GAME NIGHT for all! Please join us for snack, fun & friendship

in Fellowship Hall, Friday, Jan. 27th from 6 - 8 p.m.

Dear friends,

As I write this, we have had our first real snow. Christmas Eve and

Christmas Day have been celebrated and a New Year is at hand. What-

ever the date on the calendar, however, I suspect I will find, like many,

much the same person in the mirror most mornings. Blessedly, God

can yet meet me as I wake too. Thankfully, God’s care meets me in

others as well (Mark 12:12-34).

Those who made it to Worship on New Year’s Day were given a church

newsletter. If you would like to receive it in a different manner—

mailed rather than e-mailed, or vice versa, please let us know. You are

important to us.

Updates in numerous areas of church life over the last year will be

given in materials made available for our Annual Meeting, later in Jan-

uary. In this newsletter, you will find more recent reports on church

activities and events.

May we remember the One who carries us, each and all together. That

love be shown. That joy be encountered. That the welcome Christ

made at the table be continued here. It is our greater calling.

Yours in Christ, Pastor Bill Jones

Church Life Highlights Worship Sundays, 10 a.m.

Hymn-sing last Sundays, 9:45 a.m.

Choir Rehearsal, 8:30 a.m. Sun & alternate Tues, 6 p.m.

Sunday School follows Children’s Time, during Worship

Fellowship Time follows Worship Weekly

Bible Study occurs Wednesday at 4:30 pm

Men’s Prayer Group meets Second Fridays, 7-8 a.m.

Women’s Spirituality meets Third Saturday, 8:30—10 a.m.

Youth and Confirmation will meet as scheduled.

Annual Congregational Meeting, to receive reports on 2016

and plan for 2017, follows Worship, Jan. 22, 2017.

The Gorham Congregational Church

United Church of Christ Gorham, New Hampshire

Church News January 2017

Memorial Committee

The committee met on Tuesday, December

6th, at 2:30 pm at the church to report on

business that has happened since the prior

meeting in October. Eva Jane reported that

she had omitted a name in the December

newsletter, so the complete list of contribu-

tors to the church in memory of June York,

who died on October 22, 2016, is being re-

peated. In alphabetical order, the fourteen do-

nors are Lee and Judith Carroll, John and

Robby Cosgriff, Reny and Eva Jane Demers,

Gail and Michael Doyon, Elizabeth (Liz)

Forestall, The Gorham Police Department,

Beulah C. Johnson, Bobby Litvin, Joseph

Micucci, John and Eleanor Russell, Carolyn

St. Hilaire, Karl and Ernestine Scott, Morris

and Roxyann Thompson, and Katsko

Zintchenko. Thank you notes were sent to

them and the three York siblings were noti-

fied of their thoughtfulness. What a tribute to

this special woman has been shown by her

family and friends!

As promised, there is some long-awaited

news to share with you. Some real progress is

being made on the Memorial Book thanks to

the computer skills of Glen Alden. He was

able to create PDF files for each missing year

from information he was emailed. Hard cop-

ies of those files were examined and sugges-

tions for revisions were made during the

meeting. These revisions have been made and

at our next meeting, which is Tuesday, Janu-

ary 17th at 2:30 pm, decisions will be made

on printing the files and putting the pages in-

to the Memorial Book. Thank you, Glen, for

all your work!

In other business, it was reported that there

were twenty-seven Dome Lights this year and

$360.00 of those donations will be transferred

to the church towards electricity. The remain-

der will stay in the Memorial savings account

for now. Also, the dedication of the new stairs

and railings on the side of the chancel is

planned for sometime in January. As always,

the meeting began and ended in prayer.

If you have any questions or want to make

some comments or suggestions, you are wel-

come to contact any member of the commit-

tee, which consists of Judy Carroll, Phyllis

Curcuru, Eva Jane Demers, and Heather

Reid.

Eva Jane Demers 466-5281

2

Deacons

December has seen Advent observed on

Sunday mornings and the birth of the baby

Jesus recalled on Christmas Eve and Christ-

mas Day at 143 Main Street. As we begin

this new year of 2017, we pray for good

health, love, joy, hope, peace, laughter, care,

concern, stewardship, volunteerism, Good

Samaritan-ism, and dry roads on Sunday

mornings.

Rhonda Stitt is January Deacon of the

Month. Please help out by signing up to

read or usher at worship in January.

Deacons are responsible for Social Time in

January. There is only one, perhaps two,

officially elected deacon who cannot cover

all five Sundays in January. Please, extend

your hospitality to others in the church by

volunteering to host Coffee Hour in Janu-

ary. The list of boards and committees

long-attached to seeing that refreshments

are served throughout the year is posted

next to the monthly sign-up sheets on the

movable bulletin board in the Fellowship

Hall, so you can look ahead to plan a Sun-

day to host.

The Magi arrive on January 6. Epiphany will

be celebrated during January 8 worship at

10:00 a.m.

Please speak to any of the deacons with

worship concerns, or if you have an interest

in becoming a deacon, as we have a current

opening on the board plus the possibility of

a second slot come annual meeting at the

end of the month. We are Glen Alden, Man-

dy Bradford, Phil Legendre, Heather Reid

and Rhonda Stitt.

Blessings, Heather Reid for the Board of

Deacons

Christian Education

We hope you all enjoyed our new Christmas

Pageant. We are so blessed to have our own

play-write in our midst. Our youth enjoy

acting these scripts and add their own fla-

vor in the process. Thanks to all the chil-

dren that took part in the festivities.

Sunday School and Nursery Care continues

each Sunday during worship service. This

month we will be looking at the classic sto-

ries that are read to children and giving

them a bit of a personal touch. Martha will

be teaching this session. I look forward to

our discussions.

All are invited to a GAME NIGHT January

27th from 6:00 to 8:00. Mark your calen-

dars and join in the fun.

Women’s Spirituality

This is an invitation to start your year in a

positive way by attending the next Women’s

Spirituality meeting, which will be held in

the church fellowship hall on Satur-

day, January 21st, starting at 8:30 am with

breakfast, followed from 9 to 10 by a time

of fellowship on the topic of "In the Bleak

Midwinter." Let’s hope it is not the coldest

day of the year, as records show, but even if

it is, we will find warmth together discuss-

ing the New Year, which comes in like a ba-

by, fresh and new, full of innocence. Will

you let God help shape your year? Are you

feeling that the future looks bleak for you

or a loved one?

Have you had some bleak times but you

still knew God was with you? During some

of the hour, we can try to answer these

questions and more, plus we can share joys,

prayer concerns, and suggestions for future

meetings. If you prefer just to listen, that’s

okay, too. Do know that it definitely will not

be a bleak meeting! (continued)

3

Thank you, Evelyn, Linda, Muriel, Marie, and

Phyllis, for the delicious breakfast you pro-

vided. Providers for the January meeting

will be Linda, Muriel, Phyllis, and Eva Jane.

Women’s Spirituality is open to all women,

not just those connected to the Gorham

Congregational Church, and is held

the third Saturday of each month during the

school year. Come and discover how won-

derful it can be to gather together in Chris-

tian Fellowship.... and bring a friend with

you. For more information, feel free to call

Eva Jane Demers at 466-5281.

Music Committee

What a special service we had on Dec

11th. Music on a Winter’s Eve invited our

community to join our church family in a

service of Christmas music, scripture and

story. We had such wonderful response to

join us for soup, and we had to set up a

more tables. What a wonderful problem to

have. We had plenty of food to share, and

the fellowship was fabulous. The service

was filled with the Christmas Spirit and an

amazing sense of peace.

We continue to be grateful for Debbie and

Angela for sharing their musical gifts with

our church and choir. The church family

has been great in sharing such positive

feedback to all those who participate in the

music ministry with our church family and

all others that pass through our doors.

If you want to join the choir, talk to Debbie

or any other choir members. We would love

the company. We are also open to music

suggestions.

Church Dome Light

The Dome Light is shining brightly this

month in memory of Kathleen Judge by

Stanley Judge. Although it’s been about ten

years since she has been gone, many of you

will recall what a hard-worker for the

church and wonderful woman she was. Still

remembered; still missed.

You, too, may want to light up the Gorham

skies for a month or more in memory of

loved ones or in honor of a person or an oc-

casion . To do so, please complete a Dome

Light Form, which is available at the church

or from Eva Jane Demers (466-5281). If it is

not convenient to get a form, be sure to in-

clude information on who is being remem-

bered or honored or what is being celebrat-

ed, who is requesting the light be lit, and for

which month or months you wish to have

this done. Then place it, along with a check

made out to the church with Dome Light in

the memo line, in the Sunday offering plate

or return them to the church office. An

amount of $30 has been suggested to cover

the lighting expense for a month. Also, it

would be appreciated if the information

could be submitted at least two weeks be-

fore the beginning of the indicated month.

Besides being published in a newsletter,

Dome Light information for the month will

be listed in the bulletins and on a sign in

the narthex. In addition, a thank you note is

sent for each donation and a copy of the

bulletin page is included if the donor might

not be in church that month. How wonder-

ful it would be to have a long list of remem-

brances each month!

4

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees met on December 12.

The meeting reviewed the financial state-

ment and placed it on file.

The Trustees continue to operate with less

than a full Board membership. If you are a

member of the church and would like to be

considered for membership on the Board of

Trustees, please contact the Church Office

or Lee Carroll.

The drainage modifications at the Church

Street entry and on the parsonage side of

the church have been completed.

Lee is going to discuss the verbally received

snow plowing proposal from one of the 3

companies that provided a proposal. It ap-

pears that firm will more likely than not be

awarded the contract.

Final preparation of 2017 Church Budget

numbers was completed. The Trustees note

that some Committees will not be recom-

mended to receive the total amounts re-

quested due to past underutilization of the

amounts and the need to control the deficit.

The Trustees approved another withdrawal

of $15,000.00 from the Church's Consoli-

dated Investment Funds. These funds will

be received in January 2017 but are needed

to cover end of 2016 operations costs.

The Trustees discussed the resignation of

the Church Secretary and options ongoing

for this position with no decisions reached.

This will be discussed further in future

Trustee meetings.

The date of the next Trustee's meeting will

be set after the Annual Meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Lee F. Carroll, Chairman; Board of Trustees

THE PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY WILL NOT

MEET DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.

THANK YOU, JUDY.

+++

The Mission of The Gorham Congregational

Church, United Church of Christ, is to wel-

come all people seeking a relationship with

God through Jesus Christ.

Reverend William B. Jones, Pastor

Debbie Bernd, Pianist & Choir Director

Shelli Fortin, Sexton Jude Owen, Sound

Rhonda Stitt, January Deacon

Earl McGillicuddy, Moderator

Steve Tassey, Assistant Moderator

Lee Carroll, Chair Trustees

Glen Alden, Chair Deacons

Bev Legendre, Chair Church and Society

Martha Sappington, Christian Education

Sarah Carberry, Treasurer

Heather Reid, Financial Secretary

Eleanor Russell, Church Historian

Jo Anne Carpenter, EvaJane Demers,

Co-Auditors

5

The Gorham Congregational Church United Church of Christ

143 Main Street Gorham, NH 03581

Church Phone 603-466-2136 Church e-mail: gorhamucc@gmail.com Church website GorhamUCC.org Please visit us on Facebook!

If you would prefer to receive this

newsletter by mail, please let us know!

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7

“The Spider at the Manger” Christmas Eve 2016

Esme the spider was the longest resident of the stable in

Bethlehem. The back left hand corner between two beams

was her home. Her elegant webs crisscrossed the ceiling.

The cow, self-proclaimed ruler of the stable, was Esme’s

closest friend. The artistry of her webs was the only crea-

tivity that the otherwise logical cow could tolerate. Esme’s

greatest source of frustration was how people reacted to

her. She thought herself quite elegant with beautiful blue

stripes and shiny black eyes that showed the mind and

soul of an artist. She was always on high alert whenever a

human entered the stable. Their responses seemed to

Esme to always involve screaming, stomping and flailing at

her webs with anything they could find. The cow, who was

protective, always tried to help Esme by glaring and moo-

ing angrily at anyone trying to harm her friend.

One winter’s day, the innkeeper who owned the stable

came bustling in muttering under his breath about too

many people and needing to clean. He seemed more intent

than usual to destroy Esme’s webs. She crawled back into

the corner and watched sadly as weeks of work fell under

his sweeping broom.

As the innkeeper left, a young man and woman appeared.

Esme remained hidden in the rafters as the cow quickly

organized all the animals around the manger in a tableau

designed to look perfect on Christmas cards for the next

2,000 years. As they stood there, a great star rose overhead

shining brightly down through the holes in the stable. As

the young couple gazed with love at their newborn babe,

Esme noticed the mother shiver and wrap the swaddling

clothes more tightly around the baby.

Esme noticed the cold wind was blowing in through the

holes in roof. Quickly, she sprang to work. She wove as

never before, stringing webs to cover the holes in the roof

and protect the new family. As she worked, the light of the

great star transformed the gray strands of the spider’s web

in to strands of silver tinsel that turned the ceiling of the

barn into a place of wonder. In the center of it all was Esme.

Tired and out of breath, but very proud, she slowly lowered

herself until she could sit on the cow’s horn.

“Do you notice, Joseph, the wind isn’t blowing quite so

hard now?” said Mary. “Look what the spider has done,” he

replied. “She has woven her web to block the wind!” Jo-

seph turned and saw the spider perched on the cow’s horn.

He held out his hand and Esme slowly stepped into his

palm. Carefully he brought the beautiful spider close to the

baby. His waving fingers reached out and brushed the spi-

der.

For the first time in her life, Esme sensed something new.

In the light of the star, with the touch of the child’s hand,

Esme knew that she was, for this moment, not hated or

feared but loved. Slowly she retreated back to the cow’s

horn knowing that her gift had been accepted, and that

there were some in the world who could look past their fear

to see the gentle creature that she truly was.

On this holy night as we sit in the light of the star and re-

member the Christ child’s birth, the tinsel on the tree re-

minds us of the spider’s web and that gifts can come even

from unexpected places. Even those that we fear, and that

God’s healing love is with us no matter who or what we are.

Merry Christmas,

Evelyn Robbennolt-Jones

Our Prayer List Edgar Allen

Erik Anderson

Peter Burlock

Audrey Cairns

Phjllis Curcuru

Reny Demers

Handi Jo Dolloff-Holt

The family of

Kathryn Drown

Jessica Gooddall

The Family of

Will Hartman

Roland Hayes

Roma Hayes

Bill Haslem

The Family of

Dorothy Honnon

Beulah Johnson

Linda LaPete

Mark LaPete

Beverly Legendre

Larry Lowe

Nancy Lowe

Jose Pequeño

Joan Ramsay

Ed Reichert

Eleanor Russell

Barbara Fenn Wysession

The Family of June York

Our sister congregation, Tuzuka UCCZ, Zimbabwe Please pray for those serving our country: Joshua Carberry, Adam York.