New Look For 3CX Users
If you use 3CX to watch our Sunday Service, you are going to notice a different look to the initial screen when you click on the link starting this Sunday.
Before you tune in, you may be prompted to confirm your camera and microphone options as well as having to type in your name. If it asks you to allow camera and microphone, press, "allow".
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Fuel Assistance Donation
As we all know, fuel prices have skyrocketed this year. Each winter we take a special two-week offering to help offset this extra church expense, given our building is large and used so extensively.
If you are so moved, we’d be grateful for anything you could give.
There will be special envelopes in this week's bulletin and in the foyer of Hadley Hall.
Thanks for your generosity!
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Spring Forward!
It’s that time of year again – daylight saving time begins this Sunday, March 13 at 2AM, don't forget to move your clocks forward an hour – another recommendation while you’re at it is to check the batteries in your smoke detectors.
Enjoy the extra day light during the evenings!
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SINGING GROUP FOR EASTER SUNDAY
We are putting together a singing group for Easter Sunday…and we hope that YOU will join us!
The music is a combination of “This Is My Father’s World” and the classic “What a Wonderful World”, this music is a delight to sing and a favorite to hear.
Copies of the anthem are in the church office now and ready to be signed out and picked up by anyone who likes to sing.
Herb will make a piano accompaniment to send out to everyone who picks up a copy so that we can practice on our own time at home. We will then rehearse around the keyboard after church on Palm Sunday and be ready to sing on Easter Sunday.
Singing will be from the balcony on Easter morning – hallelujah!!!
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Staff Relations New Series
HCC Staff Appreciation Sunday
The Staff Relations Group is starting a new series to individually recognize the HCC Staff members. We are kicking off this new series on Sunday, March 27.
Let’s make some Joyful Noise in honor of our outstanding music director, Herb Tardiff!
Join us on Sunday, March 27 during worship to show our appreciation for Herb’s music ministry. (Also, it’s his birthday!) We will celebrate with cake and goodies at coffee hour.
If you would like to make a donation towards an appreciation gift for Herb, please make your donation by March 24 and tag the donation with "Herb-Staff Appreciation". Thank you!
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Singing and Coffee Hour Resumed This Past Sunday!
We are so grateful that the positivity rate continues to decline rapidly. Because of this, we have resumed singing during the service and we will continue to have coffee hour!
We're so excited to have coffee hour back, but we do need people willing to run it (set up, take down, etc.). Would you be willing? Please contact the office and let them know what dates you are available.
Please consider joining us for worship in person.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!
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Worship This Week
Please join us in the sanctuary
or online at 10am for the
Second Sunday in Lent
As we pledge in our covenant, we encourage all who attend in-person worship on Sunday mornings to social distance and wear a mask.
Then please join us for coffee hour!
The service will be live-streamed through Facebook Live here or on 3CX here.
artwork: Diving Deep Tight Bud © Mary Southard
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Lenten Reflection Booklets & Discussion Groups
We have a wonderful daily Lenten devotional booklet available to anyone who wants one. This Living Compass devotional focuses on practicing letting go of all that gets in our way of God.
Copies are available in the foyer of Hadley Hall, at worship services.
Our Lenten Discussion Groups met for the first time this week. Everyone is enjoying the discussion and we encourage you to join too. It's not too late! All are invited! We will be meeting for five more weeks on Monday evenings at 6:30pm (online only) or Tuesday mornings at 10:30am (online and in person). If you are interested in learning more, please contact Pastor Kathy.
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Harry Santacrose
Celebrates Turning 90!
Last month, Harry celebrated his 90th birthday. Given some health challenges, Harry could use our support and encouragement these days. Consider sending him (and Bernice) a card:
Cards can be sent to
Harry Santacrose
193 Main Street
Kingston, NH 03848
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Looking for Tech Volunteers
Do you like to work with technology?
Then we need you!
We are looking for a few more people to volunteer on Sunday mornings to livestream our services.
Currently, we have two volunteers switching livestreaming every other week. We are looking for at least two more volunteers allowing each volunteer to livestream one Sunday a month.
After 2-3 days of training, the volunteer position would be a 3-hour commitment one Sunday morning a month.
If you are interested, please contact the church office @ 603-329-6985.
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Steeple Repair & Church Painting
We have a 3rd new family that will match donations designated for the building repairs up to a total of $1,000!
Please donate and watch your donation double in value.
Our steeple is disappearing! Every time we have a storm or a strong gust of wind, parts of the steeple blow off. You might also notice the paint falling off of the church. We need to paint the church to keep it from rotting away.
The cost of repairing the steeple and painting the church comes to about $85,000.
If you are interested in creating another matching challenge, please contact Chris McCune or the church office.
Thank you to everyone who has already donated and to the three families that created the match challenges!
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A Word from Peace & Justice
Opinion: Dear parents: Don’t just tell your kids not to ‘stare’ at mine
By Christina Cipriano. March 2, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. EST
“Don’t stare, Hannah!”
Those were the scolding words a parent yelled as she hurried her 6-year-old away from us on the soccer field.
My family was still gathering to leave. With four young children, we’re always the last to leave. On this day, we’d been living the suburban dream, having walked to the field — my 9-year-old son, Miles, on his adaptive Rifton bike. It’s rather magical as far as adaptive equipment goes: wheelchair meets tricycle meets stroller meets Transformer. Our younger three kids think it’s cool. No wonder Hannah was staring.
To be clear, I had no problem with Hannah’s behavior. But her mother’s reprimand? It made me sick to my stomach. I, too, was raised being told not to stare, and I recognize that the expression doesn’t come from a place of malice. But the words hurt more now than they did before.
These are the opening words of Christina Cipriano in her opinion piece describing her family’s experience with being “othered” because of a disability. She reflects on how this reaction of patents to their own fully able children comes about and suggests other ways to engage with the disabled to value them and to called their own child’s curiosity. It has pointers for all of us.
Reminder! Webinar on Habitat Restoration for Churches that faith communities can be a part of. The Webinar is at 1pm on Mar. 23. Usually if you register and cannot attend, a recording of the webinar will be sent to you. Information and registration here.
Your Peace & Justice Action Group
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Easter Food Drive to Support
Saint Anne Ecumenical Food Pantry
The needs for the Easter Distribution are:
Quick Bread mix
Muffin mix
Rice Pilaf
Grated Cheese
Sugar
Cereal
Coffee
Boxed Crackers
Please drop off any donations in the foyer of Hadley Hall
Thank you for all your support!
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Ash Wednesday Ashes to Go
Here are some pictures from last Wednesday's distribution of Ashes in front of the Church.
We had about 20 people come through to receive Ashes from Pastor Kathy.
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Public Service Announcement
Hampstead Property Tax Relief Options
There are people in our town living on fixed income. When we discuss improvements to our town and what we are willing to pay for as a community, we need to keep them in mind on how to reduce the tax impact to them.
Thank you to Hampstead Hearts for pulling all this important information together.
Different types of tax relief: Elderly Exemption, Veterans Credit, Blind Exemption and Disabled Exemption.
What can you do? Share this information with anyone who may be able to receive property tax relief. Not everyone is on FB so any sharing that you can do would help our community & neighbors.
1) Check out this Hampstead town website or call (603) 329-4100 Ext. 105 to ask for ways to receive relief on property taxes
2) You can also go to the state website to get more information. This is not the easiest site to understand or navigate so calling Hampstead's town hall may be the best first step.
Terri Malcolm
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March Birthdays
Happy Birthday to:
Stan Lapham 3/8
Tom Manning 3/13
Chloe Stone 3/19
Chris McCune 3/23
Thomas Shallow 3/25
Al Lake 3/26
Herb Tardiff 3/27
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This month we help serve on Wednesday, March 23. If you are interested in volunteering contact Jane DeRosa via email
janederosa@comcast.net.
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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.
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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!
Rev. Kathy also has a page for all who are interested to follow.
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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
Emails 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--she'll address it to your name. She will never ask you for money/gift cards over email.
Also, any email from Pastor Kathy will always have her signature line on the bottom with her phone number/address.
If in doubt, please call the church or send an email to pastorkathyucc@gmail.com.
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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 Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to 3:00pm
See what's happening on our social sites
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Hampstead Congregational Church Website
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