Beloved Community,

This Sunday we will be joining faith communities across San Mateo County to lift up Housing Justice in worship! You may know that May is Affordable Housing Month, and this weekend specifically is “Faith and Housing Weekend.” Maybe you spend too much of your paycheck on rent, or see members of our community struggling to get by. This Sunday we will look to the Gospel of John, where Jesus said, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” We’ll explore how that divine house is here and now. I’m also excited to welcome Karyl Elridge to worship, who will give an update on the Our Home San Mateo campaign, and for us to hear the new piece our Chancel Choir will introduce, “All are Welcome (All Belong).”

I know that these times can be especially disheartening as we witness what is happening to our neighbors close to home and around the globe. It’s easy to feel discouraged and overwhelmed, and so I wanted to leave you with this prayer (written by Sarah Bessey) from my morning reflection that reminded me that the work we do and the love we put out in the world are never wasted.

“Tyranny and hate and despair never win, not for long and not forever and certainly not now, so I pray that you would be blessed with a stubborn hope that keeps believing and keeps enduring.”

May it be so.

In hope,

Jessica

DID YOU MISS WORSHIP?

CLICK HERE for Last Sunday's Entire Service

CLICK HERE for Rev. Álvaro Durán's sermon, "The Good Shepherd and the Mothering Heart of God"

CHURCH SNAPSHOTS

Thank you to Troy and Christine Grabow for hosting last weekend's Parents' Nights Out!

Meanwhile, The kids had fun too!

THIS WEEK AT CCSM

MUSIC AND ART POTLUCK LUNCH

Friday, May 16, noon - 2:30 pm

Please join us and bring something to share; beverages and dessert provided!

RSVP to Don Harper, donaldgharper@yahoo.com.

Celebration of Life

A memorial service for Cari Parker will take place at CCSM on May 17, 2025 at 11:00 am.

Church Friends Apology and Reset

For those who tried to join the Church Friends Zoom on Monday, May 12 but were unable to log on, we'd like to offer our deepest apologies! The publicized Zoom link was somehow corrupted from when we published it.

Not to be deterred, we have rescheduled this Zoom for Monday, June 23, from 7-8pm. We encourage you to join us and learn about the program and hear from current participants.

In order to prevent the same problem from occurring again, please sign up for the event by emailing Gary White at gwhite2711@gmail.com. Gary will send out a new Zoom link via email the week prior to the event. Thank you for understanding!

PLEASE NOTE:

Church office hours next week (May 19-22) will be Monday - Thursday, 10am - 2pm while Chase is on vacation.

View our full calendar on our website

COMING UP

Honoring Scholarships & Graduates, May 25

On Sunday, May 25, we will celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates during worship! If you or a loved one is graduating from high school, college, or graduate school this year, we’d love to recognize them.

Please send the graduate’s name, school, and degree (if applicable) to Rev. Jessica by Wednesday, May 21 to be included in the celebration.

HELP WITH PRIDE

June is right around the corner and CCSM is working on several special events to celebrate Pride, including worship on June 1 and the San Mateo Pride Parade and Festival on June 14. If you are interested in helping with these events please reach out to Rev. Jessica.

FINDING JOY TOGETHER

~ A SUMMER BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

by The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Join us for a journey of inspiration and connection as we read The Book of Joy together. Over three monthly sessions, we will cover the True Nature of Joy; the Obstacles to Joy; and the Eight Pillars of Joy. And we will learn practical ways to cultivate joy in our lives.

The sessions will be held on the third Monday in June, July and August (6/16; 7/21; 8/18), 11:00AM-12:30PM, in the Fireplace Room.

Please contact Siew Kang (internationalchoir@gmail.com) for more details or to sign up.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Job Position: Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Director

We're seeking a creative and passionate leader to guide our children and youth in their faith journeys. Our CYF Director will cultivate an inclusive, engaging environment where young people and their families explore spirituality, build community, and engage in social justice. If you're called to nurture the next generation's faith development through innovative programming and meaningful relationships, we invite you to learn more about this opportunity.