Prayer Vigils for Inauguration Day
One week ago, we gathered by candlelight to offer prayers and to seek comfort following the violent siege of the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.  Given the warnings of armed protests in all 50 states this coming Wednesday, Inauguration day for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, we will gather again on Tuesday the 19th at 7 pm and again on Inauguration Day at 7:30 am to keep candlelight vigil and to pray for a positive and peaceful transfer of power.  To join either vigil, simply follow the links that will be posted on our website.

Please click here to read the article "UCC National Leaders condemn Racist Takeover of the U.S. Capitol"
Message from Sean
Greetings South church! From my first reading of South Church's profile to interviewing with the search committee and staff, I could see and feel the vitality and warmth of your faith community and am excited to join you on this journey of mission and ministry. While we all are facing challenging times individually and as citizens of the world there is before us as a church an opportunity of growth, generosity, and big audacious hope. We are in a liminal moment that is ripe for deep reflection, vision, and movement. As your Interim Associate Minister I look forward to our work over the next 18 months to explore those possibilities and dreams. I am grateful for us to be able to share life in community together and work with you on a process of exploration and action. I feel blessed to be a part of the ministry team at South Church and am excited to be working with Pastor Jed.

Do you remember the rhyme, "Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people?" It is a poignant reminder of our current situation and in our longing, it brings us to what is essential to Christ's church, relationships. Walt, Alison, and Pastor Jed have given me the VIP tour of the church building, I have been to the basement and up to the lower part of the steeple and I am ready to meet all of the people. 

I would love to meet each of you! We have many ways of establishing and building new relationships and I can't wait to hear your individual stories and the story of South Church as you have experienced it and share with you some of my own stories. Be on the lookout on South Church's Facebook Page and website, for upcoming events to connect and feel free to contact me to set up a time to talk on the phone, Zoom, Facetime, text, go for a physical distance walk (sashay and saunter are available upon request), an invigorating outdoor tete a tete, or driveway moment.

Ways you can reach me: dunkerbendigo@gmail.com, cell phone for calls and texting: 603-986-5847. I am open to connections on Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, and Linkedin. Connect with you soon!

Peace be with you,
Sean Dunker-Bendigo
Church Events and Activities
Epiphany Video Devotional 2020

Two congregations . . . one shared ministry. This Epiphany season, we will be offering weekly video devotional along with First Congregational Church in Pelham.  

We will upload two videos starting Wednesday, January 6 through Wednesday, February 10, one from each congregation on our website. Individuals and families have been asked to give 3 to 4 minute video reflections based on various scripture lessons and posing questions.
 
Over the next six weeks we will present twelve reflections. We will embrace the stories of the Magi’s visit; Jesus’ baptism; and the wedding to Cana. As we share these videos, reflect on how you would answer these questions and how these stories are woven into your lives. Together we are sharing our journey.  
Bible Study

Join the Tuesday night Bible Study from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., with the Book of Psalms. Please join us every Tuesday to take turns reading or to listen in. At the end of each chapter, we take a moment to share our thoughts on what we learned. You can join with this zoom link.
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Together Outdoors

You have the opportunity to get out into nature and see fellow South Churchers at Beaver Meadow Golf Course on Sunday, January 24 at 2 p.m. Bring your snowshoes, cross country skis or crampons to this wonderful event. In addition to this event, we are planning to meet up at Beaver Meadow Golf Course on February 21 at 2 p.m. For more information, contact Lorens Joregensen.
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Chit Chat

What’s your New Year’s resolution? What is your hope for 2021? Let’s catch up . . . grab a cup of coffee or tea and maybe a special treat snack on Tuesday, January 26 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Spend an hour catching up with Alison. We will be live via zoom. You don’t have to register for this event, but if you do it will be helpful to know who to expect.
Virtual Bingo

On Sunday, January 31 spend an hour playing Virtual Bingo from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. We will be live via zoom. If you want to play you will need to pick up your bingo sheets prior to the event. Please join Alison and other South Church Families for this fun, social hour. This event is open to all members of all ages. You don’t have to register for this event, but if you do it will be helpful to know who to expect.
Ministries
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Moment of Mission

For the month of January, the Faith in Action committee will be sponsoring a Winter Wear clothing drive to benefit Families in Transition. We're looking for donations of gently used winter jackets, boots, ski pants, mittens / gloves or hats. A donation box has been placed in the side entrance of the church for your contribution. The door is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you have any questions, or can't drop off at the church during those times, please contact Pauline Simonton to arrange a pick-up. 
Memorial Prayer Beads

On Friday, March 13, 2020 our lives changed with the anticipation of the spread of Covid- 19. Overnight schools, restaurants, businesses, shops, offices and churches shut down. We were asked to stay home to “stop the spread,” while hospitals and medical professionals began to embrace for the worst. Almost a year later, the pandemic is very much a part of our lives. We are working from home; education is remote or hybrid; learning how to zoom; cleaning out closets; wearing face masks; finding ways to connect with one another safely; getting tested; and wrap our head around those who have contracted and died of the virus. As of January 13, 2021, 878 New Hampshire residents have died from Covid 19.      
   
It is almost a year that we have been learning how to navigate this pandemic. As a way to honor those who have died, we are working to create prayer beads to display outside the church by March 13, 2021. Each prayer bead will include a bell or charm representing each individual and an additional twelve beads to represent the year we have all endured. Our goal is to create a string of beads for each individual that has died. We are looking for volunteers to help make these prayer beads. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Alison Nyhan. She and some volunteers are working to create kits for you to pick up, put together at home and return to the church when you are done. Also if you have beads you would like to donate to this ministry, please feel free to drop them off at the church in the side entrance by the parking lot. We will take any beads, plastic, wood, metal or glass.  There is a basket for you to put them in.
Let There be More Light

The Property Stewardship Ministry is undertaking two projects to enhance the lighting in our buildings to protect our assets: 

The first project involves the restoration of all of our stained glass windows and the replacement of Plexiglas coverings. We have been able to restore four of the Sanctuary windows, using a generous gift from Carl and Becky Levick. We hope to protect the windows in the coming years. The cost of restoring each of the large Sanctuary windows is approximately $4,000. The cost to restore the large circular window and two adjacent windows facing Pleasant Street will be approximately $20,000. And the cost to restore the other smaller windows on the bell tower and elsewhere are somewhat less.

The second project involves the replacement of all the lights in the Sanctuary and Parish House with either new LED fixtures or LED light bulbs, where it is not possible to replace the fixtures. The total cost of the lighting project is approximately $22,250. (Approximately, $7,550 will be funded with a grant from Unitil; an additional $7,000 of the cost will be paid for using the Church’s annual distribution from the Mosley Trust; which leaves an unpaid balance of approximately $7,700 to be paid by the Church over the next five years.) We expect that our energy savings will offset this repayment obligation. 

If you are interested in funding all or part of the cost of the restoration of one of our windows, that will accelerate our restoration process and advance the date on which all of our windows provide bright, clear light into our Sanctuary or would like to contribute to the cost of the lighting upgrade in order to reduce the portion of the cost that the church must finance, please contact Lou-Ann Poirier for more information on how to make a gift for either of these wonderful projects.

Property Stewardship Ministry, Will Delker, Jason Teaster, Mike Gfroerer and Peter Imse
Many, Many Thanks

The Temple Beth Jacob and South Church Family Promise Steering Committee would like to thank the volunteers who provided food, crafts, and treats for the families. The families said that “they felt a sense of plenty and expressed an overwhelming gratification about what was given.” A mother, who has cared for 11 children over the years, said that she found “it very difficult to receive all the kindness she was offered.” She was the one used to cooking, caring and providing for others. She could not believe the generosity that she and her family we’re shown. It provided for a meaningful holiday week.

This has been a challenging year to run any program. It has been heartening to see how Family Promise has been able to adjust as needed and continue to provide housing and support for families in dire need. The Steering Committee, appreciated our volunteers flexibility. They have weathered a complete paradigm shift in the way support is provided for families, as well as various short-notice changes in constellations of families, locations and instructions. Your generosity and efforts allowed us to add an extra week to our hosting schedule! We are so thankful you making the week a spark of brightness and hope during the Christmas holiday. 

We will be hosting Family Promise the week of February 7 to 13 in the Parish House in Henniker. More volunteer details will be available soon. We will need help with meals and shopping. 
Church Community
Prayers

Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers....

Brother of Betty Jacob who is in the hospital.

The nation as it reels from the siege of the Capitol by Trump supporters.

Members of Congress and the Presidential Cabinet as they wrestle with next steps.

All those devoted to and charged with protecting the security of our democracy.

Those who have lost their lives to Covid and the loved ones they have left behind.

All those who are on the front lines of health care.

If you would like the congregation to pray for someone and be added to our prayer list, please contact Lou-Ann Poirier. She will also make Jed aware of your prayers.
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Birthdays

We want to wish our members who have January Birthdays 
“A Very Happy Birthday!!”

If we missed your birthday that means it wasn’t in the directory; so please send it to Peg Wenzel.
January 1
Owen David and Otis Gamsby

January 5
Christine Frost, Mike Gfroerer
and Terry Shumaker

January 7
Don Hayes

January 8
Aaron Smart

January 9
Andrew deTreville, Helen McGlashan and Colin Vodra

January 10
Angelina Sadowski

January 11
Tracy Renaud

January 13
Tammy Ciminesi, Shari Gamble, Jenn Konstantakos
and Chris Simmers

January 14
Judy Todd and Cindy Woods
January 15
Edna Elle and Adam Sexton

January 16
John Jauhola-Straight
and Marta Rardin

January 18
Alicia David
and Hannah Murray

January 19
Charles Hathaway

January 20
Pandora Martel

January 23
Bob Cummings

January 24
Herb Carpenter
and Lynne Morgan

January 25
Candy Cummings

January 30
Josh Annis, Calli Hatem,
Emile Hatem, Rachel Jones
and Keri Yankus-Vodra

January 31
Mary Lou Fuller and Leah Gray
The Office Hours for entering the building are
Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Thursdays 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
However, if you need to enter the building, please call the office to let them
know you will be arriving and please wear a mask and use hand sanitize