Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 7:00 p.m. on December 24th

We will celebrate our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Our service is filled with beautiful music, favorite hymns, glowing candles, and a moving Christmas message that will bring the joy of the season to your heart. Mark your calendars to come and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus with us!  For more information, please call the church at (603) 895-2362.

Christmas Caroling on December 9th!

On December 9th at 1:00 p.m., the members of the church and our Sunday School will go on our annual Christmas Caroling here in Raymond.  We will go out and bring holiday cheer to various members of our community, many of them elderly people who do not have the opportunity to go out much in the winter.   After the caroling, we will return to the church for hot chocolate and a birthday cake for Jesus. All are welcome to join in and bring cheer to members of our community! If you have questions, please see Lorna or call the church at 603-895-2362.

Deck the Halls on December 1st!

Don't forget that Saturday, December 1st at 9am is  "Deck the Halls" at the church. Come join us making the church look beautiful for the holidays!  There will be a tree to decorate, wreaths to hang, and garlands to put up.  The carols will be playing and there will be goodies and drinks for all. Hope to see you all...the more the merrier!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Save the date for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, held at 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Our service is filled with beautiful music, favorite hymns, glowing candles, and a moving Christmas message that will bring the joy of the season to your heart. Mark your calendars to come and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus with us!

Advent Bible Study

Mark your calendars for a special advent Bible study led by Pastor Ginny!  Called "Prepare Him Room", this study will focus on Advent and will run over each Sunday of Advent, starting on Sunday, December 2 and ending on the Sunday before Christmas.  Please let Pastor Ginny know if you would like to join the Bible study so she has enough of the study booklets available.  Come join us from 9:30-10:00am on Sunday mornings!

Boy Scouts Meetings at the Church

Raymond's Boy Scout Troop 3 meets at the Congregational Church of Raymond on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm.  If you know of any boys ages 11 to 17 (or grade 6 and higher), please invite them to come and join the fun!  Please contact Scoutmaster  Jon McCosh at 895-1108 for more information.

Thanksgiving Eve Service Wednesday

We will be having a Thanksgiving Eve Service on Wednesday, November 21st at 7:00 p.m. at the church to celebrate the blessings that the Lord has given us.  Come join us in worship and fellowship!

Thanksgiving Baskets

Don't forget that we are collecting non-perishables for our annual Thanksgiving baskets that we put together for those in need in our community. If you would like to donate food, please put it into the collection box at the rear of the sanctuary. If you would like to donate money for the perishables that we will buy for the baskets, please write out a check marked with "Thanksgiving Baskets" on it. The baskets will be distributed on Sunday, November 18th. Please contact a Deacon if you know a family who needs a basket. Thank you for your donation to help the people of our community!

"Loaf and Ladle" on November 11

We will be having a "loaf and ladle" potluck luncheon on November 11th at noon in the social hall of the church. Bring your favorite soup, stew, or bread to share and enjoy the delicious food!

Mark Your Calendars: Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Save the date for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, held at 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Our service is filled with beautiful music, favorite hymns, glowing candles, and a moving Christmas message that will bring the joy of the season to your heart. Mark your calendars to come and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus with us!

Annual Meeting on Sunday, November 11

Don't forget that the Annual Meeting in on Sunday, November 11th following the morning service! All are encouraged to attend and be a part of the governance of our church. All reports from the committees should be given to the secretary by October 28th.

We will have our usual potluck luncheon before the meeting.   It will be a "loaf and ladle", so bring your favorite soup, stew, or bread recipe to share!

Thanksgiving Eve Service

We will be having a Thanksgiving Eve Service on Wednesday, November 21st at 7:00 p.m. at the church to celebrate the blessings that the Lord has given us.  Come join us in worship and fellowship!

Harvest Dinner Thank You!

Many thanks to all who cooked, set up, served, and cleaned up at the Harvest Dinner.  It was a delicious success!  Have a blessed Harvest season!

Men's Club Breakfast and Bible Study

The Men's Group has a breakfast and Bible study every Saturday morning at the church. Breakfast is at 7:00 a.m., followed by the Bible study at 8:00 a.m..  The group is just starting a new study, so it is a great time to join.  If you can come for one and not the other, come for the part you can attend.  This is a great time of fellowship, study, and cooking, so come and be a part of it!

Advent Bible Study

Mark your calendars for a special advent Bible study led by Pastor Ginny!  Called "Prepare Him Room", this study will focus on Advent and will run over each Sunday of Advent, starting on Sunday, December 2 and ending on the Sunday before Christmas.  Please let Pastor Ginny know if you would like to join the Bible study so she has enough of the study booklets available.  Come join us from 9:30-10:00am on Sunday mornings!

Boy Scout Troop 3

Boy Scout Troop 3 meets at the Congregational Church of Raymond on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm.  If you know of any boys ages 11 to 17 (or grade 6 and higher), please invite them to come and join the fun!  Please contact Scoutmaster  Jon McCosh at 895-1108 for more information.

Harvest Dinner on October 21th

The Deacons will be hosting a Harvest Dinner on the evening of Sunday, October 21th, at 5:00pm.  Come join us for fellowship and wonderful food!  A sign up sheet will be posted so people can sign up for what they would like to bring to share.  The dinner will be free and open to the public, so invite your friends!  Space is limited, so please call the church (895-2362) to reserve your space and so we can plan on plenty of delicious food.

We are kicking off our Thanksgiving basket collection at the Harvest Dinner on this year.  We are coordinating with Raymond Community Action as we have in the past to reach out to people in need.  Bring a non-perishable food item to put in the box to go in a basket for those in need!  After the dinner, the collection box will then be available in the back of the sanctuary.  The Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 18th), we will assemble the baskets and distribute them so people will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  Help make a happy Thanksgiving possible for others in our community!

Many Thanks for All the Help at the Rummage Sale!

Many thanks to everyone who helped out at the Rummage Sale!  It was a huge success.   We were able to provide warm clothing for many people and raised $190 in donations for the missions budget for other good projects in our community.   Any leftover clothing will be distributed to "Jeans for
teens" at the high school, and various homeless shelters by Kristen and Jon.   And many thanks to Ed for providing the fresh baked cookies - what a
treat!  Many thanks to all!

Harvest Dinner on October 21st (Change of Date)

Several people have pointed out that the town of Raymond has set the Halloween Trick-or-Treat on Sunday, October 28th from 5 to 7 pm, so we have rescheduled the Harvest Dinner to Sunday October 21st at 5 pm at the church.  The date has changed, but the food will still be wonderful!

 The dinner will be free and open to the public, so invite your friends!  Space is limited, so please call the church to reserve your space and so we can plan on plenty of delicious food.

World Communion Sunday on October 7th

This Sunday, October 7th, we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday to celebrate Holy Communion with Christians all around the world.  Come join us in this lovely tradition of Christian unity during our Sunday morning worship service.

Rummage Sale on Saturday, October 6th!

The Missions Committee is holding  a rummage sale on Saturday, October 6th, from 9 am to 2 pm at the church.  There will be lots of great things available, including warm winter clothes.  Come check it out and support our Missions Group!

Sunday School Starts October 7th

Don't forget: Sunday School will start this Sunday, on Sunday, October 7th at 9:30am.  We will have an ice cream social at coffee hour that day to celebrate the start of our Sunday School.  Come join us!

Annual Thanksgiving Baskets

We are almost back to that time when we will be putting together our annual Thanksgiving baskets again!  We are coordinating with Raymond Community Action as we have in the past to reach out to people in need.  We are kicking off our Thanksgiving basket collection at the Harvest Dinner on October 28th this year.  Bring a non-perishable food item to put in the box to go in a basket for those in need!  After the dinner, the collection box will then be available in the back of the sanctuary.  The Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 18th), we will assemble the baskets and distribute them so people will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  Help make a happy Thanksgiving possible for others in our community!

Harvest Dinner on October 28th

The Deacons will be hosting a Harvest Dinner on the evening of Sunday, October 28th, at 5:00pm.  Come join us for fellowship and wonderful food!  A sign up sheet will be posted so people can sign up for what they would like to bring to share.  The dinner will be free and open to the public, so invite your friends!  Space is limited, so please call the church to reserve your space and so we can plan on plenty of delicious food.

World Communion Sunday

On Sunday, October 7th, we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday to celebrate Holy Communion with Christians all around the world.  Come join us in this lovely tradition of Christian unity during our Sunday morning worship service.

Ice Cream Social October 7th to Celebrate Sunday School

Sunday School will start on Sunday, October 7th at 9:30am this fall.  We will have an ice cream social at coffee hour that day to celebrate the start of our Sunday School.  Come join us!

Mark Your Calendars: Missions Rummage Sale on October 6th

The Missions Committee is holding  a rummage sale on Saturday, October 6th, from 9 am to 2 pm at the church.  There will be lots of great things available, including warm winter clothes.

The committee is looking for volunteers to help sort the clothes for the sale.  If you want to help, please speak to a member of the committee (Kathy, Dee, Tony, and Jodi).  They are also happy to accept donations of warm winter clothing and coats, so check your closets and let them know!

Painting Party!

Volunteers are needed to help the Trustees paint the outside of the Social Hall.  Many hands make light work!  They will be painting on the 23rd and 30th of September.  Sign-up sheets are at the back of the sanctuary, or talk to Mike Katz for more information.  Thanks for your help!

Fall Back to Regular Service Hours

We will be switching from our summer worship service hours back to our regular service hours on September 9th, 2012. The morning worship service will be from 10:30-11:30 a.m., with Sunday School from 9:30-10:15 a.m. for all ages. As a reminder, Sunday School classes will begin on October 7th.

Sunday School!

Sunday School will start on Sunday, October 7th at 9:30am this fall.  We will have an ice cream social at coffee hour that day to celebrate the start of our Sunday School.  Come join us!

Baptism of Michael Fongeallaz, Jr.

This morning we welcome Michael Fongeallaz, Jr., who was baptized during our morning worship service.  He is the son of Michael and Stacey Fongeallaz, and the grand-daughter of Ed and Kathy Fongeallaz.  Blessings on Michael and his family!

Boy Scouts

Our own Boy Scout Troop 3 will resume their weekly meetings at the Congregational Church of Raymond on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 7:00 pm.  If you know of any boys ages 11 to 17 (or grade 6 and higher), please invite them to come and join the fun!  Please contact Scoutmaster  Jon McCosh at 895-1108 for more information.

Thank You!

A big thank you to NH State Representative Mike Kappler for his kind words to our congregation this morning!  And like him, we are proud of our Boy Scout troop and the work they do in our community.

Visit by Representative Mike Kappler

NH State Representative Mike Kappler will be visiting us during our morning worship service on Sunday, August 19th to thank our congregation for our work in the Raymond community and for the work done by our Boy Scout troop.  Come and welcome him to our worship service!

Council Meeting on Sunday, August 19th

A reminder: We will have our next council meeting on Sunday, August 19th following the morning service.  All boards and committees will have a representative there to give an update on the activities of the boards and committees. Come and be a part of the governance of the church!

There will be a BBQ luncheon prior to the meeting, with the Board of Deacons providing the various grilled goodies and watermelon.  If you plan to attend, please bring a side dish or dessert to share!

Women's Exercise Class

Come join our exercise class for adult women on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.!  We meet in the middle dining room and are "Sweating to the Oldies".  Wear comfortable clothing (tee-shirts, shorts, and sneakers), bring a bottle of water, and prepare to get moving!  For more information, speak to Diane or Kathy.

Thank You for Your Help!

Many thanks to all who participated in the our Chicken Barbeque this year! It was a delicious success! It takes a lot of hands to make this work, and we appreciate all the hard work and effort. What a great day of fellowship, fun, and great food! Thanks again!

56th Annual Chicken Barbeque

Tickets are now available for our annual chicken barbecue!  The tickets are $8.00 each, and the mean includes 1/2 a chicken, salad, chips, roll, a drink, and a homemade dessert.  Tickets can be obtained from the Men's Club, or call the church office (895-2362) to reserve your tickets.  Come and enjoy good fellowship and good food in this annual tradition.


Volunteers will be needed throughout the day to help set up, grill, prepare salad, cut desserts, serve, and clean up.  A sign-up sheet is available in the back of the sanctuary.  We will also need home-made desserts to top off this great meal.  Please sign up to bring a dessert at the back of the sanctuary.  Thank you for your help in making our annual barbecue a success!

Council Meeting on August 19th

We will have our next council meeting on Sunday, August 19th following the morning service.  All boards and committees will have a representative there to give an update on the activities of the boards and committees. Come and be a part of the governance of the church!

There will be a BBQ luncheon prior to the meeting, with the Board of Deacons providing the various grilled goodies and watermelon.  If you plan to attend, please bring a side dish or dessert to share!

Boy Scouts Silent Auction and Spaghetti Dinner

Boy Scout Troop 3 will be holding a Silent Auction and a Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner during the Town Fair Weekend.  Auction items will be displayed outside during the town fair on Friday, July 13th and Saturday, July 14th.  The auction will end at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday.  Auction donations are greatly appreciated; donations can be given to Scoutmaster Jon McCosh after church on Sunday, July 8th. 

The troop will be holding a Spaghetti and Meatball Supper at the church on Saturday, July 14th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Dinner will be $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children, with children under 3 getting in for free.  Come enjoy a hearty dinner with the Boy Scouts!

Boy Scout Troop 3 meets Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm at the Congregational Church of Raymond.  For more information call 895-1108.

Annual Chicken Barbecue

Tickets are now available for our annual chicken barbecue!  The tickets are $8.00 each, and the mean includes 1/2 a chicken, salad, chips, roll, a drink, and a homemade dessert.  Tickets can be obtained from the Men's Club, or call the church office (895-2362) to reserve your tickets.  Come and enjoy good fellowship and good food in this annual tradition.


Volunteers will be needed throughout the day to help set up, grill, prepare salad, cut desserts, serve, and clean up.  A sign-up sheet is available in the back of the sanctuary.  We will also need home-made desserts to top off this great meal.  Please sign up to bring a dessert at the back of the sanctuary.  Thank you for your help in making our annual barbecue a success!

Boy Scouts -- Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner and Silent Auction

Boy Scout Troop 3 will be holding a Silent Auction and a Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner during the Raymond Town Fair weekend.  Auction items will be displayed outside during the town fair on Friday, July 13th and Saturday, July 14th.  The auction will end at 8:00 pm on Saturday.  Auction donations are greatly appreciated.  Donations can be given to Scoutmaster Jonathan McCosh after church on Sunday morning, July 8th, or you can call him at 895-1108. 

The troop will be holding a Spaghetti and Meatball Supper at the church on Saturday, July 14th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.  Dinner will be $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.  Children under 3 are free.  Come enjoy dinner and support our Boy Scout Troop!

Boy Scout Troop 3 meets Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm at the Congregational Church of Raymond.  For more information call 895-1108.

July Fourth Parade

Raymond's July 4th Town parade is Wednesday morning at 9:30am, followed by festivities on the common!  God Bless America!

Annual Chicken Barbeque on July 28th

Our Annual Chicken Barbecue will be held on Saturday, July 28th this year.  Tickets are now available for $8 each.  Each ticket gets you a barbecued half-chicken, a salad, chips, a roll, and a home-made dessert (traditionally delicious pies).  For a ticket, see a member of the Men's group or call the church office at 895-2362.  Come for a great meal and great fellowship!

Volunteers are needed throughout the day, as well as the dessert makers who always make such delicious pies.  Sign-up sheets are available in the sanctuary.  Come help make the day a success!

Baptism of Kai Currier

We welcome Kai Currier, who was baptized this morning during our morning worship service. He is the son of Jason and Fumi, and the grandson of our long-time member Karen Currier. Blessings on Kai and his family!

Women's Exercise Class

Come join our exercise class for adult women on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.!  We meet in the middle dining room and are "Sweating to the Oldies".  Wear comfortable clothing (tee-shirts, shorts, and sneakers), bring a bottle of water, and prepare to get moving!  For more information, speak to Diane or Kathy.

Annual Chicken Barbeque

Our delicious Annual Chicken Barbeque will be held on Saturday, July 28th at 5:00 p.m., rain or shine. A sign-up sheet will be available in the social hall for people who want to volunteer to help out with the activities. Tickets will be on sale soon!

Summer Worship Service Hours

We will be switching to our summer worship service hours on June 17th, 2012. The morning worship service will be from 10-11 a.m. throughout the summer months. As a reminder, there is no Sunday School during the summer.

Pastoral Office Hours

Rev. Ginny is in the pastor's office every Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Please feel free to stop on in, or give her a call on her cell phone.

Holy Week and Easter Services

Our Holy Week and Easter services this year:

• Palm Sunday Service - Sunday, April 1st at 10:30 a.m.
• Maundy Thursday Service - Thursday, April 5th at 7:00 p.m.
• Good Friday Vigil - Friday, April 6th, noon to 3 p.m.
• Easter Sunday Service - Sunday, April 8th at 10:30 p.m.

Come join us and celebrate Christ's resurrection!

Performances by the Dove Singers

The performances by the 2012 Dove Singers begin on Saturday, March 17th, in Concord! For more information, visit their website at http://dovesingers.org/index.php.

Ash Wednesday Service on February 22nd

Our Ash Wednesday Service will be on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7 pm. Come and worship with us!

Boy Scout Sunday

Many thanks to our own Boy Scout Troop 3 for running the morning worship service so beautifully and for hosting the coffee hour afterwards. We are proud to sponsor the troop!

Interested in Sunday School?

Are you interested in Sunday School? Sunday School is from 9:00-10:00am on Sunday mornings, before the regular morning worship service. We have classes for children and adults. The classes run throughout the year, and break for the summer months. For more information, please call the church office at (603) 895-2362 or email us at cong_church@myfairpoint.net.

Church Council Meeting on February 19th

The first church council meeting of the year will be on Sunday, February 19th following the morning service. All boards and committees should have a representative there to give an update on the activities of the boards and committees. Come and be a part of the governance of the church.

There will be a potluck luncheon prior to the meeting. If you plan to attend, please bring a dish to share!

Women's Quilting Group

Quilting News: Although only one of us is sewing the Jacob's ladder that we planned, we are all having a great time. Carol is finishing a quilt that she started many years ago with help from others. Diane is also finishing a beautiful quilt that she'll give for an anniversary present later this year. As always, we have those who come to visit, talk, and share coffee and treats. If you've never made a quilt, don't be shy, come join us. We'll help you get started! For more information, speak to Kathy.

Men's Breakfast and Study Group

"Skillfully Leading Your Family For Christ"

Quoting a line from the book, "This book is designed to simplify the quest for wisdom." If any men are interested in learning a little more about this, join us on a Saturday morning. We have a potluck breakfast at 7:00 am, where we cook up whatever is brought that morning. We start the study at around 8:00 am and finish uat 9:00 am and then clean up. If the breakfast is too early for you, come for the study only. Try us out one week; if you like it, come back. If it's not for you, then when we finish this study, you can come and help us pick out a new one. We are just people trying to better ourselves and help each other doing it. If you are interested, speak to Ed, Tony, or George.

Scout Sunday on February 12th

Sunday, February 12 will be Scout Sunday. The Boy Scout troop that we sponsor, Raymond Boy Scout Troop 3, will be running the service and hosting the coffee hour. Come support our Boy Scouts!

Support the 2012 Penguin Plunge!

Bob is taking part in the 13th Annual Penguin Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics of New Hampshire. On February 5th, 2012, Bob will be making his 12th Penguin Plunge to benefit Special Olympics of New Hampshire!

If you are able, please make a donation by visiting his FirstGiving page:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/robert-maclaren/13th-annual-penguin-plunge

You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to Special Olympics of New Hampshire by FirstGiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation.

Prayers are also greatly appreciated!

Membership Classes

The Diaconate will be holding membership classes for anyone who is interested in becoming a member of the church or who is interested in the history of our church and the governance of our church. The classes will cover the history of the Congregational Church, the history of our church, our faith statement and the church by-laws, and what it means to be a member of our church. If you are interested in joining the classes, please speak to Kathy about the class and what times you are available to meet.

Winter Snow Duties

If you are willing to shovel the walkway and ramp after a snowstorm, please call the office and we will make sure you can get to the shovels and sand that are by most doors. Thank you for making our church a safe place!

Snow Days

If church is cancelled from bad weather or a snow storm, it will be posted on channel 9 and a sign will be posted on the door of the church. If someone is wondering and cannot get the TV notice, please call one of the Deacons.

Cabin Fever Quilting!

There will be a Cabin Fever Quilting series starting in January on Saturday afternoons. In the series, participants will put together a split rail fence quilt. If you are a beginner, you will be taught everything you need to know, and if you are a veteran quilter, you are welcome to bring your latest project and work on it too. Each person will take home their own quilt at the end of the series! There will be food and fun. For more information, talk to Kathy.

Epiphany Open House

Mark your calendars! There will be an open house at the parsonage from 4-8pm on January 8th. Drop in for refreshments and fellowship!

Dove Singers Reminder!

The Dove Singers will begin rehearsals for their Spring 2012 production of "Known by the Scars" on Monday, January 9th. Rehearsals will be held at the First Assembly of God, 45 Myles Drive, Auburn. Rehearsals begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m., and will continue every Monday night through March 19th. Performances will be held on March 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th. The Dove Singers is a non-denominational Christian ministry dedicated to presenting the Word of God through music, drama, and dance. Last year, approximately 120 people were involved in the group, from more than 45 different churches, and you are invited to join them for this year's presentation. We are particularly looking for additional singers (especially first sopranos and men), orchestra members, and/or actors, but encourage any interested Christians to come on January 9th and learn more about the group.

Welcome to Bill McGlynn!

While our organist Geneva Clifford is enjoying the warm winter down in Florida, Mr. Bill McGlynn will be playing the organ at our morning services. Bill has come to us from Providence Baptist Church in Epping, and has graciously agreed to provide the organ music until Geneva comes home in the Spring. A warm welcome from us all to Bill!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all! Best wishes for a blessed New Year from the Raymond Congregational Church!