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Connections: Week of January 1, 2024

Happy New Year, Church! 

I hope you and yours have had a joyful and healthy season of celebrating. I hosted my family for New Year’s Eve, and my nieces were so excited for my “first year” in California to begin. As I reflected on 2023, I never would have imagined I would be living in San Mateo, close to family, and serving as your pastor. I’m so grateful to be here at CCSM and to share life with you. It’s hard to believe it hasn’t even been three months since I started! What a gift it has been. This year I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, serving our neighbors together, and paying attention to who God is calling us to be as a community. The staff and lay leaders have been hard at work planning for 2024, and while more details will be shared later, I wanted to give you a quick snapshot of what’s coming up this month: 

January 4^th - Board Meeting via Zoom at 6pm

Our current Board of Directors will hold their last meeting of the year prior to the leadership change at our annual meeting on January 21. I hope you will join me in thanking this year’s leaders for all of their hard work during an eventful year at CCSM. I would like to extend a special word of appreciation to our outgoing Board Chair, Austin Mader-Clark, for stepping in to fill this leadership role in a season of uncertainty this past spring. 

January 7^th - Epiphany at CCSM! 

Join us for worship as we conclude our Christmas celebrations this Sunday. Not only will we share in communion, each person will receive a “star word” for the year. What’s a star word? Join us to find out. 

January 14^th - Leader Appreciation Sunday

We will acknowledge our outgoing Ministry Leads and Committee Chairs in worship and celebrate the many gifts they have shared with our community at coffee hour. 

January 21^st - New Member Sunday and Annual Meeting

We’ll recognize new members at the end of worship and hold our annual meeting after worship where we will vote on our 2024 Annual Budget and the nominated slate of leaders. The annual meeting will be livestreamed on Zoom, and a link will be provided in next week’s Connectionsand January’s Pine Tree.

While we welcome all to fully participate in the life and ministry of CCSM, membership is a covenant that you make with the church, and that the church makes with you (similar to marriage), when you are ready. Like any covenant, membership holds responsibilities, including setting the direction for our community and voting in the big decisions of being a church at our annual meeting or congregational meetings (like calling a pastor, choosing our leadership, and deciding how we spend our shared financial resources). If you are interested in placing membership at CCSM or learning more about what that means, please let me know!  

No matter what this new year brings, one thing will be true: God will be with us each and every day. Thanks be to God for the year that has passed, and the year ahead. May we welcome the gift of God’s love each morning, and share it generously with everyone we encounter in the days and weeks and months ahead. 



With gratitude and love,

Jessica

IF YOU MISSED THE WORSHIP SERVICE,

CLICK HERE FOR LAST SUNDAY'S ENTIRE SERVICE

CLICK HERE for Rev. Sheryl's sermon,

“Stay Aware, Not Awake"

WE WANT YOU!

CCSM is looking for volunteers to serve on the Board-appointed committees and ministry teams that help our congregation function! This includes the various committees that deal with church administration (like finances, stewardship, and personnel), spiritual life, hospitality, and engagement. Click Here and scroll down for a full list of committees and ministry teams. 

If you are interested in nominating yourself or another member of CCSM to serve on one of these committees, please reach out to the Frank Garritano, Chair of the Governance Committee, at fgarritano@gmail.com.

Click on tinyurl.com/CCSM-COM-Teams for a brief overview of the Council of Ministry Teams, and on tinyurl.com/CCSM-Committees for the Board Appointed Committees.

BOARD MEETING on ZOOM

Thursday, January 4 at 6:00pm

Agenda:

• Opening/Prayer
• Approval of Minutes
• Report from Staff: Chase, Alvaro, Sheryl, Jessica (all optional)
• Proposed amendments to the bylaws
• Report from the Treasurer
• Vote on Budget (if needed)
• Report from Governance
• Vote on the Slate
• Discussion regarding process/planning for 1/21 Annual Meeting
• Closing

Here is the Zoom link: tinyurl.com/CCSM-Boardmtg

Burlingame Music Club Meeting

Monday, January 8, 1:00 - 3:00pm

Kloss Hall

All are welcome guests! Do come with your friends.  

A group of extremely talented students from throughout the Bay Area will perform in preparation for the BMC Young Musicians’ Competition in April — two violists, one cellist, and two pianists.

The Featured Professional Program for this meeting is:

Verve Trio

“Beyond Boundaries: Jazz Meets Classical in Concert”

featuring works by Brahms, Piazzolla, and Kapustin

Elbert Tsai, violin, Brady Anderson, cello, and Chia-Lin Yang, piano

Please enjoy refreshments with the performers after the program.  

Founded in 2019, the Verve Trio has quickly established itself as an ensemble of technical precision and musical flair. Comprised of pianist Chia-Lin Yang, violinist Elbert Tsai, and cellist Brady Anderson, the trio has engaged audiences throughout Northern and Southern California with innovative programs featuring familiar masterpieces as well as lesser-known works highlighting the influence of tango and jazz. Outside of their performing careers, the members of the Verve trio have also built notable teaching studios, with their students regularly winning competitions and attending renowned festivals and conservatories throughout the country.

Hosted by our partners at the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition, this day of service honors the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service and unity. Rev. Jessica is excited to be serving at the Seal Point Park cleanup. Where will you serve? Spots are filling up! Register by January 9.

QUILTING BEE PARTY AVAILABLE JANUARY 13! 

The date of the Quilting Bee Pick-A-Party has been changed to January 13. If you had a scheduling conflict for the prior date, here's your second chance to sign up. And if you didn't consider this party before, please think about joining a fun and creative group of people for an afternoon of quilting (or just learning about quilting), and socializing. No prior experience necessary. Questions? Contact Susan Bell, sbell2003@gmail.com.

PRAY FOR PEACE

Weekly on Wednesdays  • 9:30-10:00am on Zoom

In light of the recent events in Gaza, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories, we are invited to join Churches for Middle East Peace, an ecumenical partner of the United Church of Christ's Global Ministries, to join others across the world in praying weekly for peace. Registration is free, but required to receive the Zoom Link. 

REGISTER HERE

Make a Gift

You can also make a financial gift to help with humanitarian aid for people in Gaza, Palestine, and Israel through the United Church of Christ’s Wider Church Ministries HERE.

Call for a Ceasefire

 Send a pre-written message to your elected officials through UCC’s “Just Peace Church” program HERE calling for a ceasefire and encouraging Congress to take immediate action for de-escalation in Israel and Gaza, and support steps towards a lasting peace.

THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY, thanks to the generosity of Sue Bullis, is pleased to grant a scholarship to Emelin Perez for the ongoing academic year. Emelin is a student at Cal State University, Fresno finishing her first semester and doing well. Emelin is a member of our Latino Community within CCSM. Her application and references are quite impressive. Emelin will receive the scholarship and be acknowledged during the Sunday, January 7 service and during the Wednesday, January 3 service with our Latino Community within CCSM. Congratulations Emelin!

EL COMITÉ DE BECAS DEL MINISTERIO DE NIÑEZ, JUVENTUD Y FAMILIA, gracias a la generosidad de Sue Bullis, se complace en otorgar una beca a Emelin Pérez para el año académico en curso. Emelin es estudiante de Cal State University, Fresno, terminando su primer semestre y le va bien. Emelin es miembro de nuestra comunidad latina dentro de CCSM. Su solicitud y referencias son bastante impresionantes. Emelin recibirá la beca y será reconocida durante el servicio del domingo 7 de enero y durante el servicio del miércoles 3 de enero con nuestra comunidad latina dentro de CCSM. ¡Felicidades Emelín!

Youth and Family News

Sunday, January 7 - 60 Minutes! Join Michele, Mike, and others at 10:30am for donuts and discussion about the new year. What goals do you have? What hopes for yourself and the world? Is it a good idea to set resolutions anyway? Hope to see you then! 



Sunday, January 7 - CCSM Family Playdate! Please join us for pizza after church and then head over to skate at Central Park! The cost to skate is $21/person. onicerinks.com If you can't stay to skate, please just join us for lunch. Please RSVP to Sheryl for pizza by Fri Jan 5.



Monday, January 15 - Peninsula Multi-faith Coalition Day of Service. Many projects are available! Please look through the options and e-mail Sheryl your top choices. If you'd like, you can sign up right away, or wait to see what projects others from CCSM will be doing. pmcmlk2024.eventbrite.com

Bring your own mug!

Jumpin’ java! If you bring your own mug or thermos cup for your takeout coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while you are out and about, you save a disposable cup and you don’t get thousands of microplastics in your hot drink from the cup. The cups are coated inside with plastics that leach out readily into hot liquids. (article supplied by Science Direct)

CCSM Council of Ministries

Contact COM: COM@CCSM-UCC.org

Kay Harris - Council of Ministries Lead

Jim Schwandt - Buildings and Grounds

Kim Rey and Troy Grabow - Children, Youth and Families

Diane Kalliam - Congregational Care

Alison Schwandt - Engagement

Gary H. White - Environmental Justice

Sandy McNabb - Connect and Celebrate

Julien Phillips - Latino/a Ministry

Linda Stoick - Liturgical Arts

Sue Bell - Music

Genel Morgan - Service and Justice

Chris Wuthmann - Spiritual Life/Adult Ed.

Martha Bronitsky - Stewardship

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!

JOIN THE CLICK!

If we get at least 1,000 subscribers, the YouTube algorithm bumps our CCSM site higher on people’s search engine. CCSM Media now has 451 subscribers. Let’s keep pumping it up! So, please go to youtube.com/@ccsmMediaChannel/featured and click the “Subscribe” button.  

Cost: Nothing.  Benefit: HUGE!

Regular CCSM office hours:

9:00am - 4:00pm

Monday - Thursday

ccsm-ucc.org

225 Tilton Ave. • San Mateo, CA • 94401

650-343-3694

Scan this QR code or go to ccsm-ucc.org/give

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.