September 15th Weekly Word
Pastor Kathy's Installation
A Service of Celebration on Sunday, September 26th at 10:00 a.m. will recognize the official installation of Rev. Kathy as our “settled pastor”…and it promises to be a joyous one! 

The Covid pandemic resulted in her installation being postponed several times, but the wait is now over. 

The actual liturgy of installation involving both the New Hampshire UCC Conference and the Rockingham Association will be held via Zoom at 2:30 p.m. (The link will be shared next week and you are welcome to attend); however, our personal “welcome” will be expressed during our outdoor morning worship service! The 10:00 a.m. service will also be live-streamed on our FaceBook page.

There will be a basket for cards and/or notes of appreciation for Rev. Kathy and all that she has done for us and with us during the past two years.  

Jane DeRosa will be organizing a refreshment table for a brief time of fellowship immediately following the service. Please contact her at 382-0931 or email her at janederosa@comcast.net if you are interested in baking something for the table or are willing to help with the setup. Thank you!

Please plan to join us in person or online for this joyous celebration!
Neighbors in Need
UCC Special Offering
Now through September 30th

Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States.

1/3 of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM).
2/3 of this offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants.

We will be receiving the UCC Neighbors in Need special mission offering for the rest of September. You can bring it to church on Sunday and include it with your offering or send it in to the church office. Any checks can be made out to Hampstead Congregational Church, but make sure you designate on the memo line "UCC Neighbors in Need Special Offering".

As always, thank you for your continued generosity and support of our UCC special offerings!
Worship This Week

Please join us in the sanctuary or online at 10am for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

As we pledge in our covenant, and in keeping with the latest Covid guidelines for our area, we recommend that everyone who attends in-person worship on Sunday mornings wear a mask during the entire service. 

The service will be live-streamed through Facebook Live here  or on 3CX here.
We hope you will join us in person or online.

Following the service, all are invited to an outdoor coffee hour! "Goodies" will be on a table outside of Hadley Hall. There will be chairs available for those who would like to sit.

We are also looking for volunteers to read scripture at worship, and/or to help with coffee hour prep and cleanup. If you can help, please contact the Church Office or sign up after service.
Ad-hoc Team Forming for Building Capital Campaign

We are looking for some people who love our church and would be willing to help with a capital campaign to raise funds for renovation of the steeple and other building projects. Perhaps you have skills in marketing or fundraising, or are interested in historic preservation, or in making connections within our local community. Perhaps you simply love our church community and want it to thrive for decades to come! To learn more, to volunteer, or to share ideas, please contact Fred Malcolm (603-661-2418), fmalcolm2001@yahoo.com, or Pastor Kathy. 
A Request: Your Emergency Contact Info

If something were to happen to you, our church wants to support you and your family. If you are unable to be reached, how can we connect with you/your loved ones? If you are willing, please send us the name and number(s) of someone to reach in case of emergency. We will add this information to our database so that Pastor Kathy can reach out if there is ever a need. You can call 603-329-6985, email hcc1752@gmail.com, or stop by the church office with this information. Thank you!
In Memoriam

We are sad to share the news that John "Jack" Clayton, Jr., husband of Dale Clayton and son-in-law of Claire Hubley, passed away on the 7th.

Visitation will be held here at HCC on Saturday, September 25th starting at 10AM followed by a service at 11AM.

The obituary can be read here.

May Jack rest in peace, and may his family be comforted.
Consider Attending the Annual NH Conference UCC Meeting. Speak with Pastor Kathy for more information

(stay up-to-date by visiting the UCC Meeting website)
A Word From Peace & Justice

 We received another update from the Fistula Foundation on the Cure Hospital in Kabul . . .

Upper Room Devotional


We have copies of the September/October Upper Room devotional available in the foyer to Hadley Hall. If you need a copy mailed to you, please contact the main office.
Missions Opportunities:
Current Food Pantry Needs:
  • muffin mix/quick bread mix
  • cereal
  • boxes of crackers
  • grated cheese
  • ketchup
  • barbecue sauce
  • canned ravioli
  • beefaroni
  • jelly - any flavor other than grape 
  • laundry detergent
  • vegetable oil
Food Drive to Support
Saint Anne Ecumenical Food Pantry
Thank you ALL for your generous donations to our continuous drives!! 

For September and October we are going to focus on the needs of St. Anne’s Food Pantry. 
 
Thank you again for all your support!



Please drop off any donations in the foyer of Hadley Hall

This month we help serve on Wednesday, September 22 . You can sign-up here.
Volunteer @ Soup Kitchen
The Sonshine Soup Kitchen needs volunteers to prepare and package the food for "To Go Meals." We partner with Atkinson Congregational Church once a month on the 4th
Wednesday of the month to help out from 3-6pm.




Blankets for Project Linus
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!
Connect on Facebook
Are you on Facebook? Do you follow Hampstead Congregational Church? Please like our page to know about all the great events in the church. Liking also supports our church when people check us out. If you are already connected, share our good news!

Rev. Kathy also has a page for all who are interested to follow.

We are now on Instagram!
If you are on Instagram, please follow us, and let your friends know about us by sharing our posts! Click this link
Scam Emails

Emails are often sent, saying they are from Pastor Kathy or another staff member. She (or the HCC staff) will never send out a generic email--she'll address it to your name. She will never ask you for money/gift cards over email.

Also, any email from Pastor Kathy will always have her signature line on the bottom with her phone number/address.

If in doubt, please call the church or send an email to pastorkathyucc@gmail.com.
Want to get the word out about what’s happening at HCC? If you want to publicize your event or remind the congregation about something, please email the office (hcc1752@gmail.com) by Wednesday at noon so that your information can be included in that week’s Weekly Word. Feel free to send in information up to three weeks in advance of an upcoming event. We want all of the congregation (not just the Team leaders) to be empowered to get the word out about all the activities that are happening at Hampstead Congregational Church!
Our Mailing Address:
61 Main Street
Hampstead, NH 03841

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Hampstead Congregational Church Website