Please click the button below to open or download the full (pdf) newsletter.
Newsletter articles and highlights are published below.
A Message from our Pastor
Living into a Future
Meant to Be
“Take these documents …
put them in a clay jar, that will last a long time …
houses, fields, and vineyards will again
be bought in this land.”
Jeremiah 32:14b
As the Babylonians were devastating Jerusalem and hope was failing, Jeremiah invested in property in his hometown of Anathoth. It was a symbolic gesture as to his faith in the future, that one day, after the siege passed, Israel would return to its normal life in Jerusalem. Jeremiah made the purchase while under house arrest, not by the invading Babylonians, but by his own King. (In Jeremiah’s day, people in power were unaccustomed to hearing the truth, insisting on hearing only what they wanted to hear!)
As the inhabitants of Jerusalem were fleeing to Egypt to escape the wrath of the Babylonians deserting all they owned, Jeremiah purchased land because he believed in the future of the Holy Land. He lived faithfully to create the future he wanted to see! Jeremiah lived faithfully despite what was happening around him.
Recently, a group from our church met in Danvers, Massachusetts to offer the vision of what our ministry of health and welfare in the Mount Washington Valley is. We noted that it involved a great deal of fundraising which required the involvement of so many of our members and volunteers – – we are an active and committed community of faith. We also noted that as soon as the money was received it left our accounts to finance the many missions, self-help groups, food programs, leadership development seminars, and AA groups who meet at our church facilities and which we actively support. The comment was made, “How lucky you are! This is what churches are meant to be.”
The Brown Church is a “Gift from God” and a “Gift to the Mount Washington Valley”. It is meant to give hope for a bright future despite the desperation and hopelessness people may feel. We are told that some churches will not be at the Fair this year as they cannot garner enough volunteers – – the Conway Village Congregational Church continues to believe we can meet the future head-on. As we gear up from the Fryeburg Fair Apple Crisp Booth, the money we make will be short-lived moving very quickly to cover the many groups and generosities we sponsor. “It’s how it is meant to be!” We continue to hope and pray for life to return to normal, as we live to create that wholesome future, we all expect.
In advance of your generous volunteering,
Rev. John Hughes October 2022
The Making of Apple Crisp
Another year has rolled around and we, at the Little Brown Church, are once again in the throws of combining our time and efforts towards the success of our annual primary fund-raising project. As in many years past, the project is the baking of our notable “World Class Apple Crisp”!
I have been involved in this effort for many years but there have been many others whom have faithfully given their time and energy for many more years. I cannot begin to adequately emphasize the amazing teamwork and fellowship displayed in the church and at our apple crisp booth on the Fryeburg fairgrounds – a true testimony of the love and concern displayed virtually by the same people year after year.
The baking of so many pans of apple crisp involves many phases ~ purchasing many crates of apples and transporting them to the Brown Church. Next, all apples must be peeled, cored and sliced. This takes many hours and is generally done by the good congregational members joined by other much appreciated people in the valley who willingly give up their time to lend a helping hand. I must not forget the dedication of those who oversee the purchasing of the ingredients needed to make the delicious apple crisp and transporting everything in a timely manner. Thanks to you all!
Once the apples have been prepared the faithful kitchen crew (usually four ladies) complete measuring, mixing, filling and finally baking the many pans of scrumptious apple crisp that are then transported to the booth at the Fryeburg Fair grounds to be served to the delighted fair goers. Thanks to the kitchen crew and those who man the booth!
All the while, although a busy, tiring and time-consuming five or six days and evenings, the workers make it all happen with precision and a light-hearted demeaner. I’m sure anyone who opts to join our team will find this very impressive. So let’s join together yet another year with our usual gusto and enthusiasm so once again we can all shout “Yippee – we did it again!”
Come to The Fair
We hope you all will come to the fair,
So much to do as you spend sometime there.
Animals, contests, exhibits galore,
Horse racing, rides, antiques and much more.
There are many food booths there to enjoy.
Our Apple Crisp booth is well-worth the buy.
Your serving when topped by a heap of ice-cream
Is much better than you ever could dream.
So come one, come all to the Fryeburg Fair,
Guaranteed to be the “high” of your year.
Such a great way to welcome the fall
So to you God speed and good-luck y’all!
Mary Russo
Remember: “For of those to whom much is given much is required.” John F. Kennedy
Sunday, October 2nd
Psalm 137
Scripture: Lamentations 1:1-6 2 Timothy 1:1-4 Luke 17:5-10
Sermon: “TBA”
Sunday, October 9th
Psalm 66:1-12
Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 2 Timothy 2:8-15 Luke 17:11-19
Sermon: “Rejoice 10-Lepers are Clean”
Sunday, October 16th
Psalm 119:97-104
Scripture: Jeremiah 31:27-34 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Luke 18:1-8
Sermon: “Inspired by God”
Sunday, October 23rd
Psalm 65
Scripture: Joel 2:23-32 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18:9-14
Sermon: “Thank God I am not Like That!”
Sunday, October 30th – Reformation Sunday
Psalm 119:137-144
Scripture: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 Luke 19:1-10
Sermon: “Are You the Wee-Little Man?”
Diaconate Message
Seasons come and seasons go. Where did summer go all of a sudden? Although the sun is still shining brightly, the warmth is dimmed a bit as we go into fall. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you their favorite season, right? We are kind of fickle sometimes I believe because sometimes we change our minds about which is our favorite season depending on what the weather is doing on the day in question.
I sense that some people can be fickle in their faith journey as well. I sense some of you may have questioned your faith at some points in your life, like the seasons and the weather. I know I have. It is in this questioning that we learn answers. Our Lord and Savior is ready to answer them. As the Autumn months shorten the days and cool and colder days come, may you take a moment to remember all that the Lord has given us in our lives. We are so richly blessed with food and warmth, comfort of friends and family. I try not to be fickle when it comes to my faith. Challenges we face will be faced – whether we like it or not. It is only in “keeping the faith” that we might find the answers to our questioning…..you know what I mean?
Diaconate: Dawn Vitters and Judy Workman Co-Chairs, Beth Campbell, Suzanne Rancourt and Louise Saxby
Join Us For Coffee Fellowship Following Sunday Morning Worship Services
We are slowly returning to pre-pandemic Sunday mornings. The chairs are fuller than they have been, with more people returning to in person worship and less people attending via Zoom. We are now able to sing familiar hymns from the hymnals accompanied by Stephanie on the keyboard. The music committee and tech team are working with Stephanie to find which “voices” on the keyboard sound best in church and on zoom. Please be patient as we work through this process. Post service coffee fellowship is back! It is great to be able to catch up with all that has happened in each others lives these past few years. Coffee fellowship consists of light snacks, such as pastries or cookies and coffee and juice. There is a sign up sheet available if you would like to provide the light snacks for any given Sunday.
From the Board of Trustees
Fall is here and at The Brown Church that means Apple Crisp Season. The church has a wonderful aroma of apples and spices as bushels, bags and boxes of ingredients slowly transform into hundreds of pans of apple crisp. Many of us spend countless hours processing apples, baking the crisp and selling the crisp at the booth. It is a long and sore two weeks for many. it is also a wonderful season of camaraderie, teamwork, fellowship, and fun for our church family. There is still time for you to join in on the fun. There is always room for more to help peel and slice apples weekdays 9 am to noon and 5 pm to 7:30 pm. We also still have some openings to work the booth if you would like to help that way. If you would like to help please call the church.
Thank you to Paul & Sylvia Weld and all the volunteers who helped out at the September 7th dinner. This was the first time since February 2020 that we offered sit down meals as well as take-out meals. It was nice to see people enjoying their meal and sharing with friends.
Don’t forget when you’re at the fair to stop by and say hello and of course purchase our Apple Crisp!
“The Brown Church is What Each Church Should Be”
This was heard at a recent event in Massachusetts, attended by John Hughes, Nancy Divine, John Edgerton, Charles Monaghan and Anne Getchell. We met with a group who were interested in hearing about the challenges of churches today and how we “weathered the storm”. (specifically, Covid). We were able to share information about the Brown Church; the Food Pantry, the Dinner Bell and the use of the building by self help groups. We should be proud of where we are today, the group was impressed that the church functions much like a community center.
We want to thank all who contributed to the Trustee Appeal, we had a great response.
We are in the process of putting the 2023 budget together and we will share the numbers with you as we approach Stewardship Sunday on November 20th.
Stewardship Sunday ~ November 20th
When most people think of stewardship, they often think solely of financial giving. While financial giving is one aspect of stewardship, it is not the primary meaning of stewardship. Stewardship really is an attitude toward life. It is recognizing the gifts that God has given to us, and, in gratitude to God for those gifts, we give back to God in many ways. Stewardship is a way of thinking and expressing thanks. All we receive is a gift from God, and our gift back to God is calling us to share with others and his church.
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
