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New ministry seeks to bring beauty to the city of Pittsburgh in ways that reuse, restore, and renew physical resources.
Tanni, Evan, and Alex saw Jesus come to their home through
the Re:Design ministry at Jonah’s Call.
“This is Jesus.” This was the reaction of a teenager whose home was redesigned by a new outreach ministry at Jonah’s Call, East End. Re:Design helps create home interiors that nurture hearts and help others to feel God’s love through beautiful design. The mission of Re:Design is to bring beauty to the city of Pittsburgh in ways that reuse, restore, and renew physical resources. Through this ministry, Jonah’s Call assists others in reusing quality resources to restore homes in Pittsburgh, with the hope of seeing people renew their belief in the beauty of God’s design for the world. They put quality, gently-used furniture and household items to reuse through donations from many different sources. “We want to show people God’s love by making their home beautiful,” says Jen Brandenstein, lay leader of Re:Design.
Re:Design started when Ruth Thompson, a parishioner at Jonah’s Call who redesigns kitchens for mostly wealthy clients, saw resources going to waste. The Rev. Jay Slocum, rector of Jonah’s Call, heard about this and cast a vision for redesigning homes for those who couldn’t afford it, as a way to spread renewal and hope. Jen Brandenstein, a member of Jonah’s Call with a degree in Fine Arts, was ecstatic when she heard Slocum’s vision. “My real passion has always been interior design. Design is a gift I have been given,” she says. Brandenstein agreed to lead the new ministry and Re:Design was born.
The Brookline Project was the first Re:Design home makeover. A low-income, single mother of three teens was selected to receive a complete makeover of her home in Brookline. In August, Jonah’s Call (with the help of Church of the Ascension) raised $5,000 at The Big Sale, an annual parish rummage sale. The money raised at The Big Sale allowed Jonah’s Call to secure space at a storage facility to begin accepting donations and to purchase supplies for the Brookline Project. “Through The Big Sale and Re:Design, we believe that redistributing wealth is a powerful form of Christian love that helps to bring restoration to people’s lives in profound ways,” said Slocum.
On December 3, volunteers began work on the Brookline home. The result was dramatic (see photos). Volunteers did a complete makeover of the home and decorated it for Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree. As Christians around the world celebrated Jesus coming into the world, a family in Brookline celebrated Jesus coming into their home through the Re:Design ministry.
Brandenstein says that Re:Design projects present a unique opportunity to be welcomed as a guest into someone’s home and for people with a variety of gifts and skills to serve. Re:Design has something for everyone who wants to transform their community. “Some living conditions are full of despair; we want to change that. When you improve someone’s environment to make it beautiful, they feel better about themselves and can receive God’s love,” says Brandenstein, “Re:Design is about loving people who can never seem to get ahead. I can’t think of a more intimate gift of service.”
Join Re:Design: Reuse, Restore, Renew
Re:Design is about much more than giving practical or pretty “stuff” packaged in good design. It is about renewing lives one home at a time. There are three things Re:Design strives to do:
- Reuse - Distributing quality unwanted household items to those in need through individual partnerships.
- Restore - Providing personal consultation and labor to redesign living spaces.
- Renew - Bringing hope by helping people see the beauty of God’s created order and the grace he offers in renewing our lives, spiritually, physically, and relationally.
If you are interested in joining Re:Design in renewing the city of Pittsburgh, there are many ways you can help. Re:Design is especially looking for a crew of people who can drive a truck and pick up donations once a month. To find out more about how to volunteer with Re:Design, contact Jen Brandenstein.
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