February 1, Epiphany Tidings. The Congregational Church of Laconia United Church of Christ 18 Veterans Square Laconia NH

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1 The Congregational Church of Laconia United Church of Christ 18 Veterans Square Laconia NH (603) (603) fax February 1, 2018 Epiphany Tidings Dear Members and Friends, I ve never been a fan of watching re-runs. However, as I age, I find I forget things more effectively. So, now, very often, even re-runs can play like premieres for me! Church Staff Interim Senior Pastor: Rev. Ed Koonz reved85@aol.com Associate Pastor: Rev. Paula B. Gile paula@laconiaucc.org Office Administrator: Financial Secretary: Director of Music: Sexton: Jessica Alward Churchoffice@laconiaucc.org Carolyn Jorgensen Carolyn@laconiaucc.org K. Robert Bengtson Chuck Laurent **Office hours 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P. M. Monday thru Friday Interestingly, I ve always found this to be true with Scripture. Though I have read many a Biblical passage more than once, I have never found my re-reading to have the quality of a re-run. It would seem that I have regularly experienced the truth of what 17 th century English Separatist pastor, John Robinson, said to the Pilgrims who set sail from Holland, namely that: God has yet more light and truth to break forth from God s holy Word. So, I should neither have been surprised nor amazed to discover the same happening when I re-read Mark 1:14-20 in preparation for preaching my January 21 st sermon on Fishing with Jesus. I have preached on this text several times and read it many more times over the years. Having left one vocation to enter the pastoral ministry, I have always been fascinated with Jesus invitation to those ancient fishermen to drop their nets and follow him. Always, I have been less struck by his promise to turn them into fishers of people. (Cont d next page.)

2 Ed s Column Cont d That is until more recently a time in which I have come to see we former 20 th mainline denominational Christians now sit on the sidelines of society. So, as I re-read this Markan passage, I found myself intrigued by Jesus remark, a promise really, that he would turn his followers - us - into fishers of people. What Jesus calls fishing for people, some today call, Reaching Out. It is referencing to reaching out to a world and society that have left the Christian church behind. This reaching out to new people involves a powerful cultural change for us. Instead, of sitting around inside church and operating with a build it and they will come philosophy, reaching out involves taking on an invitational, come and see, initiative on our part. As church leaders here become more interested in our learning about this, I hope all of you will follow their leadership example. For not only do I think reaching out represents a timely response to an old Scripture, I think it is vital to preserving and carrying on Jesus mission in today s world. This is my Epiphany these days. What s yours? A Note from Paula Amazing as it may seem, the Lenten Season is right around the corner it begins February 14 th. Lent is a time in the Christian calendar for us to reflect on just what Jesus life, death and resurrection means to us and what impact it has on our own lives. It s a time for us to ponder and seek to change whatever shortcomings we have, to repair and heal broken relationships and focus on what it means to be a Christian. Depending on your tradition, you may reflect on the season through giving up something or taking on something extra. The tradition of giving something up began to replicate the sacrifice of Jesus and his 40 day journey in the dessert. Commonly, people have fasted or given up luxuries, such as chocolate or desserts. What is it that you can either give up or add to your daily life in order to have a greater focus on your relationship with God? In recent years I have stopped the practice of giving something like chocolate up for Lent it became more like my New Year s resolution short lived. I decided that my goal was a closer walk with God and so I have incorporated more prayer time into my daily routine. This year I want to journal daily a prayer or scripture to ponder throughout the day. I encourage you to really think about what you might do for the 40 days of Lent to draw nearer to God. Maybe it s reading a daily devotion or if that s already a practice for you reflect for five minutes on the devotion instead of just reading and moving on with your day. The Congregational Church of Laconia UCC is still in a time of transition and there is more transition ahead with the hiring of a new Office Administrator and the calling of a settled Senior Pastor. Let s include these transitions and the ministry of this church in our prayers each and every day. May this season of Lent be a time of spiritual growth and peace.

3 Thank You Alida!! Alida, we own you our eternal thanks for the absolutely terrific job you did this past year as the Church Moderator. You were just the right person when your Church needed strong, principled, articulate, and caring leadership. You welcome and respect the views and opinions of others. Always open to the leanings of the spirit, you have judiciously guided the Church through times of change and transition. Your hard work and exhaustive preparation have made it possible for us to focus our attention and imagination on the heart of any pending matter. Personally, I have learned much from you. You have been a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend. There is great comfort in knowing you are here and will continue to be involved. God Bless, John Kreitler, Moderator Celebration of Caring: A Time To Thank our Caring Connections Team & welcome new team members! Join us on Sunday, February 11 from Noon to 2 p.m. for Lunch followed by a little history of our Caring Connections Team. Then hear from Rev. Ed and Rev. Paula on the Do s and Don ts of Visitation. Team Leaders will be there to organize for the coming year and answer questions. We invite those who have been driving and making meals to join us, too! The Caring Connections seeks to be a healing presence to those going through illness, times of grieving, or other difficult times. If you would like to be part of our visitation team, please come! For more information and to RSVP please call Diane Wells at or Louise Bastille at AN INVITATION TO JOIN! The Open and Affirming Committee wishes to invite those persons interested, especially men (we have none), to call the church office ( ) and leave your name and contact number. You may also speak to a member of the committee to let us know you are interested in the work of building a Radical Welcome Team that will pursue all justice issues. There will be an informational meeting for those interested in February. Kathy Giovanni, Margie Kreitler, Muff Kruse, Florence Merrill, Alida Millham, Peg Petrie, Beth Shehadi, Linda Tunnicliffe and Diane Wells

4 PEACE CRANE PROJECT Join Outreach in a celebration of Peace. In early July the city of Laconia will be celebrating the 125th birthday of Laconia! Outreach thought that this would be a great time to share the good news that The Congregational Church of Laconia is a JUST PEACE church and all that means. We have contacted the city and they are happy for us to join in the celebration. What are we going to do? We are going to make at least 4500, yes 4500, peace cranes and hang them under the bridge. It will be an archway display with 4500 peace cranes lit up and hanging for all to see and walk under. We plan to have a display telling about the peace cranes and all the Just Peace related ministries that we participate in. What can you do to help? Make peace cranes! We will be using 6 x 6 origami paper. Every Monday at 11 am join together in the multipurpose room on the second floor of the Parish House. We will be teaching people, having fellowship and lots of laughs as we figure this out together how to make these amazing symbols of peace. If you can t make it at that time please contact Rev. Paula. Anything else you can do? Make peace cranes at home or let Rev. Paula or Claudia Wright know if you know of a group or a class that may be interested in making cranes for us. For example: Rev Paula is going to show the youth in the Key Club at the High School how to make them and they will make as many as they can for us. We cannot have too many - we will find places to display them if we have more than we need! The more peace the better. Why peace cranes? After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, the legacy of Sadako began. Sadako was only two at the time of the bombing - she and her family survived the bombing but 10 years later because of her exposure to the radiation she was stricken with leukemia. In Japan the crane is a symbol of long life. Sadako, folded more than a thousand paper cranes and the legend says that with each paper crane she wished for life and peace. After Sadako s death her classmates raises money for a monument in her honor and all those who died because of the bombing...since then peace cranes have become a symbol of peace. Adult Faith Formation On Tuesdays at 2:30 PM at Peg Petrie s House All are welcome to join in exploring the Gospel of Mark. If you are interested in participating please let Rev Paula know so she can have materials for you. You can come once a month or every week! Up to you. YOUR VOICE-YOUR CHOICE! Greater Laconia Ministerial Association is partnering with members of the community; LRGH and Central NH VNA among others, to bring information to the community about Advanced Care Planning. Your Voice, Your Choice will be Sunday Feb 11th from 2-4pm at the Beane Conference Center. All are welcome and there is no charge.

5 HAZEL DUKE- Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. It is never too late to thank all of you for your help and support for the Hazel Duke Thanksgiving dinner this past November. The food was wonderful and plentiful. The amount of love expressed by all, the care in which all was prepared, served and enjoyed, made this a very special event. The names of the volunteers are too many to list but we were very grateful for the help they provided. We put food in the tummies and smiles on the faces of those who came to share a meal. We especially remember Hazel Duke, a beloved Laconia school teacher who so very many years ago believed that everyone should have a place to go for a meal and to be with others on a holiday, made the initial monetary donation. Because of Hazel and with continued monetary support throughout the years from St Andre Bessette Parish, food donations by Hannaford's, The Food Bank and Vista Foods, as well as members of the Congregational Church of Laconia, we are able to continue this Thanksgiving meal. Peace Garden - The Diaconate, with support from Property and Finance, are planning a Peace Garden in the green space near the community walkway at the back of the church. A Garden Committee has been working on how to make a beauty spot where members and friends can have a place to find spiritual peace in our busy, often troubling world. The irrigation system has been put in. Someone has offered to donate a center bird bath; someone else has offered to donate a bench with a back so we have begun. With the input of a local garden center, a design has been created, using appropriate plants for the space. We estimate the cost of the garden to be $1,900. We are inviting church members who are interested in making this a spot of our church beautiful to make a donation. If you wish your donation to be in honor or memory of a loved one a special book acknowledging the gift for the loved one will be in the foyer near the elevator. Your donations may be made out to the Congregational Church of Laconia with Peace Garden in the memo line.

6 Lenten Opportunities for Learning- Feb 14th - 7 pm Ash Wednesday Worship Service Feb 18th - March 1st pm Lent Justice Video Series 5:30-7 Lent Soup and Study March 4th pm Lent Justice Video Series March 8th - 5:30-7 Lent Soup and Study March 15th - 5:30-7 Lent Soup and Study March 18th pm Lent Justice Video Series March 22th- 5:30-7 Lent Soup and Study Lent Justice Video Series Join one or all of the Lent Justice Video Series sponsored by Outreach Ministries - we are partnering with several local non-profits to bring this series to more people. We are partnering with The Taylor Community and using their movie theater located in the Woodside building at the top of the hill. There is plenty of parking and we will be in a comfortable theater with a very big screen. Videos planned for this event are: Feb. 18th - we are partnering with Belknap House, the local family homeless shelter and watching Time Out of Mind a Richard Gere movie about homelessness. George seeks refuge at Bellevue Hospital, a Manhattan intake center for homeless men, where his friendship with a fellow client helps him try to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter. March 4th - we will be partnering with Stand Up Laconia and present Paper Tiger. This is a powerful video and helps community members to better understand some of the the issues our young people are dealing with in today's world and why this can sometimes lead to substance misuse. This movie is about an alternative high school in Washington state that radically changes it's approach to discipline with it's students after the principal is exposed to research about ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences). It was shown at LHS the students and teachers were moved by it and felt it mirrored issues our students are dealing with. March 18th - we will be partnering with Navigating Recovery and presenting Anonymous People - a powerful feature documentary about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. The moving story of the Anonymous People is told through the faces and voices of the leaders, volunteers, corporate executives and celebrities. Lent Soup and Study March 1st, 8th, 15th, & 22nd 5:30-7 pm. - The Diaconate will be providing soup, and dessert for the evening and Rev. Ed and Rev. Paula will be discussing individual chapters of Marcus Borg s book Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words

7 PEACE CRANE PROJECT What is Celebration X? Why should you join us? The women leaders (lay and clergy) of the United Church of Christ of New England have been gathering every four years for a time for fellowship, worship, music, workshops and more. A time to Celebrate! This will be the 10 th such celebration and thus we are calling it Celebration X. Each celebration has had a different theme with a scriptural base. Check out the website at uccwomenscelebration.org for details, history and to register for this event. HURRY! There is a discount for registering before Feb. 15 th. Rooms at the Holiday Inn by the Bay are going fast. Tell them you are part of the UCC Celebration when you book! Join Outreach in a celebration of Peace. In early July the city of Laconia will be celebrating the 125th birthday of Laconia! Outreach thought that this would be a great time to share the good news that The Congregational Church of Laconia is a JUST PEACE church and all that means. What are we going to do? We are going to make at least 4500, yes 4500, peace cranes and hang them under the bridge. We plan to have a display telling about the peace cranes and all the Just Peace related ministries that we participate in. What can you do to help? Make peace cranes! Every Monday at 11 am join together in the Multipurpose room on the second floor of the Parish House. Invite us to join you in a classroom to teach the kids or one person had the great idea of inviting me (Paula) to their home for a wine and crane making party. Invite your neighbors, friends and church family. See some of the fun we had learning Mon. the 22nd.

8 Church Office Position Open As Jessica Alward departs after a year of service to a new position (Congratulations, Jessica!), we are posting this job opening. If you know of someone who may be interested, please pass this information along. Part-Time Church Office Receptionist/Administrative: hours per week, Tuesday-Friday(9am-3/4pm). This is an interesting position in a busy church office with diverse tasks for a detail oriented person with good communication, organizational and customer service skills. The ideal candidate will have proficiency with Microsoft applications (WORD, Excel, Publisher), Constant Contact, Facebook, data base management and web-site administration. Compensation commensurate with ability, skills and experience. Please submit your resume to RevEd85@ aol.com by February 7th or mail to: Rev. Ed Koonz, Congregational Church of Laconia, UCC, 18 Veterans' Square, Laconia, NH Prepared to Serve Feb 24th - The New Hampshire Conference United Church of Christ annual Prepared to Serve day of worship and workshops will be Feb 24th from 9-3:30 at Pembroke Academy in Pembroke, NH. Workshops like Engage Your Church - Church Transition; Worship Service Music; Exploring Technology; The Extravagant, and Accessible, Welcome; Finding Abundance with Sabbath Practices; The Opioid Crisis: How Churches Can Respond and many many more! For more information about workshops and how to register go to the following link: If you have questions contact Paula.

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10 T O W E R I D I N G S The Congregational Church United Church of Christ 18 Veterans Square Laconia, NH «FMailing label» «Address1» «Address2»«City State» «Zip code» NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 67 LACONIA NH Upcoming Coffee Hour Hosts Tower Tidings Schedule 02/04/2018 Diaconate 02/11/2018 Education Ministry 02/18/2018 Property/Finance 02/25/2018 Membership 03/04/2018 Music/Worship 03/11/2018 Outreach Ministry 03/18/2018 Parish Activities 03/25/2018 Diaconate Tower Tidings is sent bi-monthly prior to the 1st and 15th. Deadlines for submissions are the 10th and 25th of each month. PLEASE SEND INFORMATION TO: towertidings@laconiaucc.org ONLY Submissions may be edited lightly due to space considerations.