VOTING- THE PARISH HOUSE

Round One Voting ends on Sunday, April 28 after Coffee Hour. If you haven’t voted yet, you may 1) place your vote at Coffee hour or 2) email Diane Tinkham tinkhams@metrocast.net with your 3 choices before then. If you want to look at the list of possibilities, check the link in last week’s Newsblast.

Round Two Voting will take place in a few weeks after the committee meets and determines the best method to move forward. Think of it kind of like the playoffs, we’ll get to the finals soon! Thanks for the enthusiasm you’ve been putting into th

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

HORTON CENTER SUNDAY is MAY 5^th

                Calling all campers, volunteers, parents, grandparents and friends- please join us at the 9:30 service to celebrate all things Horton Center! We’ll be joined by everyone’s favorite camper- the Executive Director, Tivvi Pare! Tivvi and Pastor Eliza have planned a great service that will remind you of the fun that you’ve had at camp and the fun that is yet to come. Check out the website HortonCenter.org to find camps for all ages and fun is guaranteed!

WEAR ANY HORTON CENTER GEAR YOU HAVE OR ANY OTHER CLOTHES/T-SHIRT THAT MAKES YOU FEEL READY FOR CAMP!

HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE

Sunday the Hands will be out at church for items we need donated For example spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce, eggs, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and a gallon of milk. Lettuce and cabbage and bottles of Italian dressing sheath cakes for dessert 

All these items can be brought to the church on Sunday May 5th and put in the church kitchen

Hollis Thompson is the contact person in case you have questions.  Hollisandgreg@yahoo.com or 512-970-6592

We will also need a total of 14 people for serving food and serving and clearing tables and clean up. We usually arrive at 4:30 and are completely done no later than 7:00 

Thank you 

SAVE THE DATES:

LUNCH AND LEARN- May 23- Noon- Sam Evans Brown “The Energy Transition- What Does it Mean for the Granite State?”

LUNCH AND LEARN- May 30- Noon- Warren Huse- Honoring the 200^th Anniversary of the Congregational Church of Laconia. A discussion with the well-regarded local historian about these past 200 years!

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL- August 6-8, 9:00-1:00- Faith, Food, and Fun!

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

2nd

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 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. Dr. 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

Please contact Don Clarke 603-455-9909 or Church Office 603-524-0668

  Invitation to learn about Reiki!

Lori Clarke, a LMT, and Reiki Master from Better Life Massage in Gilford has kindly offered to come and speak about Reiki to our Tuesday Morning Managing Stress and finding Relaxation Support group.

Reiki is “a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy”. (from the International Center for Reiki Training) 

You are all invited to join us for this special presentation. (there is no cost for this presentation) 

Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in the Bean Parlor at 10 am. (if we have a large group we will move to the library). 

This group is sponsored by the Diaconate. 

Enter through the Parish House door, and if you need the elevator come to the elevator door. 

Any questions – Call Margie Krietler 603-556-9898.

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 May 15th, 8:30am at the Water Street Cafe

please RSVP to bettobergstrom@gmail.com



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

8:00am at the Water Street Cafe

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Altar Flowers

The Peace Lily on the altar is given by Beth Shehadi and David Bouchard, "In loving memory of our parents, Martha Jane and Jack Shehadi, and Yvette and Joseph Bouchard.” Next Sunday you will find the Peace Lily in the church narthex for all to enjoy.

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