Articles

Conference Minister’s Corner Acting Associate Conference Minister, Linda Hirst, 7.29.26 I have a collection of rocks. It’s not a great collection; just some random rocks from places I have visited over the years. Rocks from Nova Scotia. A rock from Scotland while hiking. Even plain old rocks along the beach here in York, Maine. I use these rocks from time to time as sermon illustrations, devotions, children’s messages, and on women’s retreats (I bet you have too.) They hold d

Conference Minister’s Corner Conference Minister, Gordon Rankin, 7.23.26 Earlier this morning I recorded a video for the Faith, Freedom, and Common Good series that the New Hampshire Council of Churches has been producing. It was to be a two-minute-long, invitational video. My focus topic was the separation of church and state. That should be easily doable, right? While I spoke unscripted, so I can’t provide a verbatim account, here is what I think I said: The very first cons

Conference Minister’s Corner Associate Conference Minister, Linda Hirst, 7.15.26 While driving my youngest son and a couple of his friends to Pilgrim Lodge for a Middle Schooler week (Pilgrim Lodge is Maine’s counterpart to Horton Center), they were excitedly talking about camp and who they’d see again and all the great stuff they were going to do. I said something like, “You guys really like PL don’t you...” And all three laughed and said, "Yep! At Pilgrim Lodge we’re the c

Conference Minister’s Corner Conference Minister, Gordon Rankin, 7.8.26 One morning watch last week at Horton Center, I had a fascinating conversation with a group of middle school students about bravery and courage. We were discussing the biblical story of Queen Esther. You may recall that Esther was asked by her cousin, Mordecai, to speak up for the imperiled Jewish community. Mordecai even suggested that perhaps Esther rose to her royal position for “just such a time as th

Conference Minister's Corner Rev. Linda Hirst, Acting Associate Conference Minister 07.01.2026 There is a brown leaf hanging on a tree outside our window. It has been hanging there for over a month while all around it the other brown leaves have dropped and been replaced by new green leaves. This leaf is not moving. It will not let go. It is hanging on for dear life. Clearly it doesn't like change (and yes, I am projecting feelings onto a leaf). Not many people like change.

Conference Minister's Corner Rev. Gordon Rankin, Conference Minister 6.24.26 Sabbatical Announcement Our Conference Minister, Rev. Gordon Rankin, will be using the remainder of the sabbatical time he started in 2024 early next year. Gordon’s sabbatical leave will be January 6 to February 16, 2027. The Rev. Deborah Blood has agreed to serve as a half-time Sabbatical Bridge Conference Minister to assist Rev. Linda Hurst with the ministry needs of the Conference while Gordon i