Smith Memorial Congregational Church UCC

Author: g1bbyR0cks

Youth Groups News

Family Movie Night
“A young girl, on the threshold of her teen years, finds her life turning upside down, when she is accompanied by an unlikely friend.”
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., movie starts at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!!

THE SCENE
The SCENE (grades 1-5) met on Thursday, January 23. Thanks to Joy and Jeremiah Daley’s family for providing our afternoon snack (delicious apple crisp that Joy made herself!). We enjoyed the slightly warmer weather with the chance to play outside with snow tag and paint with snow markers, and had a good discussion about fairness.. Our next meeting is Thursday, February 20 from 330-5 PM. Please contact Jean Crowley (464-4013; jcrowley@gsinet.net) or Barbara Daley (464-5239; bdaley@tds.net for more information.

RBA
RBA is busy fundraising for our Washington DC adventure February 21-26. Spare change jars are available at the church (please let us know if you would like us to deliver one to you) and we are still selling shares of stock in RBA. We have a small group going to DC this time and will be joined by several members of InCasts. We love to welcome new members to our group. Please contact Jenna Vaughan (910-709-6132; jennakaylewis1996@gmail.com), Tyler Vaughan (491-4126; tylerrayvaughan@gmail.com) or Barbara Daley (464-5239; bdaley@tds.net) for more information.

RBA SHARES OF STOCK FUNDRAISER FOR OUR WASHINGTON DC MISSION/ROAD TRIP

RBA is beginning their major fundraiser, which we hope will substantially reduce the individual costs of our road trip/mission trip to Washington DC on February 21-26, 2020. As we have done in the past, we will again be selling shares of stock in our upcoming mission trip. This has been a fantastic fundraiser for us in the past and we look forward to a repeat of that great fundraising.

By purchasing shares in our RBA Corporation, you will be supporting an incredible, transforming experience for our church community’s junior high youth – in addition to realizing firsthand the benefits of helping others, they will also have the opportunity to experience Washington DC, an area of the country where most of our RBA youth have not yet traveled.

Shares of stock are being sold for $10 each – feel free to buy as many shares as you like! Shareholders will receive a stock certificate for the shares they have purchased, a personalized postcard written by an RBA member while on the trip, and an invitation to the Shareholders’ Banquet in March (we will prepare a delicious meal while sharing our experiences of our road trip/mission trip- only shareholders will be admitted free), and our undying gratitude to you for making this trip possible and for showing our young people how vital they are to our church family and to our world.

Those of you who have attended the shareholders’ banquets in the past will attest to the fact that it is a great experience to listen to the youth talk so enthusiastically about their mission work.

Please fill out a form and drop it off (checks made payable to RBA) at coffee hour, mail it to Smith Memorial Congregational Church, PO Box 672, Hillsboro, NH 03244, attn. RBA, or give it to Barbara Daley, Jenna or Tyler Vaughan, or any RBA member.

Prayer Shawl Gathering

The first Prayer Shawl gathering of the New Year will be Wednesday, January 22, at 10 am at Judy Hatfield’s house. After the busyness of the past month, it will be nice to have a relaxing morning of knitting, conversation, and tea and coffee and goodies. All are welcome to join us even if just for one time. There is no commitment. We have yarn, needles, and directions here if you would like to knit. If you have questions, need direction, or just want more information, call me Judy Hatfield at 464-3458.

Youth Group News

Family Movie Night
Join us in watching Abominable on January 11th. “Three teenagers must help a Yeti return to his family while avoiding a wealthy man and a zoologist who want it for their own needs.” Doors open at 6:30pm and the movie starts at 7:00pm.

Joyful Noise
What a joy to hear our youngest singers in worship on the second Sunday of Advent – AND to have their families in the church that day as well! We are always happy to welcome new singers ages 3-5. Please contact Barbara Daley (464-5239; bdaley@tds.net) for more information.

The Scene
The SCENE (grades 1-5) met on Thursday, December 19. Many thanks to Hadley Cooper’s family for providing our afternoon snack. We sang Christmas songs, made Christmas cards, and played a fun Christmas game. Our next meeting is Thursday, January 23 from 330-5 PM. Please contact Jean Crowley (464-4013; jcrowley@gsinet.net) or Barbara Daley (464-5239; bdaley@tds.net for more information.

RBA
December was a busy month for RBA. The last meeting of the year was our Christmas party and gift exchange at Barbara’s house on a snowy no-school day. LOTS of food to eat, great and thoughtful gifts, and a fun time for our last time together in 2019. And in the midst of all of that, we were thrilled to get the news that we were awarded a grant from the United Church of Christ Strengthen the Church fund to help with the expenses of our DC trip, as well as the Smith Church trustees voting to pay for the rental of our van for the trip. We SO appreciate all the support we get from all of you! Please contact Jenna Vaughan (910-709-6132; jennakaylewis1996@gmail.com), Tyler Vaughan (491-4126; tylerrayvaughan@gmail.com) or Barbara Daley (464-5239; bdaley@tds.net) for more information.

Stewardship Happenings

The Christmas Fund
Campaign and will be taken up on December 22, 2019 during the Sunday service. This Christmas Fund collection is for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund is a Special Mission Offering that congregations have been supporting for over 100 years. The offering is administered through the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance, the charitable arm of the Pension Boards. Funds provide direct financial support to those who serve the church and are facing financial difficulties. Active and retired clergy, lay employees, and their surviving spouses may be eligible for the Supplementation of Small Annuities, Supplementation of Health Premiums, Emergency Grants, and/or Christmas “Thank You” Gift Checks.

Annual Stewardship Campaign
Annual Stewardship Campaign Currently we have received 21 pledges with $52,910.00 being committed to the church operating budget. Although pledges are down from last year, the total money raised is in increase of $770.00 from last year. If you have not received a Stewardship letter please contact Larry DeLacy at (603) 547-0625 and he will ensure you get your letter. For those that have not returned their pledge cards it is not too late to fill them out and return them to the church. You can either put them in the collection plate during Sunday service or mail them to the church. The Stewardships goal is to raise the funds from pledges to 50% up from 35% over the next 3 years. We thank everyone who contributed to this year’s Stewardship Drive and for those who give their time and talents to Smith Church in helping us reach our goal.

Growth & Evangelism – PJs and Pizza

With 5 boys we met for the second time on Nov 17 to talk about gratitude, read Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise (by Tomie DePaola) and to make a mobile of the blessings for which we give thanks. Their gratitude ranged from pizza to favorite toys to a baby sister coming in March.

Our next gathering will be on Dec 15 from 4-5:30 (note-this is one week earlier than the original date). We will be reading God Gave Us Christmas (by Lisa T Bergren) to learn that Jesus is the best present of all. We will be creating a children’s creche set in the sanctuary while listening to the birth of Jesus through Luke’s gospel.

Youth Group News

Family Movie Night
Finish off the Cookie Walk and Old-Fashioned Christmas Day on December 7 by joining us in watching the nostalgic film It’s a Wonderful Life at 7 PM. Popcorn will be served.

Joyful Noise
Come hear our youngest singers sing in worship on Sunday, December 8. We currently have 6 singers in the group and are always happy to welcome new singers ages 3-5. Please contact Barbara Daley (464-5239; bdaley@tds.net) for more information.

The Scene
The SCENE (grades 1-5) meets once a month after school on Thursdays from 3:30-5 PM. Many thanks to Reverend Donna for hosting the group for our November meeting. Our December meeting will be held on Thursday, December 19 and we always love to have new members join us. Please contact Jean Crowley (464-4013; jcrowley@gsinet.net) for more information.

RBA
big thank you to Jenna and Tyler Vaughan for hosting RBA on Tuesday, November 5 for games and appetizers at their house. The left-right-center candy game is always a fun event! A special thanks to InCast Charity Joyner and her mom for making supper for both youth groups on November 19. Our November adventure was a day trip to Salem, MA where we visited the Salem Witch Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum, and checked out the waterfront and the playground.

RBA Shares of Stock Fundraiser

RBA is beginning their major fundraiser, which we hope will substantially reduce the individual costs of our road trip/mission trip to Washington DC on February 21-26, 2020. As we have done in the past, we will again be selling shares of stock in our upcoming mission trip. This has been a fantastic fundraiser for us in the past and we look forward to a repeat of that great fundraising.

By purchasing shares in our RBA Corporation, you will be supporting an incredible, transforming experience for our church community’s junior high youth – in addition to realizing firsthand the benefits of helping others, they will also have the opportunity to experience Washington DC, an area of the country where most of our RBA youth have not yet traveled.

Shares of stock are being sold for $10 each – feel free to buy as many shares as you like! Shareholders will receive a stock certificate for the shares they have purchased, a personalized postcard written by an RBA member while on the trip, and an invitation to the Shareholders’ Banquet in March (we will prepare a delicious meal while sharing our experiences of our road trip/mission trip- only shareholders will be admitted free), and our undying gratitude to you for making this trip possible and for showing our young people how vital they are to our church family and to our world.

Those of you who have attended the shareholders’ banquets in the past will attest to the fact that it is a great experience to listen to the youth talk so enthusiastically about their mission work.

Please fill out a form and drop it off (checks made payable to RBA) at coffee hour, mail it to Smith Memorial Congregational Church, PO Box 672, Hillsboro, NH 03244, attn. RBA, or give it to Barbara Daley, Jenna or Tyler Vaughan, or any RBA member.

Family Promise Week

Our next week of hosting Family Promise guests is November 3 to 10! Many thanks to the 27 different individuals from our community who have stepped forward to take part! That number does not include our youth group who have also taken a night to provide dinner and host. We are expecting 3 families this time, 2 of whom were also herein September. We usually do not host in the winter months because of our distance from Concord, so our next week will be in March. Thanks to all our volunteers for helping with this important ministry, you are awesome!

Hillsborough Food Pantry

The Food Pantry services so many. Through many channels, it is usually able to meet the food needs of our neighbors. HOWEVER, did you know that SNAP (formerly known as “food stamps”) does not cover such non-food items as: household paper goods ( tissues, toilet paper, paper towels ), household cleansers (laundry detergent, cleaners) , personal care products (deodorant, toothpaste, dental floss, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc.), feminine hygiene products, diapers, pet foods, etc.? There is a vital need among the food pantries across the state for such items. With possible budget cuts to SNAP looming, the need for non-food items to help families stretch their budget is going to be even greater.

To assist with this current and growing need, Smith Church is re-energizing its Food Pantry donation campaign. On the first Sunday of each month, worshippers are encouraged to donate items in these non-food categories and deposit them in the large wicker baskets at the top of each stairway into the sanctuary. During the offertory on those Sundays (Communion Sunday), a representative collection of these products will be brought forward to the altar as well. We will begin this outreach on November 3rd and continue monthly, going forward.