Here it is--Volume 7, Issue 2 of our e-mail Newsletter!

FEATURED IN THIS NEWSLETTER

PASTORAL PONDERINGS--"Re-Imagining Love for Lent"

Monthly Update on our Church's Pastoral Transition

Worship & Music Ministry News

• Our Sunday Faith Community Celebrations in February
• Spiritual Formation News for our Children, Youth, & Families
• Music and Ministry Notes
• Tenderly Held in our Hearts and Prayers
•  Into God’s Hands
• Affirmed as God's Beloved Sons!

Welcoming and Caring Ministry

• Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
• Invitation to Join our Church Caregiving Ministry Team

FEBRUARY CALENDAR of EVENTS in the Life of our Spiritual Family

Spiritual Formation for Adults

• Restoring the Kinship Worldview Study
• Reel Soul Screening of "American Fiction"
• Virtual Mid-week Lenten Prayer beginning on Ash Wednesday

Administration & Finance News

• Report of Projects done in 2023
• Report of the Assistant Treasurers
• Stewardship Progress thus far
• COVID-19 Task Force Update

February Birthdays & Anniversaries

"Prepared to Serve" Workshops--Saturday, February 24th, 2024

Growing a Just World for All

Economic Justice

* Raise the Minimum Wage Rev. Dr. Gail Kinney, Worker Justice Minister

* Support for the PRO Act

Immigrant Justice

* Monthly Vigils at the ICE Building

Climate Justice

*UCC Programs, Resources, and Events

Antiracism Ministry

*Equal Justice Initiative "History of Racial Injustice" 2024 Calendars

*Calling for CeaseFire NOW!

*Continuing Black Lives Matter Vigils on Wednesdays @ 3:30 PM

Legislator Contact Information

Revs. John & Susan Gregory-Davis,

Co-Pastors

Meriden Congregational Church

603-469-3235

j[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected] 

www.meridenucc.org

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like unto it:

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

--Matthew 22:37-39

Lent is early this year. It seems like we were just celebrating Christmas (maybe because in the parsonage we still have our Christmas Tree up?) and the Feast of Epiphany (with the Clavier/Hampton family’s delicious Magi Cakes)! How the days fly by! But truly, Ash Wednesday on February 14^th is about as early as Lent can begin. Also remarkable is that in only six and a half weeks (March 31^st), we will be celebrating Easter!! Ready or not, Ash Wednesday and Lent will soon be here! One of the most meaningful seasons of the church year, Lent offers us intentional time to reflect on who we are and how we are choosing to live our brief years upon this earth. Are we living (at least most of the time!) as the true self we were created to be? How grounded spiritually do we seek to be, especially for the sake of making compassionate and just choices? Where in our lives are we called to stretch and grow into more actively loving human beings? Lent invites us on a journey toward deeper love in all the contemplative and active ways love can be expressed.

Traditionally, Lent can be experienced as a somber time—to focus on one’s shortcomings, give up favorite foods or other pleasures, and devote oneself to fasting, prayer, reading Scripture, and acts of charity. Deep purple is Lent’s color, symbolizing repentance. The story of Jesus’ forty days sojourn in the desert—overcoming temptation--gives shape scripturally to our own forty-day journey. These and other Lenten traditions have and continue to give much meaning to many of us during this season. 

Maybe it’s because Ash Wednesday happens to fall this year on Valentine’s Day, but the Scripture reading that keeps coming to me as I anticipate Lent this year is one of Jesus’ well-known passages on Love--his response to the authorities when challenged about which Commandment is the greatest of them all:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Isn’t Lent really all about Love? Loving the One who created us to love and be loved. Learning to love ourselves fully. Loving our neighbors near and far, as much as we love our closest family members and friends. And loving so deeply that we incarnate the public face of Love—justice. I don’t know about you, but if I simply focus on re-imagining ever deeper loving as my Lenten practice, I will have more than enough to attend to spiritually this Lent!

John and I are also so aware of how quickly these Lenten days will pass, along with those of our remaining four months with you. Each of these days is precious to us. We know that living them slowly, intentionally, prayerfully, and with appreciation for each moment is the way to honor the gift of this time with you, our beloved community. It all circles back to Love and Jesus’ message to love with all our heart, soul, and mind! Our prayer, in the midst of all the day-to-day work and ministry we do together, is that the expression of our love for one another as spiritual family will be at the center of this time and that, especially during these forty days of Lent, each of us will be able to slow down (at least somewhat!) and open ourselves to the deeper loving we hope for in our personal relationships and in our public witness of Love.  

May our Lenten days be blessed with many moments of awareness for how we long to love ever more deeply the Source of our Being, our neighbors, and ourselves—with all our heart, soul, and mind. With intention and action of this deeper loving in our world. And may these Lenten days as a church family be blessed with many moments of awareness and gratitude for the gift of our remaining time together. John and I are forever grateful for the Love we have known and continue to know in this beloved community. Thank you, dear friends.

With love and gratitude for each and all of you,

Susan & John

“Transforming Lives as a Compassionate Community:

ReImagining Love”

OUR SUNDAY

FAITH COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS IN FEBRUARY

(In Person and on Zoom,

in the Sanctuary,

with masks optional)

FEBRUARY 4th @ 10:00 AM

Fifth Sunday of Epiphany

Join us as we begin this Black History / Black Futures Month with the joyous baptism of Griffin Christopher Douglas Jameson (son of Alex & Kori, and grandson of Karen & Steve) Come join us for this beautiful celebration of life & love!

FEBRUARY 11th @ 10:00 AM

Transfiguration Sunday

Science & Faith Sunday

Our denomination affirms that God is Still Speaking, and in this service we explore the ways in which science is God's native tongue, while likewise continuing our journey of learning and loving through this Black History / Black Futures Month.

FEBRUARY 18th @ 10:00 AM

First Sunday in LENT

Taize Prayer Service

There is something profoundly meditative about the weaving of gently repeating songs, simple scripture readings, and extended silence in this style of  prayer, drawn from the Christian community by this same name located in Taize’, France.  Come join us for this simple service of song and prayer.

 FEBRUARY 25th @ 10:00 AM

Second Sunday in Lent

Come join us on this last Sunday of Black History / Black Futures Month, for a service as we continue exploring the wisdom and challenge of the "Blackness" of God.

March 3rd @ 10:00 AM

Third Sunday in LENT

Communion Celebration

Join us as we begin this Women's H(er)Story Month with our Intergenerational Celebration of Communion on this Third Sunday in the Season of Lent!

Whoever you are,

Whomever you love,

Wherever you are on

life's journey,

YOU are WELCOME to

share in all our

Spiritual Family Services, Celebrations,

and Activities!

SPIRITUAL FORMATION NEWS FOR OUR CHILDREN,

YOUTH AND FAMILIES!

Peaceful greetings and Happy Valentine's Day to all our children, youth and families as we begin this month of February!!! We are excited about the opportunities planned for our church families, children and youth during this month of February Please join us for any and all activities that you and your family are interested in!

Sunday Morning Messages “For the Child within us All!”: On Sunday mornings when children are present during our 10am service, Kelsey and/or Susan look forward to sharing an engaging message for your child/ren! And following this time, as possible, we will then invite them to join in our Children's Spirit Circle--a time created specifically for your child/ren as they are exploring and developing their inner spiritual resources that will nourish and support them their whole lives long. We usually draw our fun and engaging lessons from an inclusive curriculum called, "A Joyful Path," (lovingly and effectively created by the Center for Progressive Christianity). Join us!

Our Whole Lives (OWL) Lifespan Sexuality Education Program: This winter and spring, we are so happy and grateful to be offering OWL for our Kindergartners/First Graders, Fourth through Sixth Graders and Seventh through Ninth Graders. We are in our 20th year of offering this tremendous program through our church! Fourteen children from twelve families here in our church and from our wider community are participating in this program which supports our children and youth in developing healthy, well-informed, compassionate, and respect-based attitudes and understanding of their developing sexuality. We are so grateful to the OWL Teaching Teams for making these programs possible this winter and spring! Hearty thanks to Maura Hart, Tori Constantine, Jeff McGlone and Steve Jameson (teaching Grades 7-9); Andrea Keen, Karen Heaton, Greg Castell, and Kevin Ramos-Glew (teaching Grades 4-6), and Susan Sanzone Fauver, Kelsey MacNamee, and Glen Greenough (teaching Kindergarten and First Grade). Please contact Kelsey MacNamee or Susan Gregory-Davis if you are interested in learning more about the OWL Program and/or joining us on the OWL Ministry Team.

Monthly Pizza Pot-luck Supper for all our Young Parents/Families (with children and youth of any age!). Our next gathering will be on Friday, February 23! Join us for this monthly gathering offering oodles of support for young parents! We begin with our family pizza time with your child/ren from 6-6:30pm, followed by a facilitated parent discussion from 6:30-7:30pm (free childcare offered during this time). Come with your joys, your struggles, your hopes, and your beloved children, as we celebrate the amazing work of parenting and share support for all its challenges! Please RSVP if you are able to join us! Invite friends! We look forward to welcoming you!

Faith Odyssey for our Seventh through Ninth graders: Susan and John are so looking forward to the next meeting for our students and mentors on Sunday, February 25th from 12:30-2pm. Pizza provided!

And if you have a high school student in your family who is interested in gathering for our Senior Seekers time for support and fun, please let Susan or Kelsey know! We would love to be of support to your high schooler and friends during this important and challenging time in their lives!

So much to celebrate!! Especially you and your family!!! We look forward to sharing any and all of these spirit-filled activities with you and your children and youth this month!

WELCOMING and CARING MINISTRY

Thanks for the many people who donated food for the Annual Meeting on January 28: Penny Arcone, Diane Walker, Jan Lord, Lee Oxenham, Erin Rogers, Kathy Wright and John and Susan Gregory-Davis. Thanks also for Lee and Evan Oxenham who helped with set-up. It was complicated to have our food in the back of the Church for the Meeting but it helped with simplifying the event. The Annual Meeting was the first gala event for the WELCOMING and CARING MINISTRY. In the month of January, Thanks also go to Kathy Wright, Lee Oxenham, Donna Beaupre, and Penny Arcone for providing food for Coffee Hour in January.

OUR NEXT GALA EVENT is MARDI GRAS PANCAKE SUPPER on Tuesday February 13th at 6:00 PM. Costumes and Beads are encouraged! The menu is Pancakes, ham, apple sauce, syrup, and cheese and crackers to start. Come One and Come All. There may be live music as well!!!

I will be calling people to ask for help with Coffee Hour and Ushering. Please say yes to help the Beloved Community! Elaine Lenz, Peter Nolette, Evan Oxenham and Ed Cousineau helped with ushering in January. MANY THANKS!!

If you would like to help with any of this please contact Kathy Wright at (603) 469-3235 or at home at (603) 675-5989.

HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US THIS FEBRUARY

Kathy Wright, Co-Coordinator of the Welcoming and Caring Ministry

Shrove Tuesday Pancakes!!

TUESDAY—February 13th @ 6:00 PM

A FEAST for Everyone! 

Featuring music by own Mardi Gras duo of

“Doc” Winslow’s piano, & Glenn Griffin’s trumpet!!

In the spirit of Mardi Gras,

masks and costumes are encouraged,

and all are invited to think about what to let go of,

or take on anew this Lent!!

Do you find a deep sense of 

joy and gratification

in reaching out and helping others? 

If so, Please join our

Church Caregivers Team!

Even if you have only a few minutes a month to write a short "thinking of you" or "get well" card, your loving care will be so appreciated by members of our church community. If you would rather make occasional phone calls or in-person home visits, there is a place for you on the Caregivers Team, too!!! Everyone is welcome to offer gifts of care with no effort ever too small! Our Team meets quarterly with the loving guidance of our Chair, Kathy Wright. If you are interested in joining or talking further, please contact Kathy at [email protected] or Susan ([email protected]). We warmly welcome you to join in the very meaningful ministry of this small group with a BIG HEART! 

Our Church’s Upcoming Pastoral Transition:

A Loving Update for Members and Friends of the

Meriden Congregational Church

Dear Friends,

Each month between now and June our church newsletter will feature an update with current information on how our church is preparing for our pastoral transition prompted by the upcoming retirement of Susan & John. Written each month by our Co-Pastors or members of our church’s Leadership Ministry Team, you will be kept up to date on all relevant developments, as it is of utmost importance that the whole of our church family is vitally part of this time of transition. We are on this spiritual journey together and are here to support one another with faith, hope, and love! 

Please know that your questions and concerns are not only warmly welcomed but also needed, as each person’s input will help us more faithfully sojourn through these upcoming months. Thank you for being a loving and invaluable part of this special time in the life of our church family.  And please let us know how we can support you and your family as we grieve, celebrate, and give thanks for all we have experienced together these past twenty-eight years, all the while rejoicing that our steadfast and still-speaking God is lovingly companioning us every step of the way! 

With love from our Co-Pastors, Susan and John, and our Church Leadership Ministry Team—Bill Chappelle (Chair), Jill Marshall (Vice-Chair), Cindy Griffin, Melanie Henry, Gail Kinney, Kelsey MacNamee, Larissa Pyer, Cathy Rodriguez, Peter Nolette, Elaine Lenz, Lee Oxenham, Kathy Wright, Shawn Rogers, Ryan McGraw, and Shideko Terai.

Leadership Transition Update--February 2024

Our next steps in finding a new Pastor is to get an Interim Minister. The Interim will allow us some Spiritual Leadership after John and Susan are gone. He or She will provide Sunday Service Coordination and Sermons. The Interim will also provide, in the one or two years that they serve, the gap between John and Susan and hiring a "Settled" Minister. As parishioners we will get an idea of what it means to try out something new and gather our wits about us in presenting ourselves to another Minister.

It is the Leadership Team that is making out the paperwork to present our church to the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ in order to get an Interim minister. The paperwork asks such questions as "How big is the membership?" and "Is your Congregation Open and Affirming?" and "What is your Mission Statement?".

The Leadership is also working out the details of what the compensation and support for the Interim will be. It is thought that the individual that we get may need a housing allowance along with a salary--they may choose not to live in the Parsonage. It is possible that the Interim may not come on board until September 2024. Of course if we find a good candidate we may need to move fast to snatch them up.

I know many of us are hoping to have some time to upgrade the Parish House with painting and other improvements. We have been so blessed by John and Susan's acceptance of their living quarters. Perhaps another person would be more demanding.

After the Interim is accepted by Leadership and they begin their service, it will be time to form a Search Committee that will write up a description of out church and begin to interview candidates.

I have heard from many sources that it is a challenging task to find a new Pastor. Our church has many fine attributes and many devoted followers. I hope this will make the whole process easier.

Kathy Wright

Report on the Transition of Pastoral Leadership

Music and Ministry February 2024

We began the month of February with the wonderful baptism of Griffin Christopher

Douglas Jameson, son of Alex and Kori Jameson, during our worship on February 4th. What a joyous ceremony for this lovely family!

Our monthly communion will take place on February 11th. Also on the 11th will be our Science and Faith Sunday, where we are reminded that we are all beloved stardust. Following Shrove Tuesday is Ash Wednesday on the 14th. On this date and every Wednesday during Lent there will be a time of Lenten Prayer and Music from 7-7:30 via Zoom.

On February 18th we will have a Taize service during our regular worship time. This is a special service for silent reflection interspersed with lovely Taize music. To conclude our February services will be a celebration of Black History month on the 25th. Hopefully the choir will be joining us at one of these services.



Stay tuned for information coming next month regarding the planning of John and

Susan’s final service on June 2nd!

Elaine Lenz

Tenderly Held  in our Hearts and Prayers

  Throughout this Black History / Black Futures Month,  we remember with gratitude the blessings of family and friends, food and shelter, love and life, which make this community of faith such a WELCOME home for us all. So too do we celebrate with all those bearing new life, and pray with those yet hoping to conceive, or seeking to adopt a beloved child of God, even as we also pray for our friends in Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe, and all those living in such troubled lands as Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Haiti, Myanmar, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea, Yemen, South Sudan, and the Congo. We pray for all immigrants & refugees seeking sanctuary & welcome throughout our world, that we may be among those who offer an oasis of hospitality & compassion within the kin-dom of God’s heart. And we pray too for our BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) friends and neighbors, seeking to build with them a world wherein “Black Lives Matter!”

Likewise are our prayers are with these members and friends of our faith community currently receiving treatment for cancer: Susan Pullen; Ryan McGraw’s co-worker’s mother, Jeannie Berube; Odile Clavier’s colleague; Shideko Terai’s  Uncle, Ted De Luca; Christine Greenough’s friend, Karen;  Penny Arcone’s son, Anthony;  Amaia Leach; Anne Cragin’s sister, Beth; Angie Hinton’s friend, Mickey LaHaye; Martha Zoerheide’s neighbor, John; Vicki Ramos-Glew’s mother, Carole Spencer; Juliette Hampton’s teacher, Melissa Thaxton; Bill & Laine’s neighbor, Barbara Gifford; Becky Luce; Laura Cousineau’s brother-in-law, Eric; Cecilia Hampton’s best friend Victoria’s mother, Bev; Sue Turner’s brother, Kurt, as well as Sue’s sister-in-law Bev, and Bev’s step-daughter, Sarah; Connie Kousman; Gail Kinney’s brothers, Charles & David; Linda Perkins’ friend, Linda Stone; Ed Foltyn; Robert Bryant; Jeff McNamara; Lauryn Moeller’s daughter-in-law, Lisa Rae Moeller; and  Kevin Ramos-Glew’s nephew, Duncan.

             So too do we pray for Gail Kinney’s husband, John Murray; Marianne McGraw’s friend, Jeff Gold; Anne Cragin’s husband, Jim: Peter Nolette’s brother, Michael; Betty Pardoe; Rev. Greg Marshall; Carol Hartman’s step-granddaughter, Alyssa, as well as Carol’s daughter-in-law, Michelle; Emma Greenough’s friend; Roger Burch’s sister-in-law’s family; Angie Hinton’s friend, Margaret Maxham; Connie Kousman’s grand-nephew, Graham, as well as Connie’s sister Joyce; Gina Marzilli-Ericson’s mother, Paula; Amy Lappin’s mother, Sheila Spence; Robyn & Bob Carpenter; Karen Sutton’s husband, Robert, as well as Karen’s friend, Amber Howard; Laine Gillespie’s friends, Josh & Perry;  Erik Heaton; Betty Walker; Penny Arcone’s friend, Dick Slubin; Beth Kopp’s father, Jim Kane; Linda Perkins; Jody Schubert’s brother, Rick; Jim Schubert’s sister, Martha & her daughter, Wendy; Joan Burch; Suzanne Lenz; Judy Croitoru; Chris Dye; Linda Perkins’ friends, Dorothy, Albert, & Doug; Susan Turner’s cousin, Buddy Stevenson, as well as Sue’s friend, Barbara Zenker.

Into God's Hands

Even as our spirits have rejoiced in the beginning of this New Year, so too have we grieved the loss of loved ones among us! 



  Our hearts are filled with both thanksgiving and sadness as we mourn the loss of Dr. Harriet Ward who passed into God's eternal care on Tuesday--January 16^th.  We especially extend our sympathy to the members of our NH Conference Antiracism Ministry Team, on which Co-Pastor John serves, and which Dr. Ward had chaired for many years.  

And our prayers are with the family and friends of Craig John Lanzim, better known to all as CJ, as we grieve his  unexpected death on Sunday--January 21^st, 2024, at the age of 41. The ramp easing access to our Parish House was built to accommodate CJ’s involvement in the life of our church many years ago, and his light continues to shine in our hearts.  

As God has welcomed each of these dearly departed ones back into the realm of God’s eternal embrace, may their families and loved ones be comforted with God’s healing presence in the midst of this time of mourning.

Affirmed as God’s

Beloved Son!! 😊

We rejoice with Shawn & Erin Rogers upon the baptism of their grandson, John Richard Rogers-Morton, on Sunday—January 14^th, 2024!! Baby Jack was born on Saturday—April 22^nd, 2023, on Shawn & Erin’s first anniversary. As the firstborn son of Kaylee Rogers, Jack is much beloved by his aunt, Kassidee, his grandmother, Karlyce, his great grandparents, Dick & Betty Rogers, & Judy Brown,  as well as numerous other relatives and friends who celebrated Jack’s baptism with us.  How thrilled we are to welcome you, John Richard, into our community of faith as a cherished member of our spiritual family!! 

YAffirmed as God’s

Beloved Son!! 😊

We rejoice with Alex & Kori Jameson upon the baptism of their son, Griffin Christopher Douglas Jameson, on Sunday—February 4^th, 2024!! Baby Griffin was born on Sunday—October 1^st, 2023 and is much beloved by his grandparents, Steve & Karen Jameson, and Chris Griffin & Jennifer Fletcher, as well as his aunt, Olivia Jameson, and uncles, Sean Griffin & Lucas Jameson, his GodParents, Hailey LaFave & Manny Aretakis, and numerous other relatives and friends who celebrated Griffin’s baptism with us.  How thrilled we are to welcome you, Griffin Christopher Douglas, into our community of faith as a cherished member of our spiritual family!!  

FEBRUARY Calendar

Black History/Black Futures Month

Meriden Congregational Church Annual Meeting

Our 243rd Annual Meeting was held on Sunday--January 28th, 2024. A quorum of members was present both in person plus by zoom. The Reports were accepted and the budget was passed. Copies of the Annual Report and Ministry Spending Plan (Budget) are available both at the back of the church and on the Secretary's Desk. The officials elected and serving on our Leadership Ministry Team are:

Members of our Church Leadership Ministry Team:

Chair: Bill Chappelle

Vice-Chair/Clerk/ Stewardship: Jill Marshall

Worship & Music Ministry: Peter Nolette & Elaine Lenz

Welcoming and Caring Ministry: Kathy Wright & Lee Oxenham

Administration & Finance Ministry:  

Melanie Henry, Shawn Rogers, & Ryan McGraw

Outreach, Peace, & Justice Ministry: Shideko Terai

Worker Justice Minister: Rev. Dr. Gail Kinney:

Spiritual Formation Ministry: Larissa Pyer & Cathy Rodriguez

Spiritual Formation Coordinator: Kelsey MacNamee

Treasurer: Cindy Griffin

Assistant Treasurer(s):  

Kathy Wright, Evan Oxenham, & Steve Beaupre

Auditor:  Melanie Henry 

Faith Odyssey for Adults!!

“Restoring the Kinship Worldview:

“Indigenous Voice Introduce 28 Precepts

 for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth”

• Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) & Darcia Narvaez

Continuing on Friday—February 23rd, 2024

at 1:00 PM at the home of Selden & Jan Lord

27 Serenity Drive, Cornish, NH

And on zoom here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84792111522

          Contending that Indigenous worldviews, and the knowledge they confer, are critical for human survival and the wellbeing of future generations, Editors Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) and Darcia Narvaez emphasize our deep need to move away from the dominant Western paradigm--one that dictates we live without strong social purpose, fails to honor the earth as sacred, leads with the head while ignoring the heart, and places individual “rights” over collective responsibility. Restoring the Kinship Worldview invites readers into a world-sense that expands beyond perceiving and conceiving to experiencing and being, rooted in an Indigenous vision and strong social purpose that sees all life forms as sacred and sentient--that honors the wisdom of the heart, and grants equal standing to rights and responsibilities.

MCC Movie Night: Reel Soul

In honor of Black History / Black Futures Month, all are welcome to join us to view together what “The Guardian” describes as “satisfyingly prickly satire on race and hypocrisy in the literary world:”

“American Fiction”

View trailer at:

AMERICAN FICTION | Official Trailer (youtube.com)

Sunday—February 25^th    @ 7:00 PM

In the Parish House,

with refreshments and discussion to follow



Based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, “American Fiction” follows a frustrated novelist-professor who writes an outlandish satire of stereotypical "black" books, only for it to be mistaken by the liberal elite for serious literature and published to both high sales and critical praise.

Report from Buildings and Grounds of MCC Administration

The following news was taken from the Annual Report of Administration and Finance

Projects Completed and Planned

Projects Completed

A. The back porch floor of the Parish House was replaced with a new douglas fir

1x4 floor just like the old one. Thank you, Dennis O’donnel carpentry

services. It received a nice new fresh coat of gray porch enamel paint to

match the old as well as a fresh new coat of white paint on the walls, ceiling

and railings. Thank you Dan Gautrea Painting for the painting services.

B. The cover over the bulk head door to the church basement was replaced as

well. It now has an enamel coated steel roof and will last much longer than

the painted plywood roof from the past. Thank you Dennis O’donnel

carpentry services.

C. There were a few places on the front of the Parish House and Parsonage that

had clapboards replaced as well as rotted corner boards and lower wall splash

boards. Dennis O’donnel teamed up with Dan Gautrea for this project as

well. Thank you to them.

D. Dan Gautreau continued with painting on the Parsonage and Parish house as

money allowed. He will continue this summer 2024 with hopes to make it

around from the east side to the south side.

E. We were hoping to get the slate roof repairs started. The slate roof

contractor Leon Shabbott was not local this summer and was hoping to

squeeze us in his busy schedule. In the end, we were not able to get him on

site. We are on his list for summer 2024. He has agreed to keep his repair

budget again at $ 20,000.

Tables and Chairs

We were finally able to select the best chairs for what the budget allowed.

We were able to sample a few options and agreed to a particular model, color

and fabric type. We will have the first batch of chairs for the annual meeting for

the rest of the congregation to try out. Over the course of 2024, we’ll buy some

more and slowly phase out the old fiberglass ones.

Shawn Rogers and Melanie Henry (Co-Coordinators)

REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT TREASURERS

Thanks to all those who have sent in their promised pledge amounts for 2024. You should receive an acknowledgement from Jill Marshall. We have still received a few make-up pledges from last year. As of January 14, 2024 we have received $1,045 in pledge payments, We have received $883.29 in Plate payments. The total was $1928.29. All of these were for 2024. We have also received $1020 for make-up 2023 pledge payments. In addition we received $200 for the Christmas Eve Donation. So the total is $3,148.29 for 2024 and 2023 and Xmas Eve payments.

There have been stock payments that are not listed here. Thanks for your contributions.

Kathy Wright

Jim Lenz

Pledges are still needed and Welcomed!!

Notes from the COVID Task Force

New Year//Old Worries//New Hopes

This little note was supposed to be a brief reminder about Covid from the Church’s COVID-19 Task Force. You already know it as the usual “mask-up, wash-hands, stay-home-if-you’re-sick” message. However, as I write my mood is tempered by the darker moments of recent months as well as dim hope for brighter thoughts for the coming year. 

A number of us are carrying around the weight of senseless wars and conflict, impending climate changes, worrisome Covid and myriad personal health challenges and, perhaps, an empty loneliness even in the midst of loving, supportive family, friends and this beloved church community. (Spoiler alert—I’ll give no quick fixes below, just a point or two for your reflection.)

In December 2023 the men’s group pondered some wise sayings of the Jewish Rabbi/philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972). One particular sentence read: “...[M]orally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings, that indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” We had some fun with this thought—yes, “fun” as in playing with Heschel’s words to extrapolate the meaning of “responsibility” for all of us. 

Our men’s group (what goes on in men’s group stays in men’s group) tapped into some of the seriousness of our world. That night I think we walked away richer for our discussion. It was a good way the begin the holidays, though I won’t (can’t) say more.

So now we’re in the post-Christmas time and this morning I opened an on-line site and read a late Advent blog: “Advent affords us the time to remember the birth of the historical Jesus and to remember his life as showing us how to live. In that memory is hope, a hope that expands its fulfillment in the yet-to-be cosmic event….” 

The blogger remarked on a silk screened poster by 1960’s graphic artist Corita Kent, who captures this pending moment well. Quoting words variously attributed either to Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel or to the personalist French philosopher Gabriel Marcel, Kent created a colorful graphic, making a characteristic personal addition to the quote,

“Hope is the memory of the future”

... have a hand in it.

Kent’s contemporary addition of “have a hand in it” seems to harken back to the Heschel notion of “responsibility” for and to the world. We have it in our very own hands to start the needed change and to set aright for the future.

Covid’s assaults, the threats of ongoing wars, enduring injustices, constant climate degradation and their companions are not going away. The usual call to “mask-up, wash-hands, stay-home-if-you’re-sick” message may work for individuals trying to avoid Covid. Yet for the rest of the above crises maybe each of us should all adopt the counter strategy “speak-up, hands-on, take-to-the-streets” as our responsible, hopeful new communal mantra for 2024.

Ed Cousineau for the MCC Covid 19 Task Force

FEBRUARY

BIRTHDAYS

2/2       Diane Minard

2/2       Michael Chellis

2/2       Jeremy Warren

2/3        Kori Jameson

2/4       Jerry Judd

2/5       Keira  Hines

2/5       Fiona Fraser

2/7       Nathan Perotte

2/8       Katie Minard

2/8       Chris Hansen

2/10     Sarah Davie

2/10     Jim Lenz

2/10      Peter Foss

2/10      Steph Berman

2/10      Connie O’Leary

2/11     Hilarie Schubert

2/11     Patrick Brady Elliott

2/11      Shawn Rogers

2/12     Andrea Keen

2/12     Debra Grabil

2/14     Anna Lifvergen

2/14     Melanie Ditzel

2/15     Nora Kells Gordon

2/15     Devan Williams

2/16     John Gregory-Davis

2/17     Ted Moynihan

2/17     Lindsay Parsons

2/17     Rachel Stoddard

2/17    Joe Williams

2/19     Zoe Rodriguez

2/20     Kathy Wright

2/21     Doug Beaupre’

2/21     Grace Parmenter

2/22     Amy Beaupre’

2/22     Jody Schubert

2/22     Sandy Redlands

2/25     Nancy Hayes-Kilgore

2/25     Blaine Kopp

2/26     Chuck Chamley

2/26     Leslie MacGregor

2/27     Amy Franklin

2/27     Benjamin Taylor

2/28     Theodore Kramer Mishkin

FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARIES

2/14/21        Jerry Judd & Des Tolentino

2/24/02         Gretchen Cherington and Michael O’Leary

Prepared to Serve!  

"An annual training event

for clergy and members of UCC congregations"

Saturday--February 24^th, 2024

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Pembroke Academy, Pembroke, NH

           Mark your calendars now for next year’s Annual Prepared to Serve 2024, which promises to  offer everyone an opportunity to attend workshops and view exhibits designed to enhance, educate and enrich the church experience. The registration brochure and details will be available soon on the NH Conference's website: www.nhcucc.org by clicking under Calendar of Events or by calling the Conference Center at 1-888-642-8229.

Outreach News

Outreach, Peace, and Justice

Ministry Teams

News for February 2024 

"The way to heal the soul of the nation is to pass policies that heal the body of the nation. It’s the just thing to do. That’s how we as a nation can move forward together"  ~Rev. Dr. William J. Barber 

OUTREACH

Listen Community Dinners Meriden Congregational Church has offered the commitment to prepare and serve dinners the FIRST Thursdays of the odd-numbered months. The next date is March 7th. If you know of anyone, including the broader community, who would be interested, please text, phone or email Shideko Terai. 603-252-7898 The director, Larry Lowndes has discontinued the use of the volunteer hub; therefore, Shideko will send out a notice a week beforehand to seek volunteers. Many thanks to Ed Cousineau, Anne Cragin, Martha Zoerheide, and Linda Leone for volunteering in March. 

Claremont Soup Kitchen Bill Chapelle continues to lead volunteer participation at the Claremont Soup Kitchen on the fourth Saturday of every month and this slot covers the hours 2-5:30 PM. No cooking experience necessary. February 24th is the next opportunity. “We always have a lot of fun. Your Saturday night begins with a good feeling that you have given nice people a delicious meal.” ~Bill Chapelle

JUSTICE

Economic Justice 

Please read Rev. Dr. Gail Kinney’s article below. Also, please urge passage of the PRO Act as detailed below.

Social Justice 

"There are millions of poor people in this country who have very little, or even nothing, to lose. If they can be helped to take action together, they...will be a new and unsettling force..." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Immigrant Justice

Our church is a member of the NH Immigrant Solidary Network. Organizations include GSOP, AFSC, and clergy. It is interfaith and non-partisan. Please contact John if you would like to get involved.  

Climate Justice

Please see update from our denomination, the United Church of Christ, as noted below.

Racial Justice /Antiracism

   A few years ago our church formed a Racial Justice Ministry Team that has been guiding us in learning about the ways in which systemic racism and white supremacy undergird so much of our history and identity. Now, in keeping with the call of our denomination, the United Church of Christ, to become an antiracist church, our Racial Justice ministry team has evolved our name to become the Antiracism Ministry Team.  

    Please note that we still have 2024 editions of the Equal Justice Initiative "History of Racial InJustice" Calendars available in the church office.

One of the ways that our Church Leadership recently chose to live more fully into our antiracism commitment is through declaring ourselves to be an "Apartheid-Free" congregation, thereby affirming our theological and moral conviction that "ALL people are equal and should be treated with dignity and respect." 

With a particular focus upon the oppression of the Palestinian people, this commitment is in keeping with the national Resolution calling for a Just Peace Between Israel and Palestine which our church co-sponsored. Seeking to be in solidarity especially with the people of war-ravaged Gaza,  let us continue urging Senators Hassan and Shaheen, as well as Representative Kuster, and President Biden, to call for a CeaseFire NOW!  

    Our weekly BLACK LIVES MATTER Vigils continue on Wednesday afternoons, from 3:30 to 4:00 PM, and all are welcome to join us anytime.

In solidarity and hope, 

Shideko Terai (she/her), Outreach, Peace & Justice Coordinator

text or phone 603-252-7898, email [email protected]

America has a history of banning Black studies. We can learn from that past (Derecka Purnell, The Guardian) - “This history is important because it helps us realize that today’s book banning efforts belong to a broader political backlash to the current Black liberation movement that started with the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012. The ideas and demands that Black people, and all people, deserve freedom from police violence, deserve quality housing, deserve universal healthcare, deserve a world that has different problems from what Dr. King identified as the triple evils of racism, capitalism and militarism. It is no accident that these ideas are found in the very same books that prisons ban, including mine. Prison officials, politicians and rightwing pundits target knowledge found in critical race theory because they know that theory leads to action for people who care about love, liberty and justice. They want to stop people from being inspired to fight for better lives.”

A Note from our Environmental Justice Team--

UCC Programs, Resources, and Events--A new UCC resource page looks ahead to a number of opportunities for advancing climate justice ministries in the coming year. Learn about the Vote for Climate Hope Art Contest for children and youth, the UCC Earth Summit featuring Bill McKibben, and a range of initiatives and campaigns. Read about it here: !Launching into Climate Justice in 2024 - United Church of Christ (ucc.org)

2024 History of

Racial Injustice Calendars

Equal Justice Initiative challenges racial and economic injustice and provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in jails and prisons. Their 2024 Calendar is a full-color wall version that includes hundreds of historical entries and 12 short essays highlighting historical events and issues in our nation's racial history. Available in the church office or by request.  

Steve Beaupre' faithfully rings our church bell

each Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 PM as a clarion call to

our Community BLACK LIVES MATTER Vigil

Thank you, Steve!!

 We are continuing our Showing Up for Racial Justice BLACK LIVES MATTER Vigils each Wednesday afternoon, now happening from 3:30 to 4:00 PM on the SouthWest corner of the intersection of Rte 120 & Main Street (at the blinking traffic light). We have “BLACK LIVES MATTER” signs available for folk to hold, but please feel free to make and/or bring your own signs.

  Come join us in “showing up for racial justice,” and Standing for  LOVE, and AGAINST racism, white supremacy, hatred, and violence, here in our community and beyond!  Together, let us publicly declare that we will NOT be complicit in white terror, and let us call our friends and neighbors to rise up with us in our resolute affirmation of the inherent and sacred value of us all within Beloved Community. 

STATE

Rep. Margaret Drye

1136 Rt. 12A

Plainfield, NH 03781

Phone: 603-675-9159

Email: margaret.dry@leg.state.nh.us

Rep. Bill Palmer

603-675-2117

Email [email protected]

Sen. Suzanne Prentiss

Legislative Office Building, Room 102

33 State Street

Concord, NH 03301

Phone: 603-271-3092

Email: [email protected]