Announcements for our fourth week of September 2015

Report Back to the Church on Gayle’s Sabbatical

             Sunday - Worship Service will reflect the Sabbath/Sabbatical theme.

             Sept 27 - Thanks to all who made the Sabbatical so successful. After Worship there will be a Slide show and Presentation of what Gayle did, studied, and thought about.  Gayle will provide treats.

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Want to Help Plan Worship?

This group is starting on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 9:00am - 10:30am, at the church. We are a group of people who will meet with Gayle weekly to determine what God has to say this week. No homework! No depth of knowledge required! We will look at the Scripture passage and see what speaks to us, what is confusing, what is hard to accept. Then we will outline the flow of sermon and what the service can do to carry the message. This is a practice Gayle saw at Countryside Church and the group finds it so exciting they plan their week around it and worship is much better. See Gayle if you are interested.

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Bibles to 4th Graders

It is our joy to give every 4th grader a Bible.  If you know someone we should include, please give us a call.

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Flu Shot Clinic on Sept. 30

A Flu Shot Clinic will be held here at the church from 4-6:00pm on Wednesday, Sept. 30, sponsored by Hannaford’s Pharmacy.  We have paperwork in Fellowship Hall that can be filled out ahead of time.  Please bring your insurance card.  If you don’t have insurance, the shot will cost $20.00 unless you are under 21.  All shots for children are free.

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Eric Elnes is Coming to NH

Eric Elnes, the author of the Phoenix Affirmations, will be coming on October 4-5.   Eric is one of today's most articulate spokespersons for Progressive Christianity.  He will talk about his new book Gifts of the Dark Wood which proposes that those places which are dark and we try to avoid, in fact, have great gifts to give us.   The cost of the event is $45. for both days, $25 for a single day.   It will take place at the Brookside Church.  Eric featured predominately in Gayle's travels and study during Sabbatical.

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Deerfield Fair Volunteers Needed

A sign up sheet and instructions are available outside Fellowship Hall for those wishing to participate in the Deerfield Fair, Thursday, October 1.

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Craigslist Help

We are still looking for someone who can take pictures of several items leftover from the Strawberry Festival Yard Sale and post them on Craigslist, to bring some additional income into the church.  If you can help, please contact Faith Levesque to discuss.

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Fellowship Meals

We would like you to approach our fellowship dinners in a new way.  When asked for meals for the sick or needy, people think to themselves that they are not a good cook, or they have no time, or it is too expensive.  When it comes to helping a church family member, gourmet meals are not needed.  We are looking for Fresh Homemade comfort food.

This is not Meals On Wheels.  The intention is to provide two meals a week to supplement the quick meals that their caregivers are preparing.  We are sending a warm meal along with our prayers!  Please ask yourselves:

*  What do you like to cook?

*  Do you have a meal you can double easily?

*  Is it affordable?

*  Do you make it a couple times a month?

*  Does it  freeze well?

*  How is it reheated?

If you can commit to cooking one meal a month we should be able to extend this fellowship.  Please let me know your thoughts on this approach or any other helpful comments.  Thank you !

                                                                                                                                      ~  Diane Kizirian 

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Items for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

As a new school year begins, great deals can be found on crayons, colored pencils, chalk, glue sticks, erasers, small notebooks, stationery, pens, pencils, and hand-held sharpeners at Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, Office Max, etc.  Please keep our shoeboxes in mind, when you walk by these store displays or get flyers in the mail.  Our Operation Christmas Child “gold box” will be set up in Fellowship Hall to accept your donation(s) until National Collection Week in November.  If you have any questions, please contact Faith Levesque.

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                        Autumn Starts September 23!

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Have a great week everyone!!   ~ Mona

Announcements for our third week of September 2015

Our Guest Musician Sunday is Lonnie Wescott

Lonnie Wescott is the Music Director for R. W. Traip Academy in    Kittery Maine.  Traip is the public high school for Kittery and Kittery Point.  He is originally from Casco, Maine.  Growing up, he attended the Casco Village Church, U.C.C., where his mother was the church organist for over 50 years and his dad sang bass in the choir.  He and his wife Leisa live in Berwick, Maine, and have four children and two grandsons.  They enjoy traveling, motorcycling, and on most weekends Lonnie plays piano and saxophone with his Motown band, “The SoulMate Band”.  Leisa never misses a show.

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Unity Sunday!! - SUNDAY!!

Immediately after Worship, we will have a Quarterly Congregational Meeting to vote on items for our starting renovation project, keep you informed about what is going on, share some exciting fall plans, and receive your guidance in our new structure.   Then, because our Sunday morning brunches have been such a hit, we invite you to eat with us.  It is a great spread.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to Help Plan Worship?

Gayle is looking for a group of people who will meet with her weekly to determine what God has to say this week.  No homework!  No depth of knowledge required!  We will look at the Scripture passage and see what speaks to us, what is confusing, what is hard to accept.  Then we will outline the flow of sermon and what the service can do to carry the message.  This is a learning from my Sabbatical, and in Countryside Church the group finds it so exciting they plan their week around it and worship is much better.  See Gayle if you are interested.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Report Back to the Church on Gayle’s Sabbatical

Sept 20 - Worship Service will reflect the Sabbath/Sabbatical theme.

Sept 27 - Thanks to all who made the Sabbatical so successful. After Worship there will be a Slide show and Presentation of what Gayle did, studied, and thought about.  Gayle will provide treats.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deerfield Fair Volunteers Needed

A sign up sheet and instructions are available outside Fellowship Hall for those wishing to participate in the Deerfield Fair, Thursday, October 1.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Fiscal Year begins in September

Last Sunday, the new Church Fiscal year and the new pledge offering year began.  If you would like a new set of offering envelopes for this year, there is a sign up sheet in Fellowship Hall to request them.  Matt will check and put out requested sets starting this Sunday for those  already requesting them.  You can also contact Matt to request new envelopes.  These are available for any member, pledging or otherwise for their convenience.  If you had envelopes this past year, the set number will change again as we  exhaust our supply.  This will not affect the tracking of your giving for your annual statements.
Thank you all for your continued support of our Church.  ~ Matt Caron

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NH UCC Conference Speakers

There are 2 great opportunities offered by the NH Conference to meet some of our great contemporary Christian thinkers:  On Sept 18, Quinn Caldwell, who contributes to the UCC Daily Devotions will be speaking at "Ambassadors of Abundance" Conference in Laconia.   The Conference is to educate us about the Our Church's Wider Mission monies that we send to the Conference and Quinn Caldwell is worth the price of a ticket all by himself.   Costs are $16.95.

Also, Eric Elnes, the author of the Phoenix Affirmations will be coming on October 4-5.   Eric is one of today's most articulate spokespersons for Progressive Christianity.  He will talk about his new book Gifts of the Dark Wood which proposes that those places which are dark and we try to avoid, in fact, have great gifts to give us.   The cost of the event is $45. for both days, $25 for a single day.   It will take place at the Brookside Church.  Eric featured predominately in Gayle's travels and study during Sabbatical.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fellowship Meals

We would like you to approach our fellowship dinners in a new way.  When asked for meals for the sick or needy, people think to themselves that they are not a good cook, or they have no time, or it is too expensive.  When it comes to helping a church family member, gourmet meals are not needed.  We are looking for Fresh Homemade comfort food.

This is not Meals On Wheels.  The intention is to provide two meals a week to supplement the quick meals that their caregivers are preparing.  We are sending a warm meal along with our prayers!  Please ask yourselves:

                          *  What do you like to cook?

                          *  Do you have a meal you can double easily?

*  Is it affordable?

*  Do you make it a couple times a month?

*  Does it  freeze well?

*  How is it reheated?

If you can commit to cooking one meal a month we should be able to extend this fellowship.  Please let me know your thoughts on this approach or any other helpful comments.  Thank you !

~  Diane Kizirian  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Items for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

As a new school year begins, great deals can be found on crayons, colored pencils, chalk, glue sticks, erasers, small notebooks, stationery, pens, pencils, and hand-held sharpeners at Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, Office Max, etc.  Please keep our shoeboxes in mind, when you walk by these store displays or get flyers in the mail.  Our Operation Christmas Child “gold box” will be set up in Fellowship Hall to accept your donation(s) until National Collection Week in November.  If you have any questions, please contact Faith Levesque. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great week everyone!  ~ Mona

Announcements for our second week of September 2015

Our Guest Musician Sunday is Lonnie Westcott

Lonnie Wescott is the Music Director for R. W. Traip Academy in Kittery Maine.  Traip is the public high school for Kittery and Kittery Point.  He is originally from Casco, Maine.  Growing up, he attended the Casco Village Church, U.C.C., where his mother was the church organist for over 50 years and his dad sang bass in the choir.  He and his wife Leisa live in Berwick, Maine, and have four children and two grandsons.  They enjoy traveling, motorcycling, and on most weekends Lonnie plays piano and saxophone with his Motown band, “The SoulMate Band”.  Leisa never misses a show.
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Gift Card Orders on Sunday

Please see Pam English to place your Gift Card Order.  It is a simple way to truly assist the church with meeting its budget.
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Unity Sunday!! - Sunday, September 13

Come one, come all to celebrate, share Fellowship, and worship together again.  The Northwood Congregational Church will rally and re-unite from summer travel, Sabbatical leave, finding God in other  places, and WE WANT YOU HERE!   Unity Sunday will be the kick-off to the new year, Sunday School, choir, and small groups.  Be a part of the anticipation and excitement of the new year.
Immediately after Worship, we will have a Quarterly Congregational Meeting to vote on items for our starting renovation project, keep you informed about what is going on, share some exciting fall plans, and     receive your guidance in our new structure.   Then, because our Sunday morning brunches have been such a hit, we invite you to eat with us.  It is a great spread and a sign-up poster will be in Fellowship Hall for the next 3 weeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to Help Plan Worship?

Gayle is looking for a group of people who will meet with her weekly to determine what God has to say this week.  No homework!  No depth of knowledge required!  We will look at the Scripture passage and see what speaks to us, what is confusing, what is hard to accept.  Then we will outline the flow of sermon and what the service can do to carry the message.  This is a learning from my Sabbatical, and in Countryside Church the group finds it so exciting they plan their week around it and worship is much better.  See Gayle if you are interested.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Report Back to the Church on Gayle’s Sabbatical

Sept 13 - Unity Sunday - Reuniting with those who have been gone.
Sept 20 - Worship Service will reflect the Sabbath/Sabbatical theme.
Sept 27 - Thanks to all who made the Sabbatical so successful. After Worship there will be a Slide show and Presentation of what Gayle did, studied, and thought about.  Gayle will provide treats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Fiscal Year begins in September

Sunday, September 6 begins the new Church Fiscal year and the new pledge offering year.  If you would like a new set of offering envelopes for this year, there is a sign up sheet in Fellowship Hall to request them. Matt will check and put out requested sets starting this Sunday for those already requesting them.  You can also contact Matt to request new envelopes.  These are available for any member, pledging or otherwise for their convenience.  If you had envelopes this past year, the set number will change again as we exhaust our supply.  This will not affect the tracking of your giving for your annual statements.
Thank you all for your continued support of our Church.  ~ Matt Caron
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Choir Starts Up Again on September 10

We will host an ice cream social for all choir members and those who might like to become a part of our Church Choir.  The first Sunday for choir participation is September 20.
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NH UCC Conference Speakers

There are 2 great opportunities offered by the NH Conference to meet some of our great contemporary Christian thinkers:  On Sept 18, Quinn Caldwell, who contributes to the UCC Daily Devotions will be speaking at "Ambassadors of Abundance" Conference in Laconia.   The Conference is to educate us about the Our Church's Wider Mission monies that we send to the Conference and Quinn Caldwell is worth the price of a ticket all by himself.   Costs are $16.95.
Also, Eric Elnes, the author of the Phoenix Affirmations will be coming on October 4-5.   Eric is one of today's most articulate spokespersons for Progressive Christianity.  He will talk about his new book Gifts of the Dark Wood which proposes that those places which are dark and we try to avoid, in fact, have great gifts to give us.   The cost of the event is $45. for both days, $25 for a single day.   It will take place at the Brookside Church.  Eric featured predominately in Gayle's travels and study during Sabbatical.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great week everyone!!  ~ Mona