The church building is closed until May 4th when the situation will be reconsidered. If you need to enter the church during this time please call one of the numbers posted on the door so the security system can be turned off.
We will worship on Sunday at 10 AM on Zoom which is available both by phone and online. Instructions and invitations will be sent out later this week.
NOTE: We are not posting our worship info on the website nor on Facebook for others to join our Worship service nor recording the service to post on the internet for two reasons: 1. It leaves us free to visit and share our joys and concerns 2. It means that we don't need to worry about copyright issues
NH STAY AT HOME & NPC Obviously, we will follow the Governor's Stay at Home order for the next month by not having meetings nor worship at the church. This week the Session will meet (via Zoom) to discuss how to handle all our church business in the coming weeks.
SESSION The Session has made a commitment to pay all our staff - even if their services are not needed - while we are out of the church. You are encouraged to continue your financial support of the church, as you are able, by sending your check to the church at 1010 West Hollis St., Nashua NH 03062.
WORSHIP Pastor Sally has been on a new learning curve (I'd never used Zoom before!) and is working with John to provide worship for us all every Sunday. Let us know if you have any ideas or feedback to give us.
DROP-IN & VISIT Pastor Sally is also working at staying in touch with everyone - offering a Drop-In time twice a week on Zoom for folks who might just like to sign on and say 'hello and how are you doing' to each other. The times are: Tuesday 10-12 Wednesday 6-8 pm She will send out invitations to those drop in times on Monday.
The Deacons The Deacons had already each accepted responsibility for being 'Shepherds' to a small cluster of our Flock. In the coming weeks they will each seek to stay in touch with your more often - just to say 'hi' but also to see if you need any support during these difficult days. They will also seek to introduce you to the other members of your flock so that you can be a support to each other as well.
EASTER BASKETS will be going out as planned next Saturday. If you didn't get around to buying a goodie to add to the baskets, your mailed check to the church with 'Deacons' in the memo line will enable them to purchase any needed items. They're hoping to complete 50 baskets this year!
FACEBOOK If you use Facebook, you will find that Pastor Sally continues to post a variety of items like:
How to Make Face Masks for our Nashua hospitals
Daily Devotions posted by sister churches
Hymn Sing Alongs M-F with Cindy Kohlmann
Info on where to get food - for children & adults whose $ resources are stretched too tight
and more
HOLY WEEK As you all know, Palm Sunday is next week - April 5th and Easter is the Sunday after that. Usually our week would be full of worship opportunities and Easter would be a huge celebration. It is good to remember that the reason we gather for worship on Sunday, instead of on Saturday as Jesus did, is that each Sunday is a little Easter - a reminder to us that Jesus rose on a Sunday morning. We don't know the actual date that Easter took place but we stop to remember, celebrate, and give thanks on a date that we pick each year. This year I suggest, that while we will remember and give thanks on April 12th this year, that we plan to gather and CELEBRATE whenever we are able to gather together in person again.
OUR SPECIAL OFFERING FOR EASTER It is our tradition to join with other Christians across our country in ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING each Easter Sunday. The offering is used to support a variety of ministries. About one third of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering goes to Self- Development of People. The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People works with low-income communities across the United States to overcome oppression and injustice. In 2018 National SDOP entered into partnerships with projects focusing on advocacy, youth-led initiatives, skills development, farming, worker rights, immigration/refugee issues and capacity building. Through your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing, over 5,000 projects in economically poor communities in the United States and around the world have had an opportunity to develop solutions to their own challenges since SDOP’s inception. Your gift makes a difference. Please send your contribution toward this offering with OGHS in the memo line to the church at 1010 West Hollis St. Nashua 03062.
RESPONSES TO THE PANDEMIC
IN NASHUA As I hope you have heard on the news, people and businesses from all over the state are responding with incredible generosity to the needs of our community. People donating cleaning resources to our EMTs. Businesses retooling to make needed items. Volunteers stepping forward to hand out food (at sites and with resources coordinated by multiple agencies working together - they got that up literally overnight and continue to make it better almost daily). The hospitals have asked for homemade masks (with pockets for filters) and people are pulling out old sewing machines to create them). They are hoping for 5000 masks by Monday. (let me know if you need the pattern)
IN OUR PRESBYTERY & IN THE PCUSA The Presbytery has responded quickly to decide to dig into financial reserves to support congregations. -- Including those who are having to quickly learn how to have worship and to minister online. -- Including those which live week to week depending on the weekly offering to pay bills.
What is Presbyterian Disaster Assistance doing now? PDA is drawing 2.7 million dollars from reserves to seed the COVID-19 ongoing response both in the United States and internationally. These are funds that have been given by donors to PDA’s general fund, meant to meet the response needs of disasters small or large that are not able to be funded by special appeals. Although money is not the only thing communities need in this moment, it is one resource, alongside many others, that can be helpful. We want to assure you that the commitments PDA has made to ongoing disaster responses will continue to be met; and we will continue to respond to new disasters as they occur, to the best of our ability.
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