THE WEEKLY NEWS
April 23, 2024 | Volume 16 No. 15
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Lessons from Improv Workshops
Sign up by the end of April to participate in our latest workshops!
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A New Thing Task Force offered workshops on the Lessons of Improvisation as expressed in Jazz, Theatre, and Reuse of Materials. They were well received, and we are offering you the chance to experience the workshops you might have missed.
If this is something you are interested in, we will match you with other churches who have expressed a desire to participate in the same workshop. In order to run a workshop, we ask that there be a minimum of 3 churches and 12 participants.
Please be in touch with us with questions or your interest at [email protected] by April 30.
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Senior High Youth Canoe Trip
July 26 - August 3
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Youth ages 14 and older are welcome to join South Congregational Church of Newport's annual Voyageurs Canoe Trip to LaVerendrye, Quebec Canada.
Spend a week paddling with adult leaders and other teenagers, learning how to work as a team and be self-sufficient, all while having fun!
The trip cost is $500.00 per camper which includes all of the equipment, food, and transportation. Financial aid is available through Rekindling Curiosity. Learn more about the trip here.
Contact Kevin Corliss (603-863-1425, [email protected]) if you want to learn more and register!
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Would your church be interested in using “Compassion Camp” VBS Curriculum that the Conference purchases? The Christian Formation Ministry group has researched the possibility of offering a curriculum to you at a much reduced cost. We plan to purchase a multi-entity license (based on the number of groups that participate) that churches could use. Depending on how many participate, we expect to be able to offer it for approximately $50 per VBS group. Whether your church works independently or joins with other churches to form one combined group, we’d like to help make it happen!
Contact us at [email protected] with questions. We need your confirmation so that we only pay for groups that are certain they will use it! Please let us know by May 15 if you can commit and that you have people who will organize and run VBS this summer. Spread the loving kindness of Compassion Camp!
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Church Administrative Professionals Gathering | |
Wednesday, April 24th, 10am – 2:00 pm at NH Conference, 140 Sheep Davis Rd, Pembroke.
The Local Church Support Ministry (LCSM) is hosting an event for church administrative professionals.
- Learn about Local Church Support Ministry and how they are assisting our churches.
- Meet other church admin professionals.
- Chat with staff and learn how each of them assists our churches, our pastors, and you!
- Network with other pros about great ways to tackle tasks and organize information.
- Allow the LCSM and NHCUCC to celebrate you, your work, and your ministry to our local congregations.
To register, please contact Susanne McCarron via email, [email protected].
This event is free of charge to participants. Boxed Lunch will be included (more details to come). Churches are encouraged to compensate their professionals for this workday.
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Resolutions for the 2024 Annual Meeting | |
The Board of Directors invites you to submit your resolutions to be considered for inclusion in the agenda for the 2024 Annual Meeting. Resolutions should be sent to Conference Minister Gordon Rankin ([email protected]) and follow the linked guidelines.
Read the resolution guidelines here...
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⚠️Last Chance - Registration Closes Thursday April 24⚠️
Register for Clergy Day of Replenishment and Renewal Now
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All clergy of the New Hampshire Conference are invited to “Come to the River” for a day away from work to restore, connect, and explore. Many clergy are experiencing tremendous depletion, fatigue, and weariness these days. The Clergy Support Ministry recognizes this weariness and offers this respite day.
We invite you to join us on Tuesday, April 30th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Congregational Church of Hooksett. The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with a light breakfast and will end with lunch.
If you cannot attend in person, we are offering a Zoom Retreat option on Wednesday, May 1st, from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
The Rev. Steve Miller will lead the retreats and offer an enriching time of spiritual exploration involving voice and movement, silence and rest, and community connection.
The cost for the retreat (whether in person or on Zoom) is $20.
You can register and learn more about the day and schedule here: https://nhcucc.regfox.com/clergy-day-2024
The registration deadline is Thursday, April 25th. Come away and rest for a while!
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Guns to Gardens
Join the NH Guns to Gardens Forging Demonstration and Celebration!
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Join Guns to Gardens for a day of reflection and inspiration on Saturday, May 4th at Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord, as they transform unwanted firearms collected at Guns to Gardens events into garden tools. Their live hands-on forging demonstration event includes a celebration; silent auction and raffle of Guns to Gardens tools, wooden bowls, and jewelry; creative community art collage with dismantled gun bits; and fellowship with fellow gun violence prevention advocates and supporters as they raise awareness and funds for their Guns to Gardens program.
RSVP for tickets here. Free event, RSVP required.
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The Association Restructuring Task Force
Wants to Listen to You
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Please join us for a Listening Session about the possible Association restructuring plans. We need your feedback, concerns, and hopes. There will be 5 Zoom sessions at different times of the day and week. We hope that one of them will be convenient for you.
Please use the following Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84904679136
Wednesday, April 24 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 27 10:00 am
Sunday, April 28 7:00 pm
Tuesday, May 14 7:00 pm
Thursday, May 16 1:00 pm
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Horton Center Sticker Design Contest | |
"On the Loose" dominated the 2024 Horton Center Song Madness bracket which left us thinking, "How can the love for this song be shared throughout the summer with our camp community?" The answer? Stickers! Who doesn't love a good sticker to add to your water bottle, laptop, binder, car, etc?
Send in your "On the Loose" themed sticker designs to Tivvi ([email protected]) by May 24th. One design will be chosen and printed on stickers that will be available in the camp store this summer!
While you're working on that sticker design, be sure to check out our summer programs including the brand new "Pieceful Quilting: A Horton Center Crafting Retreat" on our website at: https://www.hortoncenter.org/summer-sessions
Shalom,
Tivvi Pare
[email protected]
603-545-9660
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Applications for New Office Administrator
Now Open
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The New Hampshire Conference seeks candidates to serve as our Office Administrator. The Office Administrator is the primary host and hospitality provider for events held at the Conference Office, maintains the Conference directory database and calendar, completes bank deposits, provides administrative support for the Conference Annual Meeting and Prepared to Serve events, arrange for periodic bulk mailings, and many other administrative tasks to support the mission and ministry of the Conference. A position description is available upon request.
The Office Administrator position is a 37 ½ hours a week, non-exempt position. Salary information available on request. Full benefits (health and dental insurance, pension, etc.) are provided.
Interested candidates should submit a resume (with references to contact) to the Reverend Gordon Rankin, Conference Minister, at [email protected].
The New Hampshire Conference is a Racial Justice, Just Peace, Open and Affirming Conference of the United Church of Christ.
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UPCOMING CONFERENCE EVENTS | |
| 223rd Annual Meeting
Geneva Point Center | October 26
Save the Date | | |
PRAYERS FOR THE ASSOCIATION RESTRUCTURE | |
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We invite you to continue praying with us this week. May we be led by a Spirit of cooperation and collaboration. May our churches add their voices to our discernment process. May they participate in the upcoming listening sessions. May they claim their fears and allow God’s grace to hold them in their fear.
Being congregational means that every Child of God participates in creating our future together. The seeds of a few souls, is prayerfully shared with the many; and then those souls gracefully tweak and turn over these new ideas, redefining and reimagining God’s dream for God’s church in New Hampshire. Together we create a field of glory where all are served and all are led. In God’s name and with God’s blessing. Let us continue to pray.
-The Association Capacity Task Force
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Our beautiful home planet, Earth. As we live into our resurrection, our Easter joy, we lift our gratitude for the blooming of life all around us. We listen with wonder to the return of the birds. We watch with amazement as the earth awakens. Empower us to make our protection of and care for our Earth a priority, in our homes, in our churches, in our laws and in our government. Help us to have the strength and perseverance to voice the urgency of this task. Embolden us to extend an invitation to all to engage in this resurrection work as God’s call to us, people of the Earth, people of faith, people of hope. | |
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The Rockingham Association will hold its Spring Meeting on May 5 at 1:30 pm at the North Hampton United Church of Christ.
The Hillsborough Association will hold its Spring Meeting on May 5 at 3 pm at the First Congregational Church, Milford.
The North Country Association will hold its Spring Meeting on May 5 at 3pm at the Monadnock Congregational Church. Following the meeting at 3:30 pm, Brian Grover will be installed.
The Rockingham Association will hold a Service of Ordination for Debbie Gline Allen on Sunday, April 28th at 3:00 p.m. at the First Parish Congregational Church UCC in East Derry.
The Rev. Dr. Dana Mann has announced her resignation as Pastor and Teacher of the Federated Church of Marlborough. Rev. Mann’s last Sunday in Marlborough will be May 19th.
The Rev. Dr. Dana Mann has been called as Transitional Pastor of the First Parish Church, Congregational, UCC in Dover. Rev. Mann will begin her ministry on June 2nd.
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Sunday Schedule: April 28, 2024 | |
The Conference Minister will Preach at the Congregational Church of Franklin where the Rev. Bonnie Stagg serves as pastor and teacher. | |
The Associate Conference Minister will participate in the Service of Ordination for Debbie Gline Allen on Sunday, April 28th at 3:00 p.m. at the First Parish Congregational Church UCC in East Derry. | | |
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Monday - Friday | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm | |
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The Weekly News is published to promote the mission and ministry of the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ.
These announcements are intended to be brief, timely, and of a general interest to our Conference readers. Supportive links are provided whenever they are available. We encourage you to forward these materials to others in your church using the link below and to share them in your bulletins and local church newsletters.
Send your items to [email protected]. The deadline for submitting items for the next issue is Thursday at 12:00 PM.
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