Meditation Group Cancelled

This Week

The meditation group has been cancelled tomorrow, Thursday, January 18th due to illness.

Worship This Week

Please join us

in the Sanctuary

or online at 10am for

Third Sunday After Epiphany

Coffee hour will be held

after the service

in Hadley Hall.

The service will be live streamed

through Facebook Live here

or on 3CX here

Reader: Kari Allard

Coffee hour host: Ellen McCune

artwork: "Cathedral Morning" © Mary Southard

www.ministryofthehearts.org. Used with permission.

Save the Date--

Annual Meeting Coming Soon

Our 271st Annual Meeting will be held on February 11, 2024, following worship.

Please plan to attend this special event in the life of our congregation. Stay tuned for the annual report

and more information.

In Memoriam

Congregant, and longtime Hampstead resident Cleo Hurley, passed into eternal life on January 5, 2024.

Read his obituary here.

Please keep his family, including his granddaughter Roxanne McGaffigan, in your prayers.

May his memory be a blessing

UCC Special Offering

January 21st - 31st

for The Christmas Fund

“Grace upon Grace.” John 1:16

HCC will be receiving donations for this UCC Special Offering from January 21st through January 31st. This offering cares for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the UCC by providing emergency grants and other help to those struggling.

Please watch the video above to see how important this offering can be.

Click HERE to watch video.

Please send or drop off donations and earmark them for this purpose.

Thank you, as always, for your generosity for these important mission opportunities.

NHUCC Prepared to Serve 2024

Registration Now Open

Prepared to Serve is back, and we're ready to take your learning experience to new heights! This annual event, proudly organized by the New Hampshire Conference UCC, is dedicated to equipping our congregations with invaluable tools and resources to empower your local faith communities.

What's New in 2024:

Pathways for Deep Learning: This year, we're introducing an exciting feature – Pathways. These are extended courses that span 3 or 4 workshop blocks, delving deeper into specific topics. Each Pathway builds on the previous one, offering a comprehensive exploration of your chosen subject.

Hybrid Participation: We understand that not everyone can join us in person. That's why we're thrilled to offer a new hybrid experience. You can now attend "Prepared to Serve" from the comfort of your own space. The hybrid option includes captivating panel discussions during each workshop block, covering a diverse range of topics sure to peak your interest.

Revised Pricing: We have tried to make our pricing more affordable to families and youth. Because of this we have created a $100 family cap for any family with 3 or more family members and given youth a 50% discounted rate of $25.

Event Highlights:

Four Workshop Blocks: Each lasting 75 minutes, giving you the flexibility to attend up to 4 workshops or 3 workshops if you prefer to take a break for lunch.

Panel Discussions: Engage with our dynamic panelists who will delve into thought-provoking topics. You'll also have the chance to ask them questions, making these discussions interactive and insightful.

Theme: Building upon our 2023 Annual Meeting theme, "Turning the Tables," we're committed to providing your congregations with the tools to act on the Annual Meeting charge to turn tables and "Create new Tables."

Prepared to Serve 2024 is your opportunity to expand your knowledge, connect with like-minded individuals, and take-home resources that will enrich your congregational experience.

Click HERE to Register.

Make and Donate Blankets for Project Linus

For those of you who have been busy sewing, quilting, knitting, or crocheting, we want to remind you of a great opportunity to donate those handmade items!

We work with Project Linus (https://www.facebook.com/projectlinussouthwestnewhampshire/). This organization's mission is "to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans". Blankets are given to children in need through NH.

*We welcome all styles of blankets made in child-friendly colors/prints.

*Crocheted, knitted, quilted (100% cotton or flannel), fleece….you don’t have to be an expert!

*Blankets must be NEW, HANDMADE and WASHABLE.

*Fabric blankets can be quilted by machine, hand or tied. If you are tying the blanket make sure the ends are trimmed to 1” and the knots are secure.

*Please do not add any embellishments to the blankets such as buttons that could be swallowed by a child.

*If you are using a no-sew fleece pattern, please be sure to trim off both selvages FIRST. Not sure what selvages are? Ask the clerk who is cutting your fleece to please show you, they’re those odd looking edges at the top and bottom of the piece you have, sort of raggy looking.

*We accept all sizes of blankets. We donate to children, infants through teen years, so any size is appropriate. Baby blankets are typically 36”X36” or 36”X42”, toddler-pre-teen are typically about 40”X60”, and teen blankets are at least 60"X72".

Blankets can be dropped off in the entry way of Hadley Hall.

Thank you for your support of this project!

Please enjoy some wonderful testimonials from recipients of these wonderful blankets

that shows just how much they impact the families:

Steeple Lighting

Steeple Lit

in honor of

Paul Gilman Perry Sr.

By the entire Perry family.

A Word from Peace & Justice

Several weeks ago there was an interesting article from Lakes Region Conservation Trust. The

organization started NH Solar Shares project. They installed solar panels behind their headquarters with

the goal of using all of the electricity produced to credit 12 low-income household in the region starting

in February 2024.

The project consists of two ground-mounted arrays of 70 500w solar PV panels. In the first day online

the array produced 116kWH of electricity for the local grid. (My average daily kWH use is 11.) These panels are bi-facial which means that they also produce power from snow reflection. In the spring they will plant blueberry bushes and perennial native flowers, seed the work road, install a kiosk and picnic tables and complete the solar trail that will link up with LRCT’s existing trail system that starts at the headquarters parking lot.

The project was a partnership between LRCT, area electricity providers, NH Charitable Foundation and NH Department of Energy Renewable Energy Fund.

Full article and more photos.

Music Corner with Herb Tardiff

Please keep Herb in your prayers as he is in the hospital

Interesting facts about Christmas.

When Christmas Was Cancelled

In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday.

The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.

After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

New Hampshire Conference UCC Weekly News

We thought you might enjoy reading the NH Conference UCC weekly newsletter. You can read it with this link.

1/16/2024 Newsletter

Each week, we will update this section of our Weekly Word with the new link

for the current newsletter.

St. Anne's Food Pantry

The pantry is currently in need of the following:

• Coffee
• Large bottles of juice
• Spam
• Salad dressings
• Sugar free items
• Cereal
• All Condiments

Please drop off any donations in the foyer of Hadley Hall

Please, no expired items.

Thank you for all your support!