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A Thanksgiving Message from Bishop Rob

A Word of Thanksgiving—Nevertheless!

"...here we are at Thanksgiving—that day that asks us to carve into not just a warm meal, but space and time and breath."

Gather Us In:

Convention Eucharist Brings the Diocese to Trinity, Claremont

What we sang on Saturday, November 4, tells much of the story, when some 225 New Hampshire Episcopalians gathered under Trinity Claremont’s soaring roof:



Open now thy gates of beauty…

My thirsty soul desires and longs within thy courts to be…

You are the source of my strength; you are the strength of my life…

Gather us in and hold us forever, make us your own…

Praise God from whom all blessings flow…

Our preacher, the Rev. Dr. Nandra Perry—seminary professor and small-town pastor—reminded us of the “fierce industry” God’s love invites us to, like enfolding a fragile neighbor, or countering with words and deeds the hostile voices that shout otherwise: “Every person, every body: You are God’s beloved.”

And to our delight, a livestream happened—we were not sure, until days before, that it could—and so folks not physically present gathered, too, connected with the prayers and praise offered from the pro-Cathedral, where our last hymn sent us out with these words:

With the Spirit’s gifts empower us, for the work of ministry.

Updated Constitution and Canons

The Diocese of New Hampshire Constitution and Canons have been updated to include the changes adopted in Resolution 3 at diocesan convention. 

Please see this link to get your copy of the updated Constitution and Canons.

Margaret Porter Vice Chair of the Archives Advisory Committee of The Episcopal Church.

In October, Margaret Porter, a member of St. Paul's in Concord and president of the Diocesan Standing Committee and secretary moderator of the Diocesan Council, has been elected Vice Chair of the Archives Advisory Committee of The Episcopal Church.

During two days of meetings with the Interim Bodies of The Episcopal Church at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, the committee reviewed its canonical duties, focused on roles and responsibilities, and received updates on activities at the Archives from a member of its staff. It also focused on information about ongoing related matters from officer of General Convention and members of the Presiding Bishop’s staff. The Archives, temporarily located at an Austin, Texas facility, seeks a suitable permanent repository for its ever-growing archive of material—manuscript, print, digital, photographic, video, and film— which reveals the rich history of The Episcopal Church. The importance and value of these collections is affirmed by the Church’s ongoing efforts to understand a complex past, to strive for accountability in the present, and to assist future mission and ministries as followers of Jesus.

Learn more about The Episcopal Church Archives here.

Photo: Margaret Porter pictured second from left

New Title for The Rev. Kelly Sundberg Seaman

The Rev. Kelly Sundberg Seaman is now the Canon for Formation and Vocation. This new title acknowledges the breadth and depth of Kelly’s current leadership in the diocese – from being Dean of “all things” (Formation, School for Ministry, Pro-Cathedral), to discerning and preparing leaders (lay and ordained), to service throughout the church and organizing diocesan-wide liturgies, to promoting formation opportunities large and small in our congregations and across our diocese.

Kelly’s thoughtful insight into the many challenges and opportunities presented in this time of church “re-formation” and her willingness to follow Jesus with joyful and creative action is a great gift to this diocese.

Braver Angels at St. Andrew's in New London

Following a festival Eucharist at Trinity Church, Claremont—our Pro Cathedral—Bishop Rob introduced a panel discussion on the importance of the work of Braver Angels in New Hampshire. the Rev. Kelly Sundberg Seaman, Priest in Charge and Dean of the Pro Cathedral, invited Jennifer Giles, Woody Canaday, and the Rev. Jay MacLeod to speak. The panel highlighted the efforts of the Braver Angels group at St. Andrew's in New London who are exploring new ways to Jesus as they learn, practice, and teach skills for communicating more effectively with those who have differing perspectives.

St. Andrew's is offering assistance to parishes throughout the diocese to hold their own Braver Angels workshops. Learn more about Braver Angels here. Email Woody Canaday if you are interested in hosting a Braver Angels workshop for your parish or broader community.

Church of the Good Shepherd Celebrates Installation of Solar Panels with Mayor and Bishop

Church of the Good Shepherd, Nashua, together with the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire and the “Solar Saints,” (an Episcopal Church organization) celebrated the recent installation of solar panels at their church.

After years of planning, a successful fundraising campaign, and a grant from the diocese, Good Shepherd contracted with ReVision Energy to install solar panels this August that will provide clean power to the church and reduce the environmental impact of running a historic building. The Rev. Kathy Boss shared, “Creation Care is a vital part of our ministry. Faithfully stewarding the earth’s resources is a mission of the Episcopal Church as a whole and a focus for the Church of the Good Shepherd.”

Attending the ceremony as the solar panels were officially dedicated and blessed were Mayor Jim Donchess of Nashua, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld, Nashua Energy Manager Doria Brown, representatives of ReVision Energy, members of the Solar Saints, the Rev. Kathy Boss, the Church of the Good Shepherd Green Team, and other parishioners.

Photo: A rooftop view of the solar panels during installation

Father Tim Brooks: Advocate and Friend



Father Tim Brooks from St. Paul's in Lancaster has had a significant and lasting impact on his community through volunteering at the Home Health and Hospice Agency.

His dedication and hard work were recognized earlier this year by the New Hampshire Commission on Aging and he was one of the recipients of the 2023 Volunteer Award.



Read more about Father Tim and his work here.

Weekday Morning Prayer: Meet God early in the Morning in Silence and/or in Spoken Prayer

Weekdays; 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Zoom

Curious about the Book of Common Prayer, a.k.a. the prayer book? Curious about silent meditation in the Christian tradition? This offering is for you!

SpiritBound Digital Mission ministry partner, the Rev. Duncan Hilton, invites any and all to join him at 5:30 a.m. for Centering Prayer and/or at 6:00 a.m. for Morning Prayer from the prayer book. People can show up for one or both sessions on any given day and no long-term commitment is required to visit.

SpiritBound is thrilled to welcome this offering through Friday, Dec. 22nd!

Check out an online copy of the Book of Common Prayer here. The service of Daily Morning Prayer: Rite Two is located under "The Daily Office" in the table of contents.

Visit the Rev. Duncan Hilton's website for the Zoom information and more details or contact the Rev. Alanna Van Antwerpen with questions.

St. Peter's Intergenerational Service and Advent Celebration

Sunday, December 3

9:30 a.m.

St. Peter's, Londonderry

Blue Christmas Service

Wednesday, December 13

7 p.m.

St. Peter's, Londonderry

On Sunday, December 3rd (the first Sunday in Advent), St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Londonderry will be having an Intergenerational Family Service with a children's sermon and fun, family-oriented activities. Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas in a whole new way with family-friendly take-home crafts and reading material! There will be two give-away drawings for family-appropriate, seasonal gifts to share during the holidays.

Intrigued? Curious? Join us! All are welcome. This is for the young, young at heart, and every age in between. Worship starts at 9:30AM.

St. Peter's will also host a Blue Christmas service on Wednesday, December 13 at 7 p.m. Blue Christmas is a service of reflection that offers comfort to those who may be grieving and struggling to find joy and hope during the Christmas season.

For more information or questions, contact the Rev. Jay Hutchinson.

The Philadelphia Eleven Film Screening

Sunday, December 10

2 p.m.

St. Paul's, White River Junction

On December 10, at 2 p.m., St. Paul's, White River Junction will host a screening of The Philadelphia Eleven, a new documentary about eleven women ordained as Episcopal priests in 1974, two years before the ordination of women was approved by General Convention.



After the film there will be refreshments and discussion.

2024 Forma Annual Conference: Radically Hybrid

January 22–25, 2024

Hybrid

This year, Forma is taking inspiration from Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (ESV). Forma leaders are working with Learning Forte to design and pilot an entirely new model of Forma Conference. Our goal with this “radically hybrid” model is to offer church leaders accessible, high quality professional development without sacrificing the ability to connect with colleagues in meaningful ways.

Mission Resources Grant: Accessibility Grants 

Accessibility is a challenge for churches in older buildings, and although they are exempt from the ADA, it is important to be welcoming to people of all abilities. Churches need funding as well as education and awareness of the issues and possible solutions. Grants will be available up to $2,000 to any church that completes the Accessibility Assessment Form. After the Assessment is completed, the church will set goals and create a plan to begin making upgrades to become more accessible.  

Applications with completed assessments are accepted on a rolling basis beginning December 1, 2023. These grants will be paid in the order received beginning January 3, 2024, until budgeted funds are exhausted.

Beloved Community: Resource for Advent

Congregations and individuals can use this five-session curriculum to reflect on the Advent readings and our shared hope to heal the human family of God. Click the image to the right to download the resource.

United Thank Offering Christmas Cards

Christmas is a time when many of us try to buy the perfect gift for someone to show them how much they mean to us, so what better way to say thank you then giving a gift in their honor to the United Thank Offering? Once again, Kristen Wheeler of Modern Iconographer has created the artwork for our cards (shown above); the inside has a lovely message of gratitude for the loved ones in your lives. One hundred percent of your cost for the Christmas cards goes to the 2023 Ingathering so you can feel good about giving these cards in place of a gift.

All cards ordered by December 13 will be sent by December 15. Cards ordered after December 13 will be sent out after Christmas. 

If you’re looking for a way to help a child you love think about their Christmas list differently, UTO has a free printable Letter to Santa. One way kids can show Santa how nice they've been this year is to describe what they're grateful for! The letter asks kids to think about something they can share…this might be a gift they donate or something they can share with a relative or neighbor.

Click here for the 'Letter to Santa' printable.

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

DECEMBER

3 Bishop's Visitation: St. David's, Salem

14 Province 1 Conference

17 Bishop's Visitation: Church of the Messiah, North Woodstock

24 Christmas Eve service with Bishop Rob: Church of the Good Shepherd, Nashua, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Please note that the diocesan office will be closed from December 25–January 1.

Do you have a story to submit to The Vine? We love sharing fun, inspirational, and mission-driven stories with the whole diocese. We'd love to hear from you!

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