497 Province Rd Gilmanton NH 03237

Back to Home JULY 2026 This Friday, July 3rd 10am is the strawberry prep - please bring a knife and cutting board as supplies are limited.. Thanks! Regular Weekly Schedule Sunday Service 9:30 am Isaiah 61 Cafe We host a lunch and do the meal prep at the Church Second Monday of each month, In the m orning at 9:30am in the church's kitchen, we prep lunch and bring it to the Cafe to serve at 12pm. Experience how rewarding it can be to donate your time to a much worthy cause. If you are interested in helping on this great community service project to help our homeless and displaced friends and families, please contact frank Babcock at 603-833-5503 or email: willowacresgoatsandmore@outlook.com Come help wed love it! Mondays CRIBBAGE Players Group 5:30pm Contact Frank Babcock for details 603-833-5503 or email: willowacresgoatsandmore@outlook.com Tuesdays (off for the summer) Morning Bible Study with Mike Millette & Richard Clement Fellowship 9:am-10am Study 9:30-10:30 Wednesdays Dump Run Cafe Breakfast 8-10am Music 8:30- 10:30am Friday July 3rd strawberry prep 10am Fridays Knitting/craft circle Bring your knitting or craft keep company with us 10am Saturday FUND RAISER Community Dinner JULY 11 5pm Menu: Pulled pork, coleslaw, corn on the cob with a Guest Speaker John Betourney Cost $7. If you wish to volunteer please contact frank Babcock at 603-833-5503 OTHER DATES TO NOTE COMING UP ARE: Lower Gilmanton church service July 26, at 6:00pm Smith meeting house church service July 19, at 4pm Tour de Gilmanton bike ride July 18, 7:00 am -4:00 pm Community Dinner

Missions Missions Missions Missions WE GIVE TO MANY WE GIVE TO MANY WE GIVE TO MANY WE GIVE TO MANY The best way to give to missions is through your church. 100% goes to any mission you wish to give to through your church. We are affiliated with ABC VT NH and the NACCC (national christian congregational church's) Watch for the envelopes in January and again in May. We give to: One Great Hour of Sharing World Missions- The Kalkmans and Mercy ganzalez Wycliffe Bible translators Camp Sentinel On the first of each month we designate all cash in our offering plate to our benevolence fund. That fund is for the people in our community that find themselves in need. Our minister of missions is Pastor Peter Bolster. In the note section during check out, please designate which mission you wish to give to. THANK YOU! Envelopes are available now During Sunday service Give If you wish to set up a recurring donation, please email us at: gilmantonchurchdonations@gmail.com Isaiah 61 Café One of our missions is preparing Lunch for Isaiah 61 Cafe homeless shelter in Laconia. Our minister of fellowship Frank Babcock heads this up, along with other Gilmanton Church congregants. On the Second Monday of each month We host a lunch If you are interested in helping on this great community service project to help our homeless and displaced friends and families, please contact Frank Babcock 603-833-5503 or email willowacresgoatsandmore@outlook.com Another one of our missions is the Gilmanton Food Pantry & Thrift Shop. Located at 1817 Route 140 Gilmanton Iron Works Email: Evsanv47@gmail.com 603-364-0114 Thrift Shop- Wednesday’s 300-6:00PM Saturday’s 10:00 -2:00PM Food Pantry will be available on Saturdays 10-2pm July Sale And then there's the Dump Run Cafe. The Dump Run Gang plays music to sing -a- long to. They even provide a sing a long booklet. So Stop by, come on in, pick a table and our friendly wait staff will serve you breakfast. They meet up every Wednesday (Dump Day) below our sanctuary in our fellowship hall. Breakfast is served 8am-10am Parking lot can get full quick! Located at the corner of Routes 140 & 107 497 Province Rd Gilmanton Video dumprun

Gilmanton Community Church news updates services and events Back Up-coming Events upcoming news Strawberry Festival Preparation time for the strawberries this year is 10am Friday July 3rd *************** It's Our 200th Anniversary 1826-2026 Come Celebrate with us at Our Open House! We are collecting for our Bicentennial Celebration; we have a place for any spare change you can spare, conveniently located in the Sanctuary and Undercroft Trex Update: While our Plastic collection is going well, we still need more so we can get a bench. GCC Food Pantry Hours- Open: Saturdays - 10-2pm permanently 1817 NH. Route 140 Gilmanton Iron Works 603-364-0114 Back IN 2026 WE WILL CELEBRATE “200 YEARS!” Frank Babcock heads up this committee. There are a lot of enthusiastic members on this team! Big thanks in advance to this committee for organizing this celebration, I hear it’s going to be quite THE event!! If anyone has any ideas to present to this committee, or just an update on how things are going, please ask Frank, or Joan Fitzgerald. Wife Laurie and their two children Emma (12) and Wesley (10). A warm welcome to our new Pastor A warm welcome to our new Pastor A warm welcome to our new Pastor A warm welcome to our new Pastor We look forward to a season of spiritual growth and renewed community. Jeff brings with him a wealth of experience, a compassionate spirit, and a deep commitment to service. As we begin this new chapter, we look forward to the fresh perspectives and renewed energy that our pastor will share; true to our motto "Share the Spirit." Let us join together in extending a heartfelt welcome, and offer our support and prayers as he settles into this important role. Please join us in welcoming Jeff and his family, supporting him as he leads our congregation forward! Pastor Jeff graduated along with his wife from Boston Baptist College (Boston, MA) and his PhD is in the Philosophy of Religion from the University of Exeter (UK).

At Gilmanton community church, we are more than just a church, we are a family who are passionate about serving our community in NH. We share our burdens, pray, and strive to encourage and nurture each others faith in Jesus christ. We created our Gilmanton community church website, a platform for all who wish to get to know us and learn adout our missions, one being the Dump Run Cafe. Sermons on youTube Share Give Calendar News calendar What to Expect At Gilmanton Community Church you can definitely expect to be greeted at the door by our welcoming and friendly environment. Dress is casual, wear what you want. We do! Our service starts at 9:30 a.m. You can expect biblical preaching and an awesome worship! You Can Help Help Vision Statement: Gilmanton Community church ❖ A loving family of Christian believers; ❖ Enriched through faithful study of God’s Word; ❖ Striving to reflect God’s grace, love and power in the local community and beyond; ❖ Connected with the wider church in mission, passionate worship and praise. Mission Statement: To be an inviting church which nurtures, prays for and supports one another; sharing the Good News of Christ in word and action throughout the community and the wider world. Motto “Share the Spirit” Location 497 Province Rd. Gilmanton, NH. 03237 Phone 603-267-6150 Mailing Address P.O. Box 16 Gilmanton Editors Blog - A GUIDE TO THE BIBLE | Gilmantoncommunitych This site is mobile friendly and it may look different on desktop Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter Name * Email* Join I want to subscribe to your mailing list. Terms and conditions Credit Card Agreement and Privacy Policy Here are the credit/debit cards that we can accept-Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. For verification purposes, please be sure to supply the correct billing information. This information must match with what the issuing company or bank has on file for you. We are grateful for your donation. Privacy & Security Notice The relationship we have built with our customers and congregates is very important to us. Gilmanton Community Church is committed to providing our congregates with a secure website to donate to, and will only collect the personal information that is necessary to process your payments. Rest assured, access will be limited to the appropriate employees and will never be sold to another company. Please read the following information to learn more about how and why we collect information and how the information is safeguarded against misuse. What information do we need when you donate or pay? We will ask you to provide: Name, “Bill to” address, (as it appears on your credit card statement) Daytime phone number, and e-mail address for receipts. As our valued member, we confidently assure that your personal information is transmitted over secure servers. We only ask for the information necessary to process your payments. Gilmanton Community Church takes every precaution to protect our users’ information. Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of employees who have special access rights to such systems. Once we receive your transmission, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems. Please note that all donations and payments are final. Gilmanton Community Church is committed to protecting your privacy. We use the information we collect on the site to service you and to enhance your overall browsing experience. We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to others. USA

Back A big thank you to Caleb Price of Signarama for donating our new beautiful sign! Nice Job! FELLOWSHIP AND OUTREACH 2025 GILMANTON COMMUNITY CHURCH As another year has come to close, 2026 is underway. We can look back on our accomplishments. Our new Pastor Dr Jeff Lavoie and his wonderful family are now part of our Church family! They are here just in time to join in our celebration of our 200 th year. The 200 th Anniversary committee has been hard at work planning and arranging the many layers and facets of this monumental Celebration. Our fundraising events for the 200th including Community Lunch, Food for Thought, Christmas Tea, and Vendor Tables were an immense success. Our wreaths this year were sold in memory of Kristine Faulkingham. All our events could not have been accomplished without the time and dedication of all the volunteers who unselfishly worked tirelessly to make every event a remarkable success proving what Fellowship is all about! Our other fund-raising events, such as our Famous Strawberry Shortcake on the Fourth of July, garnered another 1000.00 Dollars. In addition, we were able to provide meals to Isiaha’s 61 on fourteen separate occasions, which in turn allowed us to provide over 1700 individual meals. This could not have been accomplished without the generous monetary donations as well as hundreds of pounds of meat, vegetables, and staple items. Other Fellowship activities are our weekly Cribbage group currently on Monday’s, social time starts at 17:30 (5:30 pm). In our continuing service to the Community, we were able to provide confidential help and services to 15 Families. This is a valuable service that we are able to provide via donations and our Nameless group of dedicated volunteers .In addition to our group of outreach assistance volunteers ; It is my great pleasure to work with another group of dedicated individuals, who without their help and assistance we would never be able to provide the Wonderful meals created here. From preparation to cooking, from serving to cleanup, each one of these jobs are reliant upon the others. These elements support all our events; without one, everything risks collapsing. I thank all of you! I would not attempt these undertakings without you. “THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE, NOT THE BUILDING” There are many noteworthy events happening in 2026! These are just a few to put on your radar. Giving Thanks for Summer (Turkey Dinner) Children’s Fun Day & Ice Cream Social 4 th of July Parade (We are having a Float!) Strawberry Short cake 200th Bicentennial August 1st Save the date The schedule and dates will be posted soon. It is our 200 th Anniversary!!! Sincerely yours In Service Frank E Babcock Jr Minister of Fellowship / Outreach 1/1 May 4th, we celebrated Rev. Linda Bolton's Sendoff! It was a great turnout she touched so many lives! We weren't without Linda's famous dessert...Great job on the cake Julie!!! It wouldn't be complete without the chicken dance!

Gilmanton Community Church information events and services We Can Make a Difference

Location 497 Province Rd. Gilmanton, NH. 03237 Phone 603-267-6150 . We have no regular office hours. Messages are checked weekly. If you need to reach the Secretary, please don't hesitate to call Trish (603)-496-7502 and she will connect you to the right person. Mailing Address P.O. Box 16 Gilmanton, NH. 03237 Have a question, thought or concern? Reach out to us! Enter your email here Send, and thanks! Thanks for submitting! Subscribe to our newsletter • Don’t miss out! Email* Join I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Click Here for rates, terms, and conditions Booking Information for Church Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall Undercroft Fellowship Hall Downstairs

Terms and Conditions Credit Card Agreement and Privacy Policy Here are the credit/debit cards that we can accept-Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. For verification purposes, please be sure to supply the correct billing information. This information must match with what the issuing company or bank has on file for you. We are grateful for your donation. Privacy & Security Notice The relationship we have built with our customers and congregates is very important to us. Gilmanton Community Church is committed to providing our congregates with a secure website to donate to, and will only collect the personal information that is necessary to process your payments. Rest assured, access will be limited to the appropriate employees and will never be sold to another company. Please read the following information to learn more about how and why we collect information and how the information is safeguarded against misuse. What information do we need when you donate or pay? We will ask you to provide: Name, “Bill to” address, (as it appears on your credit card statement) Daytime phone number, and e-mail address for receipts. As our valued member, we confidently assure that your personal information is transmitted over secure servers. We only ask for the information necessary to process your payments. Gilmanton Community Church takes every precaution to protect our users’ information. Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of employees who have special access rights to such systems. Once we receive your transmission, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems. Please note that all donations and payments are final. Gilmanton Community Church is committed to protecting your privacy. We use the information we collect on the site to service you and to enhance your overall browsing experience. We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to others. USA

Mary Morse was a Story teller and a Pillar of the Gilmanton Community church Mary Morse, Story Teller On January 2, 2000 the two congregations of the Centre Community Church, Gilmanton Corner, and the United Church of Gilmanton Iron Works united to become one congregation with the name of “The Gilmanton Community Church. We celebrated the 175th Anniversary of the two sanctuaries in which we worship in the year 2001. Looking Back .... Before the first settlers arrived in 1766, King George granted the proprietors a large tract of land in this area. The town was incorporated in 1727 and the condition of the charter stipulated that a meetinghouse “should be built for the public to worship God.” This was done within four years. Due to the fears of Indian uprisings, settlement was delayed. It was not until 1761 that the first settlers arrived. By August 1763 the proprietors had hired Reverend William Parsons to preach. (“History of Gilmanton” by Daniel Lancaster, pg. 17) Reverend Parsons moved his family to town and preached “wherever he could in barns, houses and schools”. Finally, in 1774 the town voted to build a church and to ‘engage’ Reverend Isaac Smith to preach. It was at this time that The Smith Meeting House was built on the site of the present building on Meeting House Road. Reverend Smith preached for nearly 43 years. He died in 1817 and was buried at the Smith Meeting House Cemetery. The population of Gilmanton was quickly increasing, now spreading toward the villages at Gilmanton Corner and at the Iron Works. In 1826 the membership of the Smith Meeting House congregation sent out two delegations of people who established a new Congregational church in each village. Our present church buildings built. At this time there was a group of Baptists who wanted to be separated from the established “Congregational” church. The first Lower Gilmanton Church building was begun at the same time as the First Congregational Society (Smith Meeting House). It is of interest that the ‘Smith Meeting House Church’ as the official town church was supported by mandatory taxes for all residents of the town. After several legal battles the Baptists were exempted from having to support the “Congregational church” through the ‘Minister Tax’ on the condition that they would build their own house of worship and support it financially. This was at least 10 years prior to the Toleration Act which made voluntary members of an organization responsible for its support. They were exempted with strict requirements which required them to produce a certificate from the wardens of the Baptist Church attesting to their attendance three-fours of the Baptist meetings and that they had paid their tax to that society. There was a great religious revival soon after Reverend Smith’s death which resulted in 45 new church members, several of whom were young. Lancaster’s history (pg 187) remarks that this was “of deep interest as heretofore, scarcely a youth was found within this part of the church.” This revival appears to be short lived. Some accounts state that the first church building (Smith Meeting House) was finally too large for the diminishing membership. It is noted that the building was in such bad condition that it was necessary to tear it down. At any rate, the building was taken down. The present Smith Meeting House building, “a neat and comfortable house of the first church was raised from the materials,” in 1839. Preaching appears to have been held only irregularly, but the Society met annually. After 1886, meetings are recorded until 1900 on a regular basis. By then the S.M.H. building was again in a bad state of repair. The “Old Smith Meeting House Improvement Society” was organized and the building was saved. The offspring of the “First Congregational Church Society” continue to witness to their faith and ministry through the Gilmanton Community Church Congregation, “one congregation with two worship facilities.” Our beautiful ‘Centre Church’ building at Gilmanton Corner maintains the same exterior that it has had through the years. There have been interior changes. At one time the organ and a choir loft were situated in the ear of the church. It was the custom for the congregation to stand and turn around to face the organ when singing. Later renovation discovered the choir loft was apparently not originally located in the rear. Presently the organ and the choir are located in the front of the sanctuary. In the early 1980’s the Centre church was raised and a fine ’undercroft’ with a large hall, kitchen, toils, nursery and storage space was added. One rest room is fully accessible. Recently a very necessary and inconspicuous handicap ram has been constructed and a side door added for access to the sanctuary. Many hours of volunteer labor went into these improvements, including the fund raising and carpentry skills of many, many committed people. Originally there were horse sheds which had been taken down. A furnace was installed to replace the wood stoves for heating. Curiously the Centre church had no bell for more than 100 years. It was the bell in the Academy Building next door that called people to worship. Finally, during the early 1950’s with the advent of the Gilmanton Town Ministry a bell was finally obtained for the Centre Church. At the same time that the Centre Church was organized in Gilmanton Corner in 1826, the church at the Iron Works was also established. Interestingly enough, a Congregational Society was organized there, starting with members who withdrew from the “First Church’ at the Smith Meeting House. The proprietors of that church noted that Congregationalists, Free Will Baptists and Calvin Baptists should take turns holding their services in the Iron Works. Later, after a Baptist Church was also located in the Iron Works village area (first at the foot of Hall‘s Hill and then later on Church Street where the fire station is now located); it happened that at times when one of the churches lacked a minister the other invited their ’sister’ church to join them for worship. After the “Great Fire” of 1915 which burned half the village including the Baptist church, the Congregationalists invited the Baptists to worship with them. They formed the “Federated Church” which later became the United Church of Gilmanton Iron Works. Preaching continued in both the Centre and the United Churches for at least part of the year, although very often this was done by “supply preachers” rather than a regular resident pastor.(To Be Continued Next Month) The Town clock was located in the tower of the Baptist church that burned. It had been the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Goodwin in the 1800’s. When the new clock was put in the presented United church the peak in the gable of the south end of the church was leveled so that the clock face could be seen and serve as the town clock. Sometimes the clock can be heard striking from the very crooked Geddes Road four miles way! A few years ago the clock was electrified. One reference remarks that this was done to prevent the weights from coming loose and falling on the children in the upstairs Sunday school room! It is a relief that people no longer have to climb the tower to wind the clock. It continues to be regularly service by Donald Jenkins who has faithfully tended to its health for many years. In 1930 while trash was being burned in the cellar hole next door, the church roof caught on fire. Considerable water and fire damage occurred. Services were held at the town hall across the street until the church could be repaired. All cleaning was done by the Ladies Aid and the men of the congregation. The beautiful colored windows were paid for by the Ladies Aid with the exception of the two front memorial windows. At times church fairs were held in the town hall. Church suppers were offered at the grammar school in the village and later in the basement of the new parsonage. In 1950 the Town Council of Churches, later the Gilmanton Town Ministry, was formed by the Centre Church, the United Church at Gilmanton Iron Works and the Lower Gilmanton Baptist Church. The three churches kept their separate governments, but shared a minister who preached at each church every Sunday. A council of representatives from the three churches saw to the business affecting the ministry as a whole. The Reverend Donald Osborne was the first minister hired under this arrangement. After a few years the Lower Gilmanton Baptist Church was unable to raise the money to pay its share of the expenses and so withdrew from the Town Ministry. The Centre and United Church congregations decided to hold services together, worshiping one month at the Iron Works and one month at the Corner. It was agreed to always have the Christmas Eve service at the Centre Church and the Easter Service at the United Church. The Centre Church was denominationally affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the United Church was dually aligned with the UCC and the American Baptist Churches. Today our Gilmanton Community Church is affiliated with both the American Baptists and National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. Being a community church, while we do have official denominational ties, our congregation includes a wide variety of people from diverse religious backgrounds. We seek to provide a religious environment of inclusive traditions which meet the spiritual needs of those who worship with us. While Reverend William Marsell was pastor of the Gilmanton Town Ministry, in the early 70’s, the I. W. United Church was moved back from the street and an ‘undercroft’ was added which provided a hall, kitchen, rest rooms and a nursery. A short time later the Ladies Aid raised the funds which allowed for the addition of a beautiful adjoining parlor complete with fire place. As the undercroft was finished and declared to be quite sound, it was noted that some sills were long, continuous timbers and some were rounded and unleveled. The finished basement is now used for Sunday school, church suppers, receptions, Scout meetings (etc.) as is the undercroft of Centre church. At one time the United undercroft held a privately run preschool and kindergarten. The United Church has a sloped entry to the sanctuary allowing handicap entrance as well as a fully accessible rest room. At both churches parking lots have been paved. There is an enlargement of the parking lot at the United Church which has not yet been paved but is heavily used. Other Baptist Churches existed in Gilford and Belmont when those towns were still part of Gilmanton. The original proprietors of Gilmanton set aside ’parsonage lands’. Sometimes they were sold and the proceeds divided among the churches. There doesn’t seem to be a record of where the town’s first ’settled preacher’ lived. The parsonage at Smith Meeting House was not build until after the Rev. Smith’s death. Church records one year mention buying “the small piece of land on which the parsonage stands”. A suggestion was made to use it for a parsonage. At least part of the time since the church’s last ’settled minister’ the parsonage was ’rented out’. It burned in the early 1900’s. As a child, I (Mary Morse) picnicked beside the cellar hole in the field down the old road from the church. The Church at the Corner had at least two parsonages. The Congregational Church at the Iron Works sold its parsonage to Mr. K? at the time. This was perhaps the house where George and Eleanor Nelson lived and where Mr. Bauman now lives. The Iron Works parsonage on Church Street used by the United Church was sold. The Ballard family gave the church the building site next to its sanctuary so that a parsonage could be built. This is where our present Fellowship House now stands. It was built at the time the Council of Churches was organized. The first pastor to live in the parsonage was the first Minister of the Council, the Rev. Donald Osborne and his family. This building was used by all subsequent pastors until The Rev. Linda Bolton became pastor in 1995. Rev. Bolton and her husband, Dr. Philip chose to live in their own home on Stone Road, a farm situated about a the middle distance between the two sanctuaries. At this time the church held a contest to re-name the parsonage. The winning name was “The Fellowship House”. It now houses our church office and provides additional Sunday School and meeting space. There is not room to even mention all the ministers who have served us as “preachers and teachers”. It is not possible to recognize all the organists, choir members, Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, supporters and committee members. The Women’s Guild at Gilmanton Corner, The Centre Church Quilters and the Ladies Aid at the Iron Works have been devoted, committed workers and contributors to the ministry of the congregation. Vital and valued for all they have given over many years - they are deeply appreciated. Today the two women’s fellowships have become one Women’s Fellowship which continues to serve the Lord’s work. Two congregations which formed the Gilmanton Town Ministry in 1950, made another historical decision fifty years later, in 2000 to become one congregation known as The Gilmanton Community Church. We continue to worship in the two sanctuaries, each of which blesses us with a particular spiritual and physical beauty, unique and precious. Our buildings are highly used by the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Quilters, Seniors and other nonprofit groups without cost. We also thank God for the rental of these buildings by several for-profit organizations! It is our prayer that God will continue to bless and to use us in His service to His honor and glory. History of the United & Centre Churches The Gilmanton Town Ministry The Gilmanton Community Church

Churches have a wonderful history, full of rich learning; dramatic decisions, stagnant times of discouragement and a great fluctuation in membership and leadership. One historian writes: “Time will not allow to speak of the severe trials, the dark days and heroic struggles amidst discouragement, or of the favors received, the blessings enjoyed and the victories won. But like Paul, ‘Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before us, we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Amen! History informs us but should never hold us prisoner. The past offers a magnificent tapestry of experience from which we may learn and grow as we move forward. History is what has made us what we are today and the decisions and actions we make will be tomorrow’s history! At times churches can become stagnant, feeling locked in to ‘what has been’ rather than ‘what might be’ when Christ leads us forward to new horizons of possibility. History is important and always to be valued, but not worshiped! Cormorant Garamond is a classic font with a modern twist. It's easy to read on screens of every shape and size, and perfect for long blocks of text. History Archives History Archives History Archives History Archives Some History of the Centre and United Churches: 1826- to the Present Looking at the history of our churches in Gilmanton we find many changes over the years. In the year 1826, some members of the Smith Meeting House were dismissed to form two new Congregational churches in the villages of Gilmanton Corner and Gilmanton Iron Works. Both churches were originally called ‘Meeting Houses’ in the custom of the day. The Centre Church was established as ‘The Academy Village Congregational Church’ and then as ‘The Congregational Church’ in Gilmanton Center; later known as Gilmanton Corner. As far as research shows at this time, this name was still held in 1912 at least. The United Church was called ‘The Iron Works Meeting House’ in Gilmanton. As early as 1888 The Free Will Baptist Church and the Congregational churches had union services when one or the other were without a pastor. There was a devastating fire in the Iron Works in 1915 which completely destroyed The Free Will Baptist Church. “There began at this time, united efforts in the calling of The Rev. Arthur V. Dimock as the pastor for 6 months and on January 1, 1917 ‘Articles of Federation of the Free Will Baptist Church and the Congregational Church’; were accepted that called this new alliance to be known as the ‘Federated Churches of Gilmanton Iron Works’.” In 1946 the Federated Church became incorporated. It was not until February 27, 1952 that the name ‘The United Church of Gilmanton Iron Works’ came into being. Churches have a wonderful history, full of rich learning; dramatic decisions, stagnant times of discouragement and a great fluctuation in membership and leadership. One historian writes: “Time will not allow to speak of the severe trials, the dark days and heroic struggles amidst discouragement, or of the favors received, the blessings enjoyed and the victories won. But like Paul, ‘Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before us, we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Amen! History informs us but should never hold us prisoner. The past offers a magnificent tapestry of experience from which we may learn and grow as we move forward. History is what has made us what we are today and the decisions and actions we make will be tomorrow’s history! At times churches can become stagnant, feeling locked in to ‘what has been’ rather than ‘what might be’ when Christ leads us forward to new horizons of possibility. History is important and always to be valued, but not worshiped! Article at bottom of Archives page

our covenant mission article of faith vision statement Vision Statement: ❖ A loving family of Christian believers; ❖ Enriched through faithful study of God’s Word; ❖ Striving to reflect God’s grace, love and power in the local community and beyond; ❖ Connected with the wider church in mission, passionate worship and praise. Mission Statement: To be an inviting church which nurtures, prays for and supports one another; sharing the Good News of Christ in word and action throughout the community and the wider world. Motto “Share the Spirit” Our Church Covenant We covenant with the Lord and with one another to walk in Christian love and fellowship, sharing our burdens, praying with one another, and making every effort to encourage and nurture each person’s faith and understanding of Jesus Christ as God’s Son and our Savior. We covenant together with God’s help to seek to be a sincere people who strive to live out our faith in words and mission. We commit ourselves to the study of scripture which is our final authority in all matters; to provide for those who are in need; to extend special compassion to the hungry, the poor, the broken and the homeless; to share the Good News of Salvation and to live in ways that honor and bring glory to our Lord and Savior. We covenant together to give of our time, our talents, and our treasure to the ministries God sets before us, acknowledging that everything we have has been given to us as a trust from God to be used according to His divine will and purpose. We seek to be ambassadors who show forth our Savior’s steadfast love and mercy in word and action. Articles of Faith We believe in one Holy God, Creator of all that is good, and that there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all. (John 3:16,17) We believe that we have been saved by grace through faith, not of our own doing, but as a gift of God, not the result of works. We are what God made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. (Ephesians 2:8-10) We believe that we are “God’s own people in order that we may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Every believer is called to ministry, each to use his or her gifts as God leads them in ways of sharing the Gospel in word and action. (Ephesians 4) We are God’s church; a people who seek as a community of faith to grow in our understanding of God’s steadfast love, grace and desire for our lives. We lean not unto our own understanding but seek to live by the Holy Spirit’s power. As we are guided by the Spirit in all our relationships, the fruits of the Spirit become more and more a part of our nature. (Galatians 5) The purpose of our gathering together in worship, prayer, and Christian fellowship is to grow in our understanding of, and obedience to, God’s will in our lives. We gather to build one another up and to encourage one another in the Christian faith. Growing together we nurture one another in our spiritual journeys and seek to become faithful fishers of souls in fulfillment of The Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20. We acknowledge God’s passionate desire for our concern and care to be particularly extended to those who are alone, sick, elderly or in trouble. We acknowledge our call to mutual ministry, visitation, worship and prayer. We acknowledge our responsibility to maintain strong Christian Educational programs for all ages and to encourage families and children to be actively involved as we grow together. We understand that we are to extend gracious hospitality to strangers. (Deuteronomy 6, Romans 12:9-13)