Memorial Service for Joe Smath will be held Saturday May 31st

Hollis is working with Nancy to acquire desserts for Joe’s memorial service

Nancy is providing the staple items but we are in need of cookies, bars, cupcakes, etc for desserts

Please email Hollis Thompson at hollisandgreg@yahoo.com with what ever item you will be providing. 

If your items can be brought to the church office by Friday, May 30 between 9:00 and noon that would be perfect.

Hollis 

Meal train for Hollis Thompson click here to sign up for a meal.

The meal train for Dee Laurent continues! Click here to sign up for a meal.

In honor and memory of our mothers, named and un-named. Thank you for supporting the church world services mother's day blanket collection. These blankets will help the people of the world.

The Outreach Committee

In memory of Lorraine Smith & Helen Tryder

From Dave & Sue Smith

In loving memory of my beloved mother, Lula Alice Phillips

From Catherine Tokarz

In honor of our mothers

From Dave & Diane Tinkham

In memory of our mothers

From Andy & Kathy Giovanni

In memory of her mother Katherine Shope

From Mary Carpenter

In memory of my mother Doris Nichols

From Barbara Sweetster

In memory of Mary Mochen

From Ila Mattila

In memory of our mothers

From Marilyn & David Lynch

In memory of Patricia Valovanie

From the Valovanie Family

In memory of Oceida Intorcio and Marie Duff

From Shawn & John Intorcio

In memory of Marie & Elsie

From Stan & Sandy Braillier

For all mothers of the World

From Nancy Smath

In honor of my mother Elaine Baker, the best mother in the whole world

From Diane Lockwood

In memory of my mother in-law Mary Starbard

From Barbara Sweetster

In honor of Dakota Leduc & Deverie Blodgett

From Caryn Leduc

From the Conference Minister

“No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”

This past week I was privileged to join a gathering of 50 or so leaders from across the United Church of Christ. The event was called “A Tent of Our Own”. I don’t know that there is a succinct way to describe what the gather was, so I’ll just say it was an exploration of our authentic, yet diverse identity as the United Church of Christ and how we live that out in the context of our world today.

One of the words that is most frequently used in our UCC churches is the word welcome. But at this gathering, we found ourselves uncertain whether we all have the same definition and use of the word welcome. We spent a good bit of time in small groups drilling down on that word. I wanted to share with you a few things that stuck out to me from our conversations:

• Welcome is about so much more than just saying you are invited to come gather with us.
• Welcome involves committing to the other that you will do your best to keep them safe and to value you all of who they authentically are as a human being.
• Welcome is about more than telling others that you can come be with us as long as you are like us. That is assimilation. Welcome involves stretching ourselves and growing to fully incorporate all of who the others are who are becoming part of our community. If we truly welcome, we cannot stay the same. Welcome inevitably involves change.
• If we truly welcome, we are willing to be with the other at all times in their journey. Yes, we are willing to celebrate and share joys with them. But we are also willing to be present with them in their pain. In our gospel the week after Easter, Jesus shows Thomas his scars and this ends us renewing Thomas’ faith. When others can share their scars (healed or not) in community with the confidence they will be cared for, then they will know they are welcomed and the faith of the entire community will be renewed.

I came away from this conversation believing that our recitations of welcome may be something we take a little too much for granted in our churches. We ought to do more than that if we truly, authentically mean to practice welcome.

Gordon

SHELVING NEEDED

In an effort to organize the "Craft" room so we can actually do crafts, we want to build sturdy shelving to stack and store our Rummage sale & Christmas Fair items, leaving the area in the center of the room, for crafts.

If you have any heavy duty shelving or 8 foot 2x4 that you would like to donate please reach out to Hollis Thompson, Nancy Smath, or Beth Shehadi.

contact heidi@nhoutright.org if you are interested.

Say, “Hello!” to Our Newest Members

Jayla Austin and Tyler Jacques are committed partners who have found our church

feeds them spiritually. Jayla is a loving family member and friend who regularly solicits

prayers for their specific needs. Tyler aspires to learn to drive, but will need support to

get to the specialized instruction. Together they support Chaos and Kindness in

spreading kindness…a tenet of our Lord, as well! They live on Blueberry Lane, Laconia.

Mary Carpenter has been worshipping with us for some time, and has formally joined

us in membership recently. She has a history of UCC mission work, spending ten years in Turkey over a twelve year period with her family. You may have attended a Lunch ‘n’ Learn about a year ago in which she shared some of the travails of such a lifestyle. She lives at the Taylor Community, Laconia.

Dr. Christopher Krupp, an Emergency Medicine practitioner in Wolfeboro, is the son of past members Gerry and Rita Krupp who have moved to North Carolina. His wife

Sylvie Weber finds herself frequently providing childcare for her grandchildren. They

live in Long Bay, Laconia.

Caryn Leduc found her way to our church three years ago when she was outfitting an

apartment with treasures from one of our Rummage Sales. She got to know us, found a faith here and was baptized, and now serves God alongside us. She lives in a beautiful new apartment on Blueberry Lane, Laconia.

Our apologies for taking so long in making these introductions to you all. It is never too

late to extend a warm welcome to our partners in faith, however. Take time to introduce yourselves to them next chance you get.

Christmas Fair!!!!!!

Calling all Fiber Arts creators!

Yes ! We have already been thinking about the Christmas Fair.

One of the booths we are going to have this year is Fiber Arts.

This table will celebrate sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting, weaving and everything else that can be done with fiber, yarn and fabric!

Pull out your needles and creativity to make wonderful items for this table.

We are looking for weaving, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, felting, yarn products, handcrafted bag and quilted items.

Questions please speak to Nancy Smath, Hollis Thompson or Beth Shehadi. Merry Christmas !!!!

Church Calendar - Click link below!

click here

March Approved Council Minutes - Click link below!

click here

Ride Assistance

For Sunday rides to Worship Service service contact Louise Bastille elrevs@earthlink.net

For Monday thru Friday needs for rides for appointments contact

Diane Wells dianesluyterwells@gmail.com

Book Club

May 28th 10:00a.m. in the Library

Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle

In the bulb there is a flower, a song in every silence, seeking word and melody: there's a hope in every darkness bringing hope to you and me.

Hymn words by Natalie Sleeth

Given by Janet Heslam

Women's Breakfast May 21st, 8:30am at the Water Street Cafe

please RSVP to bettobergstrom@gmail.com



Men's Breakfast May 30th at the Water Street Cafe

The Church Office is open

Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00am-3:00pm, and Fridays 9:00am-1:00pm

Office Staff Schedules:

Communications Associate: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00am-1:00 pm

Financial Secretary: Monday to Thursday

Pastor: Sunday, Tuesday-Friday

drop-in Office Hours are Fridays 9:00am until 12:00pm

in emergencies, please call her cell (in the directory)

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 Live-stream

●      Via live-stream 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