorcade passing by Fairhaven in 1962!

Unfortunately there is no record of whether we had a funny marquee sign at the time to catch his attention.

President John F. Kennedy's motorcade passes along the 2400-block of Saw Mill Run Boulevard (Rt 51) in Overbrook, approaching the intersection with Library Road (Rt 88), on October 13, 1962, as compared with a similar Google Map view from November 2020.

President Kennedy visited Pittsburgh on October 12-13, 1962. He stayed at the William Penn Hotel and gave speeches at several locations around the region, including the University of Pittsburgh, McKeesport, Monessen, and Washington.

On October 13, the presidential motorcade traveled along Saw Mill Run Boulevard on the way to a gathering in McKeesport. President Kennedy is seen in the back seat waving to a crowd of onlookers gathered along the side of the boulevard.

Visible in the background are the Fairhaven Methodist Church and New Era Auto Sales (now Leopardi Auto Sales), along with several homes along the tree line that are no longer standing. The home standing next to the church has been replaced by Leopardi's showroom.

See comments for an audio recording of the President's speech at the McKeesport City Hall.

Note: President Kennedy's Pittsburgh trip occurred just three days before the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 16-28, 1962).

Vintage photo taken by Mrs. Virginia Leaf and submitted by Ricky King.

03/04/2026

You need to fill some Easter baskets, and we are here to help!

Fairhaven is fundraising with Sarris Candies, and will receive 25% of sale proceeds. For the same price as (or less than) you'd pay in the grocery store, you can order all the Easter gifts you need, while helping support Fairhaven's ministries. It can be delivered right to your home, or to a loved one.

Visit SarrisCandiesFundraising.com and enter our Group ID # (10-0303) to shop. Be sure to place your order before March 22nd!

02/17/2026

It's Fat Tuesday! That means it's time for Fairhaven's annual Mardi Gras, where you can enjoy an assortment of great desserts (maybe some king cake?) and a live auction of unique items.

Join us at 6:30pm tonight! Remember that all proceeds from the auction benefit missions & outreach, including our free food pantry.

01/24/2026

We will be CLOSED this Sunday! Stay safe.

At this point, the weather forecasts are unanimous: the heaviest snow of the coming storm will be hitting right in time for church.

We hate to cancel worship, but in the interest of safety, we will be closed this Sunday, January 25th. Stay warm and safe!

01/21/2026

Keep an eye on the South Hills Partnership page and sign up for Flocknote updates to ensure you know if we have to close for inclement weather!

As you know, Pittsburgh is projected to get anywhere between zero and seventeen feet of snow this weekend.

As you prepare for church on Sunday, we will announce if there will be closures or changes. That would be posted here on the South Hills Partnership page.

If you are signed up for Flocknote, you will receive a text message and email telling you of the cancelation.

If you are not signed up for Flocknote or if your information needs to be updated, please do so by texting SHPUMC to 84576 or visiting shpumc.flocknote.com.

No post, email, or text means that we will be OPEN... but that you should make the safest decision for yourself when deciding whether to travel to church.

01/06/2026

For over 70 years, a name was missing from the heart of our sanctuary. When we began restoring Fairhaven’s centerpiece "Good Shepherd" window in 2024, we didn't just find crumbling lead and a century of coal dust (though there was plenty of both!); we found a history that had been erased.

In 1907, Cordelia Long Horning—the woman landowner who donated the very ground that Fairhaven stands on—also commissioned this grand window. Sometime between 1940 and 1955, her original dedication plaque was quietly removed from the window without Trustee approval.

In 1946, fellow founding member Cordelia Fulton wrote a church history stating the land was donated by the "J.F. Horning family." This was false. The 1907 deeds are clear: the land and window were the gifts of Cordelia Long Horning alone.

Whether driven by some personal conflict or a theological concern over having a name on the window, the result was the erasure of Mrs. Horning's legacy. In 2024, our Trustees voted unanimously to right this wrong and restore the dedication to its original verbiage.

The window itself was saved just in time. When it was removed for repair, the lead was so fragile it "folded inward like paper". Today, the Shepherd stands restored—not just with vibrant glass, but with the restored truth of where we came from.

Cordelia Long Horning's name is back in the light where it belongs. Visit us, come see this beautiful and historic window shine with a vibrancy it hasn't shown in over a century, and come meet the Good Shepherd who continues to watch over the South Hills.

Commission on Archives and History of The UMC

12/24/2025

Christmas Eve in the South Hills!

🕯️ 9:00 PM – Spencer (117 Spencer Ave, Carrick) 🕯️ 11:00 PM – Fairhaven (2415 Saw Mill Run Blvd on Rt 51)

Join us at Fairhaven for our "midnight" service to greet Christmas morning, or join our partner church up the road at Spencer UMC for an earlier 9:00 PM service.

Both are traditional candlelight services of carols and hope as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Everyone is welcome here.

Full details: https://www.shpumc.org/christmas

12/17/2025

There is a unique warmth that comes with a late-night Christmas Eve. Before the busyness of Christmas morning begins, join us at Fairhaven UMC for our 11:00 PM candlelight service.

We’ll hear the Nativity story, sing the carols you love, and lift our candles together as we welcome the light. Whether you're a regular or a first-time guest, there is a place (and a candle) waiting for you at the little church on Route 51.

11/29/2025

Many have requested it, and we've got it up and running: now you can donate to Fairhaven online, using your computer, smartphone, or tablet through the Tithely platform. No checkbook needed!

You're welcome to download the Tithely app on the Apple or Google Play store, but you don't have to. Visit the link below, and you can give via debit or credit card or ACH bank account transfer.

You can select from all the church's different funds: donate to the food pantry, general fund (tithe), building fund, etc. Also, you can choose to give once, or set up an automatic recurring schedule!

https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=f8fc7c42-1366-416b-8913-dde733f32a74

10/30/2025

Can you bring just ONE item to add to our food pantry each week? We need non-perishable items to place in our outside pantry. Examples are soups, mac and cheese, noodles, canned vegetables and fruits, canned tuna, chicken, or other proteins, pasta and sauces, and baking mixes. The fewer "extra" ingredients needed to make a full meal, the better!

Cans with pull top lids are great for our unhoused neighbors, and we have several food insecure families that depend on us.

This need will increase as the government shutdown suspends SNAP and WIC in November.

Donations can be left in the red bin downstairs on Sunday mornings, or you can contribute to the pantry itself if you are around during the week!