Business Spotlight: Focus Community Church

By Janice Lane Palko

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. Matthew 13:31-32

A seed has been planted in Cranberry Twp. This past September Revs. John Brassell and Ben DeLong launched a new church in the area—Focus Community Church. Other than themselves, their membership back then included their wives and John’s five children. Since September, their community has grown to 37 members, and John and Ben believe their message of the Good News will continue to attract new members.

Ben, the worship pastor, was raised in Dayton and educated at Cedarville University, and he came to Pittsburgh in 2002. John, the executive pastor, graduated from Toccoa Falls College and has been pursuing graduate studies at Liberty University. He came to Pittsburgh in December 1999. They recently came together and united in the desire to establish a new church, calling it Focus Community Church to emphasize what is at the essence of their community.

“Our focus is Jesus and the Bible,” Ben said, “the Word of God living in the being of Jesus and written in the scriptures.” “We are a Bible-based, non-denominational Christian church,” Ben said. “We found that this area has a lot of religious activities and churches, but we also found many people who weren’t attending church. We hope to change that.”

And change is already happening. By word of mouth alone, their church has grown, and through some beneficial connections, they have found a temporary home, meeting in the Heritage Square Professional Building on 7031 Crider Road in Mars. They plan to meet there through the end of November and are praying for a more permanent location.

Ben characterizes the worship services at Focus Community Church as piano driven with vocalists. “We don’t categorize our services as contemporary or traditional. We use whatever is meaningful. That may be a contemporary song or a hymn that’s 400 years old. We aim to make it refreshing and a breath of fresh air.”

The services are also multi-generational, with college students, couples and families attending. The first week of the month, they host a lunch for families and on the second Sunday of the month, Communion.

Even children have a place at Focus. Each week, their children’s worker, Elwin Weaver, provides a special event just for the young people ages 3 through 4th grade. The children and their parents worship as a unit for the first half of the service, and then Elwin presents an exciting worship service just for them, with stimulating music and a Bible lesson they will remember.

Once Focus Community Church is fully established, John and Ben hope to spread the Gospel to other areas of the North Hills, then the South Hills and ultimately all four corners of the region. “We want to provide a loving faith environment. No matter how far along in your faith, you have a home here at Focus Community Church,” Ben said.

To learn more about Focus Community Church, visit their website at www.focuscommunitychurch.org, or call 724-612-4411 or email pastor@focuscommunitychurch.org.

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