“Love one another … As I have loved you.”
We take Jesus’ final commandment to heart. In fact, someone recently joked, “Love is our middle name.” We celebrate with each other in the glad times, and care for each other in tough times. We reach out to sick and elderly members of our community with phone calls and visits and cards. And, like many churches (and like Jesus himself) we show our love with food.
Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey,
you are welcome here!
Meet Our Staff
|
Rev. Dr. Peter A. Lovett is a graduate of University of NH (1983). He served in the Peace Corp (Togo, 1983-85), and graduated from Yale Divinity School (1989). Ordained as preacher and teacher in the United Church of Christ in 1990, Pastor Peter has served congregations in E. Providence, RI and Westwood, MA. Most recently, he was Sr Minister at Christ Church United, Lowell, MA. He has a passion for vibrant worship and music, authentic community for people of all backgrounds, faith formation for all ages, and social justice. His sermons are informed by the Word of God, Jesus’ teachings (especially Matthew 25) and the Holy Spirit. Emerging interests of Pastor Peter’s are environmental justice, inspiring worship on Zoom, Recovery Café and Horton Center, a faith-based camp of the NH Conference, UCC.
|
|
Peter Ayer is the church’s longtime sexton. He takes care of the church building and the parsonage. When asked to describe himself, he says, “For me, it’s all about theater – my faith, my politics, everything! Almost always when I start a conversation with someone, my first thing to say is, ‘Tell me what drama is in your life and what play do you wish someone would produce.’ This applies to my oldest friends and to my grandchildren, too.”
|
|
Shirley Stokes has been the church’s administrative assistant since 2012. She also serves as the administrative assistant at the Unitarian-Universalist church in Laconia, working Monday-Wednesday mornings with us and Tuesday-Thursday afternoons in Laconia. Shirley manages the church office, produces the weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter, handles a million random tasks and requests, and generally keeps things calm in the middle of the chaos of church life. She says, “The past ten years, it has been a joy to be employed at FCCM. It’s a home to loving and kind people.” Outside the office, her time is spent with grandchildren and appreciating nature in the vegetable garden and on the kayak. She likes to help friends paint walls, to keep her body flexible.
|
|
Nancy Narducci is our organist and choir director. Music has always been a part of her life, from her youth, to her time as an elementary school music teacher, to her music ministry in churches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. When she is not singing or playing keyboard, you can find her at her sewing machine or spending time with her two grandsons.
|
|
Nara Derapelian completed a Master of Communications: New Media & Social Media Analytics in 2020 and offers her gifts of service as FCC’s Digital Ministry Director and Webmaster. Clearly possessing a love for all thing’s technology Nara says, “I’m very fortunate that I get to use my passion and skills as a means to help others! It’s really about not only providing ways for people to connect within our Church community but creating spaces and opportunities that promote learning and spiritual and faith based growth for everyone!”. Nara enjoys a variety music, reading mystery novels, writing poetry, photography, and likes to spend time relaxing at the beach.
|
About Our Church
|
The First Congregational Church of Meredith was gathered in 1815, so we have been in this beautiful corner of God’s green earth for more than 200 years. You can read about the history of our church here.
For those who are interested, here are our bylaws. They are boring, until you need them, and sometimes we do. You can view them below: 
2022 Annual Report
2021 Annual Report
| ||||||
About the United Church of ChrisT
The United Church of Christ was formed in 1957 from four predecessor denominations. In New England, the churches that came together into the UCC were mostly Congregational churches, such as ours. The UCC and its forebears had many “firsts.” You can read about them here.
The core values of the United Church of Christ are continuing testament, extravagant welcome, and changing lives.
The core values of the United Church of Christ are continuing testament, extravagant welcome, and changing lives.
- Continuing testament means that we believe God is still speaking. God has something new and wonderful to say to today’s world and to us.
- Jesus welcomed the least likely people. He ate with tax collectors and sinners (even Sinners, with a capital S). He sought out the least powerful, least “important” people wherever he went. Jesus welcomes the least likely people today. He welcomes us. And we try to extend his welcome to all who enter. Extravagant welcome means that you will find a welcome with us, even if you have not felt like you belong somewhere else.
- The Bible tells us that nothing, not even death nor a very busy life, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We believe that living in the consciousness of this love changes lives.
THE UCC STATEMENT OF FAITH
We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, who is made known to us in Jesus our brother, and to whose deeds we testify:
God calls the worlds into being, creates humankind in the divine image, and sets before us the ways of life and death.
God seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
God judges all humanity and all nations by that will of righteousness declared through prophets and apostles.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, God has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the whole creation to its Creator.
God bestows upon us the Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.
God calls us into the church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be servants in the service of the whole human family, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory.
God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in that kingdom which has no end.
Learn more about the United Church of Christ here.
God calls the worlds into being, creates humankind in the divine image, and sets before us the ways of life and death.
God seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
God judges all humanity and all nations by that will of righteousness declared through prophets and apostles.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, God has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the whole creation to its Creator.
God bestows upon us the Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.
God calls us into the church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be servants in the service of the whole human family, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory.
God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in that kingdom which has no end.
Learn more about the United Church of Christ here.