HCC Weekly Word

June 26th Weekly Word

Worship This Week

Please join us

in the Sanctuary

or online at 10am for

Third Sunday After Pentecost

Coffee hour will be held

after the service.

The service will be live streamed

on Facebook Live here

or on 3CX here

Reader: Kari Allard

Coffee Hour Hosts: Kari Allard

By Linda Johnson

Celebrating with our Confirmands

This Sunday we will celebrated the Confirmation of Julian Malcolm and Joey Siwacki. Julian and Joey have been studying through this year with weekly classes on what it means to be a follower of Jesus - looking each week at another line of the UCC Statement of Faith.

Accompanying them on this journey have been Marion Lake, Joann Klawitter, and Rev Paige Besse-Rankin.

With their Confirmation, Joe and Julian become adult members of the church.

Julian is completing 11th grade at Pinkerton Academy. He enjoys history, travel and audio visual tech work. He is a volunteer at the Historical Society and has served as part of the Worship Technology Team for our worship services.

Joey is completing 9th grade at Pinkerton Academy. He has been cooking since he was 7 years old and enjoys it. This is also his sixth year of snow boarding. He enjoys playing basketball, hiking hanging out with friends, driving, reading, and sleeping! He has volunteered for many church fundraisers and also served on our worship technology team.

Congratulations for Joe and Julian! It is a blessing to have them as part of our church family and it is a joy to celebrate this important moment on their faith journeys.

Rev Paige's Corner: Unexpected Journeys

“Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take.” ― Angela N. Blount

I had the opportunity to drive up to Pine Mountain last week to help set some things up at Horton Center for camp. Although I have been on that journey many times before, it is the first time I remember seeing fields of lupines all in bloom. They were beautiful and I found myself pulling off the side of the road to take them in. I am tempted to get fixated on destinations and timetables and goals, but then I don't allow time to pull off the road to enjoy the scenery and the unexpected blessings that make the journey something to value.

As an interim pastor, I notice how congregations can also struggle with attending to the journey instead of where we are trying to get. We can feel impatient and want to push ahead to the next stage of things. That is certainly understandable! But we don't want to miss the blessings, the unexpected learnings, and the joy we find in the journeys of our lives.

With blessings!

Rev Paige Besse-Rankin

Office Closed June 30th-July 4th

The office will be closed from 6/30 to 7/4. Maria will be attending her daughter's wedding and Pastor Paige will be at the Horton Center for the week.

Rev. Carolyn Keilig will preside at worship on

June 29th.

If the case of a pastoral emergency, please contact Judy Dobson at 603-548-9381.

As we continue to recognize our volunteers, this month we would like to acknowledge the Worship Team. This team, consisting of Deb Sawyer, Judy Dobson, Brad Robie, Rick Little, Linda Tilden and Kari Allard, works to make sure services run as smoothly as they can, so that they are enjoyable and meaningful for all of those worshipping, both in-person and on-line (and many thanks to Joey and Julian for making the on-line option possible!).

From the scheduling of the lay readers and coffee hour hosts to ensuring

there is a minister in the pulpit when ours is unable to be present, quite a bit of effort

goes into assisting with the planning of the services and our fellowship time.

Many thanks to the Worship Team!

Peace & Justice

An issue that we have shared before is the balance billing or “surprise billing” for ambulance transport. This is the practice of an ambulance company charging the patient the difference between what it bills and what insurance pays toward that bill. Patients that need an ambulance rarely have a choice or the time to shop for the best price.

The NH House and Senate have crafted a bill (SB 245) that Gov. Ayotte is likely to sign into law that bans balance billing. It does that by setting the price that providers can charge and insurers must reimburse at 325% of the federal Medicare rate. This begins in 2026 and will be evaluated for further means of eliminating balance billing with other ideas not included in SB 245.

Blessing, Debra

Full article

Music Corner by Herb Tardiff

Meet the man with the world’s biggest collection of bagpipes (and yes, he is married – just)

· Danny Fleming, 50, owns 105 different sets of bagpipes, worth £130,000

· The former Scots Guard has played since he was ten years old

· Mr. Fleming, born in Arbroath, Scotland, now lives in Grimsby, Lincolnshire

· His wife Jane and son Logan are not the biggest fans of his hobby

· But the family are said to have 'understanding neighbours'

By KIERAN CORCORAN

In many families, music can be a calming force which brings people together.

But at home with Danny Fleming, the proud owner of more than 100 sets of bagpipes, his hobby has a less harmonious effect. The Scottish police officer has 40 years of piping experience under his belt, and, unluckily for his wife and nine-year-old.

Enthusiast: Danny Fleming, 50, has amassed 105 sets of bagpipes, believed to be the world's largest collection.

Missions Opportunities:

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.

6/24/2025 Newsletter

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

for the current newsletter.

Connect on Facebook

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HCC Facebook Page

Help Us Continue Our Mission at HCC

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

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

Hampstead Congregational Church Website