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Wishing everyone a
happy & healthy New Year!
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Worship This Week
Please join us at 10am on Sunday for Epiphany Sunday & Celebration of Communion
Coffee hour will be held in Hadley Hall
after the service.
We hope you will join us in person or online.
The service will be live streamed through Facebook Live here
or on 3CX here.
artwork: "Fragile Mystery" © Mary Southard
www.ministryofthehearts.org. Used with permission.
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Looking for a New Clerk
Are you looking for a way to serve the church in the new year?
Our congregation is looking for someone to fill the position of clerk. The main responsibilities of the role are to take notes and participate at the month Ministry Oversight meetings and at the annual congregational meeting. Membership in the congregation is required for this position.
The position will begin after our congregational meeting in February. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please contact the church office.
Please consider if you could help our church by filling this vital role.
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Sunday School This Sunday
Sunday school will be offered during the service this Sunday, 1/8. After the opening hymn, Pastor Kathy will offer a children's message, then all children are invited head downstairs to participate in Sunday School.
All children are welcome to attend!
Spread the word!
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Christmas Eve Service
We had a beautiful and well-attended candlelight service on Christmas Eve. The children loved celebrating by raising their own candles and singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.
If you missed the service, you can see it here.
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Emerson Village Crafters Donate 15 Blankets to
Project Linus
A very special thank you to Marcia Kneeland and the incredibly talented ladies from Emerson Village for donating blankets to Project Linus!
HCC Missions Team collects blankets of all types and sizes to pass on to this great ministry.
Project Linus' 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.
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Prayer Shawls & Baptismal Blankets Needed
Calling crocheters and knitters!
We are in need of some more hand made prayer shawls and baptism blankets. These are given out when people are in need of our care, and when a child is baptized at HCC.
We have given out over 40 prayers shawls and baptismal blankets in the past few years, and folks really appreciate this ministry.
Drop them off in the office or give them to Pastor Kathy. Thanks in advance!
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Capital Campaign Update
The Capital Campaign has received an additional $10k in donations and pledges since September, bringing our total to date to $130k or 37% towards our goal of $350k.
The team is currently preparing an outreach campaign targeting the wider community including local businesses which is planned to start after the first of the year.
The steeple repair planned for this year has been delayed until next year as our chosen contractor was not able to perform the repairs we had hoped.
It is our hope that we can encourage additional pledges and/or additional donations over the next two years.
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Steeple Lightings
Light our steeple to honor a loved one.
Perfect for memorials, weddings,
birthdays, anniversaries and more.
Please spread the word about this important ministry
our church offers the community.
To light the steeple, call the office
at 603-329-6985
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A Word from Peace & Justice
The information on the Winter Farmer's Market in Stratham. It will be held this Saturday, Jan. 7, from 10:00 - 2:00 at the Cooperative Middle School,100 Academy Way. The market alternates Saturdays with Rollinsford.
For more details about vendors, music, and prepared food visit seacoasteatlocal.org
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The Music Corner by Herb Tardiff
The story behind “White Christmas”. Undoubtedly, this song is the most popular Christmas song of all time. It was written by Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant from Russia.
This song was first recorded just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Bing Crosby would always sing it when visiting the troops overseas.
“White Christmas” is unusual because it is not upbeat and doesn’t refer to make-believe figures or the birth of Jesus. The songs melancholy theme was probably attributed in part to the death of Irving Berlin’s three-month-old son on Christmas day.
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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.
1/3/23 Newsletter
Each week, we will update this section of our Weekly Word with the new link for the current newsletter.
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Food Drive to Support
Saint Anne Ecumenical
Food Pantry
Grated cheese, salad dressing, pasta sauce, quick bread/muffin mix,
hearty/meaty soups (Chunky, Progresso), boxed crackers, hot cocoa,
cereal (Cheerios & Multigrain Cheerios).
Please drop off any donations in the foyer of Hadley Hall
Please, no expired items.
Thank you for all your support!
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Next volunteer opportunity will be Wednesday, December 28th. If you are interested in volunteering contact Jane DeRosa via email at janederosa@comcast.net. | |
The Sonshine Soup Kitchen needs volunteers to prepare and package the food for "To Go Meals." We partner with Atkinson Congregational Church once a month on the 4th Wednesday of the month to help out from 3-6pm. | | |
Blankets for Project Linus
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!
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Are you on Facebook? Do you follow Hampstead Congregational Church? Please like our page to know about all the great events in the church. Liking also supports our church when people check us out. If you are already connected, share our good news!
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If you are on Instagram, please follow us, and let your friends know about us by sharing our posts! Click this link
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Scam Emails & Texts
Emails and Texts are often sent, saying they are from Pastor Kathy or another staff member. She (or the HCC staff) will never send out a generic email/text--she'll address it to your name. She will never ask you for money/gift cards over email nor via a text.
Also, any email from Pastor Kathy will always have her signature line on the bottom with her phone number/address.
If in doubt, please contact the church office or Pastor Kathy.
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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!
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Our Mailing Address:
61 Main Street
Hampstead, NH 03841
Church Summer Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to Noon
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Hampstead Congregational Church Website
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