Open Positions at HCC

Are you looking for a way to serve the church in the new year?

We have several open positions on our teams and executive board.

Our congregation is looking for someone to fill the position of clerk--they take notes and participate at the monthly Ministry Oversight meetings and at the annual congregational meeting.

We are looking for an at-large member who can serve the church by participating in Ministry Oversight. It is a small time commitment but gives you an active role in the life and decision making of our church.

We are also looking for people to serve on our Operations Team--those who take care of our building and grounds. Chris McCune has served as chair of Operations for several years and is stepping down, so we are in need of someone willing to chair this important team. Thank you Chris for ALL the time and energy you have spent in ministry to our church these past years.

Of course, anyone who is interested can join our teams or groups at any time. Looking to get more involved in Missions, Worship, Discipleship, Stewardship, Operations, Peace and Justice, Fundraising, or Hospitality? If so, there is a place for you!

Interested? Let Fred Malcolm, Pastor Kathy, or a member of the team know.

HCC Annual Meeting

February 12th, 11am

Our 270th Annual Meeting will be held in Hadley Hall on February 12, 2023, following worship. Please attend this vital gathering, as we look back at this past year’s accomplishments and look ahead to God’s call in our congregational life this year.

A quorum of members is needed.

The 2022 annual report was e-mailed/mailed to each member family last week. If you did not receive it, please contact the office or click here to get it online.

Please take some time to read the reports and familiarize yourself with the proposed budget for 2023.

2022 Year-End Statements

The Q4 year-end donations statements for 2022 will be emailed soon.

We apologize for the delay in getting them out. If you are in need of your statement ASAP, please contact the office, and Maria will help you.

If we don't have an email address, we will mail your statement.

Worship This Week

Please join us in Hadley Hall

at 10am on Sunday for the

Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany

with 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: "One Sacred Community" © Mary Southard

www.ministryofthehearts.org. Used with permission.

Save the date for our next community dinner--

Perhaps you can bring goods or help out at the dinner itself. Sign up sheets are in Hadley Hall. Or, call or email the office to sign up. Hope to see you then!

Prepared to Serve 2023

Registration is now Open!

Prepared to Serve 2023, our conference's day of workshops to help us be a better church, will return to an in-person gathering at Pembroke Academy on February 25th, 2023 with the theme Connecting & Reconnecting.

There are a slate of workshops that will provide training and sharing on the topics most commonly asked for in this time of emergence.  

If you are interested in attending, please let Pastor Kathy know. Those who have attended in the past have found it engaging and helpful, and a great opportunity to connect with people across the state.

To register and for more information, click here.

A Special "Thank You" from

Project Linus

Dear Blanketeers,

Oh my! You folks have certainly been busy! I picked up your two huge bags of blankets on Sunday. Thank you, thank you! What an incredible assortment of sizes and styles. Something for everyone.

The quilts are adorable, the afghans are so colorful, soft and warm. I love studying the various stitch patterns and color combinations. You are all so talented and generous.

We have a number of requests for all sizes of blankets throughout your area, so your wonderful creations will go out very soon.

Thank you! Happy new year!

Robyn - Project Linus

Thank You For Abolishing

Medical Debt

Please let this email serve as an acknowledgment of your generosity and a receipt for your donation.

Your donation was received as follows:

 Hampstead Congregational Church 1/19/2023 $900.00

Your gift will abolish debilitating medical debt, giving recipients and their families a fresh start and empowering them to embark on a new path of greater financial stability. We, along with more than 5,500,000 beneficiaries and their families, are very grateful for your compassionate action. Your support has helped RIP Medical Debt abolish more than $8 billion of medical debt since inception. On behalf of our program beneficiaries, thank you!

Manchester Diaper Pantry Thank You

In response to our congregation's Christmas Drive, Gabbi, the coordinator of the Manchester Diaper Drive, posted this on Facebook:

Hampstead Congregational Church, you all ROCK!!!

Thank you SO much for your continued support of The Pantry and your amazing and generous donation!! 🥰🥰🥰

New HCC Member & Friends

Directory Coming Soon

We are getting ready to print our HCC Members and Friends directory.

If you do not want your information published in this printing, please contact the office ASAP.

If you have a new picture that you would like to add to your profile,

please email it to hcc1752@gmail.com

A Word from Peace & Justice

We will be supplying information for the Tea Talks at Black Heritage Trail New Hampshire for February through the middle of March. These descriptions are taken from BHTNH website.

Sunday, February 5 | 2:00 PM | Portsmouth Public Library

"Before European Contact": Changing the Ways We Present Our History



This conversation aims to foreground the silenced stories of Indigenous and African experiences on this continent before European contact. Panelists will also discuss how we can change the language we use to tell a truer history when that history is told from an Indigenous and African point of view.

Presenters:

Anthony Bogues, Brown University

Anne Jennison, New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs

Akeia de Barros Gomes, Mystic Seaport Museum

Meghan Howey (Moderator), Interim Director, Center for the Humanities, UNH

This series is available in-person or virtually. 

Read more here. Register to attend virtually here or in person here

Sunday, February 12 | 2:00 PM | Portsmouth Public Library

The Paradox of Education for Black & Brown Children

For this panel, presenters will discuss the effect “divisive concepts” laws have had on teaching excluded perspectives in their classroom. The panel will also explore the paradox of an educational system based on the notion of socializing young people into the existing structure of society, while also claiming to have, as its core mission, the goal of teaching students to be critical thinkers. 

Presenters:

Sarah Robinson, Granite State Progress

Erin Bakkom, President of the Association of Portsmouth Teachers

Judy DeRosier, Doctoral Student, Teachers College, Columbia University

David Watters (Moderator), NH State Senator 

This series is available in person or virtually. 

Read more here.          

Register to attend virtually here or in person here

TEA TALK SUGGESTED READING

Want to be part of the dialogue? Before you join us for the first Tea Talk on February 5,

take a look at our suggested reading list and brush up on some of the topics that will be discussed. Looking for quick readings? We have links to shorter essays too.

View suggested reading list here

February Birthdays

Jill G. 02/04 

Erin C. 02/05 

Terri M. 02/05 

Dave C. 02/12 

Barbara W. 02/13 

Charles C. 02/14 

Lois B. 02/19

If you would like your birthday recognized, please call the office to make sure we have it in our records!

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.

1/31/23 Newsletter

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

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!

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.