South Congregational Church Newsletter
e-Latio ns!

April 7, 2016

Issue 14
In This Issue
Congratulations to Becca and Kevin!
Frederick Sumner Yohe made his debut into this world on Saturday, March 19th at 4:35 a.m.   
Congratulations Bill Howard!
 
In January Bill Howard was honored with the Citizenship Award at Merrimack County Nursing Home. Walking the halls and grounds of MCNH you can quickly understand why Bill was awarded this honor.  Bill offers a friendly greeting and is quick to be sure to introduce visitors.  When not visiting with other residents Bill can be found working on one of his many artistic creations.  Congratulations Bill and thank you for embodying hospitality. 
 
 
 
Thank you to all the Volunteer who helped make Holy Week and Easter a huge success.  So many people stepped up to be readers, ushers, greeters and  acolytes. 

Thank you to all the musicians as well as the bell and choir members who made the service sound beautiful.

Thank you to all the people who decorated the church and donated flowers.  The church was gorgeous.

 
 
Songwe av ers
The Songweavers 
are celebrating 25 years this year.  They will be playing here at South Congregational Church on Saturday, April 16th at 7:00 p.m.  For ticket information, please go to ccmusicschool.org 
 or call (603) 228-1196
 

NHCUCC Women's Fellowship Spring Gathering and Annual Meeting  
  Wed., April 13th    
9:15-3:30
Women's Role in Social Justice Issues

Various programs will be offered, see the list on the poster in Fellowship Hall.

Cost is 12.00 and
includes lunch 
 
Congregational Church of Laconia, UCC 
69 Pleasant Street
Laconia NH 03246
603-524-0668

  
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Making Deeper Waters Simple
 
Your pledge to South Church is like water behind a hydro-dam; it supplies the power for good things to happen. Like the things that make South Church special - her ministers and staff and programs. Just like the hydro dam, if the flow of incoming pledges (water) is unpredictable, it becomes more difficult to manage day-to-day operations.
 
Your pledge is important -- indeed critical, but how can we make that more simple? Auto Pay will automatically deduct an agreed upon amount from your checking account and send it directly to the church's bank account - this process is quicker and simpler than if you wrote a check.
 
Too often people want to contribute but they simply get distracted or forget. With Auto Pay the system simply remembers for you and what you intended becomes automatic. It also streamlines and simplifies the bookkeeping done at South Church.
 
Would you like to see good things happen and make your life a little simpler in the process? Consider using the Auto Pay donation system to make it easier for all the good things in South Church to continue. If you would like to set up Auto Pay but don't know how, please contact your bank and they will be happy to assist you.
 
Thom Bloomquist
for the Giving Ministry

Changing Lives:
That's Our Church's Wider Mission
 
Never place a period where God has placed a comma,
Because we believe in transformation, we believe the church's mission is changing lives - individually, systemically and globally...

We support, encourage and uplift local churches where lives are being changed through worship, education, fellowship, mission, and justice advocacy.
We identify, recruit, educate and support leaders who inspire others.

We support churches and plant new churches as vital places of worship, learning, and justice advocacy.
We change lives through our global partnerships, missionaries and advocacy.
What does Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) support? Please read the attached document to answer that question. 
 
April Senior Lunch Program
It is fitting that as the current iteration of the South Senior Program winds down , that joyfully Jim has an opportunity to share a piece of his family ancestry. This shall occur on Wednesday April 20 th when our lunch guest is Helen Fitzgerald, who will share memories and observations of her recent visit to the Middle East (e.g. Palestine and Israel).
 
Helen was a participant in a "Compassionate Listening" project, along with several others. She has shared this experience with many ...and it is most moving to hear the stories of the indigenous people the "listeners" interviewed. This is an opportunity for any and all South seniors to be up close with Helen's experience and explore how their prayers are needed to foster the spirit of peace in the Middle East.
 
And...Jim is the lead chef for the monthly theme lunch with help from his children... as they have an intern moment...and Ginny is away. It shall be a delicious meal of Middle Eastern & Lebanese taste with multiple dishes of chicken, lamb, rice, green bean  and a salad ensemble, plus other assorted delicacies.

Interfaith Seder 
A ll are invited on April 17th at 4 pm to Wesley United Methodist Church. Our Seder Host: Rabbi Robin Nafshi from Temple Beth Jacob. The Interfaith Seder is a biennial event sponsored by the Greater Concord Interfaith Council.  It is a very well-attended event and an opportunity for people of all faiths and spiritual practices to gather and share a Passover meal together.  Rabbi Robin Nafshi of Temple Beth Jacob guides us through the symbolism and story of the Seder, providing a context for the traditional meal.  There will be a sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall as we will need a head count by April 11.  I strongly urge interested South Churchers to sign up early as this has been "sold out" in the past.  There is a 10.00 donation for this event.

 
STAR ISLAND
UCC FAMILY CONFERENCES
 
Star is offering 30% off room and board for the Laity conference for New-to-Star conferees from South Church.
Plan to spend a weekend or a week on Star Island at one of three UCC conferences.  There are two week long adult/family conferences, July 30-Aug. 6 (which includes a Youth conference), and Aug. 6-13, plus the Laity Family UCC Weekend on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2 or 3-5.
 
Star Island is one of 9 islands in the Isles of Shoals off Portsmouth, NH.  The Star Island Corporation is
celebrating its 100th year!  Information on all the conferences can be found at  www.starisland.org.
There is also a display with brochures and program guides in Fellowship Hall. 

DATE:  June 25 for  
the 7 th and final  
South Church 
 Garden Tour.

We are going out in a "blaze of glory" with four new gardens and two great gardens we have featured before.
 
Want to help sponsor this South Church Fundraiser? Contact Mae Murdoch.