A Note From the Pastor

As most of you are aware, we had a disruption during the church service on Sunday morning. A young man, likely with a mental health diagnosis, took our moment of silent confession as a time to walk forward, extinguish the altar candles (though, interestingly, not the Christ candle), and then asked for permission to speak. It was certainly a moment that was unexpected and outside of our normal ways of being, and that truth in itself is enough to cause anxiety among those of us who were witness to it. 

Unexpected, unscripted moments can be, in the words of one of our community members this week, unnerving. They shift our perspectives: events within our expected patterns of worship feel safe, while things outside of those patterns unsettle us and cause a surge of adrenaline. Our instincts tell us to be on our guard for threat - many in the congregation that day sat up, scooted towards the edge of the pew, prepared for a terrible event as our flight or fight  mechanism was engaged. 

In thinking about the events we experienced, it’s worth remembering what Det. Hogan from the Laconia Police Department noted, when he came to speak with us about planning for potential threats, just about five months ago: while the media in all its forms have us primed to believe that churches are at particular risk for violence, this is not true. Indeed, as he stated, we are at much higher risk when we go to the store, or a show, or any large public gathering. This week, I have heard the stories of other disruptions to worship in our congregation, and have reflected on those that I’ve experienced in other churches. As another member of our congregation said this week: disruptions make us feel vulnerable. That’s true, and it is also true that disruptive behavior does not make us objectively more vulnerable, it simply makes us aware of the vulnerability that already existed. An adage of our faith reminds us that when we have abundance, we are to build longer tables, not higher walls - a nod to the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12. And, perhaps a nod as well to Jesus’ inclusion of both Peter and Judas at his own table, offering grace even to those who had a low chance of accepting it, because that is the way of God… and the way of discipleship. 

Several folks have suggested that someone should immediately have called 911 just in case things turned from disruptive to worse, though I would remind us that emergency services are just that - for the moment when an emergency exists, not for the chance that one might exist. In truth, as much as Sunday made us feel anxious, nothing happened that could be termed an emergency - had it been otherwise, there is a panic button in the pulpit that was within my reach the entire time. There are behaviors and body language that several of us in the congregation are trained to look for as indicators of trouble, none of which were present on Sunday. Boundaried compassion and faith were deliberate choices, given all of the information available, and in keeping with the Gospel that informs our ways of relating, one to another..

In addition, the presence of police or even EMS was as likely to escalate the situation as it was to resolve it. Here again, media bias has played a large role in shaping our understandings of mental illness, and has often forged a link between mental illness and violent behavior. But studies by the National Institutes of Health suggest that those with diagnosed mental illness are between 2.5 and 10 times more likely to be victims of violence than to perpetrate it. The stigma that our culture imposes around mental health diagnoses helps to maintain the incorrect narrative, and silences those who might help to shift our thinking. I do not doubt that there are folks in our congregation who have undisclosed diagnoses, and I know that many of us have close family members with diagnosed - and stigmatized - mental illness. How we welcome one young man, whose behavior was disruptive by our standards (though not by the standards of every church) is something that has an impact on our friends and neighbors within the congregation. The vulnerability that is part of our faith extends to our ability to share openly about the mental health concerns in our own lives, and the ability of our community to hold those concerns without shame or stigma. The UCC offers resources for learning more about welcoming and including those with mental illness through their Mental Health Network.

Many in our congregation had the opportunity to speak with the young man who blew out the candles on Sunday, either before or after worship.  While it was obvious the behaviors we saw were unusual, I have heard from many of you that there was also kindness and sincerity. He apologized to many of us for being disruptive. I was able to talk with him about when it is appropriate to speak during worship, and about why it is that we keep the candles lit. 

That said, I do not know what will happen this Sunday. I never do know, nor do any of us, much as we might wish to believe otherwise. We do not know when the realities of the world will suddenly diverge from our expectations, in joyful or anxious ways. The Gospels remind us, however, that the unexpected is where God breaks through. The Bible reminds us - hundreds of times, across all of its books - that we are called to be unafraid as we move through the world, as we love our neighbor as ourselves, as we seek the kingdom of heaven right here among us. It’s not an easy call - there’s a reason we do church in community, and not each of us by ourselves - but it is the hope of our faith, and the promise of God’s grace that abides with us always. 

Order Easter Lilies Online

 Easter Vigil 

Good Friday April 3, 2026 ,3 PM to Easter Sunrise April 5, 2026 , 6 AM  

This year the Vigil will be virtual! This means you can sign up though this link.That’s all you have to do! 

And then when it’s your hour( or two) you can hold your version of the vigil from where ever you are! - in Florida, on the beach, on a mountain top, in your pjs and with a small gathering of friends. 

“A prayer vigil is many centuries old. The Vigil indicates a time of vigilance, wakefulness, a watch, from Good Friday to Easter morn, with time spent in prayer or other devotions.”

 In the next news blast we will offer suggestions for different ways to pray and to be in contemplation, which will be helpful to those who have never been part of our prayer vigil, or have concerns about sitting for an hour. 

‘The goal for our Prayer Vigil is to collectively , as a community enters into prayer during this holiest time of the year. We join as a church family together from wherever we are handing off the vigil from one person to the next. it’s a way of joining together even when we were apart. It’s a way off trusting that we are partnering together , taking turns to cover our church , our community and our world with prayer as we dwell in the darkness of Good Friday. , It’s an opportunity to be fueled by the closeness to God and create a culture in which prayer is woven into the fabric of our daily lives and our relationships with each other”. 

  If you have any questions about the Vigil speak to Hollis Thompson or call Carmen the church office who can assist you in signing up.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Yes, it’s beginning to feel like Christmas! 

 We’d love for you to join us for our first planning meeting for the Christmas Fair 

April 22, 2026, 11AM in the

Crafts room, Outreach Building. 

 It’s a get-together planning meeting where we’ll chat about what went well and brainstorm some fresh ideas to make the fair truly special! 

Everyone is welcome, whether you’ve played before or are eager to jump in! 

Have any questions? Feel free to ask Beth Shehadi, Hollis Thompson, or Nancy Smath. We’re really looking forward to having you with us!

 The Historical Preservation Committee seeks your assistance in creating a display based on the Diaconate's Lenten series titled “Hope” 

 We invite you to contribute a symbol that represents hope to our display, which will be showcased in the garden and elevator entrance of the church. 

 Kindly provide a brief written description explaining the significance of your chosen symbol. This display will evolve as we engage in collective reflection during the Lenten season. 

 The symbol is what ever has meaning to you. Some ideas that have been shared are an angel, a photograph of a meaningful place or event, such as a sunset or sunrise, or a piece of your favorite music. 

 The display cabinet currently contains several symbols. At this past Thursday’s Lenten supper, an amaryllis bulb was shared. We encourage you to visit the display to discover the reasons behind why what is being shared. 

 If you have questions please feel free to contact Beth Shehadi, Judy Genre, or Hollis Thompson.

 Please bring your symbol of hope to share at the next Lenten supper scheduled for March 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. and stay for the supper and discussion!!!

The Lenten season is here. 



In order to continue our Soup Suppers, the Diaconate is requesting assistance from our church family. 

The supper will be held

March 26, 5:00p.m. to 7:00p.m.

We will need to provide 4 Soups, bread, and dessert to share each week. 

If you are able to assist, please notify Judy Genre, Catherine Tokarz, or Carmen (in the church office) with the date and what you are able to bring. 

There are several open positions on this committee and we are grateful for your willingness to support our efforts to continue this thoughtful Lenten practice. 

This year Pastor Eliza will center the discussion on excerpts from the book 'Hope: A User's Manual' by MaryAnn McKibben Dana.

 The Treasurer’s Cache

A monthly update from your Church’s chief financial steward.

March 2026

The Treasurer’s Office is gone! Thanks to modern technology, I can perform this role almost entirely remotely. And being paper-averse and equipped with a scanner, I managed to reduce the Treasurer’s Filing cabinet to what could easily fit into a single storage box. What used to be the Treasurer’s Office is now the Medical Supplies room - more accessible to the office staff than its previous location across the hall. So, if you’re looking for the Treasurer, please check your email or cell phone instead of the office!

After P&F approval, we made some adjustments to how we handle the income and principal of certain endowment funds at the Bank of New Hampshire to better reflect the original donors’ intent and our fund policies. In some cases, we had been reinvesting earnings when we should have been routinely drawing income. This will lead to a small increase in quarterly income from these funds, which will help cover expenses and reduce the need to withdraw principal at year's end to balance the budget.

In January, we purchased a new reach-in refrigerator for the Church Hall kitchen - the old one moving on to wherever old refrigerators go when they die. In February, the bill for $2,159.99 arrived. The Property & Finance Committee (P&F) decided to withdraw money from the Rita Brooks Income fund to cover this unexpected expense, as the fund is designated to “defray some of the Church maintenance costs other than ordinary repairs.”

Pledges paid for February exceeded the budget due to a significant prepayment, but loose offerings again fell short of expectations. On the expense side, utilities, especially Natural Gas, continue to be over budget for both buildings. The Property & Finance Committee is exploring ways to cut heating and cooling costs for the Outreach Center.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding our Church’s finances, please feel free to contact me.

           John Intorcio, Treasurer

           Treasurer@LaconiaUCC.org

           Treasurer’s Report Repository

A bit of Biloxi to share!

Each day while on our trip to Back Bay Mission we had a prayer champion saying prayers for us. Here is the prayer for us from last Wednesday. The "overarching theme is God with us.. as Creator, Savior, Spirit in church and beloved community. More about our trip will be forthcoming.

Ride Assistance

For rides to Church or Medical Appointments contact Karen Gordon.

Ride requests must be made by text only (no phone calls, please).

 Karen Gordon: 508-942-7451

 Texting times:

• Tuesdays & Fridays after 3:00 pm
• Saturday mornings
• Sundays anytime

Thank you for respecting these boundaries so Karen can best assist everyone.  

In the spirit of caring for one another, we ask that ride requests be made at least 48 hours in advance whenever possible, so our volunteer drivers may plan accordingly.

Given in memory of John Kreitler by his family

Book Club - March 25th 1:00p.m.

in the Library

Theo of Golden

by Allen Levi

Women's Breakfast March 18th, 8:30AM

at the Water Street Cafe

Men's Breakfast 
March 20th, 8:00 AM

at the Water Street Cafe

Church Calendar - click here!

Outreach Office Hours

Monday & Wednesday

9:00am - 3:00pm

Friday

9:00am - 1:00pm

Pastor Eliza

603-524-0668 ext. 222

Tuesday - Thursday

Please call for an appointment

Friday

Drop-in office hours 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, or by appointment

~~~

Carmen D

Communications Associate

Monday, Wednesday & Friday

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

~ ~ ~

Carolyn Jorgensen

Financial Secretary

603-524-0668 ext 224

I'll be in the office on Mondays from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

working from home and the office.

Come and Worship

We welcome and invite you to worship with us in any of these ways. 

In Person at 9:30 AM, or via Live-stream

●      Via live-stream through YouTube Sundays starting at 9:10 AM

Go to YouTube and search for Congregational Church of Laconia

●      On our website www.laconiaucc.org any day and any time.

●      On Public Access TV Channel 25 Sundays at 4pm and 9:30pm

or Mondays at 5am.

If you are new to the church, please introduce yourself! Let the Church Office know if we can help you in any way! 603-524-0668. 

Seeking to be the church God desires for us to be.

Congregational Church of Laconia, UCC | 18 Veterans Square, Laconia, NH | 603.524.0668