Connections: September 12, 2022
IMPORTANT: PLEASE FILL OUT THE SENIOR MINISTER SURVEY BELOW
if you haven't already!
Thank you all who were able to make it to Homecoming Sunday in-person and on-line! The cloud cover was a welcomed blanket for our Community Faire and Volunteer sign up. Many thanks to those of you who extended yourselves to give of your time and talents in some capacity. If you are still discerning how you can participate in the life of the church, please reach out to me or any of the ministry leads. 

During the next six weeks we will continue our Better Together campaign and have committee chairs introduce themselves and tell us what their respective committees are doing. Being involved feeds the soul through social and emotional connection. We are all thirsty for the belonging that happens through community. 

It was wonderful to see the beautiful friendships and connection between so many members as well as the energy of many youths. 

My first sermon with CCSM and an IT'S-IT ice cream treat. A sweet Sunday for me. I hope it was for you too!  

Peace and grace,
Melissa
THE SENIOR MINISTER SEARCH COMMITTEE seeks input from the whole CCSM community!
PLEASE fill out a survey if you haven't already.
If you haven't had a chance to complete the online Senior Minister Search Committee Survey, please take five to ten minutes and share your thoughts (click HERE or scan the QR code). It's easy and quick. Paper surveys are also available in the church office.

The survey will be CLOSED at noon on Thursday, Sept. 15th and your interest and participation in this process is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

We will share a summary of responses at the Round Table meetings and use this input to recruit, interview, evaluate and recommend a candidate that best meets CCSM's needs. (Round Table meetings will take place Sept. 18 and 25 after church, and on Zoom on Sept. 21 at 7pm.)

Thank you!
Click on the video above for the most recent entire worship service, or click HERE to listen to Rev. Melissa Douaire's sermon.
To Give is To Receive: 
Share Your Love Auction and Pick a Party
CCSM’s 2022-2023 Fundraising Events 

The Share Your Love Auction has launched!  
— October 16 is the deadline for submissions —
— LIVE Auction is October 30 - November 6 —

Pick a Party hosting and sign ups will follow. CLICK HERE to get all the details, and HERE to see the calendar.
To use the SYL auction form, click HERE.

Or contact Sandy McNabb, sandra.j.mcnabb@gmail.com 650.678.5650;
Michele Merfeld Hale, kaymerf@yahoo.com 206.612.6182;
or Diane Kalliam, dkalliam@gmail.com 415.279.1359
MUSIC AND ART RECONVENES THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16!
Our first meeting to open the new season of Music & Art is Friday, Sept. 16 at 12:00 noon in the Buckham Room. Remember to bring your own sandwich or luncheon preference. Beverages and dessert are provided.
Our program for the day will be Emily Beach, guitarist. (Remember, she played for Penny’s farewell party?) Our newly appointed interim minister, Melissa Douaire, hopes to be present to say a few words of introduction as well. Come and bring a friend and join us in the spirit of fellowship and rewarding musical experience.

Volunteer of the Week
Michele Merfield Hale
Michele is a virtual member who lives in Columbia, Missouri. Despite the fact that she has never personally met our members, she has been actively involved in planning and organizing the Coming Back to Community events, including spearheading the successful Pie Social. She has now been devoting countless hours to the launch of the Share Your Love auction and Pick a Party gatherings, which will keep her pretty busy for quite some time in the future! Her enthusiasm, focus, and dedication to supporting CCSM is amazing.  Hats off to Michele; she is a blessing to the CCSM community.
Do you know a CCSM Volunteer you'd like to recognize here? If so, please write two or three sentences telling us about them and send it to Zoe at zmullery@ccsm-ucc.org
Carne Asada Feast • October 8 • 5-7pm
The final event of our Coming Back to Community series—Rev. Jorge's Carne Asada Feast—will be held October 8, from 5-7 p.m. While it was fully registered when initially offered, spots have opened due to the rescheduling. 

Let Rev. Jorge (jbautista@ccsm-ucc.org), Sandy McNabb (Sandra.j.mcnabb@gmail.com) or Diane Kalliam (dkalliam@gmail.com) know if you’d like to attend. Rev. Jorge is a great host and cook; this is an event not to be missed!  
HOME and HOPE has now merged with LIFE MOVES! 
This is a good thing for both organizations. HOME and HOPE has been struggling these past couple of years with their model for housing families and this merger gives strength to HOME and HOPE and LIFE MOVES. We at CCSM will have many more opportunities to serve those that are struggling to find housing here in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. I will be working with Lynnelle Bilsey, who manages all volunteers for LIFE MOVES, to find more ways that the CCSM community can be involved doing things that are more fun than sleeping on the floor in Kloss Hall. Please watch for future updates and ways for us to serve.

—Donna Lindsay
Former coordinator for HOME and HOPE
and now the contact person for LIFE MOVES at CCSM
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.
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.

Link for Prayer Ritual on YouTube: tinyurl.com/CCSM-Ukraine-Prayer
225 Tilton Avenue • San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 343-3694