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

Following the service, all are invited to an outdoor coffee hour! "Goodies" will be on a table outside of Hadley Hall. There will be chairs available for those who would like to sit.

We are also looking for volunteers to read scripture at worship, and/or to help with coffee hour prep and cleanup. If you can help, please contact the Church Office or sign up after service.

Please join us on Sunday, October 3rd in front of the Church, for a Blessing of the Animals! There will be a short prayer at 1pm, but you can drop by anytime between 1pm and 2:15pm.

We invite you to bring your pets on leashes or in carriers, or bring a picture of your pet to be blessed.

Pets are one of our greatest gifts, especially in these challenging days, and we want to take time to celebrate and show our gratitude for them.

Please let Pastor Kathy know if you are interested, and register by October 4 here: UCC Meeting website. Cost is $25.

The Fundraising and Missions Teams have joined together to host a Clothing Drive Fundraiser to support Epilepsy Foundation New England (EFNE) and also raise funds for our church.

Simply clean out your closet and ask your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. You will be decluttering, recycling, and doing good all at the same time! 

Clothing drives account for more than 50% of the EFNE budget so they can really use our help. We in turn get paid for every pound of clothes we collect!

Wondering how much can be raised through used clothing? Global Goods Foundation raised $650 for community-based projects. Weare Middle School raised a whopping $6,700 for their 8th grade class trip. And thanks to Barbara Dennis, we already have 191 pounds of clothing donated to us from the Hampstead Library Thrift Store.

What are we looking for? First and foremost, all items must be clean and in good condition. They include the following:

  • Clothing

  • Outerwear

  • Footwear (shoes, boots, heels, etc.)

  • Accessories (belts, socks, ties, scarves, hats, etc.

  • Backpacks and handbags

  • Costumes & dress-up clothes

  • Household fabrics (bedding, sofa covers, tablecloths, towels, etc.)

Please place items in trash bags and leave them in the foyer of Hadley Hall at your convenience now thru the end of November. If you have a large quantity of bags, contact Barbara Wallack at 603-548-8326, and she will do her best to pick them up.

As always, we thank you for your support--

Consumer Reports had an informative article about plastic recycling last week. Its tag line was "Think that all of what you toss in the recycling bin actually gets recycled? Think again."

If you are like me I don't have the energy to wonder about how effective the recycling provided by the waste pickup actually is. But, according to Consumer Reports, it turns out that only about 9% of the plastic put in the bin gets recycled. Most of what we are told will be accepted is thrown into landfills or incinerators. Really only the plastics labeled with a 1 or 2 are consistently recycled.

The article explains where most of the plastic goes and what steps individuals can take to limit plastic waste. Some of the suggestions are actually easy to do. Some maybe not always. Read the article here:

A handy reference sheet is in the article with links to information listed below:

MORE ON PLASTICS & RECYCLING

How to Quit Plastic

What's Gone Wrong With Plastic Recycling

How to Recycle Old Electronics

How to Eat Less Plastic

Most Plastic Products Contain Potentially Toxic Chemicals, Study Reveals

Also, we have a Hampstead resident, Darlene Cote, who collects plastic film and bags to recycle into benches for the town and trails. Here's the information from the FaceBook group, Hampstead Happenings:

You can drop off plastic at Darlene's home at 30 Collins Drive East Hampstead (Blue house with black shutters). She has a recycling bin set up at the end of her driveway. If you are unable to drop off, FaceBook message her or call her at 378-0189 and she can pick up. Thanks for supporting the recycling efforts.

We are looking for some people who love our church and would be willing to help with a capital campaign to raise funds for renovation of the steeple and other building projects. Perhaps you have skills in marketing or fundraising, or are interested in historic preservation, or in making connections within our local community. Perhaps you simply love our church community and want it to thrive for decades to come! To learn more, to volunteer, or to share ideas, please contact Fred Malcolm (603-661-2418), fmalcolm2001@yahoo.com, or Pastor Kathy. 

Thank you everyone for your continued generosity to the Mission Committee’s drives.

For the summer supply collection to benefit the Upper Room’s Summer Youth’s outdoor service projects, we collected a whopping amount of provisions comprised of:  over 50 bottles of water, 300 individual snacks including cheese & crackers, fruit snacks, pudding cups, Pirate Booty, Goldfish, cookies, apple sauce, chips, and granola as well as 18 containers of sunscreen.

Again, THANK YOU, The Missions Committee

If in doubt, please call the church or send an email to pastorkathyucc@gmail.com.