July 20th Weekly Word
A Prayer for Today


Loving God, increase my faith in you. When confronted with the magnitude of the world’s sufferings, give me the grace to trust in the long haul. When besieged by doubt and despair, remind me to look for the small signs of your presence, embedded in the daily details of my life. When tempted toward cynicism and negativity, grace me with a mellow heart, so that I continue to find hope in beauty, love and laughter. In deep faith I pray. Amen.

-- from a Salesian inspiration book
grateful
A Message from Our Staff
Relations Group

In recognition of Pastor Kathy’s dedication to our faith community during these trying times, the Staff Relations Group has advocated for Kathy to have an extra week of vacation time.

This recommendation came to us from the Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Richard Slater, and from ministry support groups of the Rockingham Association and the NH Conference of the United Church of Christ. This request was then approved by Ministry Oversight in acknowledgment of Pastor Kathy’s outstanding ministry to our beloved church.

Along with Kathy's already scheduled vacation week, she will be out of the office July 18-31st.

Many thanks and blessings to Pastor Kathy!

Joann Klawitter: SRG Chair
Members: Jane Conradsen, Fred Malcolm, & Pam Mc Gravey
Out of Office
Pastor Kathy's Vacation


As noted above, Pastor Kathy is on vacation now through Sunday, July 31st.

 Rev. David Yasenka is providing pastoral coverage during these dates - we ask that you contact Judy Dobson if a pastoral emergency arises and she will connect with Rev. David Yasenka.

Rev. David Yasenka will celebrate worship with HCC this Sunday, July 24 and the service on Sunday, July 31 will be lay led.
Worship This Week

Please join us in the sanctuary
or online at 10am for the
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost


Coffee hour will be held inside after the service.
We hope you will join us.

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

artwork: Circle Of Life, Summer © Mary Southard
A message from the Community Meal Group
Save the Date - Saturday, 8/13
4PM - 6PM

We are excited to be able to be getting back to hosting community meals. They are fun and are an easy way to invite people to join us in a fellowship event.

Our next event will be a Pulled Pork Barbecue on Saturday, August 13, from 4-6. We will be serving pulled pork, rolls, local corn on the cob, baked beans, coleslaw, pasta salad and brownies with ice cream for dessert. Vegan and gluten free options will be available as well.

We have purchased pork shoulders which are in the freezer in the kitchen. If you have a great recipe and are willing to make some pulled pork, we would love your help. There is also a sign-up sheet in Hadley Hall to sign up to donate other items we will need. There will be a “suggested donation” of $10, but no one will be turned away. Any donations you can give will go toward the costs of the food and paper goods to allow us to keep this a “Friendraising” event.

The other way you can help is by spreading the word to your family, friends and social groups. We hope you can attend and share the blessings of our wonderful church family.

Questions can be directed to Kari or Ellen or emailed to the church office so Suzanne can forward them to us. Thank you so much for all your help!
Well Attended Coffee Hour
July 17th

Come join us after Sunday Service!
A note from Peace and Justice

This is a list of farmer's markets in the state this summer. We have included the whole state in case you may be travelling and want to sample some local "color." By supporting local farmers, you are keeping your food dollars local, supporting local businesses and protecting the open space we all enjoy. It is a treat to meet the people who actually grow and produce the food we eat, and you may find interesting selections not available in grocery stores. Why not make it a part of your summer routine?

Check out all the locations here.
The Video Pastor Kathy
Preached About on Sunday

This past Sunday I preached about hope and love and generative conversations--conversations in which we are vulnerable and courageous enough to share and listen to one another. I mentioned this video of two pastors who have different beliefs about abortion, but have an incredibly meaningful and loving conversation. I would invite you to watch it and be inspired by their courage.

Pastor Kathy

Here is an excerpt from the Peace and Justice Group's summary of the video:

The closing was a list of “take-aways” they had from preparing for and participating in this conversation.

● Don’t assume you know someone’s story; most issues are not binary.
● Don’t be afraid of conversation.
● Start from a place of love and respect.
● Have curiosity about the issue; be willing to look at all aspects of it.
● Find and give a safe space to get and share information.

These are great tenets from which to start any conversation on a difficult topic and the video above is well worth your time.

The Scripture and Sermon from Sunday, 7/10


lf you missed Sunday 7/10's service, or would like to hear the sermon again, here is the link (or click on the picture).
Unfortunately, we were having technical issues, so some of the words are hard to hear.
2022 Q2 Statements


On Wednesday, 7/13 we sent out the 2022 Q2 Donation Statements.

Where we had an email address, we emailed your statement. If we didn't have an email address, we USPS mailed your statement.

If you didn't get your statement, please contact the office and we will work on getting your copy to you.
Is your garden producing crops you can share? Would you like some?

If you'd like to make a donation from the bounty of your garden, please bring produce items to Hadley Hall when you come for Sunday Service or drop them off anytime in the basket located in the foyer.

Donations for the produce you take can be placed in the offering basket (on Sunday mornings) or in the lockbox in the foyer.

All proceeds go to RIP Medical Debt to help pay off medical debt for those in need.
For every $1 you donate, $100 of medical debt is paid off!!
For more information on RIP Medical Debt, direct donations to the organization, and personal stories by those that have been helped, go to https://ripmedicaldebt.org
Steeple Lit July 20 - July 26


The steeple is lit to bless the July 24th wedding of Mackenzie Finocchiaro & Frank Fromwiller.

Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Fromwiller from the Finocchiaro Family!
Office Summer Hours

Office summer hours continue through Thursday, August 25th.

The office will be open from 9AM to Noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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.


Each week, we will update this section of our Weekly Word with the new link for the current newsletter.
Missions Opportunities:
Food Drive to Support
Saint Anne Ecumenical Food Pantry




The New needs for the Food Pantry are:

cans of Chef Boyaredee pasta, coffee, granola bars, boxes of crackers, salad dressing, and any type of cereal


Please drop off any donations in the foyer of Hadley Hall

Thank you for all your support!
Next volunteer opportunity will be on Wednesday, July 27. If you are interested in volunteering contact Jane DeRosa via email
janederosa@comcast.net.
Volunteer @ Soup Kitchen
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!
Connect on Facebook
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!

We are now on Instagram!
If you are on Instagram, please follow us, and let your friends know about us by sharing our posts! Click this link
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 call the church or send an email to pastorkathyucc@gmail.com.
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 Summer Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to Noon
Hampstead Congregational Church Website