July 2022 Newsletter ~ The Good News
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From our Pastor
“Each of you should use
whatever gift you have received
to serve others … in its varied forms.”
1 Peter 4:10
Recently Conway Village Congregational Church made the decision to cancel a proposed fundraiser for the 4th of July because not enough volunteers signed up to make the event doable. After it was cancelled, some people said, “Oh! I was going to volunteer … I meant to volunteer … I thought I had time … I wish it hadn’t been canceled.” What needs to be realized is our events don’t just happen, they take a great deal of organization and planning.
Our next fundraiser is a Turkey Dinner, Wednesday, September 7 th. People will be asked to volunteer and commit to making the event a success on Sunday, July 17th, at the Special Meeting of the Church. “Why so early?”, you may ask.
We need to create A Publicity Flyer to be placed on bulletin boards in town, and on our website by July 20th for the event to be advertised and posted (to guarantee participation). We also need to let Vall3y Vision, a Public Television program, Valley Promotion’s Charity Chatter and The Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce know by July 20th to post the flyer on their websites. The same flyer is submitted for our August Newsletter. Following those postings, the Trustees will determine how they would like to advertise in The Conway Daily Sun – – (Should the ad be in color? Or, black-and-white? What size ad, and how often should it appear?) The Dinner Crew/Committee will then decide how often and when it will be announced at worship.
As you can see these events take a great deal of planning – – it does not happen at the spur-of-the-moment. If not enough people sign up to volunteer by July 17th the event would be cancelled. If the publicity is not put in motion on the dates mentioned, the event would be cancelled by August 2nd. If we go ahead with the fundraising, we then receive pre-paid orders for “take-out” and for those who will “eat-in”, so the event can be organized for September 7th.
Pick up orders will then be from 5-6 o’clock and sit-down dinners will be from 5 to 6:30. All dinners will be prepaid, which allows the Kitchen Crew to guarantee the proper numbers of dinners. Of course, we need volunteers to organize take-out’s and to serve tables, prepare the meal, and to clean up. Fundraising at the Brown Church is very gratifying, yet it does not occur by happenstance – – it takes everyone’s cooperation (those who order food, those who sit for dinner, and those who organize the “Nuts + Bolts” organization) to make it work. The monies raised support all our programming and ministries so necessary to the health and welfare of the Mount Washington Valley. Please help us help those who are in great need.
In Advance of your Generosity and cooperation
Thank You
Rev. John Hughes July 2022
Just another thank you to everyone who helped with our successful sales in May at the Spring Festival!
Through the efforts of bakers and many donations of specially made items, food, books and yard sale donations, we raised a total of $4,553!
Special mention to Charlyne Gray for her handiwork, Bob Burnhardt for his wood works, Jill Reynolds and Marilyn Hughes for coordinating the baked goods, Wally Campbell for the food and Paul and Sylvia Weld for coordinating the set up for lunch, Duddie and Roy Andrews and many others for their plant donations, women’s bible study volunteers (Donna West, Mary Russo, Ella Hill, Jean Hamilton, and Judy Workman), Brian Wiggin for manning the book sales and Louise Saxby and the Diaconate members for all the help with the yard sale. We also appreciated the help to move all the heavy items out to the yard (John Saxby, Paul Weld and Tom Workman). Thanks to our cashier, Nancy Irving, for keeping track of all the income. It took many hands to pull off this fundraiser ~~ you all are the best!!
We are a small but mighty group. God bless you all for your dedication and hard work to support our church!!
Nancy Divine & Anne Getchell
Join us for Bible Studies.
Women’s Weekly Bible Study meets Thursdays at 9:30 am
Men’s Weekly Bible Study meets Fridays at 9:00 am
Both groups meet in the Church Conference Room located downstairs next to the church office.
Zoom access is available.
If you would like to more information on either group, please call the office at 603-447-3851 or email info@thebrownchurch.org
Food Pantry Wish List
Ramen Noodles-Chicken and or Beef
Rice-A-Roni-Chicken or Beef
Ketchup – 20 oz.
Mustard – 20 oz
Mayo – small jar
Stable Milk box – 20 oz.
Juice – Orange or Apple – 64 oz.
Small Soup – Chicken Noodle or Tomato
Jelly – Grape or Strawberry – 16 oz.
Small canned Chicken or Tuna – 5 oz.
Baked Beans – 15 oz.
Tomato Sauce – 15 oz.
Beef Stew – Canned – 15 oz.
Boxed Crackers – 1 lb.
Boxed Spaghetti – 1 lb.
Canned Veggies – Peas, Carrots – 15 oz.
Instant Oatmeal – 1 lb.
Paper Towels
Toilet paper – individually wrapped
Shampoo – White Rain or Suave – 24 oz.
Dawn Dish detergent – small size
Tide Laundry Detergent – small size
Large Laundry Detergent
Hand Soap – Dial 2 or 3 pk bars
Diaconate Message
As the words from The Servant Song say “will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you, pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too”. We need to be servants to each other during these changing times we are in. We are all on a journey, whether it be a personal journey, a journey through some tough times, or just a journey through life. We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load. CVCC church family is the best for being there for each other. I for one have had that
experience of the wonderful church family that we have here. I am challenging my wonderful church family to step it up a little. If you notice someone hasn’t been in church or on zoom for a while, give them a call or let a Diaconate member know that we have someone sending cards to people. Tell them to come in and see the new chairs that have been placed in the sanctuary. To end this with a verse from the song: “I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh, I’ll laugh with you. I will
share your sorrow, ‘til we’ve seen this journey through” by Richard Gillard. Please let me be your servant and be my servant too, we will go through this journey together.
Blessings,
Dawn Vitters, July Deacon of the Month
Diaconate: Louise Saxby, Chair; Beth Campbell, Secretary; Dawn Vitters, Treasurer; Judy Workman, Mitzi Fitch, and Suzanne Rancourt
From the Trustees
Welcome summer!
The chairs have been delivered and are set up in the Sanctuary. We hope you will come and try them for yourselves. The air-conditioner is up and running and the summer morning light shines through the windows.
We hope you will join us on July 17th for the service and Special Meeting right after. As noted last month, the finances at the church have been very tight as a result of high fuel costs, utility and plowing bills. We will provide year to date numbers and a revised 2022 budget for discussion and approval.
We had hoped to sell apple crisp on the 4th of July at Schouler Park. We were unable to get enough volunteers to cover all the needed work to participate. This could have potentially been a profitable fundraiser. The church relies on the fundraisers to supplement the other sources of income.
Our next fundraiser is a Turkey Dinner September 7th, dinners to-go and hopefully also a dine-in option, if we are able to get volunteers. We are already well into the planning for our biggest fundraiser, so please note on your calendars, the Fryeburg Fair, October 2nd – 9th and crisp prep will begin the week before. Volunteers are critical to making this a successful fundraiser. Please watch for upcoming volunteer requests and sign up as soon as you are able. Thank you.
Trustees:
Co-Chairs: Anne Getchell, Nancy Divine
Duddie Andrews, John Edgerton, Nancy Irving, Paul Weld, Tom Workman
Ex-officio member Carl Vitters – Church Treasurer
THANK YOU!
A BIG Thanks goes out to our talented crew of Carl Vitters, Paul Weld, Charles Monaghan and Jon Saxby who quickly disassembled our beloved, but badly broken pews and cleared the sanctuary for the placement of the new chairs! Thanks so much guys! We so appreciate your hard work!
On Being Old
Being old is a privilege and a gift, so they say,
Be honest you’d rather be young any day.
When you’re young your lively, strong and carefree
When you’re old your slow and weak in the knees!
One thing that’s a plus for the state of being old
You can do what you want, not what you’re told,
Tell folks where to go . . . . And never come back.
That you’re sick and tired of their rules and their lack.
Of respect and kindness, is that be their style,
Then look in their eyes and flash a big smile.
On the other hand-there are those who do care.
Knowing they’re getting older and losing their hair!
The truth be told whether sixty or eighty,
Folks don’t lose their humor, their wit or their gaiety.
They struggled through life and sacrificed all,
They earned a “hi-five” and a “good job y’all”.
If you’re old and you nap in mid-afternoon,
You missed doing a chore ~ you’ll get to it soon.
Time isn’t your boss, you can while it away,
Tell yourself Rome wasn’t built in a day!
To the aged the meaning of life becomes clearer,
So does the stranger you see in your mirror!
But what the heck, who cares anymore,
We all had our day and so what if we snore?
This poem is satire to make you all laugh
Being old is a Journey down life’s hallowed path.
Mary Russo
