We will be offering a Blue Christmas Service of Remembrance, Comfort, and Hope this Sunday, December 12th at 3 pm in person and online.

For so many of us this season is a time of conflicting emotions. Given the grief and loss that we are living through now, we want to provide an opportunity to reflect and come together, knowing that we are not alone in our struggles.

Please spread the word and join us for a contemplative service of prayer, scripture and music. The service will also be live streamed and recorded.

If you would like a copy of the booklet, here is a link to the PDF or you can contact the church office and we can print one for you.

There are two weekly discussion groups based on the Advent devotional booklet. Week one is complete but there are still three more weeks. Those who attended this week's sessions really enjoyed the discussion.

Groups will meet on Monday evenings at 6:30 on Zoom and Tuesday mornings at 10:30 on Zoom.

If you are interested, contact Pastor Kathy for Zoom info.

This Sunday Pastor Kathy will talk about the poem "A Brief for the Defense" by Jack Gilbert in her sermon. If you can, please read the poem before the service. You can read it here.

The service will be live-streamed through Facebook Live here or on 3CX here.

The Missions Team will be holding our annual Christmas Gift Drive through this Sunday.

This year we are partnering with the Manchester Diaper Pantry and Makeover Ministries. These organizations work to provide area families with diapers, wipes, formula, clothing, and various baby and household items.

The Diaper Pantry's wish list this year includes:

All donated items should be UNWRAPPED, and can be left in the foyer or outside the Church Office. If you would prefer to make a monetary donation, checks can made out to HCC and designated "Missions Christmas Drive 2021" on the memo line.

As always, thank you for so generously supporting our church mission activities and making the holidays brighter for some local families!

Discipleship will be delivering Christmas Baskets to two nursing homes, Colonial Poplin in Fremont and Pleasant Valley in Derry.

We are asking for donations of individually wrapped candy, and signed Christmas cards for both the nursing home residents and the staff.

Items can be left in the foyer now thru next Wednesday, December 15th. Baskets will be delivered on December 18.

Thank you for your donations.

What happens when you ask a bunch of kids to tell the story of Christmas?

Enjoy this story of Bethle-ha-ha-ham and the magical star that appeared.

Thank you to Lydia Fagan for sharing.

Enjoy!

Please do not adjust the thermostat in the sanctuary. It is controlled by a timer in the basement. If you need to adjust the heat, please call Chris McCune at 603-490-0223.

Thank you

The Hampstead Lions Club will once again sell luminaries. The community-wide luminary event, benefiting local charities, will take place on December 24. The current times have brought about big demands from our community locally and globally, including helping to fund our own food pantries, disaster relief, vision testing, and more. By lighting up Hampstead we bring light to the issues that face us along with hope, healing and joy. Please help us help others by purchasing the candle kits.

The cost for the kits is $10.00. Each kit includes six candles and six bags with directions. Purchasers supply their own sand or alternative such as dirt, kitty litter, rock salt, etc. To order, go to Hampstead NH Lions Club website. You can also purchase luminaries by mailing payment with a contact name, address and phone number to: Hampstead Lions Club, PO Box 171, Hampstead, NH 03841, or by emailing Roxanne Schloth at [email protected].

Luminaries can be purchased any time of year for any occasion.

The Lions Club will be illuminating the church driveway as they did last year.

Bible study is taking a break this month so that people can attend the Advent discussion groups.

See you in January!

We had a good turnout last week for the Greens Workshop. The very talented Kari Allard led us in creating some beautiful wreaths, swags, planters & table centerpieces.

Thanks to all the helpers: Barbara Wallack, Lydia Fagan, Seneca Moyer, Marion Lake, Maria Kuhl, Linda Tilden, Suzanne Finocchiaro & her friend Fran Wilson.

Thank you to those that donated greens for this workshop.

The beautiful items that were made, were sold at the craft fair this past Saturday and brought in a nice amount for our Church!

 The fundraising committee would like to thank everyone who helped make the Christmas craft fair a success.

It is a lot of work to make the craft fair happen but divided amongst many it’s so very doable.  Whether you helped to set up or breakdown the classrooms, baked some goodies, made soup, donated raffle items, made greens and/or donated your time at the tables you were part of the success! Without you, it would never happen.

We were able to raise $3,734.75 for the church!

Thank you all so much.

The Fundraising Team

This year the NH Conference of UCC is sharing a series of Advent Theological Roundtables to provide content and inspiration as you prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The series will focus on:

Anticipation

Annunciation

Incarnation

Enjoy these three videos by clicking on each picture below

The New Hampshire Conference puts out a weekly newsletter to inform the churches of any news and activities for the week. There are a couple of items of interest for Peace and Justice.

When Rev. Dawn Garrett-Larsen concluded her ministry at the Nelson Congregational Church in 2019, the Garrett-Larsen Social Justice Fund was created to honor her and help the cause of social justice in the world. The money that was raised, with many contributions by the broader community, will be given away in entirety by 2024.

Most of the applications this year involved helping people find safe and affordable shelter, one of the most basic human needs. Learn more about this year's grants here

Any individual or nonprofit group with a strong tie to the Monadnock region is invited to apply for a grant in writing.

The social justice project or work being proposed may be local, national, or international. Social justice is understood to include environmental justice. For additional information visit:

https://www.nelsonchurch.org/social-justice-fund.

Call or email Susan Peery with any questions, 603-847-9550 or [email protected].

The Peace with Justice Advocates Mission Group is again partnering with NH Peace Action in this presentation of an urgent situation.

Ellen Groh will give a brief overview of homelessness and discuss solutions that are working as well as the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness approach to ending homelessness in Concord.

Ellen has served as Executive Director since February of 2014. She has a long history of working on poverty issues and has formerly worked as a legal services attorney in North Carolina and in affordable housing development with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, as well as working with a private developer of affordable housing. She holds a Juris Doctorate from University of North Carolina School of Law, and an M.S. in Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health.

Free & open to the public. RSVP HERE for this event.

Your Peace & Justice Team

In the spirit of environmental justice actions that we can take as individuals here is information for New Hampshire Winter Farmers Markets.

Salem Market: Sundays from 10am – 1pm at LaBelle Winery on Rt. 111. Here is a list of their vendors and activities at the market.

Exeter Market: Saturdays 10am – 2 pm at Exeter High School. They sell vegetables, dairy, maple, meat, fish, prepared foods, and baked goods. Pre-order (by vendor) and pick up options are also available. Upcoming dates in Exeter: Jan 8, Feb 5, Mar 5 and Apr 23. See this site or call 207-387-0567 for vendors, details and activities. The site also lists a calendar of other markets in the seacoast area.

Here is a link for markets around the state: NH Dept. of Agriculture

Enjoy - Your Peace & Justice Team

The HCC steeple is being lit in loving memory of Jeanne & Warren Cooke who were faithful members of our church and community.

Lighting being offered by Jeanne and Warren’s children Jean Hunt, Sue Cooke, and Roger Cooke. 

For those of you who have been busy sewing, quilting, knitting, or crocheting, we have an new opportunity to donate those handmade items!

We located a national organization that has local chapters called Project Linus (https://www.facebook.com/projectlinussouthwestnewhampshire/). This organization's mission is "to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans". Blankets are given to children in need through NH.

*We welcome all styles of blankets made in child-friendly colors/prints.

*Crocheted, knitted, quilted (100% cotton or flannel), fleece….you don’t have to be an expert!

*Blankets must be NEW, HANDMADE and WASHABLE.

*Fabric blankets can be quilted by machine, hand or tied. If you are tying the blanket make sure the ends are trimmed to 1” and the knots are secure.

*Please do not add any embellishments to the blankets such as buttons that could be swallowed by a child.

*If you are using a no-sew fleece pattern, please be sure to trim off both selvages FIRST. Not sure what selvages are? Ask the clerk who is cutting your fleece to please show you, they’re those odd looking edges at the top and bottom of the piece you have, sort of raggy looking.

*We accept all sizes of blankets. We donate to children, infants through teen years, so any size is appropriate. Baby blankets are typically 36”X36” or 36”X42”, toddler-pre-teen are typically about 40”X60”, and teen blankets are at least 60"X72".

Blankets can be dropped off in the entry way of Hadley Hall.

Thank you for your support of this project!

If in doubt, please call the church or send an email to [email protected].