Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mainstreeter Weekly Blast March 28, 2024



New in this Issue:

  • LOTS OF NEW NEWS - READ CAREFULLY!

    • UMW District Meeting - registration forms available - Deadline - April 3

    • Fossil Free Petition

    • Lego Donations Needed for LYNC Coalition at General Conference

    • Donate for a Cause - Savers Fundraiser!

    • Annual Conference Registration - now available.

    • 2024 MISSION POSSIBLE Leadership Academy Register Now!

    • Book Study Opportunities.

    • Nora's Girl Scout Project - Volunteers wanted!

Click Here to Donate Today to MSUMC

Fossil Free UMC is bringing a petition to divest from fossil fuels to the upcoming 2024 General Conference.  Recently, Third Act Faith co-sponsored a divestment conversation with Bill McKibben. Now they're encouraging fellow Methodists and friends to sign the petition!


Feel free to participate and share these links with your friends and fellow Methodists.


Petition Sign-up Form
Link Showing Current Signatures

Witnessing and telling stories that evoke hope for new life can help us imagine new life for ourselves and others, and to help bring it about. Studies show that our witnessing acts of courage, transformation, forgiveness, etc. changes us. In a book by Dacher Keltner called "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life," he writes how these stories can help us be more resilent and caring (see the newsletter for the full quote).


Each week, we're sharing a story that you can access in the Thursday blast or on our Facebook page. And we encourage you to share your own stories. Call me and we can write it up or share it on Sunday morning. 


Rev Kelly


PS.  Correction to newsletter as stated, Kathy Romano's father is one of our guest preachers in this upcoming series.  His name is John Philipe. We look forward to having him, as well as our other guest speakers.


Watch Adam Zeelan's Story
Resurrection Stories Guided Journal
Click Here for Sunday's Bulletin

Below is our Lent Reflections submissions.

Get your thinking caps on and your thoughts together.  We will be holding a Ham & Bean Retrospective Meeting for everyone who has been involved in our first year back.  The meeting will be on Saturday, May 11th and lunch will be provided.  


We need everyone's feedback in order to continue to make these suppers successful.

Donate for a Cause!

Savers Fundraiser


Hello, church family! The local, faith-based moms' group I am a part of (MOPS) has partnered with Savers in Nashua for a fundraiser, and we need your help! We are collecting gently used items to donate and in turn, Savers will make a financial contribution to MOPS. As you Spring clean, please keep us in mind and let us take your items to Savers for you. I will be collecting items through Sunday, May 12th. You can bring them to church on Sunday mornings or contact me, and I can come to pick them up from you. Please note that we are not collecting furniture.


Please leave items in the small conference room off the Vestry.


Thank you,

Andrea Weir

Nora noticed that the space where she attends a theater summer camp at Wasserman Park is lacking an adequate dressing area for the campers and stage wings to hide the actors when they're not on stage.  Nora also wants to update the entry to be more inviting.  


Nora presented her project proposal at the Town Council meeting in December for approval to make the necessary renovations to the space.


Nora recites the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of the meeting and then her presentation starts at minute mark 11:10.  


https://youtu.be/QWkO4siRAc4?si=69zQwPOkaT6FMWLH


Since the project approval in December, Nora has acquired the necessary funds and has started construction of the dressing area and stage wings in addition to making improvements to the entry.    


Nora is hosting a Project Help Day on Saturday, April 20th from 1-4pm to paint the stage wings and dressing room walls, and create a feature wall in the entry.  All volunteers are welcomed to help Nora with this community project!

United Women in Faith (UMW) News

No April meeting

District Meeting at Main Street Sat. April 13

Register today for District Meeting - Deadline, April 3rd


Since we are hosting the Dist. meeting in April we decided to forgo our monthly meeting.  We will be sponsoring an UMCOR clean up bucket and Feminine Hygiene kits to assemble at our May meeting.  Watch for future information about donations for those.  Thank you to those who are involved in providing pies for the April Ham & Bean Supper. 


Below are some notes that Cheryl Merrill took at our March meeting:


Stepping Stones Volunteers:

"As volunteers at the Stepping Stones Program in Nashua, Lynn Moseley and Mavis Pyle spoke of their opportunities at this drop-in center. Stepping Stones provides supportive services for eighteen to twenty five year old young adults facing homelessness in the Nashua area. At the drop-in center, young people have the ability to meet their basic needs and receive help with plans to reach their goals. If they have success there, they can move to the Step-Up Program where they can live on-site to work on the skills they need to live independently. Lynn is at Stepping Stones one day a week and works mostly in the kitchen preparing foods which are much appreciated by the young people and also doing cleaning chores. She also encourages them to observe the rules which are intended for the kitchen department. Mavis is very busy with tasks in "back storage room". She organizes food that comes from Amazon deliveries and the Nashua Food Bank. There are many clothing donations that have to be sorted and shelved. An inventory of goods is kept and clothing is there for the young people to take. Items that are always needed are toiletries for males and females plus cleaning supplies, i.e. mops, buckets, and cleaners. Lynn and Mavis encouraged those interested in volunteering as there are many tasks available to choose from. It was suggested that the program could really use a water dispenser. Check out https://www.steppingstonesnh.org for more information."


Layette Inventory:

Sara Chambers has inventoried the items we currently have for layettes:

  • 34 receiving blankets

  • 27 baby wash cloths

  • 3 diapers(cloth)

  • 3 bibs

  • 4 hats

  • 8 sweaters/jackets

  • 4 18-month onesies

  • 3 3 to 6 month onesies

  • 1 newborn sleeper

  • 4 3-month sleepers

  • 3-month long pants

  • 3 6-month long pants

  • 4 bib and burp cloth sets


She also reported that 9 to 12 month items are in low supply and handmade blankets/sweaters are appreciated.  Donations of items for the categories which have very few would be helpful.  There is the veteran's baby shower and other opportunities to share these much needed items for new moms.


Recycling Opportunities:

There was a discussion around recycling ideas we could participate in along with suggestions on recycling to reduce our carbon footprint to helpfully effect the aquaculture and agriculture fields and to take time to compost.  Many plastic bags and wraps are recyclable in bins at grocery stores and the Nashua Senior Center - we encourage you to recycle these on your own and drop off at your local store.  They end up at NexTrex for recycling and are made into park benches, decks and the like.  Look for numbers 2 and 4 in the recycling triangles.  All bags must be clean, dry and with paper stickers removed.  Bubble wrap needs to be popped - a fun activity! 


Registration Form for District Meeting
Register Here

More information to come to join the fun; volunteers, donations, registration, etc.!

Click HERE for Amazon List

2024 MISSION POSSIBLE Leadership Academy
April 6, 2024 - 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Wesley UMC, 79 Clinton St., Concord, NH 03301


The Granite District Congregational Spirituality Impact (CSI) Team is sponsoring this event. Pastors and laity are invited to join this encouraging journey toward understanding our role in the church in these new and changing times. Participants may choose from a variety of breakout sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. These sessions are in-person only.


KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Bishop Peggy A. Johnson (AM) and Dr. Mark & Deirdre Zimmerman (PM) 


Register Below.


Register Here

2024 New England Annual Conference


Annual Conference Registration is Open
Early bird registration deadline is May 1. Registration closes May 22.


When:  Thursday, June 20, 2024 to Saturday, June 22, 2024


Where:  Hybrid /

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston North Shore
50 Ferncroft Road
Danvers, MA 01923

Register Here

Join United Way of Greater Nashua on April 5th at 10:30 am for an informative session at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. Discover how Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity & RSVP FixIt assist low to moderate-income homeowners with vital repairs. From safety improvements to minor fixes, learn how these programs make a difference in our community's homes.

Register Here
Click Here to Donate Today to MSUMC

Church office hours:  

Mon - Weds - Thurs - Fri from 9:00 - 2:00

Closed on Tuesdays.

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