Connections: Week of December 5-11, 2022
Third Week of Advent
|
|
Advent is a season of darkness that leads us to hope, peace, joy, and love.
I invite you to use these Advent weeks as a journey for discernment. What does, did, or will bring these advent elements into your life?
The Light of Christ is not upon us yet. Be present in the darkness to better appreciate the light when it arrives. Allow yourself this space of darkness and mystery so that when Christmas arrives, it is a celebration deep within you, magnifying hope, peace, joy, and love in your faith practices.
Our first Taizé service of the season will be this Friday at 7:30 pm. If you have never experienced a Taizé service of meditative songs and silence, please try it! It will be on CCSM's Facebook page for our online friends.
I am excited to feel the buzz of energy at CCSM on December 11th. Come one, come all to the Cookie Exchange, the List of Pick-a-Parties, Poinsettias to gift, THE WISH LIST CHRISTMAS TREE (formerly Adopt a Family).
Ministry Leads, don’t forget we have the Plenary Meeting after you have grabbed your cookies -- around 12:30 pm. The Board meets following the Plenary, and Ministries have the option of meeting with their teams at this team throughout the church.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Melissa
|
|
Click on the video above for Sunday's worship service,
or click HERE for Rev. Melissa's sermon.
|
|
A Very Merry Cookie Exchange and Pick-A-Party List Distribution on DECEMBER 11!
A Very Merry Christmas Cookie Exchange AND Pick-a-Party List Distribution take place December 11 in Kloss Hall following worship service. There’s an informational handout here if you wish to participate in the cookie exchange but the short of it is… bring 2 dozen of your favorite Christmas cookies/bars and take home a variety of other people’s favorite Christmas cookies/bars. They can be homemade or purchased.
Take your cookies/bars to Kloss Hall BEFORE service so our good elves (helpers) can get them organized and ready for the exchange. It would be great if you can bring the recipe so those that wish can take a picture of it. You will be required to wear a mask during the exchange and given vinyl gloves and tongs to handle cookies in our efforts to keep everyone safe and well during the holiday season.
But that’s not all. There’s MORE:
· This will be the time and place to PICK UP the “Pick-a-Party List” of Parties. [Note: if you can’t make it to church on Dec. 11 the List can be emailed to you at your request, and will be available after church between Dec. 11 and Jan. 8]
· You do not have to participate in the cookie exchange to pick up your list. Please come and enjoy coffee hour, the music, and the fun
· Christmas piano music will be provided by three of our own members - sing along or just enjoy listening
· There will be a kids table for cookie decorating!
You have from Dec. 11 until Jan. 8 to mull over the Pick-a-Party List and decide which party or parties you want to attend. Sign up is Sunday, January 8. More information about Sign Up Day will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
|
|
LAS POSADAS: Wed., December 21, 7:15 pm
This Advent Season CCSM will celebrate Las Posadas again! This event brings together people from all ages, both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking. It begins with the traditional candlelit, singing procession around the outside of the church. Joseph and Mary, accompanied by angels and shepherds—and by all of us, go from ‘inn’ to ‘inn,’ seeking a place to stay where Mary can give birth. When they are finally offered a manger in which to stay, we participants in the procession will enjoy cross-cultural games and activities. Then we will proceed to a traditional tamale dinner, prepared by Rev. Jorge’s mother and women from our Spanish-speaking congregation. The evening will end when our children strive to smash open a piñata.
Wednesdays from 6:00pm to 6:45pm, all are invited to join Melanie in the Fireplace Room to learn the music of Las Posadas.
|
|
Youth and Family Events
As usual, during the service, Lily and some youth volunteers will engage our pre-K crowd in some fun playtime in the nursery, and Shannon and Elaine will share a Bible story (through Godly Play) and then invite our K-5th grade crowd to reflect, create, build, share, and serve the community in response to the story (in the Memorial Garden).
Sunday, December 11: Kids craft table during the Pick-A-Party cookie exchange and offering of the party lists, and also there will be a craft table for all ages led by Donna Lindsay and Betsy Woodward!
Sunday, December 11: 60 Minutes conversation for high school youth led by Mike and Sheryl at 10:30am. This month the focus will be on the interplay of media, popular culture, and the real world.
Sunday, December 11: Joyful Noise Kids' Music program at 11:45am led by Julie Berk (she/her) in the CE Building music room (past Kloss Hall where coffee hour takes place, second floor of the building).
Sunday, December 11: Evening Peninsula Multifaith Holiday Youth Event! This is a great opportunity to learn about different religious holidays from different traditions that celebrate this time of year. Let me know if you would like more information!
Sunday, December 18: 10:45am - Youth are invited to help Sheryl (she/her) work on the script that we'll use for Christmas Eve. Please come out if you would like to be a narrator or if you'd just like to help behind the scenes. If you can't make it on Christmas Eve, that's not a problem!
Sunday, December 18: Joyful Noise will share the gift of music in worship today.
Wednesday, December 21: 7pm - Las Posadas! Youth are invited to participate as readers/with speaking roles or help out with the kids, food, etc. as we gather to walk around the church telling the story of Mary and Joseph looking for a room at the inn. Younger kids—come wear an angel, shepherd, or animal costume and walk around the church as we tell the story of Mary and Joseph looking for a room at the inn. Afterward, we will share a meal together!
Saturday, December 24: Special Christmas Eve services at church
Friday, February 24 - Sunday Feb 26 - Mid-winter youth camp in Cambria for those in grades 7-12.
|
|
Advent Taizé
Start your weekends in a meaningful way on Friday evenings.
In December we will have Advent Taizé services to ground us in the season of love beyond the commercialism that attempts to own the Season.
Fridays, December 9,16, and 23 we will host bilingual Taizé here at CCSM at 7:30pm. Light dessert and beverages after.
If you can't make it in person, it will also be streamed on FaceBook Live on CCSM's facebook pate (FB.com/CCSM.UCC)
|
|
FIRST SUNDAYS OF THE MONTH ARE COMMUNION SUNDAYS
If there’s a way you can be in person on the first Sundays of the month, communion is a meaningful time to be together.
If you’re not able to be with us in person, you’re invited to share in communion while online with us from wherever you are; just have some bread and juice ready and you can participate with us that way.
In January, we will celebrate communion on January 8 (instead of on the first Sunday, January 1).
|
|
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
This holiday season, CCSM will again be working with LifeMoves’ First Step for Families. Instead of “Adopt-A-Family” as it has been in the past, we are now calling it CHRISTMAS WISH LIST. First Step for Families provides temporary shelter and services for families experiencing homelessness in San Mateo.
This year, CCSM will not be collecting gift cards. Instead, LifeMoves is finding that family members need very basic items, so we will be asking that gifts selected by LifeMoves staff be purchased for each individual. Admittedly, donating necessities is not as personal as selecting fun gift items; however, the need is still great. We’d also like to have a few extra ornaments listing items to give to Vendome residents so they may also experience some joy during this time.
Please look for the WISH LIST Christmas tree on the loggia on Sunday, December 11 after the service. Stop by and pick up an ornament or two with suggested gift items to purchase and return to CCSM by Sunday, December 18 at the latest (earlier is better).
We are also looking for a few friendly and helpful people to volunteer and assist with this program this year. Volunteers should be available for about an hour after the service on either one or both dates (December 4 and/or 11). Please contact Melodie Lew at boygie.m2000@yahoo.com or call 650.573.9765. Thanking you in advance.
|
|
BLESSING BOX
As most of you have noticed, there is a "Blessing Box" outside of the entrance of CCSM. This is a project of the Ministry of Service and Justice, which has identified the need for families in our neighborhood to access food. This project is an expression of our call to be the "hands, feet, and face of God" in our community.
Before the pandemic, CCSM had a nonperishable food collection for Samaritan House on the first Sunday of each month. We are now reinstating a food collection for each first Sunday, but it will be to supply our Blessing Box. Please take the opportunity to bring nonperishable food (canned, dried and boxed, no fresh food please!) on the first Sunday of each month. There will be helpful reminders before that Sunday in our congregational bulletins and the Connections, and the Pine Tree.
In addition, the Ministry of Service and Justice would encourage members of CCSM to consider adding a few appropriate nonperishables to your grocery list, and just drop them in the Blessing Box anytime you are at the church. If we make this a habit, we can keep the Blessing Box filled with nourishing food for the people of our neighborhood.
Thank you in advance for your continuing generosity!
|
|
The latest issue of CCSM's Pine Tree newsletter is here! Click HERE or on the image to SAY YES to what's coming in Advent 2022.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
225 Tilton Avenue • San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 343-3694
|
|
|
|
Scan the QR code above or go to
to make a donation or pledge to CCSM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
