August 17th Weekly Word
UPDATE
Hadley Hall & Office Closed
Through Saturday, 8/20

The vendor is still working hard on the floors for Hadley Hall. Hadley Hall and the office will have to be closed for all visitors and meetings thru Saturday, 8/20

Hadley Hall will be open on Sunday, 8/21 for coffee hour.

Suzanne and Pastor Kathy will have access to voicemail and email but will not be able to be in the building while the floor work is going on.
Looking to get involved?

The Fundraising Team could use an extra team member or two.

It seems like a lot of work, but it is more about delegating than anything else. This past year we ran two very successful events including the Food Truck Festival and the Strawberry Festival, and are preparing for the upcoming Christmas Festival.

There are one or two people who spearhead each event. For example, Roxanne McGaffigan leads the Food Truck Festival. Ellen McCune and Barbara Wallack lead the two craft fairs. We have become very efficient in running each event because of lessons from our past experience, and of course the amazing support of our wonderful members.

We are on target for making $15,000 for the church, our best year yet!

We have meetings on an as needed basis, with many conducted via Zoom or through text. It is an exciting, fun, and very rewarding team that we hope you will consider joining. If you are interested, or have any questions, you can contact Ellen McCune or Barbara Wallack. We can answer any questions you may have.

We thank you for your consideration.
The Fundraising Team
Worship This Week


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

Coffee hour will be held inside after the service.
We hope you will join us.


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



artwork: Grace's Bouquet © Mary Southard
Out of Office
Pastor Kathy's Vacation

Pastor Kathy will be on vacation starting on Monday, August 22 through Sunday, August 28.

Rev. Linda Lea Snyder will be providing pastoral coverage during these dates. She will also celebrate worship with HCC on August 28.
FIBER ARTS GATHERING

Beginning next Saturday, August 27th, Hampstead Congregational Church will be offering a Fiber Arts (knitting, crochet, hand work, etc.) gathering the 4th Saturday of each month from 10am-Noon in our Social Hall.

All skill levels are welcome and no commitment is needed-drop in when you can.

All are welcome to attend.

For more information, contact the church at 603-329-6985
August 13th Community Barbeque Was a Huge Success!

A festive feel was found inside and outside Hadley Hall for the community barbeque held this past Saturday.

The event was attended by over 80 people.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made this such a huge success and thank you Dave Chin for capturing such great photos!
Steeple Lighting August 18th - August 20th



The steeple is lit to celebrate the 103rd birthday of Mary Della Puietra, from her family




Steeple will be lit August 21 - August 27

The steeple will be lit in loving memory of Nancy Goudreault, from Linda & Dave Tilden and family

Sunday School Starts
on Sunday, September 11

Sunday School will be held once a month on the second Sunday of the month starting in September and continuing through May.

Please check the church calendar for future dates.
Sunday Outdoor Service
Sunday, 9/18


Our outdoor services are being very well attended and we have been blessed with good weather each Sunday!

We will worship outside again in the back parking lot at 10am on Sunday, September 18th.

Please plan to bring a chair and join us for this special service. The service will also be live streamed.

Coffee hour will be held after the service in Hadley Hall.
A Reminder From Your Capital Campaign Team 

As mentioned recently, we, your Capital Campaign team, recently sent a mailing to you, fellow members and friends, that included a letter, fact sheet and a pledge form.

The detail may seem overwhelming at first, however, we wanted to provide detailed information to enable you to make what we feel is a significant financial decision to fund major church repair projects. Painting of the church exterior was recently completed. Replacement of flooring in Hadley Hall is in process.

It is helpful to remind ourselves what our church building represents to us as a church, its history, a resource to the community and more. Our house of worship has a long history that we encourage you to invest in its care and longevity as others before us bore that responsibility.

Please give some prayerful thought as you decide what is appropriate as your monetary pledge to the Capital Campaign in “Strengthening Our Foundation, Investing for Our Future” and return your pledge form to the church office as soon as you are able.
Is your garden producing crops you can share? Would you like some?

Here is a great story from NPR about RIP Medical Debt - RIP Debt turns debt collection on its head, buying up unpaid medical bills

If you'd like to make a donation from the bounty of your garden, please bring produce items to Hadley Hall when you come for Sunday Service or drop them off anytime in the basket located in the foyer.

Donations for the produce you take can be placed in the offering basket (on Sunday mornings) or in the lockbox in the foyer.

All proceeds go to RIP Medical Debt to help pay off medical debt for those in need.
For every $1 you donate, $100 of medical debt is paid off!!

For more information on RIP Medical Debt, direct donations to the organization, and personal stories by those that have been helped, go to https://ripmedicaldebt.org
vote
A Word from Peace and Justice

The election season is upon us and there is news from New Hampshire Secretary of State's office about absentee ballot eligibility.

NHPR reported that a memo has been sent to all local election officials concerning absentee ballots in the context of Covid.

"The memo advised local clerks to let voters know that ‘a person can register and vote by
absentee if, based on their own health circumstances, medical authorities advise them to avoid going out in public.’ That includes ‘voters with symptoms of a communicable disease or illness,’ or those who ‘due to their own health circumstances, limit public exposure in their day-to-day life as a preventative measure,’ according to the memo".

See the entire story here.

Blessings,
Debra
A note from Peace and Justice
Farmer's Markets

This is a list of farmer's markets in the state this summer. We have included the whole state in case you may be travelling and want to sample some local "color." By supporting local farmers, you are keeping your food dollars local, supporting local businesses and protecting the open space we all enjoy. It is a treat to meet the people who actually grow and produce the food we eat, and you may find interesting selections not available in grocery stores. Why not make it a part of your summer routine?

Check out all the locations here.
A Thank You
From Sleep In Heavenly Peace
Office Summer Hours

Office summer hours continue through next Thursday, August 25th.

The office will be open from 9AM to Noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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.


Each week, we will update this section of our Weekly Word with the new link for the current newsletter.
Missions Opportunities:
Food Drive to Support
Saint Anne Ecumenical Food Pantry




The New needs for the Food Pantry are:

cans of Chef Boyardee pasta, coffee, granola bars, boxes of crackers, salad dressing, and any type of cereal


Please drop off any donations in the foyer of Hadley Hall

Thank you for all your support!
Next volunteer opportunity will be on, Wednesday, August 24. If you are interested in volunteering you can sign up here or you can contact Jane DeRosa via email
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!

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 & Texts

Emails and Texts 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/text--she'll address it to your name. She will never ask you for money/gift cards over email nor via a text.

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 [email protected].
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 ([email protected]) 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
Church Summer Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to Noon
Hampstead Congregational Church Website