Connections: March 27, 2023 |
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Dear Beloved Community at CCSM,
Thank you so much to Rev. Jerri Handy for a really moving sermon yesterday sharing about her ministry with Albergue Las Memorias in Mexico. I truly had chills as she shared so beautifully and from the heart about the people with HIV or AIDS that she has served alongside.
What a powerful testament to the power of life before death, or even life after a certain form of death - the death of isolation, extreme sickness, and hopelessness.
Some of these folks, like Lazarus in our scripture story, have experienced new life. And I know this message brought me the hope of new life as well. If you missed it, please do go back and watch. We also had beautiful music, prayers, hymns, and much more that really brought it all together. Thank you all!
As Rev. Jerri mentioned, the story of Lazarus leads us toward Holy Week and Easter. And that is where we are headed next week as we celebrate Palm Sunday.
I invite you to join me for what is sure to be a fun and meaningful all-ages service. We will have our beloved donkey, kid-led prayers, palm branches, communion, and much more. I invite you to join with me to enter into this ancient story anew - and enter into your own Holy Week experience.
Blessings to you this week and every week -
Sheryl
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Upcoming
April 2 - Palm Sunday - Rev. Sheryl Johnson, the DONKEY, and Children
April 6 - Maundy Thursday - (see below for more information)
April 7 - Good Friday - (see below for more information)
April 9 - EASTER - Rev. Sheryl Johnson
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We are using the SALT PROJECT for Lent this year. We have two Lenten Devotionals; one for adults (click HERE) and another for families (click HERE). We will be using the Matisse art throughout Lent as part of this. You can view more of that HERE for adults, and HERE for families.
Enjoy.
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HOLY WEEK
MAUNDY THURSDAY ECUMENICAL SERVICE
April 6 at 7pm, College Heights UCC
CCSM will join with several local churches celebrating Maundy Thursday on April 6. College Heights, UCC and Many Journeys, MCC will be co-hosting the service which will begin at 7:00 pm. They also invite all who would like to come early for a Potluck dinner at 6 pm prior to the service. Held at College Heights, UCC, 1150 W. Hillsdale Blvd, SM.
GOOD FRIDAY ORGAN AND READINGS
Friday, April 7, noon in the sanctuary at CCSM
Lynnelle and Angela are offering a Good Friday Organ and Readings program, featuring organ music for the passion of Christ including Bach’s Prelude in B minor, Brahms’ O Sacred Heart now Wounded, Angela’s La Pietà and Franck’s Choral 2. Lynnelle will read the Good Friday story in between the organ works. Come for musical meditation.
GOOD FRIDAY ECUMENICAL SERVICE
Friday, April 7, 7:00pm at CCSM
Please join us (in person or livestream) for this ecumenical worship service offered in collaboration with other churches in our area to remember this sacred part of our church story. Seven preachers will offer short reflections on Jesus’ seven last words. Music from CCSM musicians as well as others from local churches will bless our time together. Please do plan to join us to experience the full spiritual range of Holy Week.
Here is the link to the streaming service:
Watch for more information about Holy Week coming soon...
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HAPPENING TODAY!
NOW WHAT? Spiritual Conversations book for discussion
How can we connect with people with whom we have significant differences? How can we be peacemakers and contribute to a kinder society? The book Now What? How to Move Forward When We’re Divided (About Basically Everything) by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silver can help us become careful listeners, show mutual respect, and develop a deeper understanding of the Other.
Spiritual Conversations meets every other week on Monday evenings, from 6:30-8:00pm (NOTE NEW TIME) via Zoom. Our next discussion will be TODAY, March 27. If you’re interested in knowing more, please contact Chris Wuthmann at cewuthmann@gmail.com or Chase Montara at cmontara@ccsm-ucc.org.
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Service of Healing Prayers and Song in the style of TAIZE
Just one more opportunity
Friday, March 31 at 7PM
with Angela Kraft Cross
Fireplace Room
Join us for a peaceful, quiet, reflective contemplative practice.
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GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALE NEXT WEEK!
On April 2nd, Girl Scout Troop 61818 will be selling cookies one last time in Kloss Hall. Cookies are $6 a box, so please bring cash. We believe the reason our troop was able to stay together for 13 years was because CCSM provided a consistent gathering place and constant community support. As a result, we have decided to donate a portion of our proceeds to the church. See you on April 2nd!
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An opportunity to learn!
The church community we want to cultivate will be increasingly diverse, so we need to get better at both cross-cultural engagement and dealing openly with conflict.
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One act of racial harm could have ripple effects across an entire organization. A single microaggression compounded with other acts of interpersonal racism and institutional policies that perpetuate unequal access to opportunities for staff of color can have sweeping consequences. Sending an email apology is like applying a Band-Aid to a systemic issue. And while organizations may opt to leave the role of accountability to their HR departments, cultivating a culture in which everyone practices a commitment to anti-racist community care and responsibility requires much more than compliance to labor policies and practices.
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How to Build a Culture of Accountability and Advance Racial Equity
Presented by Piper Anderson, Former Professor at NYU’s Gallatin School
Moderated by Barbara Wheeler-Bride
Date Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Time 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. PT / 2-3:30 p.m. ET
Webinar price: $79
Program includes live session & one year access to webinar video
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SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND GRAD STUDENTS
The Youth Ministry at CCSM is pleased to support high school seniors and graduate students with scholarships for the 2023-24 school year thanks to the generosity of CCSM members.
High school seniors and graduate students who are active members of CCSM are encouraged to apply for scholarship support. Information about the scholarships and application packets are available at the following links: for the graduate packet, go to tinyurl.com/CCSM-grad-schol-2023, or for the undergraduate packet, go to tinyurl.com/CCSM-undergrad-schol-2023. Applications with supporting documents and letters of recommendations are due by April 15, 2023.
The Congregational Church has been supportive of education through our denominational history. In fact, many of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious educational institutions such as Harvard and Yale Universities and Bowdoin College were founded by the Congregational Church. CCSM follows in that important tradition of helping to educate our younger generation with scholarship aid.
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BECAS PARA ESTUDIANTES DEL ÚLTIMO AÑO DE ESCUELA SECUNDARIA Y ESTUDIANTES DE GRADUACIÓN
El Ministerio de Jóvenes de CCSM se complace en apoyar a los estudiantes de último año de secundaria y graduados con becas para el año escolar 2023-24 gracias a la generosidad de los miembros de CCSM.
Se alienta a los estudiantes de último año de secundaria y graduados que son miembros activos de CCSM a solicitar el apoyo de becas. La información sobre las becas y los paquetes de solicitud están disponibles en los siguientes enlaces: para el paquete de posgrado, vaya a tinyurl.com/CCSM-grad-schol-2023, o para el paquete de pregrado, vaya a tinyurl.com/CCSM-undergrad-schol -2023. Las solicitudes con documentos de respaldo y cartas de recomendación deben presentarse antes del 15 de abril de 2023.
La Iglesia Congregacional ha apoyado la educación a lo largo de nuestra historia denominacional. De hecho, muchas de las instituciones educativas más antiguas y prestigiosas del país, como las universidades de Harvard y Yale y Bowdoin College, fueron fundadas por la Iglesia Congregacional. CCSM sigue esa importante tradición de ayudar a educar a nuestra generación más joven con becas.
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Evening Gathering for Prayer
Sunday nights starting March 12th
7:00-8:00 PM in the Fireplace Room
(hosted by Kibbie Ruth)
Join us every Sunday night for contemplative time together and spiritual start to the next week. This is an open gathering, so all are welcome to come once or every week. In addition to being a conversation with God, prayer is one way to be in touch with our inner selves, and be present with and to one another.
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SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE
As was announced at the Jan. 8 service, the Senior Minister position has been posted on the UCC website, and we have begun to receive applications. To read an update from the Search Committee and to see a summary of the posting, click HERE or type in tinyurl.com/CCSM-SearchComm
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PICK-A-PARTIES STILL AVAILABLE
Feeling a little unsettled with changes at CCSM? Pick-A-Parties are a great way to reconnect with CCSM members, whether it’s enjoying the outdoors, learning something new, or just relaxing with old and new friends. There are still openings for the following parties: Huddart Park Hike (4/8 8:30-1 pm); High Tea (4/22 11 am); Book Lovers’ Luncheon (5/20 11am-2pm); Cooks and Bakers Zoom party (date/time tbd). And stay tuned for the Carolands tour, which looks like it's shaping up for this summer!
To sign up for any of these parties, contact Diane Kalliam, dkalliam@gmail.com 415.279.1359.
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COFFEE HOUR ASSISTANCE NEEDED
We hope that you have been enjoying the goodies during coffee hour. A few generous families have stepped up to help Linda Fenn with coffee hour during the past few months, and we’d like to continue hosting coffee hour; however, she needs families or individuals who can help with this on-going project.
Coffee hour is a lot to ask for one person (Lin) to do alone on a weekly basis (she already does the planning, organizing, and provides some recurring back up supplies). The greater the number of people who can help, the smaller the task is for each person.
It involves set-up, ensuring the trays stay filled, and then clean up—about an hour each Sunday both to organize prior to service and clean up afterward. While more hands make less work, any amount of help will be great, and everyone will appreciate having coffee hour continue.
If you can help out once a quarter (or more frequently if you would like), please email or call Lin Fenn (lindajfenn@yahoo.com) or Melodie Lew (boygie.m2000@yahoo.com; 650.573.9765). Thank you in advance!
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We had a wonderful Healing and Reconciliation meeting on Sunday March 19 in Kloss Hall. This circle gathering was led by Margie Mader-Clark, Dorothy Kogl, Chris Wuthmann and Kibbie Ruth and was attended by about 65 people gathered in person and another 40 gathered on ZOOM. During this listening session, attendees were invited to share what was on their minds and hearts about the current events here at CCSM. This first meeting in an evolutionary process for renewal offered all who gathered an opportunity to express their feelings and to share their perspectives on past hurts and hopes for the future. Please stay attuned for further news about healing and reconciliation, and if you would like to view the recording of the event this past Sunday, please click HERE (this is a private link)
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Click HERE for the latest PINE TREE Newsletter!
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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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Solar Project-related information:
From 3/20 - 3/24, the side walk from the parking lot into Little Wonders preschool will be blocked. There will be access into the ramp door to Kloss.
From 3/27 - 4/7, the entire middle row and the entire row of parking spaces closest to Ellsworth Ave. will be fenced off. There will be an opening through which you can drive for school drop off, but the only parking spaces will be in the row nearest to S. San Mateo Drive. This will impact Sunday parking-remember we have an overflow lot on the corner of S. San Mateo and Tilton.
From 4/10 - 4/14, the entire middle row will be fenced off and entirely inaccessible.
From 4/14 - 4/21, there will be a fenced off area that includes the space where Chase usually parks, the spaces to the right and left of that space, and capturing also the first six spaces in the middle row. This will impact Sunday parking- remember we have an overflow lot on the corner of S. San Mateo and Tilton.
From 4/17 - 4/19, all of the power to the church will be shut off. The church office will be closed. The Fire Alarm system will not be operational during this time.
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Pray for Ukraine Every Tuesday at 7:30pm
CCSM held a powerful live Prayer Ritual for Ukraine on March 6th. We have decided to premier this ritual ONLINE every Tuesday until the war ends. We hope you will join us online weekly to continue our prayers and heal our hearts. 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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JUST A REMINDER...
...that from 3/27 - 4/7, the entire middle row and the entire row of parking spaces closest to Ellsworth Ave. will be fenced off. There will be an opening through which you can drive for school drop off, but the only parking spaces will be in the row nearest to S. San Mateo Drive.
This will impact Sunday parking!
Remember we have an overflow lot on the corner of S. San Mateo and Tilton.
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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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