A Love Letter to the Local Church

August 5, 2025

West Hills Baptist Church



 A Love Letter to the Local Church 

For some, the local church is simply a building. For others, it's a Sunday morning routine. But for me, it is a gift of grace from God—the place where significant moments are shared, the deepest growth happens, and the truest community is found. My love for the local church does not spring from a matter of obligation, but a grateful response to all that God has given me, and given through His people. 

The local church is where commitments are made. I’ve been privileged to witness the hopeful faces of friends as they stand before a congregation, ready to get married and promise a lifetime of love. These are more than ceremonies; they are public demonstrations of God’s love for His bride, the Church. These friends are supported by a community that promises to walk alongside them through every joy and challenge. 

It’s where we invest in the next generation. One privilege that never gets tired is the humbling beauty of seeing parents dedicate their children to God. This act of entrusting our future to our creator is powerful. Yet, it's not just for the parents, it's for the body of Christ. It’s the church family that will help them grow in faith through discipleship. These aren't just sweet moments; they are powerful commitments to be a support structure to the child and the family for life. 

The church is also the place where we grow in love and grace. By design, the church is a place where personal, and spiritual brokenness is addressed. A place to receive hope, peace, and love. But it's in all of the brokenness that we learn to extend grace, practice forgiveness, and mercy with others as God is merciful to us. We grow in sanctification by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 

Lifelong friendships are forged within the walls of the church. These are the people who have seen best and the worst, and choose both. They have celebrated victories and sat together in sorrow. They are the friends who have become family—the kind of people who show up without being asked, offering a hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on, or a meal for a difficult week. 

We laugh together, sharing in the simple joys of life, and we cry together, holding each other up when the weight of the world feels too heavy to bear. It is where we find the courage to say goodbye to loved ones, knowing that our shared hope in Jesus’s resurrection gives us victory over death. The church, as the people of God, is a safe harbor in the storms of life, a place where our pain is seen and our tears are not shed alone. 

But most importantly, the local church is oftentimes where God meets us. It is where we come with eager expectation of meeting with the God of the universe. Here, the words of a sermon wash over us, the notes of a timeless hymn burn into our memory, and in the quiet prayers of fellow brothers and sisters push us forward. It’s here, where we are reminded of God’s love demonstrated through Jesus and His life, death, burial, and resurrection. It’s here the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the beauty of God. 

And finally, the Church stands as a testament to true unity in our diversity. People from all walks of life—different backgrounds, generations, and stories—come together with one common purpose: to love God and love others. While others may claim “out of the many, one” it is clearly seen in the body of 


Christ manifested in the local church gathering. This beautiful blend of unique individuals, united in Christ, is a powerful picture of what original creation was and will be returned to one day. 

I love the local church because it is a reflection of life itself—a place of joy and sorrow, of beginnings and endings, of growth and shared experience. It points to the promise of all things being new. It’s where my story is woven into a larger one, and where I find purpose and meaning in a crazy world. 

We invite you to join us and fall in love with ours! We are a Baptist church located in the Shafer Road community, right next to Robert Morris University and close by the Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township Pa. While we pride ourselves on a “people over programs approach” our men’s and ladies programs offer fellowship and discipleship for those wanting to grow deeper. Our kids fellowship offers a safe, clean space for kids to grow in the things of the Lord. Our Sunday mornings offer traditional and breakfast Sunday schools, expository preaching, traditional hymns and contemporary songs, as well as the most friendly people you will ever meet. It would be a delight to worship King Jesus with you. We hope you will stop by. 

Anthony Durnell 

Pastor 

West Hills Baptist Church 

Early Christians and their Jewish Context

By Anthony Durnell • May 13, 2019
As I stood in line at the grocery store, I overheard a conversation between two young men regarding the political relationship of the United States and Israel. As this conversation continued to process further in my mind, the thought became all the more clear that people do not understand the relationship between Christianity and its Jewish roots. If these two young men understood this concept, the geo-political relationship between the United States and Israel in which they were referring, might have taken a different tone. While it might be tempting for the average Christian to disregard this consideration with the thought "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you" (1) one must understand that this is essential to correct understanding and interpretation of the new testament. For example the earliest Christians did not consider themselves part of a new religion. They did not consider their faith to be a denial of Judaism, but rather the conviction that the messianic age had finally arrived. (2) If this simple truth is not understood, the new testament becomes increasingly difficult. Take Acts chapter ten verses nine through thirteen as evidence of this. In this chapter Peter has a vision regarding clean versus unclean animals. God, in this vision, commanded Peter to kill the animals. This vision absolutely nullified the Mosaic dietary restrictions in Peters mind. Imagine how liberating this must have been for someone still eating kosher. Restrictions such as these were one consideration as to why the Jews did not fellowship with the Gentiles. Yet being convinced that these restrictions were abolished assisted in leading to the divine appointment of Cornelius. (3) Lastly, the wording of the second chapter of Acts should lead to some thought as well. The fact that Peter uses the prophet Joel in order to articulate the events of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, shows that the Hebrew scriptures were still considered authoritative to those Jesus followers gathered in the upper room during that event. (4) If the early Christians considered themselves a new religion, why would they use the texts of that religion they were trying to renounce to justify themselves? While these are but a few thoughts used to show the correlation between the early Christians and the Jewish context in which they lived, it should be agreed that understanding this connection leads to a more correct interpretation of the new testament. If these simple truths were understood by those gentlemen at the grocery store, perhaps an easier connection could be made between a country founded on Judeo-Christian values, and the land in which this originated. 1. Genesis 12:3. Holy Bible New King James Version. Thomas Nelson. Nashville TN. 2018. Pg 9. 2. Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation Vol 1. Harper One. New York. 2010. Pg 27. 3. Lea, Thomas. & Black, David. The New Testament Its Background and Message Second Edition. B&H Publishing. Nashville TN. 2003. Pg. 300. 4. Liberty University Week One Video Presentation. Dr. Robert Wayne Stacy