Journey Through Advent  - 3 Wednesdays in December: 12/7, 12/14, 12/21

Join us as we journey through Advent — waiting, preparing, opening ourselves to the Light of God, to be born within us.  Join us on Wednesday evenings, December 7, 14, and 21st from 7 – 8 pm, as we journey through the lectionary, walk the labyrinth with candles and behold the stars, and share our reflections for our lives and for the world. Pastor Laurie will be leading; hot apple cider and snacks provided. Call Pastor Laurie for more information or if you will need childcare.

Wednesday, 12/7 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:46-55 ~ Heartbreak of Justice

Wednesday, 12/14  Luke 1:26-38 ~ God With Us

Wednesday, 12/21 Luke 2:1-17, 8-20 ~  Sing With Us

A Thanksgiving Reminder for Pies . . . and more!
Pies for Downtown Oakland Thanksgiving Dinner
Once again, I’m asking for your help in providing pies for the Downtown Oakland community Thanksgiving dinner. Whether homemade, Safeway produced, or from your favorite bakery (or a check and we’ll buy the pies). Please bring your pies and leave them in the Friendship Room prior to 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning (11/24). I will pick them up then and deliver them to the Lake Merritt Church.

In addition to pies, there is a need for volunteers* to help cook turkeys and set up tables on Wednesday (23rd), to help serve the meal on Thanksgiving (12:00 to 2:00 p.m.), and to help clean up after the dinner is served. If you have an extra turkey, those are also much appreciated . . . if frozen, they would need to be delivered to the Lake Merritt Church 2 days ahead, if thawed, by 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the 23rd.

Some of the food for the 700 meals we serve is through the Alameda County Community Food Bank; and some (like the pies) is home made and donated. Lake Merritt Church is a food distribution point, twice a month, for the ACCFB.

I will circulate a “sign up” on two Sundays: Nov. 6th & Nov. 20th. This is a wonderful experience that has been my passion for over 12 years. Any questions, directions, comments, etc. just ask me or Dave, but PLEASE bring those pies!

- Paula Byrens

*Volunteer at our partner United Methodist Church’s Thanksgiving Dinner.
Other assistance needed before the event include Publicity and Musicians. Be sure to RSVP either to Paula at church, or directly to Stephen Ford. They sometimes have too many volunteers in one area and not another, so please be sure to RSVP.

Thank you!

“Justice is not an ancient custom, a human convention, a value, but a transcendent demand, freighted with divine concern” — Abraham J. Heschel

We stand at a point in history when the onerous weight of inequity has become so burdensome that it calls forth the forces of resistance. We are witnessing one of the most pronounced divides between rich and poor in the history of this country. That divide has manifest itself in the most palpable ways: months of unemployment, foreclosed homes, mounting debt and precipitous loans, and cutbacks in social services. We would be remiss to ignore that those who have been most adversely affected are disproportionately people of color, further cementing our history of racial disparity.

The circumstances we now face are similar to those described by the prophets of the Old Testament. Amos decried those who “trample on the poor” and “push aside the needy at the gate,” Jeremiah spoke out against those who “have become great and rich” with “deeds of wickedness,” and Isaiah railed against those “who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one.” In the New Testament, we read of Jesus overturning the money changing tables and calling on the wealthy to give their possessions to the poor, These are the voices of our tradition, crying out from the pages of our most sacred text.

Those same words of righteous indignation now echo through the streets of our nation. They can be read on the signs of people camping out on Wall Street. They can be heard on the lips of seasoned protestors and disillusioned young people, returning war veterans and longtime union members. The spirit of principled resistance, so epitomized in scripture, is now spreading through our country.

As Progressive Christians, we speak of God’s call to work for justice and righteousness in the world. We speak of the good news promised by Jesus—that the last shall become first, the hungry shall be fed, the naked shall be clothed. We speak of an age of hope and possibilities, of new beginnings that draw ever closer to God’s kin-dom. This nascent movement is an opportunity for progressive Christians to add voices and our vision to the plurality of people calling for change. The occupation of Wall Street & the subsequent protests that have sprung up across the country call us forward to live into our faith, to lend what resources we have, to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, to articulate our expectations and our dreams.

People of faith will gather for a meeting in early November. For more info on official UCC coverage of the Occupy movement, check out these links:

http://www.ucc.org/news/ucc-leaders-issue-pastoral.html
http://www.ucc.org/news/ucc-congregations.html

Please call or email Pastor Laurie or Kay Gilliland if you would like to get involved!

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

Our 2011 Blessing of the Animals was A Re-Barkable Success!
Thanks To All Who Came Out to Celebrate Our Animal Companions

This year’s Blessing of the Animals was a wonderful blessing to all of us. Our gathering drew nearly 70 participants with upwards of 40 dogs, a cat and a kitten, and a small gerbil-mouse.  We were so pleased to have been featured by some local newspapers highlighting the day’s sweetest moments:

For the Oakland North’s short but sweet video of our event, please click here: http://vimeo.com/30334566

For the accompanying article, please click here: oaklandnorth.net/2011/10/10/dogs-and-a-few-cats-blessed-at-the-skyline-community-church-in-the-oakland-hills/

Here’s a blog piece from SF Gate/SF Chronicle:  http://blog.sfgate.com/inoakland/2011/10/10/dogs-and-a-few-cats-blessed-at-the-skyline-community-church-in-the-oakland-hills/

We are honored to carry on this special tradition and welcome All to come again next year!

Article by Reverend Laurie Manning

Last Sunday, September 25th, on behalf of Skyline, I was invited to speak as part of the Alameda County Community Food Bank’s (ACCFB’s) annual “Savor the Season” fundraiser, held at Wente Vineyards in Livermore. It was the Food Bank’s largest annual fundraiser, and is critical in this current economy, where so many people are in need.

The 400-person audience included representatives from the Food Bank’s major corporate and non- profit sponsors, from Chevron to Clorox, volunteers and major donors who took part in live and silent auctions. Dave Clark, morning news anchor from KTVU, MC’d the event (…and, I am shamelessly sharing with you, that Dave Clark publically declared three times, “I love Pastor Laurie!”)

Joining me were some of Skyline’s leadership, including Paula and Dave Byrens, Suzie Harris, and Kay Gilliland.

In my talk, I presented Skyline as the little church (with the little pastor) in the big city of Oakland, wanting to make a big difference, especially now in this tough economy – where one in six people don’t have enough money to buy healthy food. I invited people to picture them: families with children (one in four are below the CA poverty level, disproportionately people of color),  working people whose paychecks just don’t stretch to the end of the week, elderly folks on fixed incomes. I explained how much we love the work of the Food Bank and for years have made a difference through volunteering, hosting food drives and preparing and serving meals in many affiliated soup pantries. I explained how we had recently been blessed with a generous bequest of a donor with simple instructions: Contribute to a cause that’s making a big difference in Alameda County, especially now. I explained how the choice was easy and obvious for us – to support the Food Bank. Here is an excerpt from my speech:

“We didn’t want it to be that easy.  Simply providing the gift was not enough for us: We hoped for a bigger miracle. We realized that the gift itself was meaningful, but had the potential to inspire others, and make an even bigger impact.  So, we decided we would try to double it – through you.  We decided we wanted to multiply the loaves of bread, fish, fresh carrots and broccoli the gift would provide.

So instead of simply handing over a check, we set out to inspire and challenge you, the wider community:  For every dollar you contribute through Savor the Season, Skyline will match that dollar, up to $25,000.  That’s at least $50,000 — the equivalent of one quarter of a million dollars’ worth of food distributed, thanks to the Food Bank’s purchasing power.   That’s the miracle we’re hoping for.

Especially in these tough times, we can become discouraged, and doubt that we can make a difference, to make things better. I’m here to tell you that you can. Each one of us can make a difference, One person at a time… our actions have power. Our actions have a rippling effect. We’re hoping to multiply that effect by acting together.  Together, we can end hunger, here in Alameda County. Together, we can change lives for the better, especially for children.

Join us, in widening the circle of all those who can savor this season together. Join us in being part of this little story about making a big difference. Join us in being of this miracle.”

And join us, they did! Let me continue with my shameless sharing: My talk was scheduled before the live auction. As the live auction began, the auctioneer asked, “Is Pastor Laurie still here?” I was of course, so I raised my hand. She then read the following note from an anonymous donor at the event: “Based on Pastor Laurie’s presence and powerful message, we are adding another $10,000 to Skyline’s challenge. So bid generously and bid often.”

In effect, this grew our initial matching pledge of $25,000, to $35,000 in a matter of a moment. I am pleased to tell you, that not only was this matching challenge met – it was far exceeded. When the event was over, we were informed that the Savor the Season Campaign, of which Skyline Community Church’s matching challenge, was a central piece, netted a lot!

Are you ready for the drum roll? The campaign netted $293,000, or the equivalent of almost $1.5 million worth of food distribution, thanks to the Food Bank’s purchasing power.

Kathryn Weber, Corporate Partnerships and events coordinator for ACCFB wrote to me, “While the actual dollar amount that was generated by the match is hard to quantify, we believe that all of those paddles (bids) that were raised during the Hunger Fighter portion of the auction were a direct result of your presence and powerful message!  Your initial $25,000 challenge (and the additional $10,000 challenge you inspired) have been matched. It was a wonderfully powerful afternoon and I know that everyone in the audience felt inspired by the “little pastor from the little church” and the BIG impact that you have made in our community!”

As your pastor, I’m pleased to tell you that each one of us is a part of this miracle. We are a small church making a big difference, right here in Oakland, widening the circle of care, because there is enough for all of us!

Thank you, Skyline Community Church!

Blessings,
Pastor Laurie

Making Inner Peace Possible with Ruth King, M.A.               Sunday, November 6th, 4 pm – 9 pm

In this afternoon of fun and insight, we embrace Rage as a pathway to emotional liberation. Through group sharing, mindfulness, and ceremony, we are guided inward to make peace with aspects of our lives which have been dishonored. We discover our “Disguises of Rage” and open to the wisdom behind them. We expand perceptions of right and wrong, learn how to accept and forgive, and rest more in body and mind. For more about Ruth King’s work: www.ruthking.net.

Please join us for this special opportunity to hear Ruth while she is on the West Coast.  A special discounted fee is being offered to Skyline church members $45 (original workshop fee $75). Click here to reserve your space: mary@sagrada.com

Bay Area Sound Healers and Artists Unite to Play for Change

Saturday September 17th at 7pm
at Skyline Church in Oakland

Greetings,
On Saturday September 17th Skyline Community Church will be hosting an event called Playing for Change. This is a nonprofit fundraiser and all proceeds will be donated to  the playing for change foundation. 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.

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 or 10 dollars. There will be live music, dancing, a video about the organization, a raffle drawing with some prizes for a lucky few, snacks and refreshments will be provided during  the intermission.

This event is one of hundreds of synchronized events going on around the world on September 17th to raise money for Playing For Change! Please join us and feel free to bring your family and friends!
Thank You,
Jacob and Emily Marshall

Skyline Community Church
12540 Skyline Blvd
Oakland, CA 94619

Saturday September 17th at 7pm

To RSVP and to Donate:
http://playingforchangeday.org/show/bay-area-sound-and-music-healers-playing-for-change-
See you there!

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!