Join the free, on-line Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour!  Tune in on any or all four Sundays to tour 25 lush East Bay native plant gardens, hear inspiring Doug Tallamy explain why natives in our gardens are key to supporting local wildlife, and ask garden hosts and experts all your questions! Plus, session on plant selection, garden design, and more.

Four Sundays, 10 am-3 pm: April 25 and May 2, 16 and 23

For the schedule, and to register, visit www.bringingbackthenatives.net

Companion event:
Green Home Tour   Sundays, June 6 & 13, 10:00 – 2:00, Free

Join us on the virtual Green Home Tour and learn how you can save money and time, and improve your health while combating climate change by ditching natural gas, generating clean electricity from your own home, and installing energy-efficient (and health-protecting) induction stoves and heat pumps.  A potpourri of other “green home” features will also be showcased. Register here.

Special thanks to SCC for our commitment to Youth Spirit Artworks( YSA), and to our vice moderator Shaun Bernhardt for his leadership. Many of us came out to join us for the official opening of YSA and had a great time! Check out the photos below! We met some of the residents who are already using the kitchen that we contributed to! Please contact Shaun, Pastor Laurie, or Sally Hindman if you’d like to get more involved and plan to help out as a group at the build site as more young people prepare to move into these tiny homes. Thank you for being a part of this incredible mission.

Saturday, April 3, 7 pm
https://zoom.us/j/716026467

An evening of meditative songs & prayers. On the eve before Easter, rest in a moment of slow, beautiful calm, touch the center. There will be readings, prayers, music, and silence. Lead by Ken Medema (kenmedema.com), Gabrielle Lochard, and Pastor Laurie Manning. Join us for this journey from darkness to light.

https://us02web.zoom.US/J/86806938388

Exciting news! The grand opening for our Tiny House Empowerment Village is scheduled for April 2nd, from 11:00am to 12:00pm, taking place in-person at the village and on Zoom. There will be food, drinks, music, and youth art for sale Come celebrate the conclusion of this 6-year long project with us!

The fresh green baby grass, and the blossoming sun- kissed daffodils awaken our senses to the coming of springtime.

 This week, these springtime celebrations include, St. Patrick’s day, and  the Vernal Equinox.

As I’ve learned from my Irish ancestors, the Celts were adventurers. They sailed off into unknown lands, sometimes sailing without a rudder, trusting that God would bring them to their place of resurrection, their place of wholeness and vocation. Each day was greeted as an adventure, filled with danger and possibility.

Aware of the challenges of life, and beauty and tragedy around every corner, Celtic travelers often drew a circle around themselves as they began each journey. The circle (or “caim”) reminded them that they were always encircled by God’s care. In the spirit of Psalm 139, they trusted that if they ascended to the heavens, God would be with them.

 If they descended to the depths, God would also be their companion.

Legend has it that a local chieftain was out to get Patrick. The chieftain sent his men to kill Patrick as he traveled along a lonely wooded road. As they closed in on Patrick, his pursuers discovered that somehow he disappeared. All they saw was a deer bounding across the road. From that adventure, legend has it that the Prayer of St. Patrick (the “Lorica” or “Breastplate”) emerged.  I leave you with these words and invite you to imagine Patrick drawing a circle around himself as he rotated in a clockwise manner. May we be reminded of God’s encircling care for us.

With Love,
Pastor Laurie

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
far and near,
Alone or in a multitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation.

Welcome Ben McKnight! Ben is our new part time, temporary communications specialist working remotely from Madison, Wisconsin. He also works for our sister UCC church, First Church Berkeley UCC, and enjoys reading, PC gaming, hiking, traveling, and yoga. He will be working with us, 7-10 hours a week, supporting us in our email newsletters, social media, and bulletins. He can be reached at [email protected].

Dear Ones,

Blessings to you, as we celebrate International Women’s Month!

#InternationalWomensDay #HerStory #WomensHistoryMonth

Here are a few quotes that I’d like to share with you. I’d love for you to share yours on our facebook page:

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”  -Maya Angelou

Jesus protected women.
Empowered women.
Honored women publicly.
Released the voice of women.
Confided in women.
Was funded by women.
Celebrated women by name.
Learned from women.
Respected women.
And spoke of women as examples to follow.
Our turn.
–Karyn L. Wiseman

Our NCNCUCC conference is holding a special Business Meeting, as voted upon during last year’s Annual Meeting, this  Saturday, March 13th, from 10 am – 1 pm.

Representation is critical since we’re determining our conference budget and discerning the future of Camp Cazadero.

The decision has critical implications for:

• our conference staff, and their ability to support local churches like ours.
• the future of the camping program at Camp Caz

I am planning to attend, and ideally, we would have 3 member delegates, including me, from Skyline.

I have been working with the conference council, on discernment for the camp, based on my role with the national CB&LF, and regional mission interpreters who have shared their experiences with maintaining their camping program throughout the UCC.

Let me know if you’re interested and available to attend, if you’d like to discuss, or if you have suggestions about other members who’d be ideal for this discussion.

For more info, including source documents, and registration, please go here:
https://ncncucc.org/annual-gathering/

peace, Laurie