Connections: Week of October 16, 2023

Hello Church!

It is so good to finally be here, on the Peninsula, and online, with you. THANK YOU for making this past Sunday so special. From the festive banners and beautiful music, words of welcome, passing of the peace, and greetings from our online community, to the powerful prayers and passionate sharing of the scripture, the inspiring stewardship thoughts and invitation to offering, the greetings before and after worship, and the joyful celebration that filled the sanctuary and continued to “happy hour” in Kloss Hall, what an incredible day! I give God thanks for each of you, and for this new chapter we are embarking on together in CCSM’s story. I also want to say thank you for the warm welcome extended to my family. As some of you know, my sister, brother-in-law, nieces, and nephew drove over from Livermore to join us for worship and the coffee hour celebration. They loved meeting so many of you and getting to know more about CCSM. I think Peter Held even recruited my brother-in-law to join the cycling group!

^^Photo: Rev. Jessica with her nieces Lily and Penny, and nephew Theo. They loved the wishing well!

 

Speaking of family, this Sunday is another special day at CCSM as we are officially welcoming one of our newest members into our family of faith! I hope you can join us in person or online as we celebrate the dedication of Adeline Ruth Burndon. We’ll also hear stewardship thoughts from one of our youth, Max Nayak, and Eric Chaney will share a few words about this week’s plate offering for The California Innocence Project. We’ll continue to explore the 22^nd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew (verses 15-22) which includes Jesus’ famous line, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s…” 

As I reflect on all that is happening in the world, I have found myself saying over and over “May peace prevail on earth. May peace prevail on earth. May peace prevail on earth….” When my sister was in second grade her class sang the children’s choir classic, “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” She walked around the house practicing for weeks! I can still hear her little voice singing, “Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow. To take each moment and live each moment with peace eternally….Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”  You might find yourself saying, “this is a sweet thought, but what can I do?”

First, I encourage you to read this letter to Congress from the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), along with 25 other Christian churches and agencies, urging Congress to:

• Publicly call for ceasefire, de-escalation and restraint by all sides
• Prioritize steps to secure immediate release of hostages and ensure international protection for civilians
• Call on all parties to abide by the laws of war, including the Geneva conventions and customary international law

Next, you can quickly send a pre-written message to your elected officials through UCC’s “Just Peace Church” program HERE.

Finally, we know God is where we can only be in prayer, and so I invite you to lift up and reflect on this prayer by Rose Marie Berger: A Prayer For Peace In Israel and Palestine [Full Prayer].

“God of Love,

We lift up Palestine and Israel — its people, its land, its creatures.

War is a monster that consumes everything in its path.

Peace is a gift shared at meals of memory with Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

We beg for love, compassion, and peace to prevail.”

May it be so.

With gratitude and love,

Jessica

Photo taken at The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem

IF YOU MISSED THE WORSHIP SERVICE,

CLICK HERE  FOR LAST SUNDAY'S ENTIRE SERVICE

CLICK HERE for Rev. Jessica Vacketta's sermon,

An Invitation

You're Invited! 

2024 Budget Listening Session

Sunday, October 22 • 9:00AM • Buckham Room

Members of the Finance Committee invite you to review the 2024 Budget Planning Document and bring your questions and comments to the listening session on Sunday. Click HERE to view the document.

If you can't make the  meeting and have questions, email our Finance Chair, Veril Phillips, at veril.phillips@gmail.com. 

Pick-A-Party List of Parties Available on October 22! 

This year's Pick-A-Party list will be available in Kloss Hall on October 22, and electronically by a link in the bulletin and then in next week's Connections. There are some great parties and auction items available, so make sure to pick up/link to your copy. Sign-ups will be on November 12, starting at 9:45 a.m. Let the parties begin!!

HALF WAY THERE!  So many of you have pledged already, that already members have promised half the donor funds needed for next year. The second half is usually more difficult to raise—so, please consider your estimated giving for next year, if you haven’t already. Use the QR code or the GIVE page at ccsm-ucc.org/give.  Our early estimates of our giving to CCSM in 2024 help the Finance Committee plan next year’s budget.  Together, we can assure a bright future!

THE OCTOBER MEETING OF MUSIC AND ART WILL BE HELD THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 at noon in the Buckham Room. As usual we will bring our own lunches and beverages and dessert will be provided. After the fellowship lunch there will be a short business meeting followed by a wonderful program. Rev. Jessica will be present to get acquainted with our group and say a few words.

A small chorus of singers, Bella Voce, led by CCSM’s own Julie Berk, will present an inspirational program. You won’t want to miss this special occasion.

Members who were absent last month, please remember to bring your annual $20 dues, either in cash or by check, made out to CCSM with Music and Art on the Memo line. Please RSVP to the person who emails or calls you as we need to have an exact number of attendees, so we will have the correct number of tables and chairs set up. Due to continuing Covid we are limiting the tables to five persons per table with masks worn except while eating.

Expect to hear soon from Don Harper (donaldgharper@yahoo.com) by email or Fran Gillen by phone. Guests are most welcome but please let us know so we know how many will be attending.

Photo: last month's Music and Art's "Quilts as Art" with Linda Brockett

Youth and Family News

Saturday, October 21 - Chocolate Fest with our neighbors at Congregational Church of the Peninsula! Join Sheryl for the Saturday evening event - or go another time if that is better for your schedule. Tickets are available at: chocolatefestofbelmont.org 

Sunday, October 22 - 60 Minutes! Come join other youth for discussion about important topics in our world today. 10:30 in the Fireplace Room, led by Mike Mullery and Michele Cinq Mars.

Sunday, October 22 - CCSM Youth Peer Leader Lunch and Meeting. Please join Sheryl for lunch and to plan out some activities for this year! 11:45am-1pm. 

Sunday, October 29 - Dia de los Muertos at CCSM. We will have a special program for kids during our 10:30 service including decorating sugar skulls, building an altar, and learning about this holiday from members of our church with Mexican heritage. Youth assistance welcome! 

Sunday, October 29 - Peninsula Multifaith Youth Gathering - Please join youth from other faith communities at 2pm in the CCSM Youth Room. We'll play some games and ping pong, get to know each other, and start to share a bit about our different faiths and what it like to be a youth in our traditions. Snacks provided! 

Tuesday, October 31 - Come by CCSM when you're out Trick or Treating! Sheryl and others from CCSM will be there to hand out candy and connect with our community. 

Wednesday, Nov 1 - Our Wednesday evening program will be focused on Dia de los Muertos - come out for more learning and fun at 7:15pm. 

Thursday, November 9 - Come out to Hillsdale High School to support one of our youth as they perform in Shrek! 

Saturday, Dec 9-Sunday Dec 10 - Advent youth sleepover with youth from other Bay Area UCCs! Come learn about the season of Advent and have a fun weekend with other youth! 

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS AND ALL SAINTS DAY CELEBRATIONS at CCSM

This year we will be honoring our loved ones who have passed on by celebrating Día de Los Muertos with a simple but meaningful altar creation and children’s activities on Sunday, October 29 and culminating in an All Saints Day worship service on Sunday, November 5.  

• Everyone is invited to bring a photo of a loved one you would like to remember to church on Sunday, 10/29 to add to our altar in Kloss Hall at the start of Coffee Hour.
• Special program for kids during our 10:30 service including decorating sugar skulls, building an altar, watching the movie Coco and learning about this holiday from members of our church with Mexican heritage
• The altar will remain in Kloss Hall all week to be added to during our Wed 11/1 service as well.
•  As Latino Ministry and CSSM member Reina Gonzalez reminds us, “Día de Los Muertos is a beautiful Mexican tradition that gives us the chance to meaningfully honor those who have passed on before us."
• In the spirit of our diversity and inclusion, we hope you will help us celebrate this tradition which in 2008, UNESCO declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

photo is from CCSM's Día de los Muertos 2017

The latest issue of the Pine Tree is here! It's chock full of news, photos, reflections, and upcoming events. Click HERE for a copy!

SANDWICH MAKERS NEEDED!

Volunteers from CCSM make sandwiches for Open Cathedral each month on the 4th Sunday, after church (beginning around 11:45am). These sandwiches are distributed as part of the San Francisco Night Ministry’s Open Cathedral services. Meals are provided to anyone - attending the service is not required. Sandwich-makers are needed for October 22 and November 26. Consider signing up as an individual, family, group of friends, or affinity group/ministry team. Please contact Becky Duffy:  duffy239@yahoo.com

Upcoming

Board of Directors

Meetings

all meetings are Sunday at Noon

in the Buckham Room

(unless noted)

November 12

December 10

To access the Google folder containing CCSM Board Meeting minutes, go to

tinyurl.com/CCSM-Minutes-BOD

Upcoming

Council of Ministries

Meetings

all meetings are Sunday at Noon

in the Buckham Room

(dates in yellow are combined BoD + CoM)

October 22

November 12

December OFF

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 432 subscribers. Let’s keep pumping it up! 

So, please go to https://www.youtube.com/@ccsmMediaChannel/featured

 and click the “Subscribe” button.  Cost: Nothing.  Benefit: HUGE!

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.

Link for Prayer Ritual on YouTube: tinyurl.com/CCSM-Ukraine-Prayer

Regular CCSM office hours:

9:00am - 4:00pm

Monday - Thursday