Official Call to the 2025 Annual Meeting New Hampshire Conference & Granite State Association

Dear Members of the New Hampshire Conference Family,

The Annual Meeting Planning Committee invites you to come together, as the Gathered Conference, for the 224th Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Conference also serving as the 1st Annual Meeting of the Granite State Association.

What: 2025 Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Conference and Granite State Association

When: Saturday, October 25, 2025

Where: Hybrid Meeting to be held at the

Geneva Point Center

108 Geneva Point Road

Moultonborough, NH and

via Zoom Webinar, YouTube Livestream

access information to be provided upon registration

THEME

This year we will explore the theme “Another Way”

based on Jeremiah 6:16.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Our keynote speaker will be the Referend Derek Terry. Reverend Terry is the Acting Executive Director of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the

United Church of Christ. He also serves as pastor of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Cincinnati, Ohio. Reverend Terry has authored several books including, most recently, the Vibrant Voices Coloring

Book: Coloring the Stories of Black Visionaries.

CONNECTING SESSIONS

Throughout the month of October there will be opportunities to participate in educational sessions to prepare for the business meeting on October 25th and/or to reflect on the current and future work of the

Conference.

• October 9: Mission Income and Spending Plan

• October 14: Potential Resolution Hearing*

• October 16: General Synod 35 Recap

• October 21: Potential Resolution Hearing*

• October 23 Conversation with the Conference Minister

*Information on the proposed resolutions for Annual Meeting will be available following the September 6th Board of Directors meeting.

BUSINESS

The Gathered Conference will convene to consider:

• Election of new Officers, Board members and Nominating

Committee Members

• Consideration of up to two Resolutions of Witness

• The Mission Income and Spending Plan for 2026

• Action on the Granite State Association Nominating Slate and 2026 Budget

• A report from the Delegates to the 35 General Synod

WORSHIP

Through prayer, word, song and ritual, our worship will reflect upon the ways in which Jesus has modeled for us the need to choose “another way”. The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated as part of our opening worship.

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT

This year’s hybrid Annual Meeting will utilize numerous forms of technology. Every effort is being made to allow delegates to select options for interactive participation via a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Many segments of the meeting will also be shared on YouTube to allow for visitor viewing without interactive participation. We will be providing educational resources, helpful tips, and technology stewards to assist you in this experience. Remote connection information will be emailed to all those registered for the meeting.

DELEGATES

The Conference Bylaws define the voting membership as "those delegates duly appointed by the churches, the Conference officers, members of the Board of Directors, and each ordained, licensed, or commissioned minister with standing in a New Hampshire Association." (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 2). Each church shall be entitled to four (4) lay delegates, one (1) of whom shall be under twenty-five (25) years of age at the date of election. Churches with more than one hundred (100) members shall be entitled to one (1) additional delegate for each one hundred (100) additional members or major fraction thereof.” Delegates for the Conference Annual Meeting will also serve as the Delegates for the Granite State Association portion of the meeting.

YOUTH DELEGATES

We strongly encourage each church to include a Youth Delegate (under 25) as a member of your delegation. The Annual Meeting is an effective setting in which our youth may learn about the wider church, meet church leaders, and come to appreciate the role of the church in addressing matters of social and spiritual concern.

VISITORS

Visitors are welcomed and strongly encouraged as a means of deepening the covenant that our congregations share in the NH Conference and the

United Church of Christ.

YOUTH PROGRAM

This year we will be offering a special program for youth who are not attending as Youth Delegate. Since we are meeting at an outdoor ministry site, the program will engage youth in many of the outdoor

ministry style activities that they experience at places like Horton Center. Those who are attending the Youth Program will have some interaction with the full assembly. Registration for the Youth Program will be available during the full Annual Meeting Registration period at a cost of $30.00 per youth.

REGISTRATION

Please visit https://www.nhcucc.org/events/am-2025 for up-to-date Annual Meeting Resource Materials and a link to the registration website – which officially opens at 5 pm September 8, 2025.

All registrations will need to be processed online on or before Tuesday, October 6 at 11:59 pm, when online registration officially closes. The Youth Delegate Rate will be $50/person; Retired Clergy and Retired Clergy Spouse/Partners will be $62/person; and Delegates & Visitors will be $92.00/person. Major credit cards and personal checks will be accepted for online registration. As a reminder, in order to support the hybrid nature of our event, we are not able to accommodate “walk in”

registrations. If you do not have access to the internet or have any trouble registering yourself, please call Cameron Keller at (603) 225-6647

(Monday – Friday / 9 am to 4 pm / September 9 –October 6).

Please feel free to contact the Conference Office with any questions regarding the Annual Meeting. We look forward to gathering with you on October 25th!

May God’s Peace be with you.

Your 2025 Annual Meeting Planning Committee:

Rev. Carlos Jauhola-Straight (Chair)

Rev. Gail Doktor

Rev. Rebecca Josephson

Rev. Dr. Lynn Wickberg

Rev. Walt Hampton

Rev. Gordon Rankin

Staff to the Annual Meeting Planning Committee:

Mr. Cameron Keller