Harvest Festival 2021 and Re-Vision at Skyland Church During the Skyland Church Council meeting of July 26, the decision was made to cancel Harvest Festival for 2021. Council members all spoke to their love for the event and about concerns for the rising COVID-19 infections locally. (Not known until Wednesday, the 28 th , was a super spreader music event in Felton with just over 200 people present that sickened the entire band and several attendees, so far. Local health authorities are seeking participants who are displaying even minor symptoms.) The community and our church’s love for Harvest Festival is deep and abiding. Each of the event’s different aspects were spoken of with fondness and a strong hope of continuing in future years. As the discussion continued, folks began to include events that had happened as part of our Re-Visioning community outreach and involvement projects. Then, lightbulbs of ideas began to shine upon the Women’s Soothing Series, the Community Shar...
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. --Matthew 2:11 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As we enter the new year, we watch the magi as they come from afar following a star to find and to pay homage to Jesus and to bring him gifts of great value, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. During January we too will have the opportunity to open our eyes to the light shining in and to give gifts to organizations who are working to make the world a better place. We will take special offerings every Sunday in January: January 2: The Christmas Fund January 9: Blanket Sunday January 16: Blanket Sunday January 23: International Students January 30: International Students Please take some time to reflect on the blessings in your life and how you might be able to be a blessing to someone else with a donation to one or more of these funds. Als...
I am sure that you have all heard that Santa Cruz County has moved to the Orange Tier on the state's pandemic response system on March 31st. This level is called "Moderate Risk," but it is still not safe for us to meet together in person, especially with some areas now having more cases of the more highly infectious virus type. Last July the Council adopted a policy about reopening saying that we will not host in-person gatherings of any kind, including worship, until a vaccine is available to all. The Council will revisit this policy later this year. For now we will continue to worship over Zoom and connect with each other in socially distant ways. It isn't perfect, but it is what we have. Let us be grateful for the technology that allows us to gather while we wait for that joyful day when we worship together in person again. Rev. Melanie You can click below for further information: https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/ ________________________...