SCAM ALERT: Once again, CCSM members have been the target of attempted scams—this time by texts purporting to be from Rev. Sheryl. PLEASE ignore these texts, and do not purchase any gift cards!!! |
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Connections: April 18, 2023 |
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Click HERE for the latest issue of our Pine Tree newsletter! In This Issue:
Rise Up, Take Heart - Rev. Sheryl
Children, Youth & Families
Upcoming Special Services
Celebrations Corner
Austin Mader-Clark, Your New Moderator
March 2023 Financial Summary
Music & Art, April 21
Latino/a Ministry Update
Michele Moffitt relocating
New Board Member Don Ruthroff
Pablo Quintanilla Speaks on NPR
LifeMoves Breakfast, April 27
Notes from the Music Team
Joyful Noise in April
Z Quartet April 30
Spring Organ Concert May 7
Musical Conversations with Lynnelle
Burlingame Music Club 2nd Mondays
CCSM Going Solar Project
Pick-A-Parties Fun
Cooks and Bakers Zoom Party
Who's In the Building?
In The Spirit of Sharing comes to a close
Healing & Reconciliation, May 14
MSJ Update
Board Minutes Available
Electrify Your Home
Kibbie Ruth as Transitional Minister
Ending Homelessness - May 11 event
Joys & Concerns
Family Play Date, May 7
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Dear Beloved Community at CCSM,
Happy Earth Week! What a way to start it off. Thank you SO much to Camille Grant, Emily Beach, Jim Granucci, and Gary White (in absentia) for offering us four powerful and inspiring testimonies related to climate justice in Sunday's service (and to Emily and Kate Beach for amazing music and to Warren Long for his capable and generous work as chair of Energy and Environmental Justice). Thank you each so much for your leadership on this issue and for your example and encouragement for us all to do whatever it is we can for our beloved planet— God's good and abundant world. If you missed the service, please go back and watch!
And what an Earth week it is! The sun is shining, daylight stretches into evening, everything is lush and green from the rain, and we have our brand-new solar panels at church. I invite you to reflect on what you can do to support climate justice in this week and this year. Perhaps one of Sunday's testimonies moved you in some way, or perhaps you have your own thoughts about how to go deeper in caring for the Earth.
I am delighted that Rev. Kibbie Ruth has agreed to step into a new role at CCSM as our Transitional Minister (see additional information below). I will remain Acting Senior Minister. I am so delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside her and I know she will bring so much to our church at this moment, especially given her expertise in helping churches in challenging times. More details will be forthcoming regarding her role, but I am delighted she is willing to serve.
Next Sunday, I am sorry to say that I won't be with you — Rev. Molly Baskette from the First Congregational Church of Berkeley and I arranged a "pulpit swap" a few months back. I'll be sharing about my book with their church, and she will be here at CCSM to share about hers. Rev. Molly is a truly gifted preacher, a wonderful mentor, and a prominent leader in the United Church of Christ. She is part of the Stillspeaking Writers Group — if you don't receive the UCC's Daily Devotions, please do sign up. You'll get to read thoughtful messages each day from Rev. Molly and several other gifted UCC ministers.
This Sunday, Rev. Molly will be sharing specifically about her most recent book, How to Begin When Your World Is Ending: A Spiritual Field Guide to Joy Despite Everything. In it, she shares the questions that confronted her along the way like: Is it true that prayer changes things? Does God care whether we live or die? How can vulnerability, counterintuitively, be a strength? And the million-dollar question: is there life after death, and just what might it be like? Weaving together her own story and the stories of those she encountered in her life of faith, she mines joy from all the hardest parts of being human.
Rev. Molly's preaching is always a gift and I know you will gain a lot from her message. Plus, we'll have the Joyful Noise kids' choir and a lot of other wonderful music, prayers, readings, and more. Rev. Molly will have books for sale/signing after the service in Kloss Hall!
Blessings on your week,
Rev. Sheryl
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Click on the video above to hear our Four Reflections for Earth Sunday, from Jim Granucci, Camille Grant, Emily Beach, and Gary White.
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Kibbie Ruth steps up as Transitional Minister
Normally, an objective outsider leads a congregation through an interim period between permanent ministers. After a long-term pastor, the interim period is usually at least 18 months. Yet, our interim barely stayed six months before resigning. The interim search team immediately tried to find a replacement. Meanwhile, the permanent search team charged ahead with such success that new permanent minister could arrive just a few months from now. No professional interim wanted to pretend to do “interim work” within such a limited timeframe. What a stalemate!
In this in-between time, our task is to be the most vibrant, organized, and spirit-filled church possible by the time the new minister arrives. Rev. Dr. Sheryl Johnson jumped in to lead our worship services, provide pastoral care, and manage all the logistics of keeping church communication rolling—all while continuing to lead the children and youth program. Rev. Dr. Kibbie Ruth, a regular at CCSM, has agreed to partner with her as somewhat of a pseudo-interim minister. As Transitional Minister, Kibbie will engage with the lay leadership to help the congregation heal from past wounds, increase the sense of community and participation, and prepare for a settled senior minister. That includes working with the Council of Ministries, Board and Finance Committee in matters like process, protocol, and resources, refining the church mission and governance structure, and working toward financial stability.
Kibbie and Sheryl cannot prep for the coming pastor alone. They need YOU! Please join the energized leaders and volunteers in helping CCSM shine before our new minister comes. Together, with God’s help, we can live into our Guiding Principles so authentically that the new pastor can start ministry here moving forward, rather than inheriting any of our stale baggage. Let’s get to work!
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MUSIC & ART, APRIL 21 - NOON — Susan and Stephen Bell
Music and Art will convene at noon on April 21 in the Buckham Room. As always BYOL (bring your own lunch). Beverages and dessert are provided. A brief devotional and business meeting will be held and then we’ll have a wonderful music program presented by our own members, Susan and Stephen Bell. Their program will be called “Our Favorite Things” with Steve playing two or three trumpet selections accompanied on the piano by Susan. She will then play classical guitar pieces. We are so fortunate to have them share their talents with our group and CCSM at large. Please RSVP to Susan Duty at susanjd52@gmail.com or by phone at 650-533-6830.
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Pick-A-Party Opportunity!
Join the Cooks and Bakers Zoom party,
Thursday, May 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (only $20)!
There's still time to sign up for this Zoom Pick A Party, hosted by Michele Merfeld Hale, in which all those interested in food (that's everyone) can share recipes and cooking ideas. Michele is a true virtual member, having found CCSM online and joining virtually. She's never been physically present at CCSM, but she's been active in our congregation for some time — she came up with the ideas for our successful Pie Social and our Christmas Cookie Exchange. And she has more than 550 cookbooks! This Zoom Pick-A-Party is sure to be great fun, so contact Michele or Sandy McNabb to sign up now.
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BOARD MINUTES AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING
In the interest of full transparency and to improve communications with CCSM, the Board of Directors now posts their monthly meeting minutes HERE. As future meetings occur, minutes will be posted in this same folder at this same link.
THE NEXT BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING has been rescheduled to Sunday, April 23. Both the Board of Directors’ and Finance Committee meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend.
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HEALING & RECONCILIATION CONVERSATION: MAY 7 (note date change)
The next Healing & Reconciliation conversation is scheduled for May 7, immediately after church. We will dive into comments that were expressed at our March 19th session and start to define issues that we need to work on together. Please come with your ideas, questions, and passion for a healthy and vital future for our church. (Changed from May 14 due to Mother's Day!)
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Youth and Family News
Sunday, April 23: 10:30am - 60 Minutes conversation for youth led by Mike and Michele. This month's topic is youth mental health.
Sunday, April 30: 11:45am - Youth interested in Confirmation are invited to join Sheryl for lunch, conversation, and discussion/writing of faith statements.
Sunday, April 30 - 4-7pm - High School Multifaith Park Cleanup and BBQ. Meet youth from other San Mateo-area faith communities to do a service project, eat dinner, and build community. All highschoolers are welcome. More details to come!
Sunday, May 7: 11:45am - Monthly family play date with a picnic lunch. Please meet at San Mateo Central Park by the playground. Sandwiches, drinks, etc will be provided but please bring a dessert to share if you'd like. If you'd like to bring any balls, frisbees, scooters, etc you are most welcome to do so.
July/August 2023 - Summer camp sessions at Camp Tamarack! Please check the website to learn more and to see which week is open to your age group, registration should be open soon. Please let Sheryl know if you are interested for help with carpooling, assistance with fees, etc.
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LIFEMOVES BENEFIT BREAKFAST RETURNS:
April 27, 7:30-9:00am, Hyatt Regency
CCSM members are invited to attend the LifeMoves Benefit Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame. This is the first time the annual event has been held in person since the start of Covid. The featured speaker will be bestselling author and film producer Liz Murray, speaking on “From Homeless to Harvard.” LifeMoves provides critically needed funds to support interim housing and services that move people off the streets and into stable homes. CCSM has been a strong supporter of this organization for many years. Seating is limited. Registration is free. There will be an optional opportunity to donate to LifeMoves at the breakfast. Use this link to register: tinyurl.com/2023-LifeMoves or call the Life Moves office at 650-685-5880. For questions, email Kimberly Adinolfi at kadinolfi@lifemoves.org
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Solar Project-related UPDATE:
PG&E has changed the dates for the electrical shut down at the church to Monday, May 1 - Wednesday, May 3 (instead of 4/17-4/19). The church will be without power for those three days, which means we will be without the fire alarm system and without lights or phones. All rehearsals and events will have to be canceled those days out of caution for everyone’s safety. The church WILL be open April 17, 18 and 19. It is possible that PG&E will change these dates again, so you may want to wait to re-schedule your events until closer to those dates. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience. Chase will be in touch with those who were previously re-located to other sites.
There continue to be ongoing fenced off areas in the parking lot, reducing our number of spaces. This changes frequently, as the workers move the fences around to try to provide us as many parking places as possible at any given time, depending on what they are doing. Please remember that there is additional Sunday parking available in the lot kitty-corner from the church, at Tilton and San Mateo Drive.
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BRING YOUR BLESSING BOX CONTRIBUTIONS ANY SUNDAY OF THE MONTH!
The "Blessing Box" outside of the entrance of CCSM is a project of the Ministry of Service and Justice, responding to the need for families in our neighborhood to access food and an expression of our call to be the "hands, feet, and face of God" in our community. The container will be in the narthex to collect food (canned, dried and boxed, no fresh food please! donations must be full UNOPENED containers, no fruits, vegetables, or bread) on any Sunday of the month. Thank you for your continuing generosity!
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Pray for Ukraine Every Tuesday at 7:30pm
CCSM held a powerful live Prayer Ritual for Ukraine on March 6th, 2022, and will share this ritual ONLINE every Tuesday until the war ends. These are challenging times and this offering is a way to bring our community together and magnify our prayers.
Please share this link with your friends and family so we can extend this offering to as many people as possible.
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225 Tilton Ave. • San Mateo, CA • 94401
650-343-3694
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Scan the QR code above or go to
to make a donation or pledge to CCSM.
Don't forget to ask your employer if they have a charitable donation matching program to make your pledge go farther.
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