Local Discoveries and Youth Service Weekend

Did you know there’s a labyrinth hidden along the river in Homestead? I didn’t until I spent a weekend with teens on a service-and-fellowship weekend. Over the weekend, we focused on the question: What does it look like to say “Yes” to God by working for justice right where we live? 

Walking the Labyrinth at Homestead Waterfront Park

We started at Homestead Waterfront Park, where we learned about the 1892 Battle of Homestead, which was a major moment in U.S. labor history when steelworkers stood up for fair wages and dignity, even when it was risky. The park’s Pump House, once part of the Carnegie Steel works, now serves as a museum and gathering space that helps tell that story. 

Then we found the labyrinth. Just follow the path under the bridge and train tracks at the left end of the park.  Near the river sits the 68-foot Homestead Labyrinth, installed in 2009 by artist Lorraine Vullo as a quiet, meditative memorial to folks who died in the 1892 conflict. It’s made of hand-cut cobblestone, engraved concrete, earth, and grass, with more than 250 triangular stones labeled with regional steel mills, foundries, and blast furnaces, ending in a six-pointed compass star at the center. As I walked, I thought about places where faith and justice meet.  I think it was a great way to start the weekend, where we talked about how workers then and neighbors now fight for justice in their communities. There’s something about walking in circles, remembering hard history, and then asking, “What is God calling us to do next?” that sets a tone.

 

Devotions: People Who Say “Yes” 

All weekend, our devotions focused on Scripture stories of people who said “Yes” to God and worked for justice, kind of like the laborers in Homestead who stood with their neighbors. I kept coming back to the idea that saying “Yes” to God isn’t just a private, spiritual thing. It’s showing up for other people. It’s choosing to care about what’s happening in Homestead, Larimer, Wilkinsburg, and people in our own Pittsburgh neighborhoods. 

Ready Reading Pittsburgh and B is for Books

After visiting the waterfront, we volunteered with Ready Reading Pittsburgh, painting and cleaning Little Free Libraries around Homestead so more kids can grab a book anytime.  B is for Books is Reading Ready's 100% free children’s bookstore on East 8th Avenue, where we wrapped books for upcoming events. Reading Ready's mission is that literacy is a form of justice, too.

Watching our youth wrap books and talk about which ones they’d pick for their younger siblings or cousins made me realize: this is discipleship. This is what it looks like to love our neighbors in a real, tangible way.

Gardening in Larimer and care bag packing

In Larimer, we worked at Mrs. Betty’s African Healing Garden, a community space on Meadow Street that uses plants, water, and nature to promote healing and connection in the neighborhood. The garden, stewarded by community matriarch Ms. Betty Lane, grows perennials, herbs, and fruit (including a beloved pear tree) and invites neighbors of all ages to experience creation's healing properties. We also packed care bags for Wilkinsburg Community Ministry, putting together essentials for neighbors in need 

I’ll admit, I was tired by the end of the day. But there’s a good kind of tired that comes from hanging out with teens doing good work. 

Fun, Fellowship, and Worship

It wasn’t all work, though. We canoed at North Park, made s’mores over the fire pit, and hosted a park meet-up for our congregation at Blue Slide Park.  

There’s something about sitting around a fire, roasting marshmallows, and listening to youth talk about their week that reminds me why I do this work. It’s not just about “doing service.” It’s about building relationships, having fun, and letting God meet us in the everyday. 

This weekend reminded me that saying “Yes” to God isn’t just a feeling—it’s showing up for our neighbors, learning from our history, and working for justice in places like Homestead, Larimer, and Wilkinsburg. I’m grateful for our six youth leaders and partners like Ready Reading Pittsburgh, B is for Books, Mrs. Betty’s African Healing Garden, and Wilkinsburg Community Ministry.

 I often think about the labyrinth and how I would like to make more time to visit places where I can keep talking to God and think about what's next.