CCSM CONNECTIONS: December 25, 2024

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Beloved Community,

On Christmas Eve, we gathered in sacred darkness and shared the light of Christ with one another, remembering that both light and shadow are holy gifts from God. As we celebrate the birth of divine love in our midst, may we carry forward the truth illuminated in each candle's flame: that we are known, named, and deeply loved by God.

Whether you celebrated with us in person or in spirit, remember that you carry a divine spark within – a light meant to be shared with a world longing for love. From our church family to yours, we wish you a Christmas filled with wonder, joy, and the blessed assurance that love has come to dwell with us.

Merry Christmas,

Jessica

DID YOU MISS WORSHIP?

CLICK HERE for last Sunday's entire service.

CLICK HERE for Rev. Jessica's sermon,

"HOPE IS WORTH THE RISK"

A NOTE FROM OUR MODERATOR

Dearest CCSM Family,

As we close out 2024 and celebrate the beginning of the Church’s Year with Advent and

the coming of the Christ Child, it is a time to reflect on and celebrate the year that has

passed and look forward to the year ahead and the work that we will do together as

God’s hands, feet, and face here on earth.

As we look at where we are financially as a congregation, the budget we adopted last

year was supported by pledges totaling $540,000, and to date we have collected about

$472,000 against that pledged income – or approximately 87% of our commitment. This is

a great time to go on ccsm-ucc.org and look at myCCSM, where you can see if you are

on track to meet your pledge for 2024. It is also a great time to apply for matching funds

from an employer and make your pledge go even further.

Your Board of Directors thanks you for all your commitment of time, talent, and treasure

to this faith community. We wish you the Happiest of Holidays and a Joyous New Year.

With you in Christ’s Service,

Don Ruthroff, Moderator

CCSM Board of Directors

THIS WEEK AT CCSM

Wednesday, December 25

Merry Christmas!

Church Office Closed and No Daytime or Evening Activities

Thursday, December 26

Church Office Closed

No Women's Coffee Group this week

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

Friday, December 27

Church Office Closed

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

Saturday, December 28

Church Office Closed

8:30 - 10:30 AM — CC Riders Weekly Bike Ride (Contact Peter Held)

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM — Coffee with CC Riders, Village Hub in Woodside (3154 Woodside Road)

Sunday, December 29

10:30 - 11:30 AM — Worship Service, in person and online

No Children or Youth Programming, Childcare with Lily only

11:30 AM — Coffee Hour, Kloss Hall

Monday, December 30

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

Tuesday, December 31

Church Office Closes at 2pm

10:00 - 11:30 AM — Men’s Coffee Group, Hillsdale Mall Food Court

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

Wednesday, January 1

Church Office Closed

No Samaritan House Meal Service

7:15 - 8:45 PM — Bilingual Worship Service and New Year Dedication, Kloss Hall

View our full calendar on our website

THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

Join us this First Sunday of Christmas as we continue celebrating the joy of Christ's birth! Through Paul's letter to the Colossians (3:12-17), we'll explore how "Joy Changes Everything" – not just in the glow of Christmas morning, but in the ongoing celebration of God's presence among us. Rev. Álvaro will guide us in discovering how divine joy arrives in unexpected ways, from sacred laughter to holy play, reminding us that the God who chose to be born in a manger still delights in surprising us today.

Whether you join us in person or online at 10:30am, come celebrate this season of Christmas joy – where every alleluia is an act of resistance and every moment of delight draws us closer to the God who fills our mouths with holy laughter.

PLATE OFFERING for

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29:

Our Home San Mateo

Today, we are supporting a crucial cause that affects nearly half of the households in San Mateo. Many renters in our community struggle with high rents and unstable housing, which can lead to trauma and forced displacement for families. Our Home San Mateo Campaign aims to strengthen current tenant protections and ensure housing stability for renters through essential policy changes. Your generous contribution will help fund this initiative, bringing us closer to a community where every family has a safe and stable home.

Make a Gift

COMING UP

ENGLISH TOGETHER

Training: January 6 or 7

Sessions: January 13 – March 10

After a successful launch of English Together this fall, we are excited to bring together the next group of Practice Partners & English Learners. As a reminder, CCSM partners with a nonprofit based in Palo Alto to bring a structured conversational approach to improve confidence, build connections, and enhance community. To learn more about the program, please sign up for an upcoming interest meeting on ZOOM here: https://englishtogether.org/interest/. When registering please note that you are part of CCSM. Those who haven’t been practice partners before are encouraged to join a Training Session January 6th or 7th @7pm via Zoom. Our sessions will run Monday evenings, January 13 – March 10, 7-8pm. There will be holiday breaks and hybrid options. IMPORTANT: If you are interested, please reach out to Katherine at vegastultz@yahoo.com for additional information.

FAITH RETREAT FOR

HIGH SCHOOLERS

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Join youth from other UCCs at Niles Discovery Church for a day of learning about the Bible, Jesus, faith and activism, UCC history, and much more. This learning will help to prepare you for Confirmation if you choose to be Confirmed, or it can just be a day of exploring these topics if you choose not to. Those who are already confirmed are most welcome to help lead the conversations! Let Rev. Sheryl know if you are interested.

This is a unique opportunity to work side by side with those of other faiths and cultures to benefit our local community. Projects include preparing soup mixes and a BBQ for shelter residents, working on school campus improvements and gardening, assembling care kits, knitting baby hats, decorating pillow cases, tying fleece blankets, making t-shirt grocery bags, sewing stuffed animals for police and firefighters to distribute, making paracord bracelets for military personnel, creating animal beds and toys, putting together science kits, cleaning up local parks, and singing for residents in senior centers. REGISTER by January 9 by clicking the button below. Projects fill up fast, so be sure to sign up soon!

INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING TRIP

Immigrant Welcome, Tuscon, Arizona

CCSM is planning an intergenerational service-learning trip June 15 - 20, 2025 to Tucson, Arizona, focusing on Immigration in coordination with UCC and an affiliated non-profit, Be the Neighbor.

On the Immigrant Welcome, Tucson trip, we “will immerse ourselves in a week of education, collaboration, and hands-on service to help understand what it means to welcome and support our immigrant neighbors.” On the trip, participants will “engage in desert walks to gain perspective on the challenges faced by those crossing the border, participate in humanitarian aid efforts, and contribute to building projects that support local communities."

Rev. Jessica Vacketta is quite familiar with the Be the Neighbor programs and envisions participation by youth (middle school, high school, and college students) and adults on this mission trip which matches well with CCSM’s guiding principles and understanding of Who Is Our Neighbor?

A planning team is working out the details of Itinerary, Group size, Transportation, Costs and Funding and will host a Second Hour on Immigrant Welcome, Tucson in the new year.

Stay tuned for more information on how to participate in this exciting opportunity on a very relevant issue! Email Rev. Jessica if you would like to be added to the interest list.