There is a special offering on Sunday, October 4th for Neighbors in Need. This is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States.

The Neighbors in Need offering supports ministries of justice and compassion, with one-third of the offering given to the Council for American Indian Ministries and the remaining two-thirds supporting UCC justice ministries.

In 2025, the Neighbors in Need Offering supported 26 grant recipients across the UCC who were engaged in projects of direct service and advocacy. Learn more at www.ucc.org/nin

When you give to Neighbors in Need, you help build a just world for all. Thank you!

Pastoral Search Update

The pastoral search committee is continuing to move forward in our search for a new pastor to be shared with Atkinson Congregational Church. In fact, we’re currently engaged with multiple candidates, each at a different stage of the process.

We know you may be curious about how the search is going. At the same time, pastoral searches require a high level of confidentiality, which means we’re unable to share much along the way. The process can shift quickly, sometimes from one day to the next. With anything we’re able to share, our goal is to communicate in a way that is general enough to ensure that everyone is receiving the same information.

Please know we are actively engaged, prayerful, and thoughtful in our work, and we are grateful for your patience, trust, encouragement, and prayers as we seek the pastor who will be the right fit for our churches.

Join Us This Sunday at Noon

Join us for a Family Communion Program

We are organizing an educational program about the meaning and practice of communion. Although designed for families with kids, all are welcome to join us. The plan is to gather for a meal, hear the story about communion, and then choose between some activities that will deepen understanding about communion. There will also be a take home book for families with a few devotions and activities. Our plan to do this ahead of World Communion Sunday and some of the activities will involve being part of the set up for that so that the kids will feel more connected with that celebration. This will be a joint program with our sister church.

If you would like to participate, please use this registration link:  

Join us October 11 following worship for a talk with national church consultant Paul Nickerson about Healthy Conflict. Paul Nickerson is an ordained United Church of Christ pastor of more than 30 years. Paul served 20 years in parishes, turning around declining congregations. He then worked with 400 congregations at the Conference level, specializing in evangelism, vitality and new church starts.

Here is a video from my favorite economist, Justin Wolfers, because he puts compassion into the mix when discussing economic policies. In this piece he talks about the newer method of calculating the level of income below which one is considered to be in poverty. The original poverty line was based on the cost to prepare nutritional meals times 3. The three is because in the 40s a typical family spent ⅓ of their budget on food. But nutritious food is a much smaller portion of family budgets now. The new calculation includes the cost of other essential needs, including shelter and utilities. I highly recommend watching. Plus Justin is very entertaining.

Blessings, Debra

The Music Corner with Herb Tardiff

Music in the 1950s: The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rhythm & Blues Evolution

The 1950s were pivotal in music history, introducing sounds that shaped the industry’s future.

The birth of rock and roll during this era signified a cultural shift as it synthesized rhythm and blues, pop, and country into a new, dynamic genre.

This music was characterized by its energy, rebellious spirit, and appeal to youth, fostering an environment where the likes of Elvis Presley and Little Richard rose as icons.

Saint Anne's Food Pantry

Thank you all who continue to donate food for St. Anne’s Food Pantry! 

They have updated their needs list: Cereal, Canned chicken, Jelly, Hearty soups, Condiments, Nutrigrain bars, Cracker snack packs, Brownie mix/cake mixes, Juice, Coffee

Please no expired items. Non-perishable items only.

Drop off is in the foyer of Hadley Hall.

You can also order from our Amazon Wishlist by clicking the link below:

Want to get the word out about what’s happening at HCC? If you want to publicize your event or remind the congregation about something, please email the office (hcc1752@gmail.com) by Wednesday at noon so that your information can be included in that week’s Weekly Word. Feel free to send in information up to three weeks in advance of an upcoming event. We want all of the congregation (not just the Team leaders) to be empowered to get the word out about all the activities that are happening at Hampstead Congregational Church!

Our Mailing address:

61 Main Street

Hampstead, NH 03841

Church Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to 3pm