Its been a wild week watching the preparations for the Fair – the first in-person one that I've witnessed.
The UMWomen have been planning for months and crafting for even longer –knitting, quilting, collecting pine cones for a year or more. Weeks ago, people started bringing in items to sell. David Crane brought in some great new puzzles. Tom Reed brought in books and the Roses donated dishes cleared out from their moves. Every strong back was recruited last Sunday to help set up spaces. Elizabeth Wilds made jam of various flavors in the kitchen. Kathy and Pam and Erica and so many others planned and re-planned. Jodi in the office kept cranking out fun graphics to market the event. Everyday women were in the building organizing, pricing, arranging, planning. It was great having all the activity.
There's lots of hopes/concerns for this first year back. Will people come? Will this sell? Can we get what this is worth? Throughout the busyness and the worries and the work, a mantra kept being repeated "It's a lot of work AND it's a lot of fun." It was as if they needed to remind themselves that amidst all the work, they enjoyed the results.
And I've come to realize that the Fair brings together so many more than just those women who make it happen. There's those who donate, those from the community who look forward to attending, those who bake, those who set-up and advertise, those friends and family recruited to help (I've met quite a few this week), and those who connect each year over the event (we've heard these stories at several funerals recently).
This Saturday, I hope you'll find some holiday decor or a puzzle or book or silent auction item to purchase. Maybe you'll pick up some unique gifts for the special people on your list. Perhaps, like me, you'll load up on cookies and breads and jams. But I'm also grateful for the way this event brings people together. "It's a lot of work AND it's a lot of fun."
--Pastor Kelly | | |
Coffee Hour and Fellowship
Coffee Hour and Fellowship will again be in the Vestry this Sunday!
Be sure to join us in person! | | | | Funeral Notice
Barbara J. (Stevens), Katsiaficas passed away at the age 92 on October 11, 2022. She had been a lifelong communicant of Main St. Methodist Church with her family, Evelyn Stevens and Marilyn (Stevens) Schofield. She was married to her husband, Nicholas J. Katsiaficas, on October 21st, 1950. Barbara enjoyed attending fairs, suppers, and of course, services at the Methodist Church.
The funeral will be held here at the Church on Tuesday, October 18th at 11:00 AM. Internment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery where she will be buried next to her husband.
Calling Hours are to be held at Farwell Funeral Home at 18 Lock St, Nashua from
4 - 8pm on Monday, October 17th. | | | | Last minute Fall Fair Information
2 DAYS TO GO! Remember that this important fundraiser event is supporting global and local missions.
We are looking for crafts of all kinds, Grandma's attic items (Grandma is looking for used jewelry too), used adult and children's books and puzzles. Dropping off is ongoing this week up until Thursday. Friday, Oct 14th, we will be setting up and pricing and would like to have everything there. If you need an evening drop off time or have questions, please email Kathy at umwfair20@gmail.com.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CONTACTED US REGARDING YOUR BAKED GOODS SO WE HAVE LABELS MADE. EMAIL: umwfair20@gmail.com so that labels can be made up. If you need the list of Nashua baking guidelines, email Kathy at that address as well. Baked goods may be dropped off at the church Fri. the 14th or early Sat. the morning of the fair. | | All Saints Service - November 6th We have begun preparation for this very important service. If you have a loved one you've lost since the pandemic, that you'd like honored in our bulletin on this day, please email office@mainstreet-umc.org. | | |  | | According to the Council on Foreign Relations, there are 27 ongoing conflicts worldwide. While there are crisis that receive attention on the evening news like the conflict in Ukraine, the war in Afghanistan, and the civil war in Ethiopia, there are also hundreds of millions of people who are living in the midst of war and conflict that do so without international attention. Join us for a three-day series to: (1) engage with experts and practitioners on the root causes of conflict; (2) learn about the methods and means to peacebuilding and preventing recurrences in conflict; (3) delve into a theological grounding on peacebuilding; and (4) learn how United Methodists have been participating in global peacebuilding efforts. All sessions will be held on Zoom. Each session requires a separate registration.
To Register and Learn More Click Here. | |  | Community Food Drives - Volunteers of all ages are invited to help United Way of Greater Nashua collect food donations from shoppers at local supermarkets. Food Drives take place every Saturday from 10am to 2pm as well as on the day before some major holidays. Food collected benefits pantries like the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, SHARE Outreach in Milford, and Hudson Food Pantry. Volunteer to help at one or many drives. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Contact United Way at info@unitedwaynashua.org or (603) 882 -4011 for more information or register here: https://tinyurl.com/UWFoodDrives.
We also need volunteer assistance with our Women's Hygiene Supplies Drives at supermarkets on Sundays, which you can register for here: https://tinyurl.com/WomensHygieneDrives | |  | |
SECURITY GRANT
As you may have read in local media, the church has applied for and received a generous grant from the NH Department of Homeland Security. This grant is offered to states by the Federal government to help houses of faith to secure their buildings in ways that can prevent crime, no strings attached. The bad news is that certain chaos-making groups seem to be attracted to downtown, so we had a strong case for needing better security.
The GOOD news is that this money will be used to both save money on existing systems and replace our old-fashioned key/lock system of building access. The tech team will use some of the money to replace our rented security cameras with an equally effective but significantly less expensive purchased system. In addition, Trustees will utilize some of the funds to install card-access doors with a remote camera buzz-in feature, much like schools and businesses have used for years. This will eliminate the cumbersome process of signing out keys and hoping they are not lost. It will also allow us to give limited-time access to folks using the building for specific purposes, turning their cards off when they no longer need access. All of these upgrades have been needed for some time, and we are delighted to use the grant money to do them soon.
Due to the complicated processes around Federal and State funding, we are not entirely clear when the funds will come to us, but we know that we cannot start the improvements until that happens. Stay tuned!
If you have any questions about the security grant, please reach out to Pastor Kristy or Pastor Kelly. | |  | Global Mission Fellows US-2 applications are now open The Global Mission Fellows (GMF) program of The United Methodist Church places young adults, ages 20–30, in social justice ministries for two years of service. The program offers the opportunity for service in the U.S. (US-2 track) and around the world (international track). We are now accepting applications for the 2023-25 cohort for the U.S.-2 track.
Learn more. | |  | | GSOP invites you to help canvass neglected neighborhoods to ensure everyone knows how to participate in our democracy:
You are invited to join the Manchester NAACP, Unitarian Universalist Action, the Granite State Organizing Project and the NH Alliance of Immigrants and Refugees in our non-partisan get out the vote outreach! We will go out in teams and knock on doors in communities that are generally neglected at election time. We will make sure people know where and when to vote, and how to register at the polls on Election Day. We'll also ensure that people know their rights; including the rights of formerly incarcerated to vote and the right to request language and other assistance with voting. Shifts are available in Manchester and Nashua – sign up today! Please Click-On the link: GSOP Volunteer Canvassing The location to meet for canvassing will be confirmed once you register. For Manchester most Saturdays we will leave from the Manchester UU Church and most Sundays from the GSOP office. Nashua location will usually be 427 Amherst Street 2nd floor, Nashua | | For the next several weeks, the Vestry Class will be exploring New Testament professor Amy-Jill Levine's new curriculum called "Signs and Wonders: a Beginner's Guide to the Miracles of Jesus."
Paul Pederzani will lead the class, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday in hybrid format--in the Vestry and through Zoom.
Here is the link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88185355974?pwd=SEpQemJ3ZzRRWm9lMFFQSlpwdUhzQT09 | |  | Every year, Main Street Church has thrown open its doors for the Downtown Nashua Winter Holiday Stroll. This is a perfect opportunity for us to welcome our community a give them glimpse of what we are all about. Do you know where the sanctuary is? Do you know where the restrooms are? Then you are qualified!
In order for us to register as a venue, we need a minimum of 9 committed volunteers for the evening (three two-hour shifts of three people each).This is complicated somewhat in that it would not be reasonable to enforce a mask requirement for the general public for this event, therefore volunteers would need to be comfortable in large presumably unmasked crowds though as a volunteer you are encouraged to wear a mask based up on your comfort and typical practice. Church Venue Host/Hostess Your presence is simply to provide assistance/directions to visitors who will be attending the entertainment hosted in the sanctuary. Help us put a good foot forward as the community visits us to enjoy our Chancel Choir and other entertainment. Direct visitors to the sanctuary venue, restrooms, and other activities in the church. How You Can Help! Volunteer for one (or more) of the 2-hour timeslots available during the stroll. No experience necessary. Contact Jerry Harrow to commit to volunteering and enable us to participate as a venue. For more information contact Jerry at 673-6024 or Jerry.Harrow@mainstreet-umc.org. | | | City Year New Hampshire is recruiting young adults
to serve as tutors and mentors! Not only will these mentors help students grow academically and socially, they'll gain valuable work experience and join an inclusive, supportive community. It's paid, fulltime, and has a $4,500 grant for future education and weekly professional development days. | | | Know someone? Interested in serving yourself?
Fill out this form: https://bit.ly/cynhrec1
City Year would love to meet them and consider together this life-changing opportunity. They're accepting applications now for positions that start in October—apply by Sept. 27—or any future academic year. Please take a moment to nominate someone you know. | | GREATER NASHUA CROP Hunger Walk: "We walk because they walk." This is our 38th year! The walk will take place on Sunday, October 30th beginning and ending at Temple Beth Abraham, 4 Raymond Street in Nashua. Registration is from 12 to 1pm with opening ceremonies at 1pm and stepping out at 1:30pm. Registration and celebration are in the TBA tent to keep us safe.
The Greater Nashua Area CROP Hunger Walk has raised over one million dollars in its previous 38 years. We now have 21 teams and last year we raised $57084! Each of our 5 recipient agencies received $2849. The money raised fights hunger and poverty around the world and locally and provides refugee and disaster relief through Church World Service. The Nashua Area Interfaith Council sponsors the event.
You can also find us on Facebook! Just look for Nashua Cropwalk.
To sign up, see Mission Co-chairs, Jennifer or Maggie to make sure that you have all the tools you need to be a CROP walker! (Each team or faith community has a recruiter.) You can also "walk on the web." Your recruiter will set up a team page on the website or you can start your own team and raise money online. Just google Greater Nashua Crop Hunger Walk or go to this link: https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2022/event/nashuanh
If you can't walk, be sure to sponsor a walker, or make a team donation. We can also always use volunteer help at the event if your feet aren't made for walking!
For any questions or to volunteer please contact Becky Green at nashuacropwalk@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you! | | Pastors' Sabbath days:
Pastor Kelly: Tuesday Pastor Kristy: Friday | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.