8169 Perry Highway
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Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) | ||||||
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2006 Staff and Committee Reports
Pastor - David B. Antonson, D.Min.
Committees of Session Reports for 2006
Christian Education (No Report Yet)
Facilities Management Committee (No Report Yet)
Staff Report for 2006
By David B Antonson, D. Min., Pastor
This is the 9th year that our church has produced a very complete annual report for the entire congregation. I’d love for you to find a comfortable chair, a quiet spot with a cup of coffee in hand, and read through these pages. In them you will find that God has been very good to us in 2006 and much was accomplished through this congregation and members like yourself. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for what they did to advance the mission of Jesus Christ at the corner of Rolshouse Road and Perry Highway and beyond. Our reach as a congregation is to our members but also to the community around us, to the region and to the whole world. I want to thank Bart Roberts who chairs our Leadership Committee and is the person responsible for putting this report together, both electronically and hardcopy.
Some of the highlights for me this past year, 2006 were the following:
So much more could be said. Our Stephen Ministry Program, with Stephen Leaders Nancy Graver, Pat Frank and Helen Traynor, is very strong and other churches come to us to see how we organize and lead it. Their continuing education sessions on Thursday evenings are superb. Their grief support classes in 2006 were well attended.
On a personal note, it was a great joy for me to baptize two of our grandsons from NYC on December 24th and have the entire family here for that Christmas Eve celebration.
I like what the Apostle Paul has to say to the believers that were living in the City of Corinth. He was pondering his ministry among them, thinking of what was accomplished during his stay there, and he knows that it wasn’t about just bricks and mortar stuff, committee meetings, numbers of dollars, but it was about people and what God was doing in each individual life. He writes “You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter (annual report!) that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it – not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives – and we publish it.” (II Corinthians 3:2ff) That’s the best legacy of all, God at work in our hearts, doing what only God can do.
May God continue to bless Northmont Church in all the years to come. Judy and I will now be in the bleachers cheering you on. We will be your biggest boosters. Our prayers will forever be with you. You are a great congregation with a wonderful future ahead of you.
For the sheer joy of having been your pastor,
David B. Antonson
By C. William Goff, Organist and Director of Music
The year 2006 was a busy one for the music department of Northmont Church. The Chancel Choir, which met weekly from September through June, constantly prepared for the next upcoming season. New and different types of music were sung, and the spirit of cooperation and dedication of those involved in the program continued to amaze and delight. We have sung special music for the major holidays of Christmas and Easter, but the choir remains dedicated to the cause of glorifying God with their gifts and talents of music all year round. I am truly grateful to each one of these people! New members this past year included Glen Wissner and Bev Snyder. We rejoice in the returning of Paul Conrad to our group, too! I am grateful to Lee Karayusuf, who has just finished his second year as President of our choir, to Ruth Hess, librarian par excellence who always keeps me organized, and Bob Genter, treasurer of the choir.
The Northmont Belles, a group of 12 women who met on Friday afternoons at 3:45, continued to grow both musically and spiritually, and I am proud of their achievements on the handbells. We have the addition of Amanda Joos, a wonderful North Hills teen who adds youthful zest to our group, as well as Judith Shifrin and Lisa Caswell, who add their own wonderful talents and personalities.
Also busy was our Kids of the Kingdom after school program for children in grades 1-5. This group of 16 youngsters met from September until April, and the program included snack, recreation, Bible Study and music. We just performed our Christmas Musical, “A Stable Fit for a King.” Several parents helped with the Bible Study portion of the event, and other parents were on hand to generously give of their time to assure Kids of the Kingdom is a success. We are grateful to Karen Reckless, who is a key to making our program a success. In addition, we have sung and played handbells in church. An end of the year celebration at Wildwood Highlands, made possible by our Christian Education Committee, topped a year full of activities.
The NBC bell choir again gathered to prepared music for the Christmas Season. Approximately 12 men have discovered that they can play handbells and play them well. A Christmas program on Tuesday, December 19th was a fun and rewarding experience with over 50 men in attendance.
In order to accomplish much of the work at Northmont, there are committees with whom I regularly met. They are: Worship Committee, Session, and twice weekly staff meetings. I also monitor and send out the Prayer Chain twice weekly.
In addition, I was grateful to Northmont for allowing study leave opportunity. During a week at Westminster College in July, I was able to read through much new music for children, adults, handbells, organ and brass. This was known as the PAM (Presbyterian Association of Musicians) conference.
With God’s help, and the combined efforts of faithful, talented people, the year 2007 will be a good year in the music department of our Church. I look forward to new efforts and a new year of praising God through music.
Seminary Intern Report for 2006
By Chris Brown, Northmont Intern
My four months of official field education as an intern at Northmont in fall of 2006 were a lively and a rich experience in practical field education for my seminary studies. I have met weekly with Dr. Antonson in supervisory sessions when we have discussed my work here at Northmont, issues related to other parts of ministry, as well as practical parts of ministry such as how to perform weddings and funerals. Shortly before Christmas, I assisted Dave with Carl Eidenmuller’s funeral, seeing first hand some of what Dave had explained to me. I have also gone along with Dave on a hospital visit (to Ed Halboth when he was still at Montefiore). I have attended most session meetings and staff meetings, and outside of miscellaneous other activities, most of my work at Northmont has been divided between the SON worship service and helping out with the youth group.
With regard to preaching, I spoke at Northmont’s SON service three times last summer before officially starting here (June 18, July 23, and August 27). Since September, I have also preached once a month at SON (Sept. 10, October 22, November 19, and December 12) and once in both Sunday morning services (Nov. 26). With the exception of a couple Sundays when I had to be out of town, I have regularly assisted in the morning worship services, at first alternating between the 8:30 and 11:00, but now mostly at 8:30. I (with the help of my wife Eileen) have also led music at SON about once a month since September as well, introducing new contemporary praise and worship music at some of the services.
With regard to youth ministry, I have assisted Sean with leadership for the teenage guys’ small group Bible study on Wednesday nights since the beginning of the school year. I have also helped out on Sunday nights by playing guitar and singing to lead praise music for the youth group. As the new year starts, Sean and I are trying to organize a “youth worship band” to play at youth group functions. We will be practicing on Wednesday nights from 7:00 to 8:00 starting on January 17. Also with the youth group, I assisted with leadership for the Camp Crestfield Harvest Day activity and served as a leader for the senior high retreat to the Jumonville camp near Uniontown. At the beginning of the school year, Jim Dickson and I were slated to lead the senior high Sunday school class together, but we started looking for other ways of reaching the kids when we had six consecutive weeks without any students showing up. One option we are now pursuing is creating service projects for the youth which will be combined with normal youth group activities as well.
Lastly I have to express gratitude to Northmont for your generous provision for me during this time; God is faithful and has provided well for me during this time through the church here. Thank you for all of this past year at Northmont and I pray that God will continue to bless the church and all of our work here in the coming year!
Youth Ministry Report for 2006
By Sean Kelly, Youth Director
Committees of Session Reports for 2006
Reach Out Committee Report for 2006
By Bob Holtgraver, Chair
Mission Direction: We will work to realize/implement the Northmont Mission, the Long Range Plan and the Nehemiah Vision Prospectus, with focus on the areas of Evangelism, Membership, and Communications.
Objectives: We will spread the Word of God to the community through our actions and testimony to create disciples in the local community and deepen discipleship in our membership.
We will provide opportunities to the membership to grow/reawaken Spirituality and understanding in their faith journey through new projects and programs.
We will provide systems of Communication and Information to Northmont to further the mission of Northmont and operate systems pertaining directly to the community and to Newcomers.
Membership: Dave Antonson, Bill Baierl, Andy Fraley, Bob Holtgraver (chair), Sue LeDonne, Judy Shifrin (2007), Dick Spahr, Leonard Stewart, Bill Strait, Larry Wichterman.
Extended/Project Lead Members: Fred and Sarah Jane Beorn, Kip and Sylvia Campbell, Cheryl English, Bill and Diane Goff, Liz Hamilton, Keith Henn, Ali Holtgraver, Pat Husky, Pat and Jill Kelly, Pat Krotzer, Anne Linaberger, Nancy Mead, Mark Nootbar, John Raphael, Scott and Karen Reckless, Bart Roberts, Dave Sartori, Geoff Wenger
2006 Activities:
2006 Results: Reach Out measures results using Sunday attendance (Morning service(s) and SON service). Average Sunday Service Attendance (our goal metric) was 314 in 2005 and 306 in 2006. Attendance was a comparatively higher in the 1st half of 2006, and comparatively lower in the 2nd half.
Staff Relations Committee Report for 2006
by Carolyn Pearsall - Chair
Working closely with Rev. Antonson, the Staff Relation Committee had an eventful 2006. In the course of the year there were a number of changes to our staff. We coordinated with the CDPC, Christian Education, and Youth Ministry Committees to arrange farewell parties for Brian Wallace and Diane Croyle. Rev. Antonson recommended the hiring of Chris Brown to replace Brian Wallace as intern. We also approved the hiring of Sarah Gable as Sean Kelly's summer intern. The Committee voted to name Linda Allerton as Office Manager.
In the fall, the Committee again conducted staff reviews and, with the Stewardship & Finance Committee, agreed to modest raises for Church personnel.
We are excited about the upcoming changes in our Church. We look forward to the arrival of new personnel in 2007.
Leadership Committee Report for 2006
by Bart Roberts - Chair
Purpose:
The Leadership Committee makes sure the current goals of the church reflect
its needs, and helps those objectives come to fruition. It defines church
objectives, anticipates future needs, and dynamically adjusts these
objectives to achieve Northmont's vision and mission. We plan and schedule
the Annual Church Meeting, and create Northmont's Annual Report. We also
conduct the Officer Training and Planning sessions for all church committee
members and chairs.
Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month. We welcome your
participation and attendance at our meetings. Please contact the current
Chair to arrange it.
Current members are:
Bart Roberts (Chair)
John Russell
Past year:
Led the Congregational meeting in January and sponsored the leadership
training in February. During that training we had Vera White as our
motivational speaker and conducted the initial committee meeting for the
committees of session. As part of this training we introduced new committee
members to our voucher system and reimbursement requirements. The remainder
of 2006 was relatively quiet with planning meetings for the 2007
congregational meeting and leader training. We also provided refreshments
for fellowship time in November.
Goals for 2007:
Mission Ministry Committee Report for 2006
By Ken Yoest, Chair
As the chairmanship was passed from the extraordinary hands of Dr. Carol Hoover to Ken Yoest the Mission Ministry team kept moving forward carrying out ongoing tasks and adding new.
Our partner church in Malawi, The Mangochi CCAP Church, was experiencing, along with the entire country, a devastating famine. Immediately Northmont raised $ 5,450 for the famine relief program. This translated into 272 one hundred pound bags of corn that would feed 2180 people for one month. Bill Goff led Northmont's children, who responded to the Prayers and Pennies Program, contributing $255 to the Mangochi Church.
Special food drives were held to help fill the empty shelves of the food pantry at North Side Common Ministries which is the largest food pantry in Pittsburgh and serves over 600 families. A total of 3,537 pounds of food and over $1,382 were contributed in 2006. Dr. Barry Harris serves on the Board of Directors.
Northmont sent a work team to Pittsburgh Project. This team helped paint the dorm rooms to get ready for the hundreds of youth who come to Pittsburgh to participate in outreach mission work in Allegheny County. These youth help with minor house repairs for elderly, assist with kid’s day camps, and learn how to be our future servant leaders.
Under the leadership of Judy Marshall, a team prepared and served a dinner to 75 international students of PRISM (Pittsburgh Region International Student Ministry) and spent the evening visiting with the students. Judy is a member of the Board of Directors for PRISM.
In March, the Ron and Elaine Logan family was introduced to Northmont. They had accepted a call under World Horizons to minister in the Middle East. And in May we got acquainted with the Michael & Rachel Weller family who has served under the Presbyterian Church as missionaries in Ethiopia since 1994. Northmont, as part of our global outreach ministry, has adopted both families.
November was the month Pittsburgh welcomed visitors from Malawi and we were privileged to become acquainted with McPherson Truwa from our sister church in Mangochi. McPherson is a deacon, is responsible for coordinating the youth program, and prepares much of the material used for Bible study and spiritual growth of the congregation.
Bart Robert’s Bible Study Group with the assistance of Mission Ministry committee were able to raise enough funds ($5,000) to buy books for Dr. Kay Day’s return to Malawi to open up a Parallel Theological School. With Chris Browns assistance Dr. Kay Day will be able to have 10 sets books to get started.
The youth program of Northmont is heavily supported with your mission dollars making it possible for many to attend special retreats and conferences through the year.
In addition to dollars, the in-kind contributions made by this congregation are beyond value. Many serve on boards for a number of social service agencies. Innumerable amount of hours are given each week by others who help in specific ways such as serving meals for the men's shelter, working at the food pantry, staffing reception desks at the various agencies, helping with mailings, phone calls, helping with fund raisers, etc. etc.
A percentage of the mission dollars goes to Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly. To identify a few areas that benefit, these funds provide scholarships for colleges, universities and theological institutions, new church development, supporting missionaries in 74 countries of the world as well as enabling volunteers to serve in the U.S., and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
We feel a tremendous responsibility as we constantly review and evaluate the direction for your mission dollars and continue to ask for God to lead us in this challenge.
Stewardship and Finance Committee Report for 2006
By Kip Campbell, Chair
Members
Kip Campbell (Session/Chair), Jerry Fisher, Bob Holtgraver(co-chair), Lee Karayusuf , John Paul Raphael (co-chair), Daryl Scott, Martin Karl (2007)
Regular Meetings
The committee meets regularly on the 2nd Thursday of every month and additionally as needed.
2006 Objectives and Results
Continue the fiscal control of the finances of the church
The committee monitors detailed financial reports monthly, reviews requests for project funds and expenses not budgeted, and reviews variances in financial procedure brought to its attention by or the church treasurer.
The audited financial report for 2005 from Creese, Smith & Co. LLC is available at the office, and contained no issues. As of end of 2005, Net Income was negligible, as is the goal of a non profit organization. The same is true for 2006 (unaudited).
Other actions completed in this area were:
Develop and implement Fall Stewardship Campaign
The stewardship campaign was conducted and yielded results less than expected. Expense budget adjustments were recommended and budget was adopted by session.
Report monthly/regular financial information to the congregation
Piper articles have been submitted regularly in 2006.
Establish/Maintain communications with key committees
Team members are providing close communications with Reach Out, CDPC and Staff Relations. Communication with Facilities is still needed. This has been very useful.
Develop an estate planning education program and invite public
We provided a good brochure for the area and arranged a dinner and presentation about the opportunity to contribute this way.
2006 Areas and Volunteers
Meeting Chair and Session Representative - Kip Campbell (Elder)
Agendas and co-chair – John Paul Raphael
Stewardship Campaign Lead and co-chair – John Paul Raphael
Meeting minutes - Daryl Scott.
Investment Program Development and Oversight – Lee Karayusef
CDPC interlocking board member - Jerry Fisher
Committee Treasurer - Jerry Fischer
Staff Relations Contact – Lee Karayusuf
Communications/Piper – Lee Karayusuf
Memorial Committee Contact – Open
Facilities Committee Contact – Open
Counter Coordination – Bill Caswell (Special Project only – Thanks Bill)
Estate Giving Program Development and Oversight – John Paul Raphael
Special thanks to our Northmont Church Treasurer, Lynn Merriman, who continues to provide timely and accurate reports, accounting insight and leadership, and communication to Northmont's spirited staff and Committee leaders.
Worship and Music Committee Report for 2006
By Brenda Raphael - Chair
Mission Direction
Expand our efforts to satisfy the spiritual needs of our
members and community with vibrant and meaningful services with special
emphasis on reaching out to bring others into the church family.
Membership
Brenda Raphael, Chair
Suzanne Ackerman
Betty Fraley
Bill Goff
Janet Hoegel
Dave Sartori
Judith Shifrin
Joanne Zaletski
2006 Goals
1) To make the sanctuary more spiritual and festive using
banners and other decorations that represent our traditions and activities.
2) Create different worship environments to set the tone for more spiritual
worship and prayerful meditation.
3) Create more opportunities for community outreach through Sunday services
and special programs.
2006 Accomplishments
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Dr. Antonson for his contribution to worship and spiritual life at
Northmont and for his patience and unwavering support and encouragement for
the committee throughout the year. We will miss you, and we wish you and
Judy an exciting and fun-filled retirement. A special thanks to all
committee members who once again worked so well as team to tackle even the
biggest projects and make it look effortless. Merci also to Bill Goff for
his support of the committee and all the refreshing new ideas that keep our
services so vibrant and inviting. We would also like to thank all the guest
ministers and speakers, lay readers, assisting elders, communion servers,
ushers, greeters, choir members, SON Service band members, vocalist,
instrumentalists, worship leaders and volunteers. Thanks also to Linda
Allerton, Rose Dragan, and Collin Baldwin for all your help behind the
scenes.
SON Worship Committee Report for 2006
By Paula Davis, Chair
The SON committee is proud to say that, in spite of the loss of staff leadership, the SON worship service is still up and running. Admittedly, some weeks a bit more smoothly than others. We have a wonderful core of “regulars” who are quick to notice, and welcome, an unfamiliar face. In the relaxed friendly atmosphere of the SON service, Art’s prayer request (for our troops) is never forgotten when he is away. We have enjoyed messages from a variety of speakers, from Rev. Antonson and Rev. Dan Merry, to seminary students and lay speakers. We would like to thank the Schweigers and the Russells for volunteering to help with the set-up and clean-up duties, and continue to pray for the search committee to find the right person to take over the leadership role.
Youth Ministry Report for 2006
By Sean Kelly, Youth Director
This was an amazing year here at Northmont Church for Youth Ministry. I feel that we have come along way and God defiantly was at work. Outside of the many activities we participated in, it was great to have the chance to get to know the kids more and build relationships with them. It is amazing to see how far a kid has come along in their walk with Christ in the matter of a year and even more, to be a part of that makes this job all the more better. Below, I have listed some of the activities that we have participated in over the past year.
Snow Tubing
What more could you ask for then 50 degree weather, some tubular hills, and tubing with a tee shirt on. On Saturday, January 21st & the 28th, the Jr. & Sir High went snow tubing at Wildwood Highlands. The first weekend with the Jr.High kids was quite an experience. Because the temperature was almost 50 degrees, the snow turned into ice, which made for a much more exciting ride. I have to give it up to Danny Hines for not just falling off the tube, but trying to jump the hill, wiping out and still living to tell about it. Also, next time we go tubing, someone please remind Mia to wear socks. Moving on to the sr. high tubing extravaganza. Though it was a little slower on the slopes because the weather was a lot warmer and there was less ice, it was still a blast. This was also the first event that Matais (Bettis) joined us on so of course I had to let him win as we raced down the hill. I didn’t want him to feel left out (not to mention Brian W. lost as well but that is another story). To sum it up, both groups had a great time and I can’t wait till it actually snows so we can do it again.
30 Hour Famine
On February 17th– 18th, 30 kids from the Jr. & Sr. High youth group committed themselves to 30 hours without eating. We began our fast at 1:00 (right after lunch), which meant kids were probably hungry by 2:00. We all met at the church at 6:00 and ventured to Lebanon Presbyterian Church in West Mifflin. From there it was all a blur. As we arrived and gathered with the rest of the groups, almost everyone migrated to the fellowship hall for a game of dodge ball. This had to be the biggest game of dodge ball I have ever played. After being the moving target for about an hour and going over the rules for the night, it was off to our first activity; Broomball. I am proud to announce, that no one got hurt on the ice and there were no penalties during our time on the ice, except for Colin Perrish accused of roughhousing and placed in the box for two minutes. I told Colin to make me proud but not by checking someone into the boards. Better luck next time Colin. Around 1:30, it was time to gather everyone up and head back to the church. By the time everyone was settled and ready for bed it was after 2 and we needed to be up by 7:30 (thanks Heeter, Caleb, & Brian). As we all arose the next morning, it was time to move on to our next activity, which was our service project down at the Union Project. These kids were amazing. They put in about 135 hours of work just in four hours. You guys are awesome! We pretty much cleared out a whole basement filled with clutter so they could begin building a recording studio. It may not look like it now but just wait! From there we went back to the church for our final activity, a digital camera scavenger hunt. By the time we finished up with the scavenger hunt, it was time for dinner. I must say I never would have thought Brian English could eat six bowls of Spaghetti but he proved me wrong. I want to congratulate our group on raising $1500. All together between the three groups, we were able to raise almost $8,000 that goes towards feeding hungry people. Great job guys and I look forward to doing it again next year
Sr. High Retreat to Camp Soles
On Friday, March 17th, eleven of us from the Sr. High packed into White Lightning and headed out to Camp Soles for one of the best weekend retreats ever. In November of last year, 10 youth directors from all over the area got together to come up with the ultimate weekend designed specifically for Sr. High. This weekend was designed to get to the core of who we are and how/where we experience God the most. Through different pathways (one being the Naturalists—experiencing God through nature; and the Caregivers—loving God through loving others to name a few), we were able to better understand how we can relate to God and grow deeper in our faith. We also had a blast playing football (better luck next year Madden), capture the flag, dancing to some of the best songs of the 80’s & 90’s, painting our nails and chocolate fondue, and having fun with one another. You can’t beat that! Here is to a great weekend and thanks to all of you who made this possible. Note for next time—keep Laura S. away from the cappuccino.
Silver Ring Thing
On Friday March 24, nine of us from the Northmont youth group made a Commitment that will forever impact the many decisions that we make from here till marriage. The silver ring thing is a sexual abstinence program that challenges young adults to remain pure till marriage through using both Gods idea of purity and statistics gathered from the many effects and problems that come from pre-marital sex. It was amazing to see these kids come together and commit as a group that they will remain pure till the day they are married. Not only that but some actually asked other in the group if they would hold each other accountable for their actions. Thanks guys for a great night.
Jr. High Retreat to Crestfield
Who really wants to become one of them? I mean really, to day in and day out give up your life and time for someone else is not worth it. OR IS IT? On April 7th through the 9th, 21 of the Jr. High youth group packed up and headed off for a weekend at Camp Crestfield. I have to say that this had to be one of the most amazing trips that I have been on with the Jr. High. We laughed, we cried, we covered ourselves with MUD (that’s another story). While we were there, we talked a lot about what it meant to become “One Of Them”, meaning a true follower of Christ. During our time there, we also shared a lot about who we are and what we hope to become. It was awesome to see how this group of kids grew so close in just a weekend. But we also can’t forget all the funny times including Chris Heeter throwing up and getting it all over Sean's neck, or Caleb's maculate reception, or Erica (wait, we wont go there), or Juliana looking like swamp thing after playing in the mud. That’s just a few things that went on over the weekend. If anyone is interested, we still have videos from the weekend, which are $5.00. Thanks guys for such a memorable weekend and I look forward to doing it again, Soon!
East Liberty Family Healthcare Benefit Dinner
On Sunday, April 30th 6 of us from the Sr. High youth group go dressed up for our second annual benefit dinner hosted by the East Liberty Family Healthcare Center. While we were there we had the opportunity to help set up/tear down tables, displays, and other equipment that went towards making this fundraiser work. We also served food and greeted as people came and went throughout the day. If that’s was not enough, we also got the opportunity to eat some of the best food that one could EVER imagine. Now that is what I call a fundraiser. Thanks to your help, the East Liberty Healthcare Center was able to raise $30,000 to go towards helping those who are less fortunate and can't afford healthcare.
Pittsburgh Project
On Saturday, May 6th, 6 of us from the Jr. High got up early and joined the church as we went down to the Pittsburgh Project to help as they prepare for the summer. While we were there, we were asked to paint dorm rooms and the hallway in preparation for kids to stay in over the summer. When we first arrived, we were directed to the cafeteria where we went over the agenda for the day and ate breakfast. After breakfast, it was off to paint. We were split up into groups of four and assigned a dorm room to paint. Our room (Brian, Cheryl, and I) was this off color brown which kind of looked like rust. The room across from us (Colin, Mia, Rachael, & Sarah) was more of a greenish-gray. Weird colors if you ask me. Anyways, after Colin got over his “I want to paint everything I touch fetish” (including Mia & Rachael), their room was underway. As noon rolled around, it was time for lunch. Nothing beats a cold cut sandwich and chips on a day like this. As the day progressed, so did the rooms. We even managed to primer the hallway and paint Bill Baierl in the process. Now who says that you can’t paint and have fun at the same time? I just feel bad because he walked around the rest of the day not aware he had a brown stripe on his back (told you Bill I don’t mess around). As we finished up and were on our way back home, many were tired and sore, but in the end, we accomplished more then what was expected.
X Day at Teen Quest
What more can you ask for then beautiful weather, the clean, crisp air of the countryside, and Frank Caputo screaming for his life as he continually was pelted by paintballs. On Saturday, May 20th, 21 of us from the youth group drove out to Somerset to participate in yet another one of Teen Quests’ infamous X Days. After we arrived and settled in, we then split up into different groups according to what activities one wanted to participate
Northmont Child Development and Preschool Center Report for 2006
In August, 2006, the CDPC celebrated 25 years fulfilling the need in our community for quality Christian child care. We strive to provide a safe, nurturing Christian environment for the children in our care. We are currently caring for 38 children and 29 families: of these, 6 families are members of Northmont Church. We employ 8 full-time and 7 part-time care givers. We continue to enjoy the good fortune of having an experienced and loyal staff. Five staff members of the Center, have been employed at the CDPC for 19-25 years. The Center is open year-round, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In October 2005, the session approved the use of the curriculum, The Church Cares for Children, which was developed by the Presbyterian Church USA. The curriculum is an early childhood educational program which integrates Christian principles into the
daily activities.
Currently all six NCDPC board members are members of Northmont Church. They are: Karen Kowalski, Judy Marshall, Larry Wichterman (Session representative), Jerry Fisher (Stewardship and Finance representative), Lisa Behm (parent representative), Linda
Anderson, and Joel Halapin. Margot Plant and Jan Moreland serve as non-voting members whose role is to provide support and assistance to the Board as needed.
The Session, through its Staff Relations Committee, continues to review the Director of CDPC performance and salaries on an annual basis, and will approve all other salary recommendations and hiring/termination decisions. The assistant director was reviewed
by the director in August 2006.
CDPC continues to be totally self-supporting. All CDPC personnel costs and CDPC's allocated share of Northmont overhead costs, as determined annually and jointly with the Stewardship and Finance Committee, are paid solely from tuition and other CDPC program revenues. Revenues, if any, in excess of expenses and a two-month operating cash reserve will be credited to Northmont's general fund. Consistent with past practice, Northmont continues to maintain the only financial accounting books for CDPC through the office of the Church Treasurer.
CDPC, with the help of a $1350 grant from the PA Keystone Stars Program, paid for a new play structure for the front play area.
Northmont Presbyterian Women Report for 2006
By Mary Lou English, Moderator
Purpose:
Forgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves: To nurture our faith through prayer and Bible Study, to support the mission of the church worldwide, to work for justice and peace, and to build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and witnesses to the promise of God’s kingdom.
The program year for PW is from August through June. Therefore, the moderator for half of the year 2006 was Pat Krotzer with Mary Lou English accepting the position for the second half of the year.
Mission Work
Presbyterian women support mission work through “second mile giving: and through two fund raisers: The Flea Market and the Harvest Dinner.
Missions supported in 2006 were: General Mission-Pittsburgh Presbytery. National Mission-Pittsburgh Presbytery, Synod Mission, Christian Literacy, Crisis Center North, HEARTH, Mars Home for Youth, North Hills Food Bank, Northside Common Ministries, Orr Compassionate Care Center, Mangochi Women’s Guild, Vietnam Missionaries.
Two groups, the Knit-Wits make items for hospitals, nursing homes and wherever needed. Project Linus makes blankets for children and youth in crisis situations. These are given to hospitals and wherever there is a need.
Four times a year care baskets are assembled and delivered to home-bound members. Greeting cards are sent to home-bound or ill members. Over 300 were mailed in 2006.
PW sponsors the Thank Offering and the Birthday Offering. These offerings support mission programs in the U.S. and other countries. Northmont contributed $1545.00 to the Thank Offering and $804.00 to the Birthday Offering.
Study
Currently, we have two circles that meet for prayer, Bible Study and fellowship. The Sarah and Esther Circles meet on the second Tuesday of each month.
We had a Fall Gathering in September to kick off our Bible Study year.
Fellowship
The Lunch Bunch plans a day out each month for lunch and to visit a place of local interest.
A special breakfast was prepared and served for the Northmont Brotherhood Club to show appreciation for the help they give PW and to so many others.
PW is a very vital part of the life and mission of Northmont Church.
It is the prayer and hope that more women would become active and dedicated participants of the PW organization.
Northmont Blanketeers – Project Linus Report for 2006
By Jean Drumheller
We meet the first and third Friday of each month in the Malawi room to sew blankets for seriously ill and traumatized children. We are part of the
Pittsburgh are Project Linus. In 2006, more than 6000 blankets were distributed in the Pittsburgh are to hospitals, shelter and residential
facilities. Project Linus is a national organization run totally by volunteers.