2025 Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Conference

& Granite State Association

When: Saturday, October 25, 2025

Where: Hybrid Meeting to be held at the Geneva Point Center (108 Geneva Point Road, Moultonborough, NH) and via Zoom Webinar, YouTube Livestream

access information to be provided upon registration

REGISTRATION

Please visit https://www.nhcucc.org/events/am-2025 for up-to-date Annual Meeting Resource Materials and a link to the registration website.

REGISTRATION CLOSES ON

MONDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 11:59 PM!

Register Here!

Conference Minister Corner

Read the whole message on nhcucc.org

Rev. Walt Hampton | Transitional Associate Conference Minister for Judicatory Ministries

Don’t Be Zinc

The world feels raw right now.

Division. Discord. Rage.

Everywhere we turn, voices clash. Lines are drawn. People retreat to their corners. And the anger simmers, often spilling over.

As ministers and lay leaders, we are called into the midst of this. We are called to be steady in the storm. To hold space for others. To bear witness to both their pain and their hope.

It is holy work. But it is also hard work. ...Read the full article here.

Thank you to all those who have supported the appeal to rebuild at the Daisy Dube Children's Home in Mt. Salinda, Zimbabwe. In our first few weeks, we have been able to raise $22,585! An initial disbursement is being sent to Zimbabwe so they can start the building process. The appeal will continue for at least the next six weeks.

To read the full appeal request, please visit here.

The Granite State Association

invites all to gather as

Cynthia D’Andrea

is Ordained into the Christian Ministry

Sunday, November 9, 2025

2 pm in the afternoon

Mont Vernon Congregational Church

(4 South Main Street, Mont Vernon, NH)

Clergy are invited to robe and wear red stoles

Trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge the Lord God, and God will direct you path.

- Proverbs 3:5

Sponsored by NHCUCC Women's Fellowship

This is a day devoted to expressing peace through the sharing of music, visual arts, culture, and communication. It is part of a global initiative inspired by the United Nations and PEAC Institute.

This global Pause for Peace concert has been planned hoping to bring billions from around the world together through cultural music and feel the transformative power of human connection.

All are invited! Saturday, October 4th, 9am to 4pm

at the UCC Congregational Church of Laconia, 18 Veterans Square, Laconia

Thank you to the following local musicians, who will perform the Live Peace Concert through the day:

• K.Robet Bengston
• Jazz Sanctuary house Band with Rev. Emilia Halstead
• Suzuki Children’s String Orchestra, Director, Sue Ann ERB
• Bristol UCC Joyful Noise Ukulele Band (Director: Debbie Doe / Manager: Karen Sticht)
• The Power Chords, director, Lorraine Barrows

In addition, we’ll hear from Dr. Jaylene Bengtson, local artist, of how the

visual arts can bring awareness and inner peace. Come for all or part of the day! Lunch will be available. Donations are greatly appreciated for both lunch and concert performances. This will help defray the cost of the day, with a portion going to support the PEAC Institute.

A Perplexing Question: “What Can We Do?”

by the Rev. John Buttrick

as published in the Concord Monitor on September 27, 2025.

The question comes to me when I’m with people in my favorite coffee shop, in fellowship hour at church, and with neighbors gathered in community. It inevitably comes up when details from the daily news reports slip into our conversations. The stress levels rise as we recall a picture of Gazan women, men, and children; surrounded by bombed out ruins; with their possessions piled high in vehicles, on wagons, and on their backs barely moving on a road unbelievably congested toward promised safety where there is no safety. Or when a friend is in danger of being deported because he has found it difficult to wend his way through the maze of paperwork and documents to which he is entitled. Stress increases when we relay the news about universities, lawyers, students, media reporters, and others being threatened by the government for opinions expressed about Charlie Kirk following his death, DEI activity, or critiques of the President. There is also the despair over climate change, including the actions of the White House to end regulations and to increase the use of fossil fuel. The financial impact of the manipulation of tariffs also raises our ire.

Inevitably, the question arises, “What can we do?” It is a question wrought with frustration, a sense of powerlessness, and anger, implying that there is nothing we can do. Because our inclination is to fix things, we default to the usual answers: phone and write to congressional representatives and senators, write a letter to the editor, and organize or participate in a public advocacy for issues of

concern. Then often, someone will remind us that we might have more success communicating with local elected officials, with whom we may have more access. However, as important as it is to participate in these actions, these routine answers no longer seem to satisfy. We have no influence over our government officials. As each conversation ends, we are left with the heavy burden, “What can we possibly do?” Arthur Wilton Brown, an English rock singer and songwriter captures the feeling in his song, “Nothing We Can Do”, “One thing is strangе / No matter where I turn / Thunder menaces / Do I carry it with me / … Is there no escape, no / Wild beasts on the prowl / Nothing we can do.”

David Brooks, writing for the New York times, observes, “life is filled with hard choices: whom to marry, whom to vote for, whether to borrow money….” Should I accept the job offer or negotiate for more compensation? Is recycling and composting really contributing to solving the climate crisis? Brooks concludes, “to make these calls, you have to be able to discern what is central to the situation, envision possible outcomes, understand other minds, calculate probabilities.” We may use this process to inform the political and social questions we are facing. Brooks advocates that in order to practice these four steps it is important to be well read. The more information we have on a subject the more fruitful will be our insights and the more adept we shall be to answer the question, “What can we do?”

One resource for ideas may be found in the Social Justice LibGuide, “Ways to Affect Change,” from Adelphi University. Included among the ways is providing safe spaces where individuals may

communicate with each other their lived experiences, the discrimination they face and the values and ideals that they uphold. These spaces may be created in our living rooms, places of worship, or in designated rooms of sympathetic organizations. As citizens, we may participate in peaceful protesting as a way to have our voices heard by our government. The Guide reminds us “that dissent is patriotic.” Another action listed in the Guide is to join an organization that does the work to advance the causes in which we believe. We can be a volunteer, an intern, or a paid staff member. Or, perhaps we may choose to engage in civil disobedience. The Social Justice LibGuide states, “John Lewis, civil rights activist and United States Congressman, talked about getting into “Good Trouble…. If a law is immoral or unjust, it is the responsibility of citizens to break those laws and refuse to comply with those laws. As a peaceful form of protest, this act of defiance illustrates and brings into the open, into focus the immorality of such laws and the reasons why such laws should be overturned.” Also, even if we are unable to join in these actions, we may donate to causes that work for the ideals and values that we support.

Finally, we can consult the Committee of 70 guide that lists 70 actions, big and small, that make a difference. The committee was founded in Philadelphia in 1904 to confront corruption in the city and state. However, even though the guide focuses on local issues, it may easily be used for national issues as well. The list of 70 actions can be found on their website.

We shall never expect to have the power or the authority to assure the end of wars, the dignity of minorities, the end of gun violence, equity and inclusivity, and a just and peaceful society. But we are able to turn “What can we do?” into “What we can do!” And then expand the list together. In the long run we shall find purpose and our answers will make a difference.

SAVE THE DATE!

How do you talk to people you disagree with politically?

Join Peace with Justice Advocates on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at Bank of NH Stage in Concord for a live taping of “The Middle”! Get tickets here. “The Middle” with Jeremy Hobson is the only live, national call-in talk show on public radio focused on current events and bridging divides.

Local panelists for this live show include Anna Brown of Citizens Count, Douglass Teschner of Braver Angels / author of 'Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times”, and Nick Capodice, co-host of NHPR's award-winning podcast Civics 101.

This unique event invites community members to take part in a timely and honest conversation centered around a crucial question: How do you talk with people you disagree with politically?

Together, we’ll explore how civil discourse, civic education, and lived experiences can help bridge political divides and rebuild trust in an increasingly polarized world. Audience participation will play a key role in shaping the discussion, with the goal of fostering respectful, inclusive, and informative dialogue.

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $15 for students. Premium tickets are available for $50. This includes preferred seating, an NHPR swag bag, as well as entry to the post show reception meet and greet with Jeremy Hobson and panelists.

Gun Violence Prevention Resources

The 56-page guide to assist you and your congregation.

NH UCC Christian Educators Community of Practice

Next Zoom Gathering: Wednesday, September 24th 7pm 

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/dJwVYu4YHPT5u3im6 

All Christian Education staff, volunteers, and lovers are welcome to join us to connect, share, and support one another as we get back into the groove of youth groups, intergenerational happenings, and more in our places of worship! Together we'll build community, exchange ideas, and offer support to each other. 

Please share this information with the CE leader in your home church so we can loop them in! 



Questions? Email Tivvi Pare

Confirmation Retreat: October 3rd-5th

All youth in grades 6-12 are invited to join us for Confirmation Retreat at Horton Center whether they are in a confirmation program or are just thinking about. Together we'll enjoy the beauty and peace of the natural world while building relationships, learning about the UCC, and exploring our own personal beliefs. Email Tivvi for more info and register today! 

Closing Work Weekend: October 10th - 12th 

Can you come and help us cook? Clean? Fix? Paint? Build? We need you! 

Camp is nearly ready to be closed down for a long winter's rest. Many hands make light work! The more the merrier as we enjoy good company, a wide variety of tasks, and delicious food, too! Please email Tivvi if you're able to make it for a few hours or a few days: TPare@nhcucc.org 

Shalom, friends!

Tivvi Pare 

(she/her/hers)

603-545-9660

TPare@nhcucc.org

NOW HIRING

The New Hampshire Conference seeks candidates to serve as our Communications and Programs Coordinator. The Communications and Programs Coordinator provides logistical organization for Conference events and programs (including Annual Meeting and Prepared to Serve), maintains the Conference technology infrastructure, and publishes Conference communications including the Conference website and Weekly News. A position description is available upon request.

The Communications and Programs Coordinator position is a 30 hours a week, non-exempt position. Salary information available on request. 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 grankin@nhcucc.org.

The New Hampshire Conference is a Racial Justice, Just Peace, Open and Affirming Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Thursday, November 13 (9:00 am – 1:00 pm): The Minister’s Code as a Tool for Boundary Keeping

This advanced unit of Boundary Awareness Training will be offered via Zoom. Registration is now open! The training will be facilitated by Revs. Jonna Jensen and Gordon Rankin.

CONFERENCE MINISTER

October 5, 2025

Gordon will be helping to lead the NHCUCC Confirmation Retreat.

Conference Office

Monday - Friday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM

The Weekly News promotes the mission and ministry of the NHCUCC.

We encourage you to use the web based version of this email to forward these materials to others in your church. If you know someone who regularly wants to be kept in the loop? Direct them to the sign up form.

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