Come one, Come all to Stratham Community Church's

Family Night

Fiesta de Guatemala

Saturday, January 14th at 6-8pm

in SCC's Rust Room, 6 Emery Lane, Stratham

Help send our mission trip team off to Guatemala with love and support!

Here's what's happening:

Potluck Dinner (bring a dish of your choice)

Broadway-Class Musical Entertainment by Jacquie Martel and Arik Blanchard

Raffle of Stonewall Kitchen Basket

Group Instruction on Latin Dance Steps

Awesome food, entertainment, and community/family time together!

Want to know what is going on in Sunday School this Sunday?  Check out the Home Connection summary which is attached to this email.  Any questions, please contact Christine at ChrEd@strathamchurch.org.

Our next Seacoast Family Promise host week is Jan 22-29. We are in need of volunteers to cook meals, host from 5-8 pm and stay overnight at the church. Seacoast Family Promise is an organization that provides meals and accommodations for homeless families within a network of area churches. The Stratham Community Church hosts every 7-8 weeks. Please contact Judy George at george_j_03995@yahoo.com for more information or Marny Keith at familykeith@comcast.net to volunteer.

ALTAR FLOWERS --- Did you ever wonder from where the beautiful flower arrangements on the altar come?  They are usually arrangements given by members of the congregation in memory or honor of someone ... and you can do this too!  There is a sign up sheet in the Rust Room and tips attached to this email.  Your dedication will be listed in that Sunday's bulletin.

The Annual Meeting of The Stratham Community Church will be held on Sunday, January 22 in the Rust Room immediately following the 10:00 AM Service of Worship. Along with attending to the business of the Church it is also time to extend opportunities to members and friends to participate in the life of our Church.  The following boards and committees have openings.  Unless otherwise noted, they meet monthly with most taking a break during the summer months.  If you'd like to participate or just want to learn more about any of them please contact Carol Gulla at crgulla@gmail.com

Must be a member of the church:

The clerk keeps an official public record of all business meeting; maintains the register of church members, compiles the annual report (the committees & boards write their own reports) and keeps on file all communications and official reports.

The Deacons work cooperatively with the Pastor to minister to the spiritual welfare of the Church.  They prepare the sanctuary for worship and make sure all is ready for Communion and Baptisms. They assist in Worship Services and help make sure that all are welcomed.

The Trustees monitor the financial health of the Church.  They manage Church property and funds and ensure they are properly accounted for.  They have general supervision over activities relating to fund raising.

The Human Resource Committee ensures that accurate, timely annual performance evaluations are written for all Church staff other than the Pastor and the Stratham Circle Learning Center staff.  They make sure all contracts and performance evaluations are in writing and made part of the Church records.  Respect for privacy and confidentiality are essential. This committee meets as needed.

Open to members and friends:

Christian Education supports the Christian Education Director and helps implement programs and opportunities for spiritual growth for people of all ages.  They review the performance of the Director annually and provide documentation to the Human Resource Committee.

The Mission & Justice Committee is grounded in the United Church of Christ principles of peace, justice, compassion and caring.  They seek opportunities for our Church community to become involved in outreach activities in the wider community. Encouraging members of our community to serving at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen and to donate food for the St. Vincent DePaul food pantry are examples of this committee's ministry.

The Music Committee supports the Music Director and has general oversight of the music for the Church. They provide opportunities for fellowship and participation in the Church through the ministry of music.  . They review the performance of the Director annually and provide documentation to the Human Resource Committee

The Publicity Committee uses the quarterly StratChat, the church Facebook group, mailings and the local papers to keep us all up to date on what's happening at our church and makes sure events are publicized to the wider community.  They meet as needed but are able to handle most of their work on-line.

The Stewardship Committee educates the Church about the broad meaning of stewardship: time, talent and benevolence.  The committee organizes and implements the annual pledging and also organizes specific fund drives within the church as needed. This committee meets as needed.

NEED A NEW COMFORTER?  You can buy a comforter at The Company Store (TCS) at a 20% savings and TCS will automatically give another comforter to Seacoast Family Promise!  See the attached press release for more details!

 Guatemala Mission Team News:

19 days until the Stratham Community Church Mission Team Departs!

 How can you help YOUR SCC mission team?

Donations: The team must raise a minimum of $2,000 which is a required contribution for the construction materials they will be using in the villages in Guatemala.  The team would like to raise much more than that if possible to maximize the outreach opportunities they will have for the families they meet!  100% of the money collected will be donated to the people of Guatemala.  Please consider making a donation to this mission work.  You can drop a donation into the collection plate on Sunday morning, (please mark it for Guatemala in the memo field of your check, or on an envelope) 

Celebrating with a Hearty Send Off:

Save the Date!!!!  On Saturday, January 14^{th  at} 6:00 pm, the Mission and Justice Committee is sponsoring  "Fiesta de Guatemala", a Guatemala Mission Team Potluck Evening Event in the Rust Room.  All SCC families and friends are invited; and there is sure to be lots of fun for all!   This will be a "free" event for everyone, however, donations will be welcomed with all proceeds raised provided to the Mission Team to maximize their work in Guatemala.  There is a sign up sheet in the Rust Room for what you'd like to bring for food.  Suggested menu:  Mexican inspired dishes like grilled chicken, salsa, beans, quesadillas, chocolate!, etc.    There will also be:

• Pinata and Guatemalan mask-making for children.
• Ongoing slide show of last year's mission
• Zumba demo around mealtime
• After-dinner entertainment by  actor-musicians Jacquie Martel and Arik Blanchard

Items Previously in TFTD: