April 2008

Dear Friends,

Our church is going on a diet and you’re invited to take part. No, you won’t need to cut back on goodies at coffee hour but you might want to bring in your own coffee mug to save on paper!

April is environmental month at our church in honor of Earth Day on April 22. Our Green team is challenging us to take a look at our carbon footprint – the amount of carbon emissions we are responsible for as a church, as households and individuals. On April 20, UNH professor Patrick Miller will return to our church to speak to us after worship about how we can reduce our impact on the earth by reducing our carbon footprint. His talk is just one of several opportunities this month to raise our awareness of the effects of climate change. See inside this newsletter for more details!

Making changes to long established patterns can be difficult. We need motivation, inspiration and perhaps some peer pressure now and then to give us incentive and to make sure that the weight we take off, we keep off.

I know many of us have already adopted changes in our households and have been rewarded by lower electric bills, less money spent on gas and oil and the great feeling that comes from doing our part. We’re looking for 10 families to help provide leadership to our efforts by taking the New Hampshire Carbon Challenge to lose 10,000 pounds from their carbon footprint. Patrick Miller will provide guidance and suggestions for how we might rise to this challenge on April 20.

Changing light bulbs, combining errands, and recycling are all important first steps to make changes to live in greater harmony with creation. Some changes are pretty effortless “no-brainers” in keeping with our tradition of good ‘ole Yankee frugality. Other changes are not so easy. For these changes we need education and support from one another. That’s why I hope you will make it a priority to attend on April 20th.

Our church, our community and our state has an opportunity to be a role model for others to show that when it comes to taking a carbon diet, we can do it!!

Faithfully,

Patrice

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Moderator’s Musings

What a beautiful Easter this was for our church family. My thanks to Patrice, the Deacons and everyone who helped make this time such a meaningful part of our Church year. And for those who “weathered” the “frosty” Sunrise Service, take heart. Easter, 2009, will be on April 12.

On behalf of Shirley Powers, “my” Shirley and me, thank you for the contribution we were able to present to Shari Prestemon, Executive Director of Back Bay Mission. In addition we were thrilled to present two “prayer shawls,” made by members of our Prayer Shawl Ministry, to owners of homes in the “rebuilding areas.” The three of us joined 22 others from the NH UCC Conference to provide help in the continued rebuilding of the greater Biloxi, Mississippi area. Our group worked on four different homes. Although there has been considerable progress, the Back Bay staff indicated there is probably 2 to 3 years more work ahead. It is amazing the number of faith-based groups that are a part of this massive effort. As we did last year, our work started by attending a wonderful Sunday service at the Missionary Baptist Church. The reception by members of that church was, again, overwhelming in their expressions of appreciation for our helping to restore “their” community. This appreciation was expressed again when we attended the Church’s Wednesday evening Bible Study.

Speaking of “Missions,” what a wonderful program our Church School has undertaken. “Pennies for Peace” is a very special project started by Greg Mortenson – “One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time….” in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This Mission evolved out of Mortenson’s personal experiences as depicted in his NY Times Best Seller – Three Cups of Tea. Let’s continue to support our young people and respond to these “little ushers” as they come around on Sunday mornings. Thank you, and peace.

Wally Strauch

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Church Diet To Lose 100,000 Pounds!

Sanbornton Congregational Church, buoyed by its successful recycling program, is planning a Church Forum with Patrick Miller, volunteer speaker for the NH Carbon Challenge, on how church families can reduce their total household carbon dioxide emissions. If just ten church families take the Carbon Challenge pledge to lose 10,000 pounds of CO2, we can total 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide lost from our New Hampshire atmosphere. The Forum is scheduled for Sunday, April 20, at 11:30 a.m. The public is cordially invited to attend. Sanbornton Congregational Church is located at 21 Meetinghouse Hill Road, just up the hill from Sanbornton Square on Route 132.

Patrick Miller is Associate Professor of Health Policy and Ecology at UNH. He is a dynamic speaker, and spoke at the church’s Climate Change Workshop last year. On the 20^th, he will update us on the latest scientific forecasts of climate change impacts, and walk us through the Carbon Challenge web site program on reducing our household carbon emissions. As of this month, hundreds of NH households and businesses have joined the NH Carbon Challenge and pledged a reduction of 1,132,128 pounds of CO2 per year. Carbon Dioxide is a major greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and climate change.

Sanbornton Congregational Church recently voted to undertake a Green Church program. A church energy audit is planned, and the new recycling program includes plastics and paper which has cut down significantly on the amount of trash sent to the transfer station. The recycling program for the Town of Sanbornton is reportedly one of the best in the state. The Forum is sponsored by the church’s Peace and Justice Committee.

Fred Ficken, for the Committee

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Peace and Justice

Acting as the Green Team, members of the Peace and Justice Committee continue to encourage the use of the recycling barrels in the Undercroft at coffee hour and all other times. When our GREEN CORNER is up (in the left corner of the divider screen behind the display tables) we will post the rules for church recycling. If you have a question, please ask a Green Team member or Dana Nute. There has been some confusion due to our taking our bags to the Concord landfill where there are recycling rules that are different from those in some of our towns. Don’t forget that discarded church bulletins and other waste paper go into the PAPER bin. The Green Book is also located at the left end of the line of tables. Please read the entries from our church family and feel free to write in it to tell us what you have been doing to save water, save energy, to lessen carbon emissions which pollute the air and warm the atmosphere.

We are excited about our first All-Church EVENT on Sunday, April 20, at 11:30 a.m., following worship service. We will turn our coffee hour into a light lunch with sandwiches for all who can stay for the program. We are sending invitations by newspaper and letters to the wider community. After lunch we will hear Patrick Miller, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Ecology at UNH, who is affiliated with UNH’s Carbon Coalition and Climate Project. He will teach us how to measure our impact on planet earth and how to track small changes in our living patterns so that we can see what a difference we can make. This is a program for families, children, adults – all who want to know how to cut our carbon emissions. Please plan to attend.

The Peace and Justice Committee is combining with the Christian Education Committee to hold a FAMILY FUN NIGHT with a Green theme. The event will be held on Saturday, May 3, from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be a spaghetti supper, a film for children (already previewed by church school teachers) with a film for adults running at the same time upstairs. Then there will be a family game called

Footprint, followed by a brief wrap up to celebrate our success (we hope) at cutting carbon emissions and at our efforts to make our part of the world a bit healthier. This will be a “church family event.” We are looking forward to a happy family evening together.

Lee Hart for Committee members Sheila Dion, Cheryl Elliott, Fred Ficken, Susan Garner, Marty Merry, Elaine Rayno and Sharon Richardson

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April is Stewardship of Creation Month at Sanbornton UCC

April 12 – Earth Day Celebration, focusing on the greening of our liturgies, hymns and sermons, at South Church, United Church of Christ, 27 Pleasant Street, Concord from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

April 13 – Children’s Sunday – special presentations by our children during worship to raise our awareness of the importance of caring for creation.

April 16 – Book Discussion Group meets at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Elizabeth Kolbert’s “Field Notes from a Catastrophe.” These articles, suggested to us by Patrick Miller originally appeared in the New Yorker and are available via email. Please contact Patrice if you are interested in participating.

April 20 – Stewardship of Creation Sunday. Worship at 10 a.m. with environmental focus followed by special coffee hour and presentation by Patrick Miller, UNH in the undercroft.

April 22 – Earth Day. Give a gift to the earth by making a carbon offset, or implementing one of the green tips found in the bulletin.

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Christian Education

Our immediate attention is focused on Children’s Sunday, which we will celebrate this year on April 13^th. The topic will be ‘Earth Day’- being environmentally friendly. All classes will be involved in this program. Sue Long, Marg Whedon, and Karna Feltham are organizing the service. Our decision to change the date for Children’s Sunday resulted from the fact that families are so involved in other activities during May that having an earlier date will relieve some of their stress. Although this will be a Sunday to celebrate the children and youth of our church, the presentation of Bibles and music awards will occur on the last Sunday of our winter schedule, May 18th. At this time flowers will be given to all the children and we are hoping to have a ‘Bring Your Own Picnic’ on that day. If the weather is nice we can, as a Church family, have our picnic outdoors; if the weather does not cooperate, we can picnic inside. For dessert we will make our own sundaes.

Our church has been blessed with the wonderful donation of a rocking chair for our sanctuary. The Christian Education Committee talked about providing a rocking chair in a corner of the sanctuary for mothers to rock their infants and be able to stay in church. Jerry Turner graciously donated his rocking chair, given to him by Raytheon upon his retirement. It is just the right size, fits well into the corner we had designated and truly adds a sacred, warm, loving place for our young families. The Prayer Shawl Ministry provided a shawl to place on the back of the chair, keeping the color in line with the décor of the sanctuary. The chair has been in place for a couple of weeks and has been used many times. We thank you, Jerry, from the bottom of our hearts. Your legacy will continue throughout the years, and you will always be remembered for your generosity and love.

In May, the Christian Education Committee will join the Peace and Justice Committee in sponsoring an event to teach us how to become more earth friendly. This will be a family friendly event, and the CE Committee will be specifically responsible for the supper. Jae-Ann Rock is in charge of the supper. It will be a spaghetti supper with salad, bread and fruit for dessert. The date is Saturday, May 3. More information about this event will be forthcoming.

Our Nursery continues to be run by volunteers. A new procedure for keeping toys clean has been put in place, and our paging system is being used. Shirley Strauch is overseeing the Nursery.

Mary Morris has been our teacher for the Preschool/Kindergarten class for the month of March. Tracy Wood will teach this class for the remainder of the year. Thank you so much, Mary and Tracy, for your commitment.

Karna Feltham for the Christian Education Committee

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Special Meeting on Church Painting and Maintenance

A Special Meeting on painting and maintenance was held after the church service on Sunday, March 30. Trustee Dennis Akerman presented a written report from the Trustees Committee that contained a description of what needs to be done, an analysis of our financial resources, two options to consider and the recommendation of the Trustees. The west and north sides of the building and the steeple are most in need of paint; the north side needs some repairs; one spindle on the steeple needs repair. At the Annual Meeting in January, members voted to paint the west side of the building this year at an estimate of $2480.

The options presented at the Special Meeting were as follows:

1) Paint and Maintain the Building on a Rotational Basis. Paint the west side this year, the north side next year and the steeple in the third year. We have made a commitment to paint the west side already and have the funding in place. We could build the painting of the north side (estimate $1500) into the budget for next year. By mid 2009, we should have made a decision regarding any Church expansion plans and could either wrap the steeple and painting into any grants we would seek or plan for the work in 2010.

2) Take a Loan of approximately $15,000. Finance the painting of the steeple and the rest of the building at one time. This option is not ideal if we intend to go after grants to finance an expansion plan.

The Trustees recommended Option One because the Church can afford it without taking on additional debt and because it allows us more time to decide whether or not we will move forward with an expansion program.

In the discussion that followed, questions were raised about the structural soundness of the steeple, the need for repairs to the spindle and whether waiting to paint the other sides and the steeple could produce substantial damage to the building. Frank Baker reported that the building and the steeple are structurally sound and that, in his opinion, the painting could be delayed 3 years. He was asked if he could repair the damage to the spindle without scaffolding. He replied that he could repair the spindle without scaffolding or the use of a crane. A motion had been made to adopt Option One. The motion was amended to include the repair of the spindle with the painting of the west side this year. The motion was passed.

Diane Farrell

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Deacons

It’s hard to believe that another Easter has come and gone. This year was particularly special, as many of our “newer” members joined in our Holy Week activities. Maundy Thursday turned out to be a fantastic array of food, conversation, and laughter, as several of us tried to figure out how to eat salad with our hands. Thanks so much to everyone who cooked, helped set-up, and clean-up. In addition, our annual vigil continued with so many wonderful volunteers who signed up, and held vigil for many, many hours. A special thanks to those who came for those late night and early morning hours. Just for the record, Shelby did 10:30 p.m. to midnight on Friday night, and helped keep me awake!

We also wanted everyone to know that our Hymnal Drive will be held in the month of April. Please look for the order form in this month’s Belfry. There will also be forms on the counter at the back of the sanctuary. It has always warmed my heart to open up a hymnal and read the dedication inside. Often it’s to a person who is no longer with us, which causes me to pause and think about that person. Perhaps you could think of someone, a loved one or a special friend no longer with us, in memory of whom you would like to purchase a hymnal. In addition, you know that old saying, “what do you buy for someone who has everything”? How about dedicating a hymnal to the person? Please consider this very special gift. Thank you.

Lastly, we hope to see you at our information meeting for “Called to Care,” which will be held on April 6, after church service. Please come and be a part of this informational meeting that is sure to lead our church on an exciting new mission! Hope to see you there.

Michelle Chapman for the Deacons

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Trustees

The Trustees held their monthly meeting on March 4, 2008, and Liz Merry was elected as the Chairperson, with Michael Holbrook as Clerk. Donations were received from persons who wish to be anonymous for a new copier and a software program, QuickBooks, which will help with financial administration. It was acknowledged that these gifts were extremely valuable and that we should honor publicly all the donations that are being given anonymously by church members.

At the request of the members, the Trustees have come up with a plan regarding the painting of the Church. This plan will be presented at a special meeting on March 30, after the service. A letter will be sent out in advance so that members can reflect on the options presented. The financial statements for 2007 will be reviewed independently by Dennis Akerman and Jean Surowiec within the next month, as opposed to undertaking a full financial audit. There will be several improvements to the Undercroft in the next 60 days: Liz Merry will investigate a water purifier system that could be installed so that we could have drinking water from the faucet; lights, ceiling tiles and electrical outlets will be repaired or replaced; church pew supports will be repaired by Dennis and Phil.

Elizabeth Merry, Chair

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UCC, NH Women’s Fellowship - Spring Forum

The Annual Spring Forum will take place on Wednesday, April 16, at the First Congregational Church of Wakefield, NH, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The morning speaker is Angela Jones. Her topic will be “Where Is Jesus in Those We Encounter?” Beth Bascom will be speaking after lunch on “Supporting Foster Families Faithfully, One by One.” Registration and Lunch is $8.00.

If you are interested in attending, contact Barbara Akerman for more information.

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A Generous Gift

Thanks to the generosity of donors who wish to remain anonymous, a new copy machine has been installed in the Undercroft. The Kyocera KM 2540 can produce double-sided copies at a rate of 25 pages per minute. Phil Nichols is organizing small group training sessions. If you will be using the copier, contact Phil to learn how to use and care for this new machine.

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History of the Peace and Justice Movement at Sanbornton, UCC Part 2

At the Annual Meeting of the Sanbornton Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, on February 5, 1989, the designation of “Just Peace Congregation” was voted and approved. A standing committee, the Peace and Justice Committee, was established. Listed below are some of the issues dealt with and subjects studied and discussed at programs and meetings of the Committee since that time:

1. Forum on “Homosexuality and the Bible,” facilitated by seminarian Andy Jepson and the Rev. Anna Gobledale.

2. Report from a member of the NH Conference Committee on “Women in Church and Society.”

3. Talk by the Director of New Beginnings, a Women’s Crisis Center in Laconia. The talk dealt with domestic violence and services for victims.

4. Basket Party, a fundraiser to support a member’s “Bridges for Peace” mission to Estonia.

5. Presentation to the congregation on Advanced Directives (Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Wills). This was followed by a facilitated discussion focused on ethical issues surrounding end of life decisions.

6. Committee members participated in a workshop on domestic violence sponsored by the Twin Rivers Clergy Association and made a report to the congregation.

7. A study of issues around the environment and its ecology.

8. A study of the controversy over the programs dealing with sex education that are offered (or not) in our public schools.

9. A study of hate crimes followed by a facilitated discussion.

Lee Hart for the Peace and Justice Committee

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Historical Tidbits

Think Easter is early this year? If you do, you are right! Easter is always on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Jewish people use to determine the date of Passover. This is why Easter moves around on our Roman calendar.

Easter can occur only one day earlier, but that is very rare. This is the earliest Easter any of us, except those who are 95 or older, have ever seen. And none of us will ever see it earlier!

The last time Easter was observed on March 23 was in 1913. Were you alive then? The next time Easter will be on March 23 will be 220 years from now, in the year 2228. The next time Easter will be celebrated a day earlier, on March 22, will be 277 years from now, in the year 2285. The last time Easter was on March 22 was in 1818. So no one alive today has ever seen Easter any earlier than this year!

Milly Shaw, Church Historian

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Donate a Hymnal to Honor or Remember a Loved One

IN HONOR OF_____________________________________________________

IN MEMORY OF___________________________________________________

Given by___________________________________________________________

Number of Hymnals at $17.00 each _____

Amount enclosed ______________

Please make checks payable to Sanbornton Congregational Church, UCC

Put this form with payment enclosed in the plate or mail it to: Margaret Alkema, Financial Secretary, 58 Weed Road, Meredith, NH 03253-4709