Re-Imagining the Parish House

The Voting Begins!!

Last Sunday at Coffee Hour we had a large, enthusiastic meeting to discuss

and Re-Imagine our wonderful Parish House. There were many great ideas

ranging from purchasing new signage to improvements to the entrance area and

lots of ideas concerning paint. To answer a common question- the future sign will

include “The Congregational Church of Laconia, UCC” along with the building

name.

We displayed four large Name Boards with almost 50 possible names that

have been suggested in recent months. Some are very traditional and some are

kind of funny, and there are so many to choose from- which is the challenge!

We’ve decided on a process that will conclude with a majority of people choosing

the final name.

Please read the steps to Round One Voting which begins on April 14 and ends

on April 28:

1) Read the many, many names by going to this link (Carmen will add)

2) Choose your top 3 favorites.

3) When you’re in Church on one of the next 3 Sundays (April 14, 21, and 28)

you will receive 3 colorful stickers to use for Round One Voting. Put ONE

sticker by each of your top 3 choices on the Name Boards in Church Hall.

If you won’t be in church on any of those Sundays, you can email your

choices to Diane Tinkham at tinkhams@metrocast.net and Diane will put

your 3 stickers next to your 3 top choices. (Honestly!)

**Please keep the voting fair by putting only one sticker by each of your 3

choices. You may decide to select only one name but it still gets only one sticker!

Round Two Voting will begin after April 28. The details of that vote will be

determined after we see the results and the spread of votes in Round One.

Thanks for your enthusiasm!

Bob Harrington, Kathy Giovanni, Beth Shehadi, Carolyn Jorgensen, and Diane Tinkham

Please click on to the following link to see suggested new names for the Parish House

Help! Fund-Raising Help Needed!!

Greetings friends. As we all know, our fund-raising efforts are very important to our

budget. We have 3 or 4 per year, depending on whether or not we decide to have a 2 nd

Rummage Sale in the Fall.

Council feels that we need to have a Chair or point-person for each. Hollis and Kathy

G. have taken Pumpkinfest, and Nancy Smath and Hollis are taking the Christmas Fair.

We are still seeking 1 or 2 folks to do the spring rummage sale and we can hold off, for

now, on folks for a potential fall rummage sale.

If interested, please contact any Church Officer with your willingness. Wayne Domin,

Kathy Giovanni, Hollis, or John Walker. Or let Carmen know in the Office.

PLEASE consider. Our fund-Rising efforts are very important. Thank You.

Greetings friends and fellow Congregants.

There are so very many reasons I love this church, so many. I have never felt enveloped by so much empathy for those among us less fortunate than us.

Our Mini-Food-Pantry needs help. For a few years now, we have been very healthy with both money and food donations. There could be some donation-fatigue out there and we get that, but please consider helping out. Our cash is very, very low, but the need is at least as much as it was when we established the pantry, and probably more.

Please consider a cash donation. Food donations are good, but cash gives Brad the flexibility to buy what the Pantry clients seem to favor.

Please consider writing a check for the Pantry, just make it our to the church and put “food pantry” on the memo line.

Food insecurity is real. It is all around us. Can you help? Please?

Thank you, and blessings, Your Mini Pantry Team,

Brad, John, John, Gran, Diane, Joe.

Rev. Deborah Roof is the pastor of the First Parish Congregational Church of East Derry, and the author of "Words, Wonder, and the Divine in You" which had been one of our book discussion books. She has also been offering a personal labyrinth walk via Zoom two Tuesday evenings a month at 6:00 pm. It consists of a prayer/mediation,10 silent minutes to 'walk' the labyrinth, and another few minutes to debrief the experience. The labyrinths are printed representations and your fingers follow within the lines and curves. If you are interested in participating in this experience, talk to Martha Clement and get the details. 603 520-8219 or marthapclement@gmail.com

Help Grow the Future at Pine Ridge!

The Outreach Committee is collecting seeds to send out to our partners at Re-Member in South Dakota. If you didn’t know, the name Re-member was chosen by its founders because it conjures an ancient Lakota term for “fixing that which is broken”. Generations of systematic injustices designed to break Lakota family and cultural traditions have left ugly legacies and Re-member hopes to by the catalyst for healing and restoring the community. The seeds are one way to help in that effort by promoting a large community garden and individual gardens. The best seeds for this purpose are Heirloom or Heritage seeds, because after harvest, seeds can be separated and used to grow the following year’s crops. Pine Ridge is generally in Hardiness Zone 4. Bring your seed packets into the church and we will send them out all at once in a few weeks. If it is easier, financial donations are always welcome so that seeds or tools can be purchased. Please write Re-member on your envelope or memo line so we can track those gifts. Thanks!

The Altar Guild is responsible for the lovely flowers on the altar every Sunday. Following is a list of each month and the member to contact if you would like to donate flowers for one Sunday:

January - Dawn Dupak, (973) 714-6871

February - Diane Wells, (603) 527-1401

March - Maureen Bastille, (603)293-0353

April - Louise Bastille, (603) 293-0182

May - in need of a volunteer to join the Altar Guild. Please contact Claudia Wright (603) 387-5275

June - Carolyn Hunt, (603) 524-5779

July- Margie Kreitler, (603) 260-3673

August - Mary Ellen Azem, (603) 455-0972

September - Catherine Tokarz, (603) 998-3811

October - Diane Lockwood, (603) 524-3076

November - John Gill, (603) 520-4248

December - Claudia Wright (603) 387-5275

Women's Breakfast April 17th, 8:30am at the Water Street Cafe

Men's Breakfast April 19th, May 3rd, 17th, 31st

8:00am at the Water Street Cafe

Sunday, April 14, 2024

The Altar flowers are given to the glory of God in celebration of children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. How precious they are in our lives.  Loving prayers around them, given by Louise Bastille.

Come and Worship

We welcome and invite you to worship with us in any of these ways. 

!!! In Person !!! at 9:30 AM, or via Livestream

●      Via livestream through YouTube Sundays starting at 9:20 AM:

Go to YouTube and search for Congregational Church of Laconia

●      On our website www.laconiaucc.org any day and any time.

●      On Public Access TV Channel 25 Sundays at 4pm and 9:30pm

or Mondays at 5am.

If you are new to the church, please introduce yourself! Let the Church Office know if we can help you in any way! 603-524-0668. Seeking to be the church God desires for us to be.

Congregational Church of Laconia, UCC | 18 Veterans Square, Laconia, NH | 603.524.0668