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Kids from the Church of the Messiah in North Woodstock sharing their Daniel in the Lion's Den crafts!

Youth Return Inspired From EYE 2023

Episcopal Youth Event (EYE), the church’s second-largest event after General Convention, gathered nearly 1,500 young people ages 15-19 from every province together in Baltimore last week. Youth from around Province 1, including from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, attended the event.

The event, which takes place every three years, began on July 5 with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's opening sermon and concluded on July 7 with workshops, a climate action round table, province meet-ups, karaoke, and a closing plenary featuring Julia Ayala Harris, President of the House of Deputies. Participants share their thoughts on the experience in this ENS story.

Check out the photo from our Province 1 participants above. View the whole gallery here.

221^st Annual Diocesan Convention Elections

If you are, or someone you know is, interested in being a candidate for one of the open positions which will be voted on during Diocesan Convention, click here for more information! The deadline to declare your candidacy is July 15.

For additional information about Convention, click here.

Registration Open for Fall Tri-Dio Sacred Ground Circles

Are you interested in joining others from around the Episcopal Dioceses of Northern New England in a film-based dialogue series on race and faith? The second round of Tri-Dio Sacred Ground dialogue circles will start in Fall '23!

Three circles will be formed to meet at different times: Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, and likely Thursday evening.

To register click here.

View a Sacred Ground informational video here.

Learn more about Sacred Ground here.

Representatives from each diocese are: Betty Lane of New Hampshire, Franci Farnsworth of Vermont, the Rev. Katie Holicky of Maine.

Reflections from a Small Church Pastor

"Tuesday I was alone in the Trinity office working on Sunday’s lectionary when I noticed out the window two cars pulling up and several people walking towards the front door. This is not a common occurrence on a Tuesday morning, I thought aloud. As I greeted the strangers, they each introduced themselves and came in explaining that every week they read the newsletter and knew that we would be open from 10-2. They had come to reminisce..."

Read more

Grammy-winning Artists Perform at Union Claremont

Union Church in Claremont recently hosted a performance with the Grammy-winning Villalobos Brothers, who are acclaimed as one of today's leading Contemporary Mexican groups, and winners of the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year in 2023.

The concert was presented by the West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts. These world-class programs are offered by donation or with scholarships so there are no financial barriers. All WCC concerts are available online. The event was sponsored by Union Church, with support from the Our Kids Commission.

You can view the Villalobos Brothers' performance below.

Making Jesus Known

The Rev. Teresa Gocha, Vicar of the Church of the Messiah in North Woodstock, shares this kid-centered update from their congregation:

"The Church of the Messiah in North Woodstock is blessed with a small cadre of kids! We never see all of them on the same Sunday, and some of them are unable to come to church because of family or work. So what to do?

We bring as many kids and family members together as we can during vacations. 

In March we had a large group come and hear the story of "Daniel in the Lion's Den" because our oldest member said she loved that story. We made lions and had lion cupcakes.

In April we had a much smaller group come for pizza and to make "God Loves You" magnets to hand out to parishioners. (We recycled magnets that were no longer used.)

Then, at the end of June, fifteen of us had a fun day at Whales Tale Water Park. A parishioner used her contacts to get us a really nice discount. Another person paid for all of the kids’ tickets. No Bible stories, but some pizza, and the knowledge that the church wanted the kids and their families to have fun! 

More Bible Story days are planned for July and August."

The Chapel Street Band Raised Funds for the Choir School at St. John's

In May, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth welcomed The Chapel Street Band for an afternoon of heart-thumping music, a festive reception with a raffle and silent auction, all to benefit the Choir School at St. John's.

The Chapel Street Band is a quartet brought together through their mutual love of harmony and their partnership as the team of music educators for the Choir School at St. John’s. The concert featured the talents of Ashley Wade, Jennifer McPherson, Christina DeMaio (vocalists), and Olin Johannessen (director and arranger, guitar, vocals). Guest instrumentalists included Steve Roy on mandolin and Rob Gerry on upright bass. They performed covers of songs from the roots Americana, gospel, folk, country, and rock genres showcasing 3- and 4-part vocal harmonies with a mountain string band energy.

Students and other guests joined The Chapel Street Band to tell the story of the Choir School Program, a free after-school music program that seeks to engage young people in the art of choral singing and musical training, and serves students aged 8-13 years old, who come from nine different schools across the Seacoast, including Maine and New Hampshire.

Watch "Where We'll Never Grow Old" from the concert below!

Guest Dignitaries Fill St. John’s Church with Spirit

Deacon Geof Smith shares this update from The Herald in Vermont, featuring a recent service with representatives from all three northern New England dioceses: Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

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Best Wishes, Peggy! 

The Rev. Peggy Schnack had her last Sunday as Curate at St. Paul’s Church in Concord on June 25. We send her onward with many blessings in her next call doing community and school ministry. Thank you, Peggy, for all the lives you have touched!

Earth Care Family Fun Day

Saturday, July 22

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Elm Brook Park, Hopkinton, NH

Families of New Hampshire churches, join us for a Family Fun Day at Elm Brook Park in Hopkinton this summer!

Linden Rayton of Living Water Nature Programs and members of the diocesan Earth Care Commission Outdoors group are hosting this event. There will be games, water fun, outdoor worship, and a bring-your-own picnic lunch. There is no cost for this event but registration is required.

All families are invited: parents, guardians, aunties and uncles, family friends, and all beloveds. We can't wait to see you there!

Click here to register. 

Pilgrimage in the Holy Land - Deadline Extended to August 15

The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont is sponsoring a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and invites those from the Episcopal Dioceses of New Hampshire and Maine to join them! The pilgrimage is to take place November 25 – December 5, 2023 and will be led by The Rev. Dr. Frederick P. Moser and The Rev. Kim Hardy, a priest couple, with local guides, Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri.

Fred and Kim are experienced pilgrimage leaders and have dreamt of taking a group to the Holy Land since experiencing their journey there on sabbatical in 2009. It opened their hearts to seeing the spiritual life as a pilgrimage and offered deep insights into Biblical stories from the Hebrew Scriptures and Gospels.

For full itinerary and details, click here. For questions and more information, reach out to the Rev. Kim Hardy! for more information.

Save these dates below! For the full events calendar, click here.

JULY

15 Bishop's Visitation: Church of the Transfiguration, Bretton Woods

16 Bishop's Visitation: Church of the Epiphany, Lisbon

22 Earth Care Family Fun Day

23 Bishop's Visitation: St. Barnabas’ Church, Berlin

30 Bishop's Visitation: St. Stephen’s Church, Pittsfield

30 All-age Beach Cricket

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