This Christmas Eve, come experience the wonder of our candlelight service celebrating the birth of Jesus with carols, anthems, scripture lessons, and instrumental music. The service will be followed by delicious Christmas treats, hot apple cider, and fellowship.

This is a beautiful way to celebrate the season with your entire family. ALL are welcome!

December 24th at 8:00 pm

For more information please contact the office at 510.531.8212

Our Music Director, Ramin Haghjoo, invites all children, teens, and adults who love to sing to join the choir for the Christmas Eve Service!

Rehearsal Schedule:

Sunday, 11/27: 12:00-1:30PM
Sunday, 12/4: 12:00-1:30PM
Sunday, 12/11: 12:00-1:30PM
Sunday, 12/18: 12:00-1:30PM
Saturday, 12/24: 5:30-7:30PM

If you cannot make it to all the rehearsals, please at least come to the last two (12/18, 12/24). Contact Ramin beforehand if you need the music in advance.

If interested, please contact Ramin for more information:
Contact Ramin via Email
714.797.9765

Playing For Change Concert Benefit
Saturday, September 17th, 7 pm
Bay Area Sound Healers & Artists Unite to Play for Change
Donation for participation

Children Benefitting from Playing for Change

This is a nonprofit fundraiser and all proceeds will be donated to the Playing For Change foundation (http://playingforchangeday.org/). The Goal is to raise money to build music schools around the world helping preserve the music and cultures of communities and giving kids a positive outlet for there energy.

There will be live music, dancing, a video about the organization, a raffle drawing with prizes for a lucky few, and snacks and refreshments. This event is one of hundreds of synchronized events going on around the world on September 17th to raise money for Playing For Change!

This is a free event, no one will be turned away for lack of funds, however it is greatly appreciated when you contribute even just 5-10 dollars.

Please join us and feel free to bring your family and friends!

SUNDAY, Nov. 21st Service – Stewardship Sunday 2010

Bringing Our Gratitude & Our Pledges November is both the season of giving thanks as well as Stewardship month. Come to worship with your heart full of “great-fullness” and your pledge of time, talent and treasure to sustain and grow Skyline UCC in the coming year. Pledge cards will be available at church. We will celebrate all the gifts we have been given and have been called to give!

CAROLYN’S FAREWELL – A Communion of Hearts

We swear by peace and love to stand
Heart to heart and hand to hand
Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now ,
Confirming this our Sacred Vow. — Druidic prayer of unity

It has been a true privilege to be your music director at Skyline for the past three years. Working with all of you has been a creative and spiritual endeavor that has enriched me beyond measure and for which I am immensely grateful. The diversity of the United Church of Christ has been at work here at Skyline every day and attests to the blessing each person has brought to all of us by the gift of their presence.

As we approach the mountain of God, the Spirit embraces everyone and everything each of us has ever known to create a unity that is vibrant — and still speaking. May we continue to be inspired to give the world what has been bestowed upon us: compassion, forgiveness, friendship, the peace that passes all understanding, the extravagant wonder of love and creation.

Sunday, September 12th

Sunday Service – 10 am
Potluck Celebration – 12 Noon

This is a celebration for our fantastic outgoing Music Director, Carolyn Erbele. Stay after worship for a lunch party to say our “Good Bye” and “Thank You” to Carolyn. We’ll also be welcoming our new director Ramin Haghjoo and returning families on this day!

Carolyn requests your presence on her last Sunday as music director on this day. Our new music director, Ramin Haghjoo, will be assisting during the choir’s first choir rehearsal at 8:30 AM and during the service that day. ALL ARE WELCOME as we embark upon the renewal of our journey together and begin the fall season and new school year!

Cards of farewell and welcome will be treasured by Carolyn and Ramin. In lieu of personal gifts, please donate to Carolyn’s favorite charity: HEIFER INTERNATIONAL. Checks can be made out to SKYLINE COMMUNITY CHURCH. Please write HEIFER INTERNATIONAL on the memo line.

See Carolyn’s Farewell Message here

Potluck Items (last name system)

A – F:     Vegetable Salads

G – L:     Potato, pasta rice or other grain salads OR small sandwiches

M – R:    Desserts (ie: fresh fruit, cookies, bars, nuts)
( Cake will be provided )

S – Z:     Beverages (Sparkling water or cider, juice, iced tea or bottled water)

A BIG thank you to all the volunteers that helped out!!

Photos by Chris Nelson

August 15th Seniors’ Dinner

Volunteers – St. Mary’s Center

925 Brockhurst St. Oakland

Driveway to off-street parking is on San Pablo Ave.
(between 33rd & 32nd St.)

Skyline Church volunteers help provide a delicious meal for seniors and needy residents. This is part of the Food for all Ages program by Sister Marilyn Medau –enriching the giver as well as the receiver. Skyline Church has participated for many years — it’s always great fellowship, fun and spiritually rewarding.

Participate in any of the following:

• Meal Preparation 10:30 AM OR
  Cleanup 2:30-3:30 PM
• Serve Meal 1:30-2:30 PM OR
  provide a home-baked dessert (Apple crisp recipe available)

Contact:
Michael Armijo or Catherine Kessler
at (510) 530-7688.

This spring we piloted a new program of covenant groups called “The Extended Families” to foster a deeper experience of community at Skyline Church.

“Extended Families” invites clusters of cross-generational church members to come together for fun and fellowship and to make a special commitment to each other to stay in sustained on-going relationship. These “families”, plan their own activities, meet on a regular basis for potluck dinners, group outings to go to the zoo or the beach or to someone’s home to play board games or to do activities together of their own choosing.

Skyline’s Extended Families are made up on older adults, young adults, teenagers, children and babies…..people who covenant to come to know each other in special, deeper than only Sunday morning ways….having fun together, supporting each other in times of transition and change, celebrating each others victories and successes and walking together in times of loss or crisis.

In June we held our kick off event, and look forward to adding more members into our Extended Families, and growing together through the years.

If you are interested in joining The Extended Family, or hearing more about the program, contact Family member and Interim Children Youth and Family Coordinator, Beth Rogers.