The service will be live-streamed through Facebook Live here or on 3CX here.

We have been asked to share a link to Pastor Kathy's sermon from this past Sunday's Service.

Feel free to share with others.

Pastor Kathy is out of the office returning on 1/3.

Rev. Lois Pinton will preside at worship this Sunday, 1/2.

If you have a pastoral need during this time, you can contact the Rev. Linda Lea Snyder (ph. 203-927-5387).

In case you missed the services, or you want to watch them again, here are the links to the full Christmas Eve Service and full 12/26 Service.

Enjoy!

In memory of my Uncle, a devoted Patriots fan, friend to many, cherished by his family, Roxanne McGaffigan

We had about 70 people join us outside for caroling and worship on Christmas Eve. It was a little bit chilly, but the music, candles and message warmed us all.

Thank you to the Hampstead Lions Club for providing the luminaries that lined our driveway again this year.

The Missions team would like to send out a big thank you to everyone who has been working hard making beautiful blankets for Project Linus. 13 Blankets were donated last week and they posted our donation to Facebook with the following note;

"These wonderful blankets were made by members of the Hampstead Congregational Church, UCC Mission Group.

Thank you, all, so very much... several of them went to various hospitals and agencies recently, comforting and warming children in need."

If you wish to follow the Southwest NH chapter of Project Linus on Facebook and see all the good work they are doing, you can find them at Project Linus Southwest NH Chapter Serving the Monadnock Region. They also pass along thank you notes and photos from recipients which is always nice to see.

Thank you for continuing to share your talents and bring comfort to those in need!

Chris McCune and Al & Marion Lake worked hard this week to clean and wax the Hadley Hall floors.

The floors look fabulous! Thanks Chris, Al & Marion!

Thank you for the generosity of the candy and all the Christmas cards that were written.

The Christmas Baskets were delivered on Saturday, 12/18 to Colonial Poplin in Fremont and Pleasant Valley in Derry.

The staff members at both facilities were very pleased with our recognition of their teams and residents during this difficult time. They wish our church a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Above are 2 pictures of the staff accepting the baskets.

We have a few copies of the January/February Upper Room devotional available in the foyer to Hadley Hall. If you need a copy mailed to you, please contact the main office.

In January we will be welcoming several new members into our congregation. Would you be interested in learning more about membership and Hampstead Congregational Church? Church members have a voice and vote in our annual meetings, and membership signifies a promise we make to be part of a church community. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Pastor Kathy: pastorkathyucc@gmail.com

Several weeks ago we shared information about how much of the plastic we recycle ends up in landfills citing a report from Consumer Reports magazine. They had found that only plastics marked with numbers 1 and 2 were reliably recyclable with other items frequently “contaminating” the stream thus causing the whole load to be put in the landfill. Since the Chinese stopped taking all of the plastic we could send, plastic recycling has not been profitable for the towns.

New Hampshire Public Radio had a story of how three New Hampshire towns have investigated and changed their recycling so that it is bringing in money again – in some cases double what they did four years ago. One key piece is that in those four years there has become more domestic infrastructure for recycling.

Some recycling process changes have also taken place. In Derry the transfer station contains a swap section that is neatly organized. There is old furniture, discarded holiday decorations, toys, clothing, books, and separated mounds of plastic, cardboard, glass, and aluminum.

Hooksett started sending their recyclables to the landfill a few years ago because recycling it was costing twice as much than sending it to the landfill. They had single-stream system. So the town switched to a system where people sorted their own recycling at the dump. Residents have been receptive, the recycle stream is cleaner, and Hooksett makes more money. An informal swap area has sprung up as well. In Lebanon they’ve also been working on including composting for food waste and offer tips on how to cut down on trash and recyclable waste.

For more information and some of the details of the market for recyclable materials see the entire article here.

Also remember that we shared a recycling option for all of the plastic bags, bubble wrap, and non-molded plastic packaging. The family at 30 Collins Dr. in Hampstead collects all of that in a recycle container at the end of their driveway to recycle and create the TREK benches for the town.

Your Peace & Justice Team

For those of you who have been busy sewing, quilting, knitting, or crocheting, we have an new opportunity to donate those handmade items!

We located a national organization that has local chapters called 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!

If in doubt, please call the church or send an email to pastorkathyucc@gmail.com.