News | Skyline Community Church

Skyline Environmental Resolution Vote on 6/25

June 9, 2017

Last week President Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords. In response, the UCC President, Rev. John C. Dorhauer, asked Rev Jim Antol, Massachusetts conference minister and environmental justice advocate, to write an emergency resolution, “The Earth is the Lord’s Not Ours to Wreck” , to take a stand as the UCC denomination.

The resolution was the topic at the monthly National Environmental Justice conference call June 7 (that Pastor Laurie attended as the NCNCC Rep). Laurie was inspired by her role as the Environmental Justice Rep to bring this resolution to the NCNCC Regional Conference next weekend so Northern California could take an active, grass roots role in support of it at General Synod. In order to submit a resolution to a conference a church can sponsor it, so she sent her idea to Skyline’s Council this week, proposing that Skyline Church sponsor the resolution at the NCNCC Conference. Since there’s not time for a congregational vote before the NCNCC Regional Conference, the church Council leaders voted to support the resolution and that we ratify this “after the fact” by a congregational vote at our annual meeting on 6/25. It does not ask for any financial commitment.

Thank you Skyline, for your leadership in environmental justice.

Skyline Council

Categories : Uncategorized

People’s Climate March in Oakland

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

April 25, 2017

April 29, 11 AM, Lake Merritt Amphitheater, Lake Merritt Blvd.

Join the Skyline contingent going to the Oakland March under the People’s Climate March on Saturday, 4/29. We will meet at Lincoln Square in front of the liquor store at 10:00 am and carpool to Lake Merritt. Contact Catherine Kessler for more info and Nancy Taylor and click here for the full schedule of 4/29 in Oakland.

From the website:

On the 100th Day of the Trump Administration, we will be in the streets of Washington D.C. to show the world and our leaders that we will resist attacks on our people, our communities and our planet.

We will come together from across the United States to strengthen our movement. We will demonstrate our power and resistance at the gates of the White House. We will bring our solutions to the climate crisis, the problems that affect our communities and the threats to peace to our leaders in Congress to demand action.

We invite you to join the Peoples Climate Movement on Saturday, April 29th as we march to:

Advance solutions to the climate crisis rooted in racial, social and economic justice, and committed to protecting front-line communities and workers.
Protect our right to clean air, water, land, healthy communities and a world at peace.
Immediately stop attacks on immigrants, communities of color, indigenous and tribal people and lands and workers.
Ensure public funds and investments create good paying jobs that provide a family-sustaining wage and benefits and preserve workers’ rights, including the right to unionize.
Fund investments in our communities, people and environment to transition to a new clean and renewable energy economy that works for all, not an economy that feeds the machinery of war.
Protect our basic rights to a free press, protest and free speech.

March with us on April 29th as we come together to resist and march for our families, our communities and our planet.

Categories : Uncategorized

Sanctuary Church Vote April 2

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

March 23, 2017

Subject: Informational Resource to Prepare

Members to Vote on April 2, 2017

On the Resolution to Become a Sanctuary Church

Dear Friends,

Your Skyline UCC Council has resolved that on Sunday, April 2, 2017, immediately following our 10:00 service, we hold a special meeting to vote on the Resolution below:

Proposed Resolution

That the Skyline Community Church declare itself a Sanctuary Church committed to protecting, supporting and advocating for those being targeted by the current administration such as immigrants, refugees, Muslims, women, Black Lives Matter activists, Native Americans and the LGBTQ community.

As such, we share the goals of the current Sanctuary Movement:

Make Visible the Invisible – giving a voice to those who have no voice – and revealing the unjust suffering of millions of families (bearing the image of God) at the hands of the immigration system.
Inspire members of congregations to raise their voices to call for public policy to address the needs of these families.
Heal the trauma experienced by families facing the wave of anti-immigrant sentiment. We will support and/or actively engage in one or more of the following activities:

Physical Sanctuary for someone facing Final Deportation:

Discern if your congregation would be willing to offer Sanctuary for a person facing final deportation orders in a humanitarian emergency. Most often, these are people who have been long term residents, already have children, family and community ties to the area and have exhausted all other legal options to remain with their family here in the United States.
By offering Sanctuary, your congregation is willing to offer physical sanctuary on religious property, as a way to protect them from the reach of ICE. Your congregation would be supported by other congregations and community groups committing to be part of a local network of Sanctuary by assisting with hospitality, protection, and advocacy.

Accompaniment of Immigrant Families or Youth:

Individuals and congregations can immediately help accompany immigrants in urgent situations and need of accompaniment. This can include newly arrived migrant families, unaccompanied minors, people facing deportation crisis, those just released from detention centers. Trained volunteers can help to provide courtroom accompaniment, access to services, and concrete and emotional support and/or transitional housing to help those in a period of crisis.

Advocacy:

Advocate at the Local, State and National level for policies which protect the due process of immigrants and promote their full dignity and integration into our local communities.
Advocating for policies which help to prevent mass deportation and fear by creating clear separation between ICE and local law enforcement and civic institutions, for example strong sanctuary city and county policies.
Engage in local public actions and activities to shift public discourse towards immigrants, Muslims, and refugees, and bring attention to our responsibility to address root causes.

Networks of Protection & Rapid Response

Join a Rapid Response Network to respond to ICE workplace raids, home raids or other enforcement activity.
Connect with targeted communities to help develop relationship and networks of protection.

Note: It is not necessary to commit to or perform all of the four actions described above to fulfill the Sanctuary objectives.

In depth information has been identified by our Champions for Justice – Nancy Taylor and Mirtha Ninayahuar. The links to this information are as follows:

Here’s information on Skyline’s discernment process
Here’s information from UCC on sanctuary
Here’s information on the Congregational Church of San Mateo’s Sanctuary process
Here’s an informative video and information from San Mateo’s website about sanctuary.

This meeting is not intended to be “informational” and, therefore we are assuming that the congregation will have taken advantage of the various informational resources made available the two weeks preceding the meeting. We will, of course, answer any lingering questions you might have.

We need to personally discern the admonition to act with compassion.

What does the Lord require of you? But to do justice, and to love kindness, and to work humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8).

We prayerfully look forward to the April 2, 2017 Resolution Action Meeting.

David Byrens

Skyline UCC Moderator

Categories : Church in the World, Uncategorized

Tags : discernment, immigration, Sanctuary, sanctuary vote

Pastor Laurie and Skyline Celebrate 10 Years Together!

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

October 18, 2016

This weekend we celebrate our 10^th anniversary together with me serving as your pastor and teacher!

It’s traditionally considered a tin or aluminum anniversary, but in modern times it’s considered a diamond anniversary. For many reasons, I prefer the diamond image. 🙂

The name diamond is derived from the ancient Greek αδάμας (adámas), which means “proper”, “unalterable”, “unbreakable”, “untamed”. Diamonds are forged within the crucible of high temperature and pressure in the deep darkness of the earth. What emerges is a uniquely precious and brilliant gem that radiates a spectrum of beautiful colors.

We’ve been through a lot together over these past ten years. We’ve been forged through the challenges of the great recession and through the great ongoing reformation of Christianity in this ever increasingly pluralistic world, this new Spirit –led emergence.

I give thanks to all that I have learned and witnessed of our love, respect, diligence, faithfulness, joy and courage on this journey together. It is a time to reflect upon and to celebrate all that we have accomplished together through the grace of God. I am so grateful to so many of you.

I look forward to celebrating this weekend, and even more to open ourselves to the Spirit so that our light may shine ever more brightly.

Categories : Uncategorized

Green Team Speaks Out Against Coal in Oakland

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

June 30, 2016

Hi Dear Skyline Green Team,

Thank you, for adding your voices to help bring forth this important decision, and environmental justice victory for all the people of Oakland!

Thank you, for coming out to the vigils on Saturday and on Monday, and to the council meeting.

As you experienced it, the stakes were high and the rally was contentious, and grew even more so during the meeting. But we won!

Here’s the news!

Laurie’s talk at the rally on Saturday, June 25

http://www.ktvu.com/news/166685923-story

http://www.wsj.com/articles/oakland-officials-vote-to-ban-coal-handling-and-storage-at-new-shipping-terminal-1467106207

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/us/oakland-coal-transport-ban.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oakland-coal-shipments_us_577204abe4b017b379f72d3c

http://www.sltrib.com/home/4054521-155/oakland-city-council-discusses-coal-ban

http://nocoalinoakland.info/

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/breaking-news/ci_30064002/happening-now-oakland-council-considering-ban-coal

Laurie’s Speech Before the City Council Meeting

What a gorgeous day, let’s hear it for the organizers of this rally! Give them a big applause!

I feel so much hope today, here w/ you, & here representing the voices of so many Oakland faith communities, including the dozens that are part of CIPL & the Sierra Club, in saying no to coal in Oakland …. You’re here, bec. you care about Oakland & your voice matters.

Tonight, our City Council will vote a/ bringing coal into W. Oakland from Utah to export to Asia. I think if they asked us, we’d tell them right away – NO! no more coal dust, no more asthma, no more cancer, no more climate change!

The developers have gotten our city council to a pickle..

The developers claim that they’ll create a new, never before seen, clean coal operation that covers up the train cars & covers up the terminal, so no coal dust escapes.

But the real cover up was the developers’ intentions to sell off access to our city’s waterfront to the highest bidder, regardless of their promise that coal wasn’t part of the plan.” We’re not going to fall for it! .

Come to the city council mtg tonight -make sure that they don’t fall for it either!

The good news.. our city councilman, Dan Kalb is recommending an item on the agenda that we can support – to ban coal in Oakland. Come & support him.

We don’t need a coal terminal in Oakland .. why? because coal IS terminal – it’s terminal for human health, it’s terminal biologically, morally & economically.

We’re all familiar with “the Golden Rule.” It’s a universal principal, an ethic of reciprocity that teaches: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It teaches us to care about our neighbors. Who doesn’t care about the kid down the street, in W. oakland breathing dirty air.

As Flint MI, reminds us, environmental toxins particularly impact poor children of color, globally, & locally. W. Oakland has many parallels to Flint. (%90 black & Latino, where residents already experience high rates of poverty & unemployment. Imagine if this coal train were being routed through Piedmont or Montclair?

This is a local health issue. The children of W. Oakl& are already contending with fumes & noise from the heavy volume of diesel trucks & other pollution from the Port. We need to ask ourselves, what if it were our own children?

This is a global health issue. We need to imagine the impact on children, not only W. Oakland, but in Asia, & in Utah. We need to imagine the impact on children of the next generation. Right now, accdg to WHA, 7 mill. people die every yr because air pollution.

Our Governor & our mayor, spoke out in Paris at the Nov climate summit. They presented our city & our state as leaders in the environmental justice. They echoed the global scientific community’s unanimous pleas to leave 90% of fossil fuels in ground Speaking out in at Vatican, Jerry Brown clearly articulated that this is a moral issue. Why be complicit in prolonging, & accelerating this environmental & humanitarian disaster?

It’s a bad investment for Oakl&. Renewables are the way of the future. …

Oakl& deserves.. good energy, good jobs, clean air.

We don’t need a coal terminal because coal is terminal YOUR VOICE MATTERS COME TO CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT!

Categories : Church in the World, Community, Events, Messages from the Pastor, Uncategorized

Tags : city council, Coal, No coal in Oakland, oakland, social justice

Skyline Leadership for Environmental Justice

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

February 24, 2016

From Pastor Laurie:

News outlets from the New York Times to Mother Jones Magazine have praised the leadership of California at the November UN climate summit in Paris. The LA Times portrayed Governor Jerry Brown’s active presence in Paris as representing not only the crafting of his “political legacy” but also his preoccupation with preventing “catastrophe.”

Yet environmental lawyers, community activists, and faith leaders are increasingly bringing to the public’s awareness what has long been California’s dirty secret. In a state known for its environmentalism, environmental racism has remained a festering, unbridled sin.

Environmental racism is the placement of low-income or minority communities in close proximity of environmentally hazardous or degraded environments such as toxic waste, pollution and urban decay.

Skyline Community Church UCC in Oakland has been active in struggles against environmental racism here in California, particularly with respect to fracking and the proposed coal terminal in Oakland.

In November, Nancy Taylor of our Green Team and I joined together with an interfaith coalition to deliver a letter to Brown that called for a halt to fracking.

On Tuesday, Feb 9, 2016, several members of our Green Team joined me as I addressed an interfaith rally outside Oakland’s City Hall in seeking to delay consultant work that could bring the city closer to having a coal terminal. Becky Taylor, a former Oakland Port Commissioner and a member of Skyline’s Green Team and I spoke at the City Council meeting against coal. In my remarks, I spoke of the pride I feel about Governor Brown’s environmental leadership in Paris, but then asked, “Why would we want to be complicit in prolonging and accelerating this environmental and humanitarian health crisis?”

The combined will, wisdom, voice and energy of the interfaith community of Oakland, its people, and prayers resulted in the City Council voting to delay the opening a coal terminal in Oakland!

Skyline is a small but mighty force for environmental justice here in Oakland! Thank you Skyline!!

Here are a few articles that reference our good work!

http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2016/02/23/californias-dirty-secret-comes-to-light-environmental-racism-meets-black-lungs-matter/

http://www.ucc.org/californias_dirty_secret_comes_to_light

Categories : Church in the World, Community, Green, Messages from the Pastor, Uncategorized

Tags : Climate Change, Environmental Justice, environmental racism, Faith against fracking, Fracking, interfaith climate change vigil

Sierra Leone: Update from Steve and Sentho

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

February 24, 2016

To Skyline Community from Steve Kilgore:

I brought $3,630 (the balance of the Sierra Leone fund) with me to Sentho in Sierra Leone when I went in January. We made a trip to Makomray and met with the school and village leaders. The new 2 classroom building for the preschoolers is close to be being done. See photo. The floors still need to be cemented and furniture is needed for one of the classrooms (the youngest children can use mats).

The other classrooms have had an issue with bat guano spoiling the ceiling and many ceiling tiles will need to be replaced along with mitigation to prevent further bat problems. There is also a need to do repaint some of the classrooms. Sentho plans to return to the village soon and get input on what specifically the community wants done with the current $$. She’s holding it for now and will report back to us once the decisions are made on how the money is spent.

We showed up during a school day. It was encouraging that there were many students and the teachers and principal were present. Neither of us were impressed by the apparent level of order and education that was going on. It’s not like we did an evaluation, but from appearances it didn’t appear a lot of learning was happening. I’m afraid the level of training of the staff combined with adequate supplies makes for a challenging learning environment for all. Some of the supplies we’ve sent in the past were there and are really valuable in such a poor community.

Anyway, we’ll hear more detail from Sentho in the coming months.

Steve Kilgore

From Sentho: Hello Everyone and greetings from Sierra Leone.

Yes, Steve gave me $3,640 and I still have the $$ (not yet exchanged to leones) with me. Again,I want to say many thanks to all, but especially to Marilyn, Kay and Rhea, Andre, Steve and everyone who participated in various ways in making a difference in my village. I will forever be grateful!!

The Head chief finally called last week and gave me an estimate of the materials (cement, cellotex, paint, boards, etc) needed for the work. It’s a lot more than I had expected and he himself said that, so I will have to reduce the quantity so there will be money left for the teachers and some school supplies. I’ll send details later after delivering the items and paying the teachers.

I am planning to travel to the village to take the materials some time soon (before they start their farm work) or else they will not do the work.

Greetings, peace, and many thanks to all.

Sentho

Note from Pastor Laurie:

Special thanks to Marilyn Shaw for the many years in which she organized bike ride fundraisers to help to fund this school and support the teachers. Especially now, as Sierra Leone continues to recover from Ebola we give thanks for Marilyn’s generous heart and commitment to the children of Makomray, and for the love and support of this community .

Categories : Church in the World, Community, Messages from the Pastor, Uncategorized

Tags : school, Sentho, Sierra Leone

No Coal in Oakland

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

February 17, 2016

Statement by Rev. Laurie Manning, pastor of Skyline Church UCC-Oakland Hills, and UCC Northern California representative for Environmental Justice at the no-coal-in-Oakland press conference outside City Hall Tues, Feb 16, 2016:

As Flint Michigan reminds us, environmental toxins particularly impact poor children of color, globally, & locally. West Oakland has many parallels to Flint. (%90 black & Latino, where residents already experience high rates of poverty and unemployment).

This is a local health issue. The children of West Oakland are already contending with fumes & noise from the Port. We need to ask ourselves, what if it were our own children?

Now the proponents of the coal partnership in Oakland argue that it is bringing a $52 million investment and will bring almost $3 mill in annual property taxes and 2300 jobs.

But at what cost? What cost to the environment: excavating coal in Utah, transporting it here by rail, & shipping it by ocean to be burned in China? What cost to human lives in every step of the coal production process: the health risks to those most vulnerable; the miners in Utah; the residents of West Oakland; and those who breathe the air in China?

I’m so proud of Governor Brown, and his global leadership in environmental justice. Speaking out in Paris, and at Vatican, Governor Brown echoed the global scientific community’s unanimous pleas to leave 90% of fossil fuels in ground. Why would we want to be complicit in prolonging and accelerating this environmental and humanitarian health crisis?

Furthermore, besides the moral argument, there’s an economic argument. It’s a bad investment for Oakland. The demand for coal and the coal industry are rapidly failing. Why would Oakland want to invest, even in the short term, as major coal companies are going bankrupt? As Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize economist, has recently noted, “fossil fuels are the way of past, renewables are way in the future – if we care about the future, we care about switching.”http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/opinion/wind-sun-and-fire.html?_r=0

Finally, there’s the voice of the people. According to the recent Sierra Club survey, 76% of Oakland residents are against coal in the port.

Surely, there are healthier and safer long term sources of jobs and revenue that will benefit all of the people of Oakland.

Categories : Church in the World, Community, Events, Green, Messages from the Pastor, Uncategorized

Tags : Coal, Coal in Oakland, Environmental Justice, environmental racism, Faith against fracking, Fracking, jobs

Coal in Oakland & Refugees from Central America

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

February 17, 2016

On Tuesday evening members and friends of Skyline’s Green Team joined hundreds of others to take part in Oakland City Hall’s ongoing discussions about approving a coal distribution center in the port. There will be an interfaith vigil, and undoubtedly, a long evening of discussions.

I lift up thanks to the great collective sense of civic responsibility involved in these meetings, and even more, in our collective efforts to transition to renewable energy sources.

The outcome of Tuesday’s meeting is that the City Council did delay the vote on taking the next step to bring coal through Oakland.Here’s a video of Laurie speaking at the press conference Here’s CBS Bay Area’s news report from last night.

I’d like to share with you some quotes on the UCC’s stand and long history involved in the environmental justice movement.

This Sunday, Rev Deborah Lee will be joining us to share stories about the refugees from Central America and ways in which faith communities, including ours, are offering support to refugees and their families. After worship she and her colleague, Daniel Pinell, will share stories about the underlying causes.

Thank you, Skyline for your compassionate hearts and voices!

Categories : Church in the World, Green, Messages from the Pastor, Uncategorized

Tags : central america, Coal, Coal in Oakland, refugees

A Press Conference and Vigil to Oppose Coal in Oakland, Feb 16

Posted by Administrative Coordinator on

February 10, 2016

There will be a press conference sponsored by several faith and environmental groups at 4:30. Then the vigil will be held from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at Oakland City Hall (Frank Ogawa Plaza). The Oakland City Council needs to hear from people of faith about our deep concern about the negative impacts on the health of our brothers and sisters in West Oakland if this proposed project proceeds. (See below for City Council members you can contact). For more information contact Rev Laurie Manning, [email protected].

Pastor Laurie’s statement on coal in Oakland.

Some organizations supporting this:

350BayArea.org http://www.350bayarea.org/coal-free_oakland_city_council_20160216

OccupyOakland.org https://occupyoakland.org/event/no-coal-in-oakland-city-council-meeting/

Article in New York Times

WHERE:

Frank Ogawa/Oscar Grant Plaza, in front of

Oakland City Hall. (1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza)

WHAT CAN I DO?

City council members really need to know how the people that they represent feel about Coal so that they may take action and stop this disastrous plan. You can;

1. Sign the MoveOn petition to tell the city Council to stop Big Coal

2. Copy this email and send it to your neighborhood listserv if you live in Oakland. Otherwise, forward it to everyone you know in Oakland

3. Call and write Oakland city council members. Email is easy to ignore, a phone call isn’t. It doesn’t hurt to do both

Below is a brief script for calling and the text of a sample email. Feel free to personalize them.

To find your council district click here:

District 1 Dan Kalb

238-7001 [email protected]

District 5 Noel Gallo

238- 7005 [email protected]

District 2 Abel Guillen

238-7002 [email protected]

District 6 Delsey Brooks

238-7006 [email protected]

District 3 Lynette Gibson McElhaney

238-7003 [email protected]

District 7 Larry E. Reid

238-7007

[email protected]

District 4 Annie Campbell Washington

238-7004

[email protected]

At Large Rebecca Kaplan

238-7008 [email protected]

Mayor Libby Schaaf

238-3141 [email protected]

Phone:

“Hi, My name is _____________ and I live and vote in your Council district. I’m concerned that the city of Oakland could become a terminal for shipping coal. West Oakland does not deserve the negative health and toxic environmental impacts of mile-long coal trains shedding coal dust. Coal must be prohibited from the new export terminal. I call on you as my city council representative to pass an ordinance banning coal on health and safety grounds.”

Thank you

Email:

Subject: Coal trains

Dear Mr./Ms./ council member,

My name is _____________ and I live and vote in your Council district. I’m concerned that the city of Oakland could become a terminal for shipping coal. West Oakland does not deserve the negative health and toxic environmental impacts of mile-long coal trains shedding coal dust. Coal must be prohibited from the new export terminal. I feel strongly that it would be a terrible mistake to expose our community to this toxic commodity. I call on you as my city council representative to pass an ordinance banning coal on health and safety grounds.”

Thank you

This action section was prepared by Heather MacLeod, Alameda Interfaith Climate Action Network (A-ICAN)

Categories : Church in the World, Community, Events, Green, Uncategorized

Tags : Coal, oakland coal, stop coal

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