Go Tell It On The Mountain
Monthly Newsletter
Skyland Community Church, United Church of Christ
Minister: Rev. Kevin Omi
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Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
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May 2019 to June 16 Church Calendar
Wednesday, May 1
10:30am Loma Prieta Club
Thursday, May 2
9:45am
Bible Study Downstairs
Friday, May 3
10:30am Field trip to Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
Time TBD Demetrius's family to set up tables for reception
Saturday, May 4
10 AM to 4 PM Building Blocks Pre-school Carnival/Fundraiser, Gazebo and Field behind Building Blocks
2:00pm
Demetrius Nichol's memorial
Sunday, May 5
10:30am
Worship Service with Rev. Kevin Omi
12:00pm
Proposal Team Workshop
2:00pm
Santa Clara Association Spring Meeting
Tuesday, May 7 to May 15
Rev. Omi Educational Leave
Thursday, May 9
9:45am Bible Study Downstairs with Patricia Wood
Sunday, May 12
10:30am Worship Service with Rev. Deborah Streeter
Thursday, May 16
9:45am
Bible Study Downstairs
Sunday, May 19
10:30am
Worship Service with Rev. Kevin Omi
Thursday, May 23
9:45am
Bible Study Downstairs
Sunday, May 26
10:30am
Worship Service with Rev. Kevin Omi
11:30am
Congregational Budget Meeting
Thursday, May 30
9:45am
Bible Study Downstairs
Sunday, June 2
10:30am
Worship Service with Rev. Kevin Omi
Wednesday, June 5
10:30am
Loma Prieta Club
Thursday, June 6
9:45am
Bible Study Downstairs
Sunday, June 9
Pentecost Sunday
Strengthen the Church Offering
10:30am
Worship Service with Rev. Kevin Omi
Thursday, June 13
9:45am
Bible Study Downstairs
Sunday, June 16
10:30am
Worship Service with Rev. Kevin Omi
Regularly Scheduled Events in Whitaker Hall
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mondays
:
Alcoholics Anonymous 8:00 p.m.
Tuesdays
:
Qigong
8:30-10:00 a.m. with Teacher Marcy Reynolds
Thursday
:
Qigong students only from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Thursday
:
Yoga 7:00 p.m.
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Note from the Editors:
A small change in the date of sending out the newsletter was needed in order to obtain the reports from the Church Council and the Treasurer. In the future the newsletter will be sent out sometime between the end of the month and the first week of the next month. That will be for both email and print versions. The church calendar above now covers 6 weeks so that everyone will be able to see events in the first 2 weeks of the next month.
Sincerely, your editors,
Brian and Patricia Wood
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Message from Reverend Kevin Omi
In 1 Corinthians 12 we read of the life-affirming metaphor of the Body of Christ, how each part of the body is valued and of the many different kinds of gifts each part (person) brings. I experience this every day of the week and am so blessed to be partners in ministry with all of you!
So it is too, with the many forms of ministry in which we are engaged. I still am in awe at what I anticipate as a growing collaboration with Mountain Bible Church and Christ Child Church; as evidenced by our full participation in the Easter Sunrise Service. Both these churches are looking forward to sharing information about their ministries, as we are with “ours”. Everyone realizes that we can do more together than separately. The key will be celebrating what we share in common and honoring our differences, as Paul describes.
Liturgically we will continue in the season of Easter for the month of May, a powerful reminder that we are people of the Risen Christ and empty cross. Resurrection is all around us, in many forms: the many glories of spring and unfolding of new life, the launching of our reVision proposal teams which were consecrated on Easter Sunday, spiritual growth in multiple forms, planning for the Harvest Festival, and our congregational vote on the next fiscal year’s budget.
I will be taking an educational leave May 6-15 as I attend the first of two residency gatherings for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation’s program,
Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats Program outside of Baltimore. This is an 18-month program that began in January of this year. I am looking forward to sharing the spirit and practices I learn: with you at Skyland, in our community, and in the future.
During May I will lead celebrations of life for members of our community, for Demetrius Nichol on May 4 at 2 pm at our church, and for Connie Cloyd at her home. I’ll also continue to work with the family of Jan Geist for her celebration of life on June 8 at 11 am. These events are reminders of Paul’s words,
“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”
In all that we are and do, may we hold the image of the Risen Christ before and within us. May we continue to experience the wonder and awe of the women at the empty tomb. May we help everyone in our community find connection, meaning, and hope. May each experience God’s wondrous love! Amen.
Rev. Kevin Omi
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Proposal Team Workshop- May 5 -12 noon-1:30 PM
Over thirty people attended the brainstorming session and worship at the Convergence Summit and formed five Proposal Teams:
Fire Safety and Roads, Mountain Hang-out, Intergenerational Resource Center, Community-Building Events and Connected through Adventures. It felt like we were creating a new vision of how Skyland Church might engage with our mountain community. The five teams were consecrated in this important work on Easter Sunday.
On May 5 from 12 noon-1:30 pm, Kevin and the reVision core leadership will lead a workshop on proposal development for all of the teams.
Don't miss the first field trip by
Connected through Adventures on May 3 to the interactive art exhibit on the social isolation of seniors
"We're still Here" in Santa Cruz.
Anne Evans
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LITANY THROUGHOUT THE INTERIM PERIOD
For God’s holy presence amidst change, we pray.
For comfort because loss is part of change, we pray.
For Christ-like steadfastness during the challenges of transition and seasons of faith, we pray.
For reassurance through frailty and failings, we pray.
For the abundant creativity the Spirit provides, we pray.
For our loved ones in this community of faith, we pray.
For God’s children beyond this community, we pray.
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Church Council News
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The Council met on Sunday April 28. Rev. Omi reviewed the current activities on the consolidated timeline of our Interim Period. This updated document will be posted in Whitaker Hall. The Philanthropy Team is still being formed. Currently there are three members. At least one more will be added soon.
As part of the Rev. Omi’s task as Interim Minister he has looked at the current state of leadership at Skyland Church and done an assessment in all areas including finances, boards and committees, church life, spiritual formation and administration. The area of greatest concern is finance due primarily to our reduced membership.
The reVision process continues to move forward and Anne Evans gave us an update. Over 30 people attended the very successful Convergence Summit held on April 7 that resulted in five proposal teams being formed with over 25 members, total. A workshop will be held for all members of the proposal teams on Sunday May 5.
Gerald Alonzo presented a draft of the 2019-2020 proposed budget plan and it was approved for presentation to the congregation with some clarifications. It will be available on May 12 to everyone and presented to the general congregation on May 26 for an approval vote.
The council approved the Harvest Festival co-chairs, Deana Arnold and Shannon Edwards. Deana presented their ideas on the organizational structure for the upcoming Harvest Festival. She also said they were considering dates other than the third Saturday in September which would be quite late this year. They will present their recommendations at the Congregation Budget Meeting on May 26.
Your co-moderators,
Jackie Seymour and Anne Evans
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Easter Sunrise Service was held with Christ Child Church, Mountain Bible Church and Skyland Church at the Gazebo.
Testimonies, Prayers, and Song filled the chilly, foggy morning.
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Flowers for the Altar
Several Sundays during May and June are open for floral gifts. Please sign up on the calendar in Whitaker Hall. You can check the calendar in the links at the end of this newsletter.
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purple orchid blooms
flutter, barely in motion,
like exotic moths.
--haiku by John Heyes
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MEDITATION MOMENT
“When we are fully engaged in the flow of the moment, time and eternity have a way of collapsing into one another; eternity is sensed as the depth, the fullness of time. The whole creation rises together, joining in God; there are only dotted lines, if any at all, between past, present and future.
” (Tilden Edwards,
Living in the Presence
).
We can remember having a sense of God’s presence in the past. We can hope to experience it in the future. The only time we can experience the presence of God is in each - singular - moment in time. My prayer for you is that you offer both God and yourself the briefest of moments - like individual drops of water falling into a parched mouth - and that you encounter, bless, and honor one another.
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
Rev. Kevin Omi
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MISSION BOARD REPORT - MAY 2019
LOCAL AID:
Please bring forks and razors for those in transition looking for jobs and housing at MHCAN in Santa Cruz:
http://www.mhcan.org/
Please contact John Heyes
heyes2@gmail.com
if you have questions.
Loma Prieta School and CT English are always appreciative of peanut free snacks and drinks to serve the students at recess. Contact: Shannon Edwards
ShannonEdwards14@gmail.
co
m
GLOBAL SUPPORT:
In May we will to start collecting children's books preschool- 8th grade for the Africa Library Project. For more info see:
http://www.africanlibraryproject.org
If you need help bringing them please contact Cindy Siwajek-
csiwajek@live.com
We will need volunteers to pack the 1200 books into boxes in June and July on T/Ths at 10 am.
Shannon Edwards
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Team Up to End Homelessness in Silicon Valley
Sign up TODAY as an Agent of Compassion May 3-17, 2019
Sign up
HERE
to get Mission emails every other day May 3-17 with a 15-minute activity you can do anywhere.
Step Up! Meet homeless neighbors, find ways to help, or even organize a team (any group of friends, work, etc) to play too.
Compassion Is Contagious! Pass It On!
Co-Hosted by Leslie Meehan, Compassionate Santa Cruz Mountains team captain.
An Initiative of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council
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Our Food Pantry - a poem
Here's the pantry's latest news.
Things that we can really use:
Cereal, crackers, peanut butter
seem to set our hearts aflutter.
Veggie soups, and jerky too,
Chile, stew, but just a few.
Of other things we've more than plenty -
Spam and Cup o' Noodles - twenty!
With thanks for your kind donations,
now a Spam and "Cup" vacation.
Remember please to check your dates;
expired food - well, we've had crates!
If you don't want it, take a cue.
Others feel the same as you.
With thanks for all you are and give,
so that we all might rightly live
In a truly just community,
where all are served and love runs free.
Blessings,
Julie Victorine
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NOTE From Your Treasurer
Pledge income continues to run about $308 less than anticipated each month. After 11 month pledges received are $3,390 less than projected.
Due to reduced expenses our 11 month, June-April, operating net is +$13,507 which is $3,346 more than planned.
$750 has been received for One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) for NCNC-UCC to help with their special relief efforts.
We are able to accept credit card payments for pledge, general and special offerings if that is more convenient than check or cash. See either Jan or myself after service for these transactions.
Respectfully
Gerald Alonzo, Treasurer
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Skyland Community Church, United Church of Christ
25100 Skyland Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033
phone: 408-353-1310
USPS mail: Skyland Church
P.O. Box 245
Los Gatos, CA 95031-0245
Website
http://skylandchurch.com
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