1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

T h e Co ng re g at io n al C h ur c h
U n it e d C h ur c h o f C h ri s t
A m he r st , N ew H am p sh i re
VILLAGE SPIRE
October 2014
Faith Promise Sunday—Times Two
Richard G. Leavitt, Senior Pastor
October 2014
Small Groups Bring Us Closer
Together and Closer to God!
Have you signed up for a Small
Group yet? It’s not too late!
Each group is limited to 10
members and will begin meeting in
October, so be sure to sign up soon! If
you’ve missed the October meeting,
don’t worry, you can join us in
November!
Why should you join a group?
Serving on a committee or chatting
during coffee hour doesn’t always allow
us to get to know one another on a
deeper level. Small Groups are
Continued on page 2
Save the Date
and Sign Up!
Circle Saturday, December 13 on
your calendar and sign up to volunteer
for the Christmas in Amherst Village
house tour. The tour has become a
much anticipated Amherst tradition
that brings the church community and
the local community together. It has
also been a major fundraiser for our
church. It is a wonderful opportunity to
get in the holiday spirit!
Each tour has showcased six
different houses, ranging in size,
architectural style and interior
decoration. This year, homes will be
decorated by talented homeowners,
local florists and interior designers.
Some homes are in easy walking
distance from the church; others are
best reached by the courtesy vans we
provide.
Continued on page 7
By now many of you have heard of Faith Promise Sunday. That’s the big
Stewardship Sunday celebration service where folks are invited to make their
pledge commitment to this church for the coming year. (This year, Faith Promise
Sunday is planned for October 19.) That day we arrange for special choir anthems,
affirming worship, and a true celebration of God’s goodness in our midst. After
prayerfully considering your pledge intentions, you will be invited to indicate your
support on a pledge card which you will then bring forward and place in a special
offering basket or box. During the service, these pledge intentions will be tallied
by our Stewardship Committee, and before the end of the morning a preliminary
tally will be announced and celebrated. We know not everyone will be able to
make that one service, but it’s a tangible statement of our support and
commitment when we feature our generosity to God in that symbolic way. And
we’ll hopefully be well on the way to achieving our ministry goals for the coming
year.
Sacred promises are all we have in church. There’s no formal dues structure.
There’s no admission fee to church services. There’s no tuition fee to sign up your
kids for Sunday School, to attend an adult education class or to be part of a Small
Group. You don’t have to be an official member to be part of our Community
Supper volunteer team, or even to serve on a committee or help with the
Christmas fair. Anyone can be part of a church. That being said, we’re only able
to offer the breadth and depth of the ministries and programs we do because
people like you make a faith promise to support them. And when you do, we
believe God rejoices and smiles, for you have recognized your many blessings and
responded with a generous heart.
So why are we celebrating Faith Promise Sunday times two? Well, you see,
not only are we aware that God is good when we bring our offerings and pledge
intentions in the morning, but we have a very special Faith Promise to celebrate in
the afternoon as well. Regina Kinney will be making her formal faith promises for
ordination, and we will be making ours to honor her gifts and leadership on behalf
of the wider United Church of Christ. (We haven’t
hosted an ordination in this church in over 20
years—in fact, no one I spoke to could
remember the last one!) Regina has been
studying and preparing for ordained ministry
for more than five years. (We actually know
God’s been working in her life a lot longer
than that!!) God helped us and her to
recognize her valuable leadership gifts and
set her on a deeper, more intentional course
of spiritual formation for authorized ministry
in the United Church of Christ.
She
completed three years of seminary at
Andover Newton, two different field
education experiences at the UCC
churches in North Hampton, NH and
Continued on page 3
Pag e 2
Small Group Ministry,
VILLAGE SPIRE
A Parish Newsletter
Editor, Andrea Cyr
The Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
11 Church Street
Amherst, NH 03031
Sunday Worship Service 10:00 a.m.
Church school and nursery care
available.
How to reach us:
Office Phone (603) 673-3231
www.ccamherst.org
Facebook.com/ccamherst
The church office
is open Monday—Friday,
from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Send in all news by the
15th of the month.
Announcements
for the Sunday bulletins
are due Thursdays.
***********************
OUR CHURCH STAFF:
Richard G. Leavitt
Senior Pastor
[email protected]
continued from page 1
designed to bring people closer together. When we feel a greater connection to
one another we’re less likely to feel disconnected from our faith, more likely to
give our time and energy in service, and more likely to tell others about this great
church community that we have in our lives!
What are the meetings like? A typical group meeting runs an hour and a half
and includes Opening Check-In—Devotional—Discussion of a Topic—Closing Prayer.
Here is our 2014-15 Schedule of Topics:
October:
History & Heritage: Where We Came From
November: Evangelism: Talking About Our Faith
December: Patience & Anticipation: Waiting is the Hardest Part
January:
Prayer: Does it Work and How?
February:
Body & Soul: The Challenges of Being Human
March:
Resurrection: Imagining Your Life Anew
April:
Mission & Service: Caring For Others
May:
Risk & Courage: Overcoming and Living With Fears
June:
Goodbyes: Life Transitions
When do the groups meet? The groups meet at a variety of times/days to
allow you to pick one that best fits your schedule.
Here is our 2014-15 Monthly Meeting Schedule:
1st Wednesday – 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Parlor – First meeting October 1
1st Tuesday – 1:30–3:00 p.m. in the Parlor – First meeting October 7
3rd Sunday – 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the Youth Room – First meeting
October 26 (4th Sunday in October)
How do you sign up? You can sign up via email or by calling
the church office. Please include your first and second choice of
group meeting times in the event that your first choice is filled.
If you’re a returning member you have the option of signing up
for the same group you participated in last year or joining a new
group.
If you have any questions or if you would like to sign up via email please
contact Pastor Maureen at [email protected].
Maureen R. Frescott
Associate Pastor
[email protected]
Andrea Cyr
Church Office Administrator
[email protected]
Sara L. Phelps
Director of Music
[email protected]
Michael Havay
Organist
[email protected]
Wendy Lazott
Handbell Choir Director
[email protected]
SHYG College Care Packages
Every October our Senior High Youth Group packs and
sends care packages to our recently graduated high
school students who are now freshmen and sophomores
in college. The packages include candy, cookies, crackers,
microwavable mac & cheese and popcorn, ramen noodles,
and fun stuff like playing cards and small toys. If you have
a college student who would love to receive a care
package, let us know! If you would like to DONATE some of
the above items for the packages please bring them to
church on or before Sunday, October 5! Donations may be
left in the youth room on the third floor.
Pag e 3
Faith Promise Sunday,
continued from page 1
Weston, MA. She served as chaplain at Havenwood-Heritage Heights, the UCC
senior continuing care facility, for her clinical pastoral education. She met
regularly with advisors and colleagues, wrote and defended her ordination paper,
circulated her extensive ministerial profile, interviewed at various churches, and
she was finally called to be the next pastor and teacher at the Second
Congregational Church in Wilton, NH. She began her settled ministry there in
August. (For the uninformed, “settled” does not mean complacent but rather
“called” formally, with an open-ended commitment through a covenant made in
faith between pastor and people.)
That word “covenant” is at the heart of all our relationships in the church.
(It’s that Biblical word you may have learned long ago in Sunday School, which
means godly promise.) A covenant signifies a promise or intention between two
parties or two individuals where God is also part of the agreement and witness to
it. In that way it differs from a contract, which is a binding legal or civil agreement
between parties. In the UCC, pastors are called to serve churches through a
covenant made between that pastor and the people who are part of that
community of faith. Pastors promise to love and lead faithfully, ethically, and with
integrity God’s people whom they have been called to serve. Lay people, in turn,
promise fair financial support of the pastor, a willingness to listen to her or his
word as pastor (even if they don’t always agree with it), and ethical and moral
support and participation in their shared ministry.
Through covenants with one another to be the church in a particular
congregation, and extended covenants with our Hillsborough Association, our New
Hampshire Conference, and the national setting of the United Church of Christ, we
offer our support, our time and our gifts across the denomination. Once again,
there is no hierarchy or binding arrangement where a bill collector comes to settle
up our shortfall, no excommunication for failure to support the church as some
may officially have promised they would do. There are those who grow frustrated
when there aren’t more “teeth” in our ability to hold people accountable for their
faith promises, but that is by design. It’s not that we don’t consider them
important—even sacred. It’s just the opposite, in fact. We make our various
church covenants out of gratitude to God and from the awareness of what our
church means to us. What we are called to do and be for God matters more than
any legal contract.
So plan to make a great celebration of covenant this month on Sunday,
October 19–Faith Promise Sunday Times Two! You’ll be an important part of the
celebration of church and ministry in a big way through your generous pledge and
gifts in the morning. And you’ll be part of the covenant between pastor and
people to ensure the quality of leadership in our denomination as well. Come,
share with Regina and our sister churches in the Hillsborough Association in the
afternoon. (The ordination service begins at 4:00 p.m. and will be followed by a
wonderful reception in the Community Room.)
Promises, promises, promises! That’s all we’ve got! And what a blessing it is
when we honor God with our word and by our deeds!
Regina Kinney’s
Ordination
October 19, 2014
Mark your calendars! On Sunday,
October 19, 2014, The Congregational
Church of Amherst will proudly host
Regina Kinney’s Ordination Service,
beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the
sanctuary.
Following the service, we invite
everyone to join us in the community
room for a celebration of her journey
and her ordination in the United
Church of Christ as a minister, and in
recognizing all the preparation,
dedication, devotion and sacrifice that
Regina has endured to follow her call
to serve.
Congratulations Regina!
New Hampshire Conference
United Church of Christ
213th Annual Meeting
Proclaiming Our Unity
Grace and peace,
Dick
Feed your spirit,
sign up for the UCC’s Still Speaking
daily devotional.
Visit http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/
daily-devotional/
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Grappone Conference Center,
Concord, NH
For more information,
visit www.nhcucc.org.
Pag e 4
Neighbors In Need
Junior Choir ~ Youth Choir
Voices of Creation
New members
always welcome!
Questions?
Please contact Sara Phelps,
[email protected]
News from
Congregational
Care
Happy Fall! I hope you all enjoyed
the beautiful, relaxing summer months.
Congregational Care meets the first
Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. in
the Parlor.
We appreciate the support and
help that we receive from our church
family! Many of you have helped with
food by filling the freezer with delicious
home-cooked meals that we deliver to
those who are in need. Many of you
have offered to help with
transportation, as needs arise. Thank
you!
I see that there is a need to have
new members on the “team.” If you
feel that this is something you are
interested in – please contact me.
Peace and blessings!
Sara Phelps ([email protected]),
Congregational Care Coordinator
The Neighbors in Need (NIN) offering which our congregation will receive in
October, supports the United Church of Christ’s ministries of justice and
compassion throughout the United States and abroad.
Two thirds of the NIN offerings support programs and direct grants offered
through the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries, to support a variety of justice
initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects. More directly, NIN makes
available grants of up to $3000 twice a year, supporting education services and
scholarships, outreach and community events and affordable housing.
Neighbors in Need also supports the American Indian neighbors in the UCC.
One third of your offering supports the UCC’s Council for American Indian
Ministries (CAIM). Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and
worked with the American Indian Ministries, thus creating 20 UCC congregations
on reservations and one urban congregation.
NIN believes in removing barriers where they exist. NIN helps make another
world possible. It needs your support.
Empty Bowls Soup Fundraiser
for New Horizons
Come join us to help fight hunger. Buy a handmade
ceramic bowl crafted by members of the NH Potters Guild for
$20, and sample delicious soups donated by
local
restaurants. This event, sponsored by the NH Potters Guild, is
on Sunday, October 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the
Brookside Congregational Church, 2013 Elm Street, Manchester. Proceeds
benefit New Horizons for NH. All are welcome.
Participating restaurants include: Airport Diner, Angela's Pasta & Cheese
Shop, Bertucci's, Billy's Sports Bar & Grill, Cactus Jacks Southwest Grill, Fratello's
Ristorante, Ignite Bar & Grille/Hooked Seafood, Jerome's Deli, Manchester School
of Technology, Milly's Tavern, New England's Tap House Grille, Outback
Steakhouse, Piccola Italia Ristorante, Puritan Back Room, Red Arrow Diner,
Southern NH University Culinary Arts, The Ninety-Nine and Tinker's Seafood.
New Horizons for New Hampshire provides food and shelter to people in need
and offers supportive services to achieve self-sufficiency. New Horizons is an
emergency homeless shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry and Angie's Shelter for
Women. They shelter an average of 80 people nightly, the soup kitchen serves
over 250 meals daily and the food pantry provides food to over 900 families each
month.
Thank you for your help!
SHARE Food Pantry
The SHARE Food Pantry continues to be busy and shelves are getting bare.
Please know your donations are needed and truly appreciated.
October Pantry Requests:
Holiday Dinner Supplies—stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce,
canned corn & green beans, pie crust
Donations may be left in the cupboard in the narthex, or
in the marked containers near the community room. Thank
you for your continuous support!
Pag e 5
Welcome Back
The deacons welcome everyone back from a restful
summer, and we look forward to reconnecting with all of our
church family. A few housekeeping items that we wanted to
remind everyone of are listed below:
• If by chance you arrive after the Sunday service has
started, and the narthex doors are closed to the
sanctuary, please proceed to the balcony where a
deacon will seat you.
• If you need to leave the service for any reason,
including escorting children to their classroom,
quietly close doors behind you, and re-enter the sanctuary from the
narthex, waiting until musical solo’s are completed before returning to
your seat.
• If you are returning from the nursery or classrooms, the narthex/
sanctuary should be accessed from the ground floor, coming up the stairs
by the front of the church.
• Restrooms are located on the ground floor at the foot of the narthex
stairs, and at the back of the church near the community room.
• Please wear your nametag, or make out a guest nametag, available in the
guest registers. If you would like a permanent nametag, request forms
are also located in the guest register. It is always nice to be able to
address people by name!
• Nursery care is available, and the nursery is located directly below the
sanctuary. We welcome Stephanie Jones as our new nursery attendant,
stop by to say hello!
We are happy you are able to join us, and all that The Congregational Church
of Amherst has to offer. Your cooperation is appreciated in making the Sunday
worship service a meaningful time of prayer, peace and fellowship.
Sincerely,
The Deacons: Kathy Earley, Chair; Fran Baddeley, Kathleen Bouchard, Sandy
Demarest, Kristen Desborough, Roger Hooper, Bruce Kinney, Don Potter, Will
Redway, Anita Swanson, Doug Topliffe, Tom Werst.
Progressive Dinner
November 8, 5:00 p.m.
The Fellowship Committee is planning a progressive dinner! For those not
familiar, this is how it works: we begin at one house for appetizers, progress to the
next house for the main course, then finally return to the church for dessert.
We hope you will join us for what is sure to be a fun-filled evening with good
food and fellowship. A progressive dinner is a great way to meet and really get to
know some of your fellow church members. The number of host houses will be
determined by the number of people participating, so please let us know if you’re
coming and if you are willing to be a host house. In order to cover food expense,
we are requesting $10 per person. You will also be asked to bring a side dish or
dessert. RSVP to the church office, Liz MacMillan Stewart at [email protected]
or Bruce Manchester at [email protected].
Welcome to
Fellowship
The Deacons would like to extend
the invitation to all church attendees,
whether members or guests, to gather
each Sunday in the community room
after the worship service for fellowship
hour. This is a great time to connect
with your church family on a very
casual basis, while enjoying some great
light morning refreshments. For those
new to the church, the community
room is located on the ground floor of
the church, looking out onto the
playground. When leaving the church
sanctuary by the front doors, at the
bottom of the stairs take a deep left,
and then a quick right down a short
stairway. Follow that pathway all the
way to the back of the church, or follow
the aroma of coffee, warmed and ready
to greet you! If exiting from the door to
the left of the altar, follow that hallway
straight back past the parlor until you
come to the stairwell door on your right,
or a few steps more to the elevator also
on your right. Take the stairs down,
through the fire door, and again follow
the path of stairs that will lead you
straight to the community room.
Children can easily and safely access
the community room when they have
been dismissed from church school to
meet up with you there. We look
forward to seeing you at Fellowship for
some great conversation!
Trick or
Treat!
Please join us on October 31 from
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. We will be handing
out treats to the goblins and ghosts
that roam the village on Halloween
night. Volunteers are needed. Teens
are welcome! Light refreshments will
be available. Donations of candy are
requested. Collection boxes will be in
the entrance of the church. Please
email liz-mac@charter,net if you can
help out.
Pag e 6
Adult Education Series:
God in America
Wednesday Morning Study Group: October 1 and 15, 10:00—11:30 a.m.
Wednesday Evening Showing: October 15, 7:00—9:00 p.m.
The PBS Frontline series, “God in America” explores the 400-year history of
the intersection of religion and public life in America, from the first European
settlements to the modern day. We’ll see how religious freedom and waves of new
immigrants and religious revivals shaped our country, inspired social reform, and
influenced conflicts from the American Revolution to the Cold War. The series is
narrated by actor Campbell Scott and interweaves documentary footage, historical
dramatization and interviews with religious historians.
This is a year-long series but you’re welcome to join us at anytime!
Each session meets in the parlor and includes the viewing of a DVD and a
discussion facilitated by Pastor Maureen. Our Wednesday morning group meets
from September to May on the first and third Wednesday of the month. The
Evening group will meet on the third Wednesday of the month in the fall (SeptNov) and spring (March-May).
Altar Flowers
Always Needed
Donated altar arrangements are
always welcome. Flowers can be given
to remember a loved one or to
celebrate a special occasion.
The donor arranges with a local
florist to have their chosen flowers
delivered. After the service they may
take the flowers home, or donate them
to someone in need of a little cheer.
There are many openings in the
coming months. Please call Anne
Krantz at 673-9684 to schedule a
Sunday.
Privacy Laws &
Hospitalization
Due to privacy laws, our
church is no longer
routinely informed if you or
a loved one is admitted to
the hospital.
Please be
sure you let us know when
and where you will be a
patient so we can be
in touch with you and
include you in our
prayers.
Back In Time:
In the Beginning
By Sharon Beckley
Between 1671 and 1673, an Indian disturbance arose, and the governor of
Massachusetts was determined to end the trouble made by a band of Indians who
roamed the areas in Connecticut and around Plymouth, Massachusetts.
On December 9, 1675, the Massachusetts Colony furnished seven
companies and before setting out, the men were promised a reward of land for
their services given to drive the Narragansett Indians out of a fort that they had
overtaken. The Indians were defeated, but the loss of colonists were many, with
six captains and 80 killed. The war was finally ended on August 12, 1776 with
the death of the Indian Chief King Philip.
By June 1732, 840 claims had been made, but it wasn't until 1733 that the
then-Governor Belcher of the Massachusetts Colony settled the claims of those
men who had fought in 1675. Three of the townships that were granted were in
New Hampshire, one of which was Souhegan West (now called Amherst).
The preacher and the meetinghouse would naturally be the most important
part of the town. The meetinghouse actually preceded the preacher and the first
meetinghouse was authorized in 1735, but real plans were not made until 1738.
It took fourteen years to complete. It seems that this building (which stood on the
comer of Jones Road and Mack Hill—you'll see a plaque there showing the spot)
was the only house of worship in the town until 1774, when the second
meetinghouse was dedicated.
In 1739, the owners of the building agreed to pay for preaching and on April
30, 1741, they and the residents agreed to hire Mr. Daniel Wilkins to become the
first settled pastor in Souhegan West. He was the pastor until his death on
February 11, 1784. At this time there were only fourteen families settled in the
town. The Congregational Church in Souhegan West was officially organized in
September 1741. This was the third church in Hillsborough County following
Nashua in 1685 and Hudson in 1737. In 1741, Souhegan West came under the
jurisdiction of the new province of New Hampshire.
Taken from Amherst, A Commemorative Story, 1960.
Pag e 7
WA Holiday Fair:
WANTED
The Woman’s Association’s annual Holiday
Fair, this year on November 22, is our primary
fundraising event. Your strong support enabled the WA
to increase our donation to the 2014 church operating
budget to $7,000!!! We also supported the Organ Fund and
the Senior High Youth Mission Trip.
All church members can support the WA Fair by making donations—it is
so easy:
T Raffle Baskets: Assemble an entire basket such as a holiday hostess
basket, or donate a bottle or two of your favorite wine for our popular wine
baskets.
T Work at Home: Calling crafters and knitters who are not available to attend
WA Monday workshop! We welcome and need donations of new knits—
novelty scarves, mittens, baby clothes, sweaters; also arts and crafts gift
items.
T Silent Auction: The perfect way to re-gift unneeded gifts that were never
opened or used. We are looking for gifts for men, women, children and
grandparents. Check your drawers and closets for forgotten gifts: jewelry,
new toys, golf items, new sweaters. Other ideas include antiques, vintage
items, art and collectables, Amherst history and memorabilia–books,
prints, anything with “Amherst” logo or theme. Also gift certificates to local
restaurants and shops, or a service that you can provide from cooking to
cleaning, yard work, tutoring & teaching. Or how about a new iPad!
T Plan ahead - we will call for Bake Sale donations in November
Please label your donations so we can thank you! Drop off on Monday
mornings, or leave labeled Silent Auction items in the church office. Treasures
such as vintage glassware, dishes, vases & decorative items may be left in the WA
work room in the vestry.
Meals on Wheels
Volunteers Needed
Meals on Wheels needs volunteers to deliver meals to
homebound senior citizens and disabled adults in
communities throughout Hillsborough County. Just a
few hours of your assistance on the weekday of your choice from 10:30 am to
12:30 pm can help the elderly and disabled remain healthy and live
independently at home. Training is provided. Please call Assistant Program
Manager Terri McGrew at 603-424-9967 or email [email protected]. You
can visit their website at www.mealsonwheelsnh.org.
Save the Date,
continued from page 1
We need you to help us make this
tour as successful as the previous
tours! This year the six houses are
owned by church members and
community members who have
graciously volunteered to open their
homes to benefit our church. As
always, we provide tour guides in every
room in each house and we want to
help them as much as we can.
There are several ways you can
volunteer:
T We need at least 100 volunteers
to serve as guides. Shifts are two
hours, allowing plenty of time to
visit the other homes on the tour.
We welcome and encourage men
and women to volunteer – it is a
wonderful way to join the effort
and thoroughly enjoy the day.
Please sign up early to be
assigned the house and shift of
your choice.
Contact Sandy
Fraser ([email protected] or
673-5094) to take advantage of
this wonderful opportunity.
Indicate which shift you would
prefer (10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm
or 2pm-4pm) or if you available
for any shift.
T We need volunteers to drive the
courtesy vans. Contact Susan
Thornton at [email protected] or 5662394 or Sall y Hooper at
[email protected] or 3211143.
T If you have an interest in helping
homeowners decorate, contact
M b
L i n c o l n
a t
[email protected] or
(978) 314-3024.
T Like to help us create signs
outside the houses for the day of
the tour? Contact Sue Spiess at
[email protected] or 6736770 or Marti Warren at
[email protected] 6737054.
Make sure December 13 is on your
calendar and sign up and become part
of the tradition! Watch the Spire, the
b ul le ti n s, and ou r we b si te ,
www.ccamherst.org, for future details.
The Congregational Church
11 Church Street
Amherst, NH 03031
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