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Conway Village
Congregational Church
February 2022
The Good News!
Pastor’s Message
I am Only . . .
“Truly I do not know how …
I am only a boy.”
Jeremiah 1:6
Muhammad Ali, when a young man asked for advice, said, “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they sure can make something out of you.”
When Jeremiah is asked by God to respond to his call, Jeremiah says, “I am only a boy!” Have you ever felt “I am only …”? It is natural to feel someone else could do it better, someone else should be chosen, particularly when we are faced with a challenge that seems overwhelming. Yet God relies on the ordinary to get things right. As we examine the Christian Bible:
Moses wondering why God would want a man who stutters to speak for people
Gideon wonders why God would want him to prepare for battle with less than 10% of the men who want to fight
David’s father wonders why God would inspire Samuel, the prophet, to choose his ordinary shepherd boy instead of his more virile sons
Solomon wonders why God chooses him when he’s so young and inexperienced to rule over a nation
The widow of Zarephath wonders why she is chosen to provide a smidgeon of flour and oil for God’s prophet to succeed
Disciples wonder why God choses to feed 5,000 on a single ration of 5-loaves and only 2-fishes
God appears to ordinary people in ordinary circumstances and through them reveals how extraordinary life can be! Even Jesus, returning to his hometown of Nazareth, has his authority doubted, his words dismissed in anger, as people see him “as only” the son of a local family, “as only” a member of a trade, and “as only” Jesus. The crowd turns violently against him, plans to attack him, yet unharmed and unfazed, Jesus walks through the commotion, continuing his ministry and call to the Galileans.
This week, our membership has been mailed a questionnaire for their opinions of how our church is being called by God to meet our future mission in the Mount Washington Valley. It is easy to feel, “Surely they do not want my opinion! I am only…” But our church needs your input; our Valley needs your response. Our facilities are worn and in need of repair. Yet,
“If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread . . .
perhaps God is calling us to greatness!”
Please respond to the church’s questionnaire
Please help us determine
What God is calling us to be!
Yours in Christ,
Rev. John Hughes
Outreach ~ Food Pantry
The CVCC Food Pantry serves many of our neighbors in the Conway area. Many volunteer hours are needed in order for this very necessary outreach mission to run smoothly. There are donations from local stores to be picked up, deliveries to receive, sort and stock shelves and rotate stock from the small warehouse area to the pantry distribution area.
The pantry is in need of volunteers. We welcome volunteers from our church family and from local residents who are willing and able to lend a hand. There is currently a specific need for volunteers to help stock shelves and rotate stock on Monday mornings 9 am to 12 noon in preparation for Tuesday’s distribution to the pantry’s clients.
If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information on volunteer opportunities please call or email the church and ask for, or leave a message for Paul Weld.
Thank you, The Outreach Committee
Thank you!
Outreach Committee
Chair: Sylvia Weld
Anne Getchell, Charlene Gray, Charles Monaghan, Laura Sorenson, Dawn Vitters
Save the Date
March 16th
Dinner To-Go
Irish Stew
$15.00
From the Deacon’s Bench
A month of faith and love. February is shorter than typical in the number of days, but bigger in faith and love! Four weeks from start to finish and then comes March, marching in spring and warmth and longer days…..ahhhhh, won’t THAT be nice?
Let’s stick with February for now though. Short cold days are upon us. What is one to do? Start your days with a prayer, end them with a prayer. Sounds simple, yes? It takes practice and patience for sure.
Did you know that “February” comes from the Latin word februa, which means “to cleanse”. The month was named after the Roman Februalia, which was a month long festival of purification and atonement that took place this time of year. It also boasts popular holidays like Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day and events like the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics this year. If you google what happens in February this year, you will see that February 2nd is National Tater Tot Day and February 25th is National Pancake Day. Every day, something to celebrate and recognize.
It also means there is always prayer-filled opportunities to atone and cleanse! Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”. Such wonderful verses you can find when you look for them!
Be safe and stay strong!
Diaconate: Louise Saxby, Mitzi Fitch, Judy Workman, Dawn Vitters, Suzanne Rancourt, Beth Campbell
From the Trustees
By the time this newsletter goes to print, the Brown Church will have had its annual meeting and members will have received the annual report. Thank you to all who either attended in church or on zoom. If at anytime you have a question about the report or the meeting, please contact a trustee.
The end of the year financials were better than what had been budgeted due to a very successful Fryeburg Fair. We have put together the 2022 budget using conservative numbers for the fair. We do rely on your pledges for planning. If you have not pledged for 2022, you can still do so.
On January 19th, Chairs and Board Members met to discuss goals for 2022. Thank you to the 15 attendees for taking the time to join us and share your comments. The discussion focused on communications in the church and with the community and church governance. The meeting was very productive.
There were a number of ideas that we will be following up on. 
One topic shared by all was, the need to get people back in the building. If you have not been to a Sunday service in the sanctuary in a while, please come, we do miss all of you. Masks are worn and there is plenty of room to spread out. We would also ask for your thoughts about the service.
In early February, the boards meet to vote on officers and work on goals for the upcoming year. There are openings on some of the boards so we invite you to consider serving your church.
Trustees:
Chairs: Anne Getchell, Nancy Divine
Duddie Andrews, John Edgerton, Nancy Irving, Paul Weld, Tom Workman
Ex-officio member Carl Vitters – Church Treasurer
