John Lockhart

This week, we want to extend a special thank you to John Lockhart. John is a valued member of our church community who faithfully serves using his artistic gifts. He creates all of the beautiful name tags here at NCC, and each one is carefully handmade. Below, you’ll find more about John and how he came to master this craft.

John Lockhart was born in 1938 at Eliot Hospital in Maine. He attended grammar school in Suncook, New Hampshire, and later moved to South Carolina, where he completed both junior high and high school. He eventually returned to New England to pursue his passion for the arts at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston, majoring in ceramics and minoring in sculpture. You can still find some of his ceramic pieces from that time displayed around the church. After his studies, John enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Long Beach, California. Following his service, he chose to remain in California, where he worked for many years as a dental and prosthetic technician before beginning a long career with JCPenney, where he worked on store displays for 32 years. While living in California, John found his first church family and created a name tag for himself, the very one you’ll see in the photo below. When he later joined our community in Newmarket, he brought that same name tag with him. As he faithfully wore it each week, others began to admire his work, and soon many were asking for their own. What started as a simple act of creativity quickly grew into a meaningful ministry, with John handcrafting over 50 name tags for members of our church. To put his dedication into perspective, each name tag takes an entire afternoon to complete. We are incredibly grateful for John and the time, care, and artistry he pours into this behind-the-scenes work. Because of him, our volunteers and staff are not only easily recognizable but recognized in style.

Today, John Lockhart continues to practice his artistry through classes at the VA, even after more than 20 years of retirement. Although all of John’s immediate family members have passed, he has found a new sense of family within our church community and among his friends at the VA. We are truly grateful to have John as part of our church family. If you’re a member of our Newmarket church community and would like one of these beautiful name tags, feel free to connect with John before or after one of our services.