congregational church of henniker · joyce morrison is from a collection called the best loved...

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Congregational

Church

of

Henniker March/April 2017

Cartoon by John McPherson, published in Concord

Monitor August 23, 2015

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From our Pastor: This spring I will end my pastorate after 12 years

of preaching, leading

worship and creating a welcoming community

here in Henniker. The

transitions that Bob and I went through in 2016, culminating in my move to Concord are helping

to reform my vision of a new life. I am sure 2017 will be full of transitions in the life of the

congregation as you reform your vision of the

church’s role in your lives. The process of calling a new settled minister will mirror the

process you all go through in your personal

transitions, whether it be retirement, having children grow up and leave their family, or

moving from one home to another. Life never stays the same and though Jesus is the same

yesterday, today and tomorrow, the church is

called to transform because times do change.

World Service Committee Our committee continues to support Claire Aucoin's mission in Colombia. There are envelopes in the pews for donations or you can send them to the church office. We appreciate any amount you are able to donate. Our goal is to donate $100/month.

Thank you to all of the Family Promise volunteers who helped in February! It takes a lot of volunteers to host the families for the week. We are always looking for more volunteers for this program. Please contact Sally Auer at 428-7773,

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Karen Landes at 428-6359 or Sue Crawford at 670-4147 if you are able to help. You can also contact the church office.

The Food 4 Friends program provides snacks for about 45 children who may not have enough food over the weekend. Please contact the church office or Deb Dow if you would like to make a donation or help pack the bags.

Our committee is assembling school and hygiene kits for Church World Service. They will be shipped to families and communities in need around the world.

The hygiene kits need the following supplies:

One hand towel measuring approximately 15″ x 28″ to 16″ x 32″ (no fingertip, bath, dish towel or micro-fiber)

One washcloth One wide-tooth comb removed from the

package One fingernail or toenail clipper removed from

the package One bath-size bar of soap in the wrapper One toothbrush in the package Ten standard size Band-Aids

The school kits need the following supplies:

One pair of blunt scissors removed from the package (rounded tip, only)

Three 70-count bound notebooks or notebooks totaling 200-210 pages (no loose-leaf or filler paper)

One 30-centimeter / 12” ruler

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One hand-held pencil sharpener removed from the package

One large eraser (no pencil cap erasers) Six new, unsharpened pencils with erasers

removed from the package One box of 24 crayons (only 24) One 12”x14” to 14”x17” finished size cotton or

lightweight canvas bag (solid color or kid-friendly fabric) with cloth handles (no reusable shopping bags, backpacks, or bags with logos)

Save the date…May 13th we will be having a community event similar to our Mother’s Day Tea in 2016. More details to follow.

Thanks,

Karen

Letter from our Global Ministers The UCC has Global Ministries in many countries. Lindley Kinerk and the Rev. Andy Jepson are serving as longterm volunteers in Sri Lanka. Here is one of their recent reports from the field:

From February 10th:

Hip replacement surgery is hip replacement surgery

the world 'round but the Sri Lankan hospital

experience is quite another thing. I should have been ready for a unique experience by

the mere fact that the surgery was scheduled for

Sunday evening at 7:30. We had to arrive early

Sunday morning for blood tests and whatever. The

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place was hopping even on Sunday morning. Our

trishaw driver who had brought us all the way down

from our village, funnily, stayed with us throughout

the tests and checking in procedures and didn’t leave

till we were settled in the room a couple of hours

later. Our room had two beds, a standard hospital bed for

the patient and a twin bed for me, the ‘carer’. While

both beds had bottom sheets and a pillow there were

no blankets and no 2nd sheet. A nurse came in very

soon and asked for Andy’s wash cloth. Nope, we

hadn’t thought to bring one. Or toilet paper. So I

hopped on a bus and went to town and bought

blankets, a towel and washcloth and toilet paper and

hurried back to the hospital. Friends came by while she was in surgery and stayed

with me for the duration till the surgery was over at

about 11:00 pm. The surgeon came and told us that

everything went well. He was happy that she was in

good shape and had strong bones (thanks to

Fosamax, we assume) and should recover well. “My

parents live with me. So I especially like to help old

people because I am thinking of my parents.” Oh. (I

always have a hard time being an 'old people'.) We

went in to the recovery room one at a time to see that

she was doing just fine. The nurse asked me to bring

her some water but when I brought a cup of water the

nurse asked if I didn’t have a bottle of water that I

could bring instead. I could and I did. [Lindley

Kinerk]

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New at the Lending Library [found in the narthex on the right as you

exit the sanctuary]

Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way by John

Paul II

This Odd and Wondrous Calling by Lillian Daniel

and Martin B. Copenhaver

The Wounded Healer by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Who Do You Say I Am? : Meeting the Historical

Jesus in Prayer by William A. Barry

Henry Nouwen: A Restless Seeking for God by

Jurjen Beumer

Fridays at the Peak Paul and Milli Knudsen

are in their 3rd year of

doing Fridays at the Peak,

where everyone is

welcome to stop in on

Friday evenings at 6 to

eat and play. No

reservations necessary;

just show up. Like

“loaves and the fishes”

there always seems to be

enough to eat (and then

some!), and we have some interesting

conversations that flow from whatever

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activity we have going: board games,

making music, reading poetry, watching a

movie, talking about travel or experiences.

The address is 81 Stonehenge Drive, on the

side of Whisper Trail at Pat’s Peak. In the

weekly newsletter, the menu is usually

announced ahead of time. If you have

dietary issues,

bring whatever

you like to eat.

The fun is in the

gathering. The

last week for Fridays at the Peak will be

March 31st for this year. Plenty more

Fridays for you to come!

At a recent Friday gathering, we had a

poetry reading session. This one offered by

Joyce Morrison is from a collection called

The Best Loved Poems of the American

People:

“It Isn’t The Church---It’s You”

(anonymous author) If you want to have the kind of church

Like the kind of church you like,

You needn’t slip your clothes in a grip

And start on a long, long hike.

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You’ll only find what you left behind,

For there’s nothing really new.

It’s a knock at yourself when you knock your church;

It isn’t the church---it’s you.

When everything seems to be going wrong,

And trouble seems everywhere brewing;

When prayer meeting, Young People’s meeting, and all,

Seem simmering slowly---stewing,

Just take a look at yourself and say,

“What’s the use of being blue?”

Are you doing your “bit” to make things “hit”?


It’s really strange sometimes, don’t you know,

That things go as well as they do,

When we think of the little---the very small mite---

We add to the work of the few.

We sit, and stand around, and complain of what’s done,

And do very little but fuss.

Are we bearing our share of the burdens to bear?

It isn’t the church---it’s us.

So, if you want to have the kind of a church

Like the kind of church you like,

Put off your guile, and put on your best smile,

And hike, my brother, just hike,

To the work in hand that has to be done---

The work of saving a few.

It isn’t the church that is wrong, my boy;


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And Tom Ellis brought this poem called

“Farmer’s Prayer Poem”:

As I rise with the dawn, I drink in the

morning.

I taste the goodness of your creation and

smell the crispness of new

beginnings.

I sense you beside me, my good shepherd

watching over me as I care for the

farm.

I whistle a tune of praise as I go about my

work.

I feel blessed to walk in the long lived

rhythms of sowing, feeding and

reaping.

Fill me anew today, Lord, with your Spirit.

Give me strength and health when I feel

tired or weary.

I release my anxious thoughts to you,

Knowing that you hear my prayer.

Please bless my farm, my home, my family.

Please bless the work of my hands.

Please remind me each morning

To give thanks to you anew, my Lord and

Saviour.

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Women’s Prison at Goffstown

Besides being a constant presence in

town, The New Life Thrift Shop also

supports many charities in the greater

Concord area. One that gives a lot of us

great pleasure is giving arts and craft items

to the women’s prison in Goffstown. What

started 3 years ago with the donation of a

sewing machine that had been sitting in the

Shop for weeks has now become a regular

donating cycle. About once a month, Milli

Knudsen drives down to Goffstown with a

carload of yarn, fabric, sewing notions,

plastic crochet hooks & knitting needles,

and the occasional sewing machine. We

were delighted to find that the inmates also

regularly donate their knitted and crocheted

items to many local charities: the animal

rescue league, aprons for church volunteers,

blankets, prayer shawls, scarves and mittens

for children, the Boys & Girls Club,

Headstart, New Horizons, nursing homes

and elementary schools. They provided us

with many items for our Christmas Fair in

December of 2016. Just another way of

showing that when you give to the New Life

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Thrift Shop, your donation ripples out into

the greater community. Thank you!

Looking for a Little Magic in Your Life?

Coming to Henniker Community

School, Saturday, March 11 at 2 PM, you

can see Ben Pratt, professional illusionist.

At the age of 7, Ben saw his favorite

magician David Copperfield saw himself in

half on a television show, and suddenly he

was hooked on life’s journey to entertain

and amaze people. Originally from

Stoddard, NH, he has performed all over

New England. Recently, Ben won an award

for being the best stage magician in greater

New England for the second year in a row!

Seating is “first come, first served” so get

there early on March 11th. Tickets are $5 for

kids and $10 for adults.

Screening of Oscar-nominated Film

“White Helmets” South

Congregational Church of

Concord is hosting a

screening of the film

“White Helmets”, which is about a volunteer

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corps which acts as first responders in the

Syrian civil war. The film will be shown at

2 PM on Sunday, March 5th, with a

discussion following the 40-minute movie.

A free will offering will benefit 2

resettlement agencies: Ascentria and the

International Institute of New England.

A Word from Family Promise Another successful week [February 12th through 19th]

has been hosted by our wonderful volunteers. I would

like to share a few comments/observations; "who

made those delicious cookies with the surprise

strawberry jam in them?" "chocolate cream pie!!!" and

second servings on shepherd's pie and beef stew are

compliments for all of our meal makers. I would also

like to recognize some other behind the scenes

persons: Thank you to the food shoppers, the set-up

and take-down crew, and the laundry crew. Every

volunteer in the FPGC program is a necessary part of

the "Body of Christ". Thanks once again! [Rita

Murdough]

A Committee Update

Since we had so many vacancies discussed

at the Annual Meeting on February 12th, the

office thought we could include an updated

list of committee members:

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Committee List – 2017

Moderator Heidi Edwards Dunn

[email protected] 2017

Assistant Moderator Marilyn Paul

[email protected] 428-7587 2017

Clerk Vacancy 2017

Treasurer Ellie Grande


Assistant Treasurer Karen Landes


Deacons [4 vacancies]

Marilyn Paul


Emily O’Rourke


Norm McFall


David Mercier 2019

Leo Mercier


Nicole Girardet


Church Property

Ron Hewitt


Susan Adams

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]%20428-6206mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

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774-644-1239 2020

Keith Boden

[email protected] 443-254-4730 2020 Ron Taylor


Bruce Ballou


Bob Hunter


John Foss


Rob Howard


Lisa Hustis


Music Committee [5 vacancies] Becky Mercier


Christian Education [1 vacancy] Kristin Mason


Colleen Gagnon 995-6047 2020

Mary McFall


Marcus McFall 428-3037 2019

Marilyn Paul

[email protected] 428-7587 2-2018

Pastor/Parish Relations [1 vacancy] George Allen


mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

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Joyce Morrison


Howard Miller


*Judy Miller


Diane Allen


UCC Conference Delegates Heidi Edwards Dunn

[email protected]

428-3037 2018

Paul Knudsen

[email protected]

320-9283 2018

Judy Miller


Association Delegates

Judy Miller


Paul Knudsen

[email protected]

320-9283 2018

World Service Committee Sally Auer [email protected] 428-7773

Pat Clement [email protected] 428-3249

*Sue Crawford

[email protected] 670-4147

Deb Dow [email protected] 428-3114

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

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Carol Hamilton

[email protected]

428-7576

Karen Landes [email protected] 428-6359

Linda Davis [email protected] 860-559-

0192

Church Council Member At-Large (chosen by

Council)

Anne Hunter [email protected]

Finance & Stewardship Committee

(subcommittee of the Council) [1 vacancy]

Sue Gauthier


Karen Landes

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

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