COFFEE HOUR OPENINGS

We still have two unfilled dates for COFFEE HOUR volunteers: 

Sunday, May 25th

Sunday, June 15th

         Any takers? Please contact Judy Dobson

HELP WANTED

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL - JUNE 7, 2025

We are just a few weeks away from our annual Strawberry Festival and our volunteer sheet IS starting to fill up. If you have already signed up to help, we thank you. If not, we still have some empty spaces that could use your help. They are as follows.  

MANNING TABLES

Saturday Bake Table: 12-3pm

Plant table 830am to 12 pm and 12 to 3pm

Strawberry Short Cake Table: 12 – 3pm

Games and Yard Sale table: anytime between 8:30 and 3pm

Clean up:3pm

We also need plants, bake sale items, raffle items, and yard sale items.  

So far no one has volunteered to coordinate the yard sale table. Basically, your job would be to price the items. You don’t even have to man the table. Pricing can be done at any time before the 7th. Someone from the Fundraising Team will help if needed.  

Please contact the office to sign up for any of these slots or call/email Barbara Wallack at 603-548-8324 or bsw91@comcast.net Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Fundraising will be having a meeting this Sunday after worship in the Library. All are welcome!

The Fundraising Team

MOTHER’S DAY DIAPER DRIVE

In honor of Mother’s Day, Hampstead Congregational Church will be collecting diapers & wipes (especially sizes 4,5,&6) to benefit MANCHESTER DIAPER PANTRY

Please drop off donations in the foyer of

Hampstead Congregational Church

61 Main Street, Hampstead, NH

We will be accepting donations throughout the entire month of May*

*Recent government cuts and loss of storage space has Manchester Diaper Pantry currently raising money for a mobile storage unit that will allow them to continue to purchase, collect, and store their donations and also help them reach more families in need. If you would like to make a monetary donation, please make a note that it is for the Diaper Drive. 

Atkinson Congregational will be hosting Vacation Bible Camp June 23-26, 8:30-12pm each day. They are currently looking for teen and adult volunteers.

Click here for Camp Registration

Click here for Volunteer Sign Up

A Message for Plant Enthusiasts

 It is finally spring, and the young perennials are popping up in the gardens. Consider dividing your perennials now and potting up a portion of them for sale at the Strawberry Festival. Right now, the tops are small, and the roots are strong. Potting them now and caring for them will give us full, beautiful, unstressed plants for the sale. Please label your plants with any information you can: type, variety, color, anything is helpful.  

Houseplants are also popular now. Do you have something from which you could take cuttings and start new little plants? Succulent type plants like Christmas Cactus, should be cut, then let to air dry and callus over for a few days before sticking them into a well-drained soil. If you know the name or color of your plant, please label it. If you have questions about propagating, feel free to ask me. Kariallard1@msn.com Maybe you have more houseplants than you need these days. Consider donating healthy plants that are taking up too much room, or of which you have duplicates. All donations of healthy plants are appreciated.

Many thanks in advance from the Strawberry Festival Plant Table Team!  

Strawberry Festival - Saturday, June 7th

We need your help!

Are you ready for some Strawberry Shortcake? Our annual Strawberry Festival is happening soon. If you can help in any way on Friday, 6/6 and/or Saturday, 6/7, it would be greatly appreciated.

Another way to help--donate baked goods--they can be dropped off Friday, 6/6.

Things you can do to help:

• Friday--Help with Setup starting at 4PM
• Saturday--Help with Games - multiple timeslots starting at 8:30AM
• Saturday--Help with Bake Sale Table - multiple timeslots starting at 8:30AM
• Saturday--Help with Grilling - multiple timeslots starting at 8:30AM
• Saturday--Help with Serving the Shortcake - multiple timeslots starting at 8:30AM
• Saturday--Help with Plant Table - multiple timeslots starting at 8:30AM
• Saturday--Help with Cleanup starting at 3:00PM

Signup Sheet is in Hadley Hall, or you can contact the office at 603-329-6985 and we will help get you signed up.

Let’s make this event a huge success! 

As always, thank you for your support,

Your Fundraising Team

The CROP Hunger Walk is back on Sunday June 1st! We are happy to announce that, after a hiatus, the Hampstead/Atkinson/Plaistow CROP Hunger Walk is coming back. HCC was a longtime supporter of this event, and we are looking forward to being involved again.

We have started a team if you would like to walk and/or fundraise. You can also get involved by making a donation to our team to support this wonderful cause.

To make a donation or find out more about the walk please visit https://events.crophungerwalk.org/crophungerwalks/event/hampsteadnh 

In the coming weeks we will be talking more about this wonderful event that helps raise funds to provide meals for people in our local communities as well as around the world. Stay tuned for more details about the walk and how you can help.

It will be a fun day with the walk starting at 1 pm at St. Christopher’s, East Road, Hampstead. Light refreshments and a silent auction with items such as local gift cards, gift baskets, and art items will be offered at the walk. 

Save the Dates! Upcoming Events

May 31st - HCC Today & Tomorrow Retreat at the Hampstead Meetinghouse

June 1 – Crop Walk at 1pm

June 7 – Strawberry Festival at 9am

Music Corner by Herb Tardiff

Hungarian Gypsy Music: An Echo of Culture and History

Hungarian Gypsy music, known locally as “Cigányzene,” is one of the most expressive and emotionally charged musical traditions in Europe. Stemming from the rich cultural heritage of the Roma people in Hungary, this genre blends various musical styles to create a unique sound that has become synonymous with Hungarian national identity. It is a music of the soul, conveying the joys, sorrows, and spirited life of the Gypsy community.

The Roots of Hungarian Gypsy Music

Gypsy music in Hungary has evolved over centuries, influenced by a myriad of cultures and sounds across Europe. The Roma people, despite their marginalization, have played a significant role in shaping the Hungarian musical landscape. Their music is characterized by a deep connection to Romani traditions, coupled with influences from Hungarian and other Balkan folk music.

Saint Anne's Food Pantry

Thank you all who continue to donate food for St. Anne’s Food Pantry! They have updated their needs list: Salad dressings, Coffee, Mayonnaise, Cans of Grated Cheese, Flour, Sugar, Gluten Free Items, Juice Boxes, Spices, Cereal (no oatmeal).

St. Anne’s Food Pantry has also updated their Amazon Wish List in addition to listing items here.

Please no expired items. Non-perishable items only.

Drop off is in the foyer of Hadley Hall.

New Hampshire Conference UCC

Weekly News

We thought you might enjoy reading the NH Conference UCC weekly newsletter. You can read it with this link.

5/13/2025 Newsletter

Each week, we will update this section of our Weekly Word with the new link

for the current newsletter.

Our Mailing address:

61 Main Street

Hampstead, NH 03841

Church Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to 2 pm