EASTER SUNDAY FLOWERS

In celebration of the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday, the Deacons invite you to play a role in the beautification of the sanctuary with spring flowers. 

Please visit this link to access the order form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UW7Cn7xYvWNcgxAHCSx0CuUXo4SnKl2KVUC1KvsFBbM/edit?usp=sharing

Deadline to receive orders is Sunday, April 6th.

Forms will also be available at Sunday services.

Dear Northmont Friends,

Some of you know me as your part-time custodian/housekeeper, but I am also a Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR). I enrolled in CCAC’s Dietetics program in 2012; I graduated in 2016 and passed the credentialing exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) in 2017. My goal was to work in a nursing home assessing residents for malnutrition, attending goal meetings, and recommending dietary solutions for improving or maintaining their health. I later decided not to pursue that goal, so I have not yet worked in my new field.

My DTR credential is valid until 2027 unless I decide to complete another 50 continuing education credits between now and then and extend it to 2032. I spent a lot of time and effort on this endeavor at this later stage of my life and would still like to do something with it, so I’ve been considering concentrating on nutrition education by writing informative articles. Pastor Ben suggested writing for The Piper, so here’s my first (brief) entry:

Happy National Nutrition Month!

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)designates the month of March for promoting awareness of the importance of good nutrition at every stage of life. This year’s theme is “Food Connects Us,” and their website (eatright.org) has several interesting downloadable tip sheets for this promotion with such titles as “Eating Right on a Budget,” “Eating Right Tips for Older Adults,” “Smart Snacking Tips for Adults and Teens” (there’s one for kids, too), and “Healthy Eating on the Run: A Month of Tips.” There is also a “Fact or Fiction” sheet with ten questions to test your knowledge of nutrition. If you choose to visit the site, please also explore what else they have to offer, including explanations of the difference between RDNs (Registered Dietitian Nutritionists) and NDTRs (Nutrition and Dietetic Technicians, Registered, a newer designation than just DTR) and what each practitioner is trained to do. I’m not sure yet how often I’ll be writing, but I have lots of ideas for future articles.

Thank you for reading this!

Sarah J. Graham, DTR

PARKING LOT FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN PROGRESS

This is to update everyone on the progress for our fundraising campaign. We’ve spoken to you about the deteriorating condition of our parking lot, and the need to go beyond patching and instead to mill and repave the lot. Our target is to raise $95,000 by August 31st of this year, and now, two weeks into our campaign, we’re just shy of the 1/3rd mark with $31,020 having been committed and $8,010 of that having been received.

Scott Davis, the project manager for the repairs, has reported that the repairs will be made sometime during the month of April, although the exact dates are still to be determined. The work will be performed during 3 consecutive weekdays, (not over a weekend), requiring one day for milling, one day for paving, and one day for line marking.

We greatly appreciate all the commitments and contributions that have been made so far. Your generosity is wonderful and we are so very thankful to you for stepping up to meet this need.

Those who have not yet made a contribution (in addition to your annual giving), we hope that you will give it further prayerful consideration. Protecting this investment in our facilities is so very important and we hope you will agree with us that it is worth putting this effort into its current repair. Please indicate “Parking Lot Campaign” with your donations so your gifts can be properly accounted.

Thank You!

On Sunday, April 4 we welcome

the Reverend Alick Kennedy, who will kick off our 100th year anniversary Guest Preacher Series. (This is a change from the originally scheduled date.)

Alick served as the pastor of neighboring Heritage Presbyterian for many years, and has worshipped here with us in his retirement. He has served Northmont as Pastor Emeritus, in Stephen Ministry,

on the Memorial Committee, and as a teacher. 

We are honored to have him begin this special series. Please plan on joining us!

Clef Notes

Music Director, Stephen Schall

stephen@northmontchurch.org

This Sunday’s first reading is from the book of Isaiah. The passage has some vivid imagery about God as water, the life-sustaining substance that we cannot live without. In keeping with this theme, Dianna Hollo and Chelsea Cockburn will sing a prelude by Handel based upon Isaiah’s words. The choir will sing Palestrina’s motet, Sicut cervus desiderat, which is a setting of the first verse of Psalm 42, “As the deer longs for running water, so longs my soul for you, O God.” This motet is noted for its clarity in presenting the Psalm text and doing so in a way that is filled with longing. 

HYMN OF THE MONTH: Throughout Lent we’ll be singing a more-recent setting of the hymn “In the Cross of Christ I Glory” to the lyric tune TOMTER,  composed by living American church musician, Bruce Neswick. Bruce has been a high-profile musician for his entire career, having this tune included in the Episcopal Church’s Hymnal 1982, at a young age, winning first prizes in various competitions in organ improvisation, holding posts at prestigious churches such as The National Cathedral and St. John the Divine in NYC, and being music director at the Episcopal cathedrals in Buffalo, Lexington, and Atlanta. Bruce is a concert organist and had choral and organ compositions published by several houses.

It can be exciting to note how new life can be breathed into an old and beloved text simply by singing it to a new tune. I hope you find this to be the case with this pairing.

The Northmont Dining Out Group will gather this Monday, March 24 at 6:30 at Primanti Bros. in McIntyre Square. All are invited to join!

HOLY WEEK POTLUCK

ON GOOD FRIDAY, 4/18 at 6:30,

we will be hosting a potluck before the Service 

(3-19 service held at Northmont) 

which will begin at 7:30.

Main dishes will be provided;

we are asking those attending to bring

the following to share:

Last names A-K,

 bring a side dish.

Last names L-Z, 

bring a dessert.

Any questions - please contact Pastor Ben.

Save The Date - Mission Trip Opportunity!

St Paul's United Methodist Church (Ferguson Rd. in Allison Park) invites anyone interested to join their 2025 workcamp (Sunday, May 11 to Saturday, May 17), which will travel to help the folks in western North Carolina & eastern Tennessee, working with a group called Appalachia Service Project (ASP) on housing damaged by hurricane Helene (somewhere TBD along the border).

Volunteers would drive themselves (some like to go early, some return late), and cover their own food and gas, but everything else is expected to be covered. More details to be forthcoming.

Questions can be directed to Cheryl English or Ted Mills.

Specialized Ministry

Click the picture to learn more about each ministry.