It has been an important week in the life of CCSM, we celebrated on Sunday the installation of Reverend Jessica Vacketta as our settled Senior Minister. If you could not attend the service, I recommend you watch it on our YouTube channel, it is a moving tribute to the providential arrival of Jessica to do ministry with us. We won the clergy lottery for sure.

Also, on Sunday we celebrated Epiphany, the celebration of the magi coming to pay homage to the Christ Child. Epiphany is a celebration of the light of God amidst the darkness of the winter and the world. On Sunday we drew our star words for 2026, a tradition that Jessica has brought to us and I absolutely adore. In 2024, my word was hope. In 2025, my word was stability (which amidst this past year seemed timely). This year my word is reflect. Given that 2026 will mark the end of a quarter century here in the Bay Area for me and a return to my origins in Southern California, reflecting seems to be all I am doing lately.

As I reflect on the past two years serving as the moderator of the Board of Directors, the first thing that comes to mind is deep gratitude for the men and women who I served alongside. The Board of Directors has strived to build as transparent a relationship as possible with the congregation as we have gone about doing the business of oveseeing the church operations. We have moved to be more visionary about ministry and less in the weeds about the day-to-day operations. We have moved from a scarcity mindset in budgeting to trusting in God’s call to ministry and believing in the abundance of

resources around us to fund that ministry.

I want to thank three women who are leaving the board this year and who have done incredible work. Martha Bronitsky, who served as our treasurer and chair of the annual giving campaign (too much for one person), Valerie Leung who served as our secretary, and Kay Harris who served as the Council of Ministries Chair. It has been a joy to serve with each one of these women and see the gifts that they bring to ministry in each of their roles. I would also like to thank Mike Hill, who had to leave the board for personal reasons, and so his time was cut short.

This coming Sunday, we have another important day in the life of our congregation, our Annual Meeting. It is a time of leadership transition and recognition; a time we look back over those who have gone before us to life beyond and the time when we approve the budget under which we will operate in the coming year.

The Finance Committee and the Board of Directors have worked hard to create a budget that we believe answers God’s call to ministry in our community. The congregation is at a point where we have begun to grow again, we are actively looking for a Director for the CYF Ministry, a Director of Music (position will be posted on February 1) and are in conversations with two candidates for the open Organist position, all of whom will be instrumental to the life of our congregation. We have spent the last two budget cycles moving our employees towards compensation and benefits that reflect the cost of living here on the peninsula. All these things are important, and all cost money. Our pledging has been stable, but stagnant, and so the Board of Directors has begun to seek other income streams to help make the ministry we believe we are called to possible. But the task of developing new income streams does not happen overnight. We believe we are at an inflection point, and we have the money on hand to cover the proposed budget deficit. We know that with careful management we can stretch to meet this plan if you will join with us in working towards achieving our goals.

As I reflect on my ten years here at CCSM I have been blessed to be accepted as a part of this church family. Jonathan and I have found a home where we could be our spiritual best together. I have been blessed to be called to serve with you in leadership and I pray that I have fulfilled that call with the grace of God. We will miss being with you each Sunday, but we will be part of the online community, and I will be serving as an online board member at large. Thank you all for your love and care, and we look forward to the path ahead, as CCSM moves toward broader ministry in our neighborhood.

With You in Christ’s Service,

Don Ruthroff, CCSM Board of Directors’ Moderator

REV JESSICA'S INSTALLATION HIGHLIGHTS

Watch the service, by clicking below!

THIS WEEK

Annual Meeting

Sunday, January 11th after the service in Kloss Hall & via Zoom

The congregation meets annually to receive ministry updates and reports, approve the new budget, elect board members and ministry leads, and attend to additional business requiring a congregational vote and/or congregational input.

This year's meeting will be held over a light lunch in Kloss Hall and also via Zoom (see below). Childcare is available. Observers are welcome; only CCSM members may vote on the Action Items. If you have questions regarding your membership status, email jessica@ccsm-ucc.org.

We must have a minimum of 75 members in attendance for quorum per our by-laws, so please plan to join us for this important meeting. If you can join us in person rather than online, please do. Absentee voting will be available.

Zoom Link

Agenda & Documents

Children, Youth & Families: Pizza, Ice Cream & Games🍦🍕

Sunday, January 11th, 5 - 6:30pm in Kloss Hall

Join us for pizza, ice cream, and games as we kick off the new year together. This is a relaxed, come-as-you-are evening to reconnect, take a breath after the holidays, and enjoy being together after our first week back at school/work.

Semi-Annual Styrofoam Recycling Day

Saturday, January 10th from 11am-1pm in the church parking lot

Save your holiday packing materials and join us for the Semi-Annual Styrofoam Recycling Program on Saturday, January 10th! You can bring Styrofoam of any size to the CCSM parking lot between 11am and 1pm, where Environmental Justice representatives will be ready to collect it for you. The styrofoam will be transported to the Newby Island Recycling facility in Milpitas and reused to make picture frames, insulation and other usable products.

MLK Jr Multi-faith Day of Service

Monday, January 19, register by January 9

This is a unique opportunity to work side by side with those of other faiths and cultures to help our community. These projects include preparing soup mixes and a BBQ for shelter residents, working on school campus improvements and gardening, assembling care kits, knitting baby hats, decorating pillow cases, tying fleece blankets, making t-shirt grocery bags, sewing stuffed animals for police and firefighters to distribute, making paracord bracelets for military personnel, creating animal beds and toys, putting together science kits, cleaning up local parks, and singing for residents in senior centers.

🪴 Volunteer Opportunity with PUENTE

Saturday, January 17th, 9am - 12pm

Join Puente de la Costa Sur (PUENTE) for a morning workday on January 17th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at their Casa de Flores property in Pescadero. Volunteers will help clear debris, organize greenhouses, and move materials to prepare the site for new projects. To register, please email Bridgitte.

Slow-Read Book Club

Monday, January 26th, 11am - 12:30pm in the Fireplace Room

You are invited to a new Slow-Read Book Club focused on books by Christian women authors. Designed for reflection, we meet monthly but spend three months on each book. Each meeting will focus on a third of the book, which will allow ample time for reading and reflection. Our first selection is Barbara Brown Taylor's Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith.

Our first meeting will be January 26 (every third Monday or fourth if the third is a public holiday, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM) in the Fireplace Room. Contact Siew Kang or join via Church Center (Affinity Groups).

THANK YOU!

Annual Giving Commitment

Your annual pledge provides the essential resources that power CCSM's work—from our outreach programs to weekly worship. Your commitment isn't just a number; it is a powerful statement of confidence and hope for our future.

Join us in sustaining and expanding the life and nourishment CCSM offers to all!

We have 124 households/individuals who have pledged so far, totaling $505,249 of our 2026 goal of $560,000. Our Big Dream Budget Goal is $640,000.

2026 Proposed Budget

Make your Estimate of Giving pledge today and help invest in CCSM's ministry and mission.

Support Our Shared Dream

UPCOMING EVENTS

Burlingame Music Club

Monday, January 12, 1 - 3pm in Kloss Hall

Join the Burlingame Music Club for its January event, featuring performances from seven student contestants preparing for BMC Young Musicians' Competition this Spring. This includes two violinists, a violist, a cellist and two pianists. Refreshments will be served. All are warmly welcome.

Music and Art Guild

Friday, January 16 at noon in the Buckham Room

Join the Music and Art Guild on Friday, January 16, at noon in the Buckham Room. Bring your lunch (dessert provided) and hear from Arts Commissioner Lois Fried and Administrator Mara Grimes. They will discuss how the San Mateo County Office of Arts & Culture uses tax dollars to cultivate a vibrant, healthy community through art.

Find '26 Programming Here

Mural by Heather Hardison and the residents of the Navigation Center in Redwood City.

View Our Full Calendar

TAKE ACTION

Sign Up to Co-Host Happy Coffee Hour

Help sweeten our fellowship!

We invite you to co-host Coffee Happy Hour by bringing sweet and/or savory treats to share during our post-worship connection time. To sign up for 2026 dates, email Melodie Lew.

Sign Up for Pick-A-Vent

We're excited to announce a new name and date for our annual party-hosting fundraiser! Formerly known as Pick-A-Party, we're rebranding to Pick-A-Vent (to broaden the scope) and shifting the sign up from November to February 22, 2026.

This popular fundraiser is all about connecting with fellow members and supporting CCSM's financial goals by hosting or attending fun, unique activities. Hosts cover the costs and set a fee for guests, and all proceeds go directly to the church.

Submit your activity or party by clicking on "Submit Events" below. If you have questions, reach out to Robert Leung or check out the "Learn More Here" info sheet.