Youth

This Week: Feb 12-Feb 18

  • TUE, FEB 13:
    *SECOND TUESDAY COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
    5-6:30pm • Parish Hall. Part of a community conversation series offered by Jackson Community Church. Join us for refreshments and a community conversation on Buddhism & Christianity perspectives, based on the Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
    Next month: March 13 – Second Tuesday conversation on Adversity, Resilience & Joy inspired from selections from Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.
  • FEB 14: Ash Wednesday
    *ASHES to GO
    7-9am • JTown Deli. Rev Gail will offer ashes for anyone who drops by pastor’s hours at the JTown Deli.
    *ASHES @ JCC. 4-4:30pm • Sanctuary, Jackson Community Church. Come to receive ashes and a blessing.
    *ECUMENICAL ASH WED SERVICE
    6pm • Lutheran Church of the Nativity
    Worship service led by Clergy of the Eastern Slopes. Come to receive ashes and to begin the Lenten season.
  • THURS, FEB 15:
    *WOMEN’S WISDOM CIRCLE
    11am-Noon • Parish Hall. Anjali Rose, trained in yoga and reiki and other contemplative arts, will facilitate a women’s circle that focuses on embodied wisdom. Drawing on different wisdom traditions, practicing contemplative arts, sharing & building community. Meets again Feb 22. Rev Gail will also help facilitate this group. This group will meet twice a month. Drop-in fee will be charged for this group to cover Anjali Rose’s presence as facilitator.
    *YOGA & MEDITATTION
    3:30pm • Yoga with Charlotte Doucette • Parish Hall. $10/pp fee. (Scholarships available). Followed by brief meditation.
    *AA
    6-7pm • Church Library
  • SUN, FEB 18: Lent 1
    *INTERFAITH GATHERING
    8am • Madeline’s Deli, Jackson, NH. Starts indoors. Reflection & prayer using literature, sacred texts, personal sharing. Continuation of ‘outdoor gathering’ that was affectionately called ‘gazebo church.’
    *BLESSINGS of BODIES, BOOTS n BINDINGS
    9am • Jackson XC Ski Center. On-site blessings for skiers.
    *ADULT CHOIR PRACTICE
    9am • Jackson Community Church
    *WORSHIP
    10:30am • Jackson Community Church
    Theme: Lent 1 ‘By Water’

Youth & Activities: Highlights for February

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

FRI, FEB 2

  • YOUTH DINNER & GAMES
    6pm • Parish Hall, Jackson Community Church
    Ipswich, MA Middle School youth group will hold a weekend retreat at the church. Our youth and families are welcome to come for a community meal and games on Friday.

SAT, FEB 3

  • IPSWICH YOUTH OUTING
    8am – Noon • Jackson XC Center
  • LUNCH
    12:30-2pm • Parish Hall, JCC
  • IPSWICH YOUTH OUTING
    2-5 • Black Mountain. Ipswich Middle Our youth are welcome to get outside with the Ipswich youth. who will be downhill skiing in the afternoon.
  • DINNER & GAMES & PRAYERS
    6:30pm • Parish Hall, JCC
    Ipswich Middle School youth group makes dinner and holds worship. Our youth and families are welcome to come for meal, games, and worship on Saturday evening.

SUN, FEB 4

  • SUPERBOWL BRUNCH CHURCH
     

    10:30am • Jackson Community Church
    Bring a potluck breakfast/brunch/lunch item to share. We will start in the sanctuary, but spend most of our time in Parish Hall around tables for a community-style meal that also serves as our communion. Conversations at table focused on scriptures about athleticism, competition, victory and defeat, strength and resilience. Fun and family-friendly! Great way to kick off Superbowl Sunday!

MON, FEB 5

  • MANDALA MONDAY
    7pm • Church Library, Second Floor
    Exploring expressive arts as a spiritual practice through contemplative coloring, drawing from different wisdom traditions. Church provides patterns and colored pencils. Older children, youth and families welcome.

TUE, FEB 6

  • MARDI GRAS
    6-8pm • Parish Hall

    Food and music by KHS jazz ensemble and Miss Maybelle & Slimpickins. Take a selfie with our beads and costumes, or come decked out and ready to dance (and socialize). Family-friendly. Donations gratefully accepted.

SAT, FEB 10

  • TRILLIUM SUMMIT
    8:30am-5pm • Whitney Center

    Trillium Summit, a one-day conference for girls and women. Admission is free and any money raised from donations will be given to Starting Point: Services for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence.  The idea behind this is to bring together girls and women from the Valley for a day of crafts, snacks, games, speakers, networking and fun.  We have an awesome roster of local leaders who are very excited to share their wisdom.  Topics covered will include:
    •  Why You?  Why Now? The Importance of Getting to Know Yourself
    • How to Find and Fulfill Your Wishes
    • There is No One Path to Success (adult panel discussion)
    • Putting Your Best Foot Forward/Creating Your Own Brand
    • Choose Your Own Adventure (on Boundaries and Being an Upstander)
    • We’re More Alike Than You’d Think – A Basket of Questions (youth panel discussion)
    • Tried and True Tips for Taking this to Tomorrow
    Registration is open and we are asking all our supporters to please pass the word. You can sign up at Eventbrite. We also have a Facebook page where we will try to post updates. Questions? Reach out to Lauren Orsini at laurenvorsini@gmail.com or at jess.dellavalla@gmail.com.
    HOPE on the SLOPES
    Sunday, Feb 11 @ Mt Cranmore


    41st Anniversary of the Race to Beat Cancer (Hope on the Slopes)
    To benefit the American Cancer Society. It’s time of year to start thinking about Hope On The Slopes – The American Cancer Society’s Race to Beat Cancer! You can get involved in many ways. Our church sponsors this team, including sponsorships for our athletes and providing volunteers.
    • You can participate as a skier or snowboarder. If you participate to race, the Mission Committee will sponsor you $25 towards your fundraising efforts. For more information go to http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=85419
    • You can serve as a volunteer for the event.
    PREPARED to SERVE
    Sat, Feb 24 • 8am-4pm

    Youth invited to attend!
    Workshops on environmental and social justice issues, as well as program development for youth and families. Rev Gail will be traveling to this conference and can provide same-day ride for 1-2 people. Jackson Community Church will cover cost of registration.

Youth & Family Activities: Advent & Christmas

Youth & Family Activities Highlighted
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS
SUN, Dec 3 Advent 1: Hope
  • 9am – Advent Workshop: Hope, Peace, Love & Joy

    Make cookie dough ornaments for your house and for the church! Plus second chance to create an Advent Log (church provides candles, greens, etc. … if you didn’t get the chance to make a log last week)
    Plus: Take home a “25 Days of Kindness” Advent Calendars: At the church we’re using a different sort of countdown for you … empty bags plus an Advent Calendar with suggested acts of kindness, as well as a wish-list from local nonprofit organizations. Each day, you can choose to perform an act of kindness or to collect and drop an item from the wish lists into the bag. Above is the list which Sunday’s group of students brainstormed as possible acts of kindness to offer this month, as we count down to Christmas!
  • 10:30am – Worship  & Communion
SUN, Dec 10 Advent 2: Peace
  • 9am – Christmas Pageant Rehearsal

    Come if you’re willing to be a narrator or wear a costume and be a “character” in the nativity story, includes “popup” choir practice)
    10:30am  – Worship (guest music: Minnie Brown & guest cellist)
SUN, Dec 17 Advent 3: Joy
  • 9am – Christmas Pageant Prep
    Join us for breakfast and get ready for the pageant: costumes & prep
  • 10:30am – Christmas Pageant

    (with intergenerational “popup” choir)
    Noon – Caroling (going to house to house in Jackson; all ages welcome)
WED, Dec 20 Blue Christmas
  • 7pm – Worship (come light a candle and give space to loss & sorrow in the midst of this holiday season)
THURS, Dec 21 Winter Solstice
  • 7pm – Celebration of Light & Darkness (interfaith reflections on holy darkness and sacred light)
SUN, Dec 24 Advent 4: Hope
  • 10:30am  – Carol-sing Service
SUN, Dec 24 Christmas Eve
  • 5pm – Christmas Candlelight Service
  • 10pm – Christmas Candlelight Service
MON, Dec 25 Christmas Day
  • 10:30am – Bells, Stories & Pajamas

PEN PALS for ZIMBABWE

We have several children and young people from Chikanga Church in Mutare, Zimbabwe who are looking for pen pals.

Would you be interested as a family or individual in wriiting to a friend in Zimbabwe? We can match you with someone … let us know!


YOUTH events in 2018:
HOLD the DATES!New England
Youth Environmental Justice Summit 

(Sponsored by the NH Conference United Church of Christ)

Saturday, April 7, 2018
9:00 am – 4:00 pm  Brookside Congregational Church, Manchester, NH

Keynote Speakers:
  • Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Massachusetts Conference Minister, UCC
  • Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, UCC Minister for Environmental Justice
Afternoon Sessions include:
  • Pam Arifian, Director, UCC
    Northeast Environmental Justice Center
  • Marla Marcum, Founder,
    Climate Disobedience Center
  • John Ungerleider, Professor,
    School of International Training
  • Rev. Eric Jackson, Pastor,
    Brookside Congregational Church, UCC


Eastern Regional Youth Event
July 19-22, 2018
California University of PA
California, Pennsylvania
(grades 7 through 12 )

NH Youth, mark your calendars for next summer!  Join us as we worship, play, pray, learn, serve, sing and dream at the 2018 Eastern Regional Youth Event.

Stay up-to-date on event details through the event website or contact Ann Desrochers.

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