News

Blast!




 



April 17, 2026


Congregational Church of Laconia, UCC




tree_ornaments.jpg

Ho! Ho! Ho! Yes, it’s beginning to feel like Christmas! 


 We’d love for you to join us for our first planning meeting for the Christmas Fair 

April 22, 2026, 11AM in the

Crafts room, Outreach Building. 


 It’s a get-together planning meeting where we’ll chat about what went well and brainstorm some fresh ideas to make the fair truly special! 


Everyone is welcome, whether you’ve played before or are eager to jump in! 


Have any questions? Feel free to ask Beth Shehadi, Hollis Thompson, or Nancy Smath. We’re really looking forward to having you with us!


Ride Assistance


For rides to Church or Medical Appointments contact Karen Gordon.

Ride requests must be made by text only (no phone calls, please).

 Karen Gordon: 508-942-7451

 Texting times:

  • Tuesdays & Fridays after 3:00 pm
  • Saturday mornings
  • Sundays anytime

Thank you for respecting these boundaries so Karen can best assist everyone.  

In the spirit of caring for one another, we ask that ride requests be made at least 48 hours in advance whenever possible, so our volunteer drivers may plan accordingly.


The Treasurer’s Cache

A monthly update from your Church’s chief financial steward.


April 2026


In March, after approval from the Property & Finance Committee (P&F), the Church’s online payment processing was switched to Zeffy. This means the Church can now accept donor-initiated payments in a number of ways without the overhead of transaction fees. Zeffy does ask the donor for a “tip” to support their business, but it can be easily declined. If you choose to include a “tip”, it’ll help Zeffy to continue to offer their services free of charge to non-profits.


We’ll now be promoting “Scan to Pay” donations at Church events, “Tap to Pay” purchases at Pumpkin Fest, the Christmas Fair, and other fundraisers, online ordering of holiday flowers, and you can even set up secure one-time or recurring pledge payments from your bank account or credit card on our Online Giving page. With this no-fee option available, we’ll be looking to stop the “Pull” ACH transfers that Carolyn has facilitated for some to pay their pledges and, instead, encourage “Push” payments set up on our website. 


Also in March, the Church was accepted into both Google’s and Zoom’s non-profit discount programs, helping us to keep administrative costs under control. 


Pledges paid for March were quite close to budget, but loose offerings continue to fall short of expectations. Still, we were about 11% over budget for overall income in the first quarter of the year. Expenses for March were close to budget in most categories, though utility expenses continue to run high. Our quarterly payments to “Our Church’s Wider Mission” have been delayed to the month following the quarter end to allow a calculation based on actual income - the payment budgeted for March will be made in April. Overall, first quarter expenses were about 13% below budget. 


As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding our Church’s finances, please feel free to contact me. 


John Intorcio, Treasurer

Treasurer@LaconiaUCC.org

Treasurer’s Report Repository


 Altar Flowers for May

If you can provide Altar flowers for any of the following dates:

May 3, 17, 31, please contact Cindy Carter.


In loving memory of Jeanne and Maynard Smith

given by their children.



magic_ribbons_book.jpg




Book Club - April 29th 1:00p.m.

in the Library

Cherished Belonging

by Gregory Boyle


Women's Breakfast May 20th, 8:30AM

at the Water Street Cafe



Men's Breakfast 
May 1st & 15th, 8:00 AM

at the Water Street Cafe




Church Calendar - click here!



Outreach Center Office Hours


Monday & Wednesday

9:00am - 3:00pm


Friday

9:00am - 1:00pm



Pastor Eliza

603-524-0668 ext. 222


Tuesday - Thursday

Please call for an appointment


Friday

Drop-in office hours 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, or by appointment


~~~


Carmen D

Communications Associate

Monday, Wednesday & Friday

9:00 am - 1:00 pm


~ ~ ~


Carolyn Jorgensen

Financial Secretary

603-524-0668 ext 224


I'll be in the office on Mondays from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm


Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

working from home and the office.







Come and Worship


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

●      Via live-stream through YouTube Sundays starting at 9:10 AM. Click here.

●      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