Our Neighborhood
Getting to Know & Serve Our community
Watercolor Painting Class
One small ad in the local newspaper brought a response of over twenty individuals who wanted to learn how to paint with watercolors. And so Pastor Cliff Gleason, a man of many talents outside of formal ministry, began teaching a watercolor class in the fellowship hall of the Laconia church. Because the room could not accommodate all twenty would-be artists, a second class was formed, and then two more six-week sessions were added.
Pastor Gleason and few painting class members.
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium: The Central New Hampshire District of Seventh-day Adventists hosted friends and neighbors for an evening at the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord. 140 people experienced the thrill of space exploration at this family-centered get-to-know-your-neighbors evening.
Comparative Religions Seminar
When the citizens of New Hampshire's Lake Region wanted to know about the beliefs of their Mormon, Jewish, Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic or Adventist friends, the Laconia church was the place to be for a 6-week Comparative Religions Seminar. Local clergy presented synopses of their faith's core tenets and answered questions from seminar participants. The goal of this seminar was to further mutual understanding and respect in the community and was a way of celebrating the freedom of religion that is enjoyed in our country. Attendees included parishioners of each of the presenter's congregations, those who responded to local newspaper ads, and those invited by church members. The seminar was so well-received that a second session was offered featuring 6 more faiths.
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And Beyond
Just before Christmas 2005, the Laconia Church, in partnership with it's sister church in Concord, has raised the funds to build 2 churches in India!
Back in April of 2005, our church district took on the challenge of raising the funds to build a church for 100 members in Pandillapalli village, in the district of Khammam, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.
The cost to build the church, in US funds, is $3000.00. By June we had raised the funds for one church, and started raising funds for a second.
As of December 10, we have raised the funds for the second church!
"After a new congregation is established in each village there is the critical need to build a permanent church building for them. In this culture building the church building is the single most important factor in church growth and retention. It lets the people of the village know that God truly will provide for their physical and spiritual needs. It further states that the Adventist message is not a temporary experience but is intended to carry them through until Jesus comes again. India is a land of temples, mosques and churches, therefore, having a church of their own will definitely add a special meaning to their worship experience and provide a nurturing process to maintain the membership."
Operation Christmas Child
Filling shoeboxes with gifts
Filling cheerfully-wrapped shoe boxes with stuffed animals, match box cars, yoyos, dolls, harmonicas, flip-flops, super balls and sunglasses, crayons, pencils, scissors, rulers and books for distribution to poor children worldwide has become a tradition in the Laconia Church. We are delighted to participate in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian organization that solicits participation from North Americans to bring a bit of Christian love to underprivileged children. In addition to the box of toys, each child receives a pamphlet about the plan of salvation in his/her own language. In 2004, Operation Christmas Child distributed 7,400,000 shoe boxes in 92 countries. Some of those boxes were filled with love from the Laconia Adventist Church.
African Orphans
Five-year-old Conrad Dorval had a heart as soft as cookie dough and a plan to help African orphans to know Jesus' love. When his grandmother returned from mission trips to the Simbardenga Newstart Children's Home in Zimbabwe, she shared her enthusiasm for the Orphans Project with her grandson.
In an effort to make a contribution of his very own, he asked his mother to help him bake cookies every Wednesday & sell them at prayer meeting. Each week the plate was wiped clean, and Conrad's 25-cents-a-cookie mission project generated $350 in just one year.
Spring Rolls for Katrina
$242 worth of spring rolls - That's what church member, Alice Moon, did for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Coworkers, friends and church members eagerly bought her scrumptious Philippine delicacies, and Alice donated the proceeds to Adventist Community Services for Katrina relief.
At last count, Alice had made 45 dozen spring rolls.
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