Greetings, Church,

First, thank you for your prayers, well wishes, thoughtful texts, and patience while I was out sick last week. This round of COVID really set me back. I’m back in the office, but I’m moving at a much slower pace (my brain included) and I’m not fully recovered yet. I’m slowly combing through my inbox, so if you sent me something and still need a reply, please send me a fresh email to bump it to the top.

I also want to thank Álvaro, Kim, Oscar, and our front desk volunteers for covering while I was gone. I could focus on getting well because I was surrounded by such a good village. It was a good reminder that none of us do this work alone. Being church means leaning on each other when we need extra support, and stepping in to lend a hand when someone else does. It’s an ebb and flow in this brutaful (brutal and beautiful) dance we call life. Unfortunately, I’m sad to report that Álvaro COVID has tested positive for COVID too, so I ask that you send the same healing energy and prayers to him that you sent my way, as he recovers.

Cold and flu season is picking up, and one way we care for each other is by resting, healing, and keeping our germs to ourselves. If you’re under the weather, our online services are a great way to stay connected. We have some wonderful gatherings ahead this month and next, and I want us to be able to enjoy them together safely. This week’s edition is packed, so get these events on your calendar now. It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is just two weeks away!

As excited as I am for all this season holds, my heart has been somewhere else. In the past 10 days, ICE has arrested 21 people (that we know of) in San Mateo County, including just blocks from the church. This is a terrifying season for many of our members and neighbors, and it is unacceptable. While we pour our energy into fostering community and serving our neighbors, people are afraid to walk or drive a few blocks to church, to work, or to the doctor.

The Sunday before I got sick, Álvaro got a call from one of our parents who really wanted to come to our Family Connections Café that night but was too scared to leave home, because an arrest had just happened a couple of blocks away. Another parent overheard the conversation and said, “I can go pick them up.” This is what it looks like to be church right now.

Corinn told me about a group of retired folks who hang out at the Home Depot in Hayward, keeping watch for ICE agents and warning people when they’re nearby. This is what it looks like to be church right now.

Many of us have seen the stories, and some of us know people who have been taken off the street or detained at immigration check-ins: nurses, children, professors. These wounds will take years to heal, and we can’t look away. Nothing changed magically overnight after the election. Here in San Mateo, things have actually intensified. But we are not helpless.

There is a role for each of us:

Can you give rides?
Would you be willing to join Zoom meetings on local ICE response, represent CCSM, and report back what you learn?
Would you like to give financially to help families with loved ones in detention, or help people who have been released get home with plane, bus, or train tickets?
Would you like to be a prayer partner with someone?

If any of these speak to you, let Álvaro or me know.

Our care can take the shape of a ride, a phone call, a shared expense, a prayer, or a faithful presence that says, “You do not have to face this alone.”

Thank you for being that village for me while I recover. My prayer is that we keep being that village for one another and for our neighbors who need it most.

In hope,

THIS WEEK

Village Pub in Back TONIGHT 🍻

Thursday, November 12 from 7 - 8:30pm

Join us for our next Village Pub on Thursday, November 12th, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Fireplace Room!

Enjoy drinks, snacks, and good conversation with your community. As always, all ages are welcome, and childcare will be provided—please email Dave Olsen if you need childcare.

Whether you bring a friend or just bring yourself, this is a perfect, low-key opportunity to connect with new people and catch up with familiar faces. We can't wait to see you there!

Salvation Army Donation Drive 👚

Saturday, November 14 from 9am - 12pm in the church parking lot

Get a head start on your fall clean-out! Bring your gently used items to the Salvation Army truck that will be parked at CCSM.

Please Note: The church will NOT be collecting or storing items in advance. All items must be dropped off directly at the truck between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Saturday, November 14th.

Wondering what items are accepted? Check out the full list here list here.

Buy Tickets & Invite a Friend to Hear Gregory M. Walton 🎤

Monday, November 16 from 7 - 8:30pm in the Sanctuary

Buy Tickets

Good Books, Warm Conversations:

Join Our Slow-Read Book Club! 📖

Monday, November 16 at 11am in the Fireplace Room

Looking for a cozy spot to share insights and enjoy great company? Our Slow-Read Book Club invites you to gather with us on Monday, November 16, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Fireplace Room.

We’ll be discussing the final chapters (Chapters 6–7) of How We Learn to Be Brave by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde. We’ll also be sharing ideas for our next book selection - making this a wonderful time for new members to jump in and help choose what we read next! Whether you’ve read every page or just want to listen in, newcomers are always welcome. Come share your thoughts and help pick our next read!

Please contact Betsy Woodward or Siew Kang for more information.

Board Meeting

Tuesday, November 17 at 6:30pm in the Buckham Room or via Zoom

All are welcome to attend the next Board of Directors meeting via Zoom or in person. Each month there will be a unique Zoom link for Board meetings. Email Frank Garritano, our Board Moderator, for more information.

Agenda

Zoom Link

UPCOMING EVENTS

Love Over Fear: IM4HI’s 25th Anniversary Benefit Concert

Thursday, November 19, 6:30pm in Berkeley

CCSM is proud to help sponsor Love Over Fear, celebrating 25 years of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity standing alongside immigrants and formerly incarcerated neighbors. In a season marked by fear, detention, and global violence, gathering as beloved community is how we respond.

Enjoy local BIPOC musicians and storytellers—including Diana Gameros, Francisco Herrera, BenjaSoul, Ricardo Lomeli, Kele Nitoto, and Dylan Juhan.

Tickets: $20–$50 sliding scale (All ages). Can’t attend? Buy a “Pay-It-Forward” ticket to sponsor a community leader’s seat! For more info, click here.

Music & Art Guild Gathering 🎼

Friday, November 20, at Noon in the Buckham Room

Bring your lunch and enjoy provided desserts and drinks as we listen to another great performance by Bella Voce, a women's choral group featuring many CCSM members. The group will sing a range of music, from sacred and 40's tunes to Broadway musical hits and current compositions.

Thanksgiving Potluck Service 🦃

Wednesday, November 25 at 7pm in Kloss Hall

We’re excited to celebrate our special bilingual Thanksgiving Potluck Service on Wednesday, November 25, at 7:00 pm in Kloss Hall. This will be a beautiful opportunity for our church family to come together and express gratitude for another year of blessings.

This intimate service will be led by Revs. Jessica and Álvaro and will take place around tables where we’ll share bilingual prayers, break bread, and enjoy a festive dinner. The church will provide turkey, so please consider bringing your favorite side dish or dessert to share, or just bring yourself and your thankful heart!

Thanksgiving Day Meal 🦃

Thursday, November 26 from 11:30am - 2pm

2nd Annual Family Tree Lighting! 🎄

Sunday, November 29 from 5 - 7pm in Kloss Hall & the Front Lawn

We are thrilled to bring back our Family Tree Lighting Festival following last year’s wonderful debut! It was such a joy celebrating with our church family and local community, and we can’t wait to gather together again.

This year features a 12-foot live tree, and we invite your family to bring an ornament to place on it!

Want to lend a hand? We’re looking for volunteers to help make this event run smoothly including help sing carols, bring fruit/dessert and clean up. If you’re available to serve, please click the link below to sign up.

Volunteer

Musical Holiday Tapas 🎻

Saturday, December 5 from 6:30 - 9pm in the Sanctuary

Join us for our 3rd Annual Musical Tapas Program on Saturday, December 5, 2026,

Featuring CCSM’s very own Chris Yeh on violin, this festive evening pairs a vibrant mix of traditional Irish tunes, classic chamber works, and Christmas carols with sweet community fellowship.

6:30 PM: Welcome Reception
7:15 PM: Concert (Jingle Bites & Navidad Nibbles)
8:30 PM: Cookies & Mingling

View Program

Join Our Grief Support Group

Wednesdays Beginning January 20

If you are navigating grief, you don’t have to walk this path alone. Join Rev. Dr. Kim Engelmann for a six-week, faith-based grief support group starting Wednesday, January 20. We will meet weekly through March 3, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the CCSM Library. You don't need to share or have the right words. Just come as you are. Pick up a brochure at the welcome table to learn more, or email office@ccsm-ucc.org to sign up. *You must sign up in advance*

LEARN & TAKE ACTION

Christmas "Glitter" Needed ✨

Join us on Sunday, November 29, immediately following Thanksgiving, for our beloved Advent Festival and Lighting of the Trees!

As part of this special CCSM tradition, you’ll have the opportunity to craft your very own fresh green wreath to take home. To help us make every wreath shine, we are collecting donations of decor—please search your Christmas stash for extra-wide ribbon, spare ornaments, holiday trim, or artificial flowers, and drop them off in the church office.

Come celebrate the beginning of the Advent season with us. We hope to see you there!

Click on the image to access the pdf version with clickable urls.

Make Your Intention Today

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