Robyn’s eflections...

by Pastor Robyn

‘We long for more. Especially at Christmastime we long for more. I don’t mean the common feelings, eggnog and Santa. I mean a real, deep longing for something which actually fills us up and satisfies. We long for Christ. We long for Christ to be with us. Yes, that’s what we want; Immanuel, God with us.I believe that all people long for this experience of Immanuel even if they don’t consciously know it. People apart from Christ instinctively know there is something (or someone)missing from their lives. The hoopla of Christmas can’t fill the emptiness inherent in living apart from the true God. Truth be told, even those of us with Christ in our lives are often overwhelmed with the wants and worries of life. Can this human longing, which is so endemic in our lives, be overcome this Christmas? I know of only one possible, positive answer to that question: Christ.Christ can transform our wants and weariness into profound wondering. Wonder comes when we recognize that only God’s presence can fully address our emptiness. Don’t get me wrong—it isn’t that all longing suddenly disappears with the coming of

VIEWSTHE SKYLINESkyline Presbyterian Church: Where we seek to connect our Sunday faith to our Monday world!

DECEMBER 2012Inside This Issue:Robyn’s Reflections 1Neighborhood Caroling 2Specially Called Meeting 3of the CongregationBirthdays and Anniversaries 3Time Capsule 2012 3Women’s Ministries 4Men’s Ministry 4Thank You 4Advent and Worship 5Abundance Sunday 6Christmas Joy Offering 6Good Neighbor Café 6Families at Christmas 2012 7Caring Request Cards 8Adult Sunday Morning Bible Study 8Wednesday Night Bible Study 8Vacation Bible School 9Skyline Readers 10Guess Who? 10Learning About Advent in S.S. 11Preschool News 11Whitworth Concert 12

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Christ. But longing is transformed, overcome, superseded, and trumped by the reality of God’s presence with us in Christ.’

Pastor’s note: These introductory words were written by Paul DeVries, pastor of Brookside Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in an Advent devotional that we are using this year. Please pick up a copy of this daily devotional when you’re at the church. I am also shaping my Advent Sermon Series around the theme of longing as turn to portions of the Book of Isaiah.

Still with you in the Journey,

Skyline Presbyterian Family Neighborhood Caroling

Sunday, December 23rdThe Fellowship Committee is hosting an afternoon of neighborhood caroling with

our Skyline families who have the desire to spread some Christmas cheer.We’ll meet in the Fellowship Hall following the Coffee Fellowship (around 11:45

a.m.) on the 23rd. Then it’s off for an afternoon of neighborhood caroling.

We hope to see you there!

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Specially Called Meeting of the Congregation— Sunday, December 9th —

Skyline’s Session has called a special meeting of the congregation for the business of changing the timing of our Annual Congregational Meeting from January to mid-February. This proposed change is intended to provide our church Financial Ministries time to receive year-end contributions, review year-end numbers for accuracy and prepare the annual financial reports. To do so, the Session elders are asking the congregation to amend one item of our current church bylaws. The proposal is to make following change: 8.01 There shall be an Annual Meeting of the Congregation held each January February. The vote on this one item of business will be held in the Sanctuary immediately after the close of worship on Sunday, December 9th, 2012.

Time Capsule 2012by Bob Wallace

On the last Sunday of 2012 we will close and seal the Time Capsule that was opened in June of this year. The capsule contained items from 1987 when Skyline Presbyterian was 25 years old. The capsule contents were displayed at the 50th celebration party. Before closing it this time, we’d like to add items that cover the last 25 years (1987 to 2012). We plan to include photos from the 50th celebration, articles from the newspaper dated June 2nd 2012, other photos, the new pictorial directory, etc. After closing, the Time Capsule will not be opened until June of 2037... 25 years from now. We invite the congregation and friends of Skyline to add any personal mementos (letter, note card, photos and the like) to the Time Capsule. These items will prove to be of immense interest to our members in 2037. As much as possible inscribe the item with your name and drop the items off at the church office directed to the “Time Capsule Memorabilia Project”.

Birthdays(Brackets indicate children’s ages.)4 Jack Leng7 Sandy Price7 Soonie Sprague8 Ernie Lease8 Carol Snyder12 Lisa Buckmaster13 Susi James19 Jasmine Buckmaster (6)23 Matthew Han (15)26 Liz Gallo27 Derek Wallace (11)30 Shawn Cherry

AnniversariesTerry & Darla Simmons

December 3rd (36th)Al & Marie MasekDecember 5th (60th)

Al & Marilyn RatcliffeDecember 22nd (34th)

Jerry & Dorothy HullDecember 26th (36th)

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Women’s Cancer Support Groupby Rosemary Wallace

This informal group is for women dealing with the impact of cancer in their lives, whether it be personal, or family, or friends. It’s a time to share in friendship, fellowship and support in what can be difficult times. The group meets in the Parlor on the first Monday of each month (except holidays) from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.If anyone feels a need to share, or just talk, please call Rosemary Wallace at 752-7049.

Skyline Knitters & HandcraftersWe invite all of you who knit, or do any other kind of handcrafting, to join us on Saturdays at 10 a.m. in the church Parlor. Our fun loving and creative group of ladies has a great time together and they look forward to newcomers. For more details, contact Lorna Henricksen at 759-6132.

Men’s Monthly MeetingThe Skyline Men’s Fellowship next monthly meeting will be on Tuesday, January 22nd at 6:30 p.m. This is a fun potluck and Bible Study meeting. All men are invited to come.Men, this is a great time to share a meal, build friendships with other men, engage in a practical application Bible study and hear about ways we can serve together. I’m looking forward to growing and serving with you.Please note that the Men’s Fellowship is taking a break in December for the holidays. As noted above, they will resume in January. In the mean time if you have any questions concerning our Men’s Ministries, please contact Ray Wuco, Men’s Ministry Lead. (565-8664) Thank you.

To Skyline’s Congregation,Thank you so much for the lovely party for the 90’s and over! Russ and I enjoyed the lovely flowers in the Sanctuary, the beautiful cakes and the wonderful fellowship.To the Fellowship Committe, a special thank you for your hard work. We appreciated it! Russ and Maggie Hewitt

Advent and Worship On Saturday, December 1st our church will be

decorated for Advent. There is still time for you to joinus as we beautify the Lord’s house for Christmas. Please

show up at 10 a.m. when the fun begins. We’ll even feed you! Last year, after much discussion, some changes were made in our Advent

celebrations and the results were completely successful. This year we will once again celebrate Christmas Eve with one family oriented service.

Christmas Eve Service on Monday, December 24th at 7 PM: Please join us for a meaningful, traditional candlelight service at which we will be blessed by wonderful music. Enjoy solos, duets, choir anthems and guest musicians as we worship together with various instruments to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The worship service will be followed by a time of fellowship and refreshments, in the Fellowship Hall, for those who wish to visit with friends and family. Invite your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to join you!Please note that there is not a 11 p.m. service. We know the later service has been very meaningful to some, but due to the steady decrease in attendance these two services have been combined. If this later hour of worship is one that you still want to participate in, both St. Mark’s Lutheran (just down the street) and University Place Presbyterian churches offer 11 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion services.

When Advent is over, all the decorations need to be taken down. The tentative date for this is Saturday, January 12, from 9 to 11 a.m. As with the decorating, the more helpers the faster it will get done. Please contact Marilyn Scott at scotntac@msn.com or give her a call at 759-0745 if you are able to come. Thank you!

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Abundance Sundayby Joan Benner

As we begin to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our focus for Abundance Sunday will be our Mitten Tree.We hope you will help decorate the tree with gloves, mittens, hats, scarves and other warm wearables. You can hang your donations directly on the tree or place them in the basket placed underneath the tree. The tree will remain up all of December. We had a great response last year and we thank you all so much.Instead of filling our traditional Big Blue Tub lets overload our Mitten Tree!The donated items will go to the Tacoma Rescue Mission to be distributed to homeless men, women and children. These items are so appreciated this time of year.Let us go back to the gospel of Luke and remember that first Christmas when Mary and Joseph left Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem. “So it was while they were there Mary brought forth her first born son and wrappen Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger as there was no room at the inn.”Now let us remember in this busy time before Christmas what it really means to give praise to God who gave His only Son to be the light of the world and gave His love to the world!

Helping Those Who Serve:Christmas Joy Offering - Dec. 23rdby Valerie Frohlich

A Presbyterian tradition for nearly 70 years, the Christmas Joy Offering is one of the four special offerings designated by the PC(USA) General Assembly. This offering provides vital funding to the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions as well as to Presbyterian-related racial-ethnic schools and colleges.Why support this offering? It’s simple! The Christmas Joy Offering provides a way to give thanks, and much-needed support, to active and retired church workers and their families who are struggling with urgent financial needs. It’s a wonderful opportunity for those who have been blessed with the means to express their generosity and, at the same time, support important needs in the PC(USA) community.Would you prayerfully consider supporting this need? Your generosity simultaneously acknowledges your own blessings, while filling the hearts of recipients with the knowledge that they are cared for by their fellow Presbyterians.

Good Neighbor Café!Do you want to get out of the house and have fun helping your neighbors? On the 1st Tuesday of each month 12 lucky volunteers will help prepare and serve lunch at the Tacoma Rescue Mission’s “Good Neighbor Café.” Our next trips will be on Dec. 4th and Jan. 1st.► We meet at the church at 10:30 and vanpool.► We work to 1 p.m. preparing and serving lunch. ► Please wear long pants and closed toe shoes.► Each volunteer needs an application on file.Davey Smith will be leading the group again this month. To sign up, contact Davey at 853-7857.

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Families at Christmas 2012by Bob Wallace

Many individuals and families in our community are facing tough economic times. So much so that the thought of the approaching Christmas season is a gloomy prospect. We hope to change that, at least for a few families in our community, by continuing our Families at Christmas project. In its present form this will be the fifth year we have had this project. Last year we were able to brighten Christmas for 17 individual and family units (60 people altogether). Families at Christmas is now under the sponsorship of the Evangelism and Missions committee at Skyline.By now you will have heard about the project and appeal for donations and support through announcements during Sunday services. Donations can be made by cash or check, made out to Skyline Presbyterian Church, and both should be designated to “Families at Christmas” or simply “Families”. Donations can be placed in the offering plate or in the secure drop box located on the church office door.As in the past we will be seeking recommendations from the congregation to identify individuals and families in our church and nearby community. Please pass this information on to Pastor Robyn or any member of the E&M committee. We will also work with local aid organizations to identify other qualified families. As is often the case each individual or family we seek to help has differing needs so the support/gift is in the form of a gift card of a major chain store. The card can be used for a variety of needs such as clothing, food, other essentials, or maybe even a toy or two. We will begin our gift distribution two weeks prior to, and right up until Christmas.Please consider adding “Families at Christmas” to your Christmas giving list .... perhaps you have friends or other family member who would consider donating? Thanks and God Bless!

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Adult Sunday Morning Bible Studyby Pat Nelson

Please come and join Kathy Johnson and me at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays for the Adult Sunday Morning Bible Study. We are studing the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. In December we will start studying Peace. This study on Peace is titled “Overcoming Anxiety and Conflict.” The weekly titles for December are:

• Coping with Anxiety• Why We Shouldn’t Worry• Finding Peace in God’s Presence• Feeling Safe in God’s Care

I think studying Peace during the Holiday Season is very appropriate. We will not be meeting on December 30th.

Wednesday Night Bible Studyby David Teeter

Our sessions are suspended for the Holiday season. Our current series, “How to Get More Out of Reading The Bible,” will resume next year on January 9th.Missed some earlier classes? Come anyway! Each class is a new and complete lesson. Everyone is welcome, whether a novice, experienced, or expert Bible reader. We meet on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. This class is team taught by Rev. David Teeter and Pastor Robyn.

Caring Request Cardsby Andrea Little

The care ministry of Skyline Presbyterian Church includes providing a listening ear, a caring heart, and a helping hand to members and friends of our congregation during times of crisis, illness, accidents or any of life’s transitions.To help in our endeavor to better serve you, we have Caring Request Cards located in the pew racks. This is an easy way to let the Deacons and/or Pastor Robyn know that you have a need. Please don’t assume that the church knows you would like a visit or need some help.Many of us, myself included, tend to tell people that everything is okay... when in actuality we are anything but. Maybe we are experiencing a family or personal crisis. Maybe our health has taken a turn for the worse. Maybe we need help financially or just need someone stronger than us to help move some boxes. Maybe we just need someone to listen to us and hand us kleenex.Whatever the need, please don’t leave it to the mind-readers within the congregation... because we don’t have any. What we do have are a Pastor and people who love you. They are ready to pray for and with you, to stand or sit by your side; ready to help you through the scary times of life; ready to lend a much need hand. Please fill out a card and let us know. We will respond. And you are cared for!

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Vacation Bible Schoolby Jan Vance, Christian Education (CE) and Evangelism and Missions (E & M) Committees

Have you ever attended Vacation Bible School (VBS)? I certainly did throughout my childhood in Kentucky. I would not have missed it for anything. It was different. There, we had more time to learn about Jesus, more time for music, and lots of play with other kids. Obviously this was some time ago. Back then, there were no computers, smart phones or any form of “technology.” It was probably easier then to get kids to come to VBS, as there was not so much distraction or competition for attention. Yet today, many (perhaps most) churches offer VBS. The programs are excellent, and the parents and kids love it. Skyline offered VBS for many years, until just a few years ago. We want to bring VBS back. This program is offered in the summer, usually for a period of one week.We need your help to bring back VBS. We need volunteers for many areas. We already have one volunteer who is willing to help coordinate the program—Jan Wuco, who is already a very busy person; she has a full time teaching job, is a deacon, a CE committee member, and on and on. Jan will be off work in the summertime, and is generously willing to volunteer to help make our VBS a success. We need more people to help coordinate; select curriculum; teach; and many other tasks.Will you consider being some part of this team to deliver VBS at Skyline? Please pray about this, and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to you. I know He wants this to happen.VBS is about Christian development. It is about Evangelism and Missions. Many children hear about Jesus for the f irst time at VBS. VBS is for our kids and those in our neighborhoods. We will be inviting them all to join us.Won’t you say “yes” to this important ministry? Stay tuned. Soon Jan Wuco will provide a brief presentation in worship service about VBS.

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Guess Who? A big thank you to those who have responded by turning in their photos. Please keep them coming! We need a constant supply to keep us guessing.To help us in this endeavor, please bring in photos of yourself when you were young; ones that would really get folks wondering about just who this person might be? Send all photo submissions to Andrea ... she is sworn to secrecy ... then in the next issue, she’ll tell who it was!!

Did you guess our November photo?

Our little lass all decked out for winter’s chill is...

Valerie Frohlich

Check the items that sound like fun:

Let someone else prepare lunch and do the dishes.

Share the warmth of friendship.

Hear about others’ “best read ever”.

Tell others about a memorable reading experience.

Give yourself the gift of good company.

Take a bit of time off from holiday preparations.

It ’s easy! Join the Skyline Readers at 11 for lunch on December 19th at Knapp’s on Proctor. It will be an unstructured get-together of ladies who love to read (and eat). If you feel moved to reinvigorate your personal library, bring a book or two to put in a basket and exchange for some different reading material. If any are left over, they will go to Christmas House. You’ll also have the opportunity, if you wish, to share a Christmas tradition, story, or photo.Come January we’ll return to our 3rd Wednesday, 10 a.m. meeting in the parlor. Prior to that you may procure your own copy of the January selection or check one out from the Conference Room at Skyline; Border Songs by Jim Lynch will likely draw you into the discussion. The “border” referenced is the Canadian border with Washington. You may recognize some of the locations mentioned and are sure to enjoy 6’8” Brandon Vanderkool, a birder/painter/sculptor/Good Samaritan, and incidentally a Border Patrol agent. As reviewer Kent Haruf says, “It is a quietly ambitious book that gets better as it rises to the final satisfying image.” The cover alone will arouse your curiosity. Please join us. When it comes to books and readers, the more the merrier.

Skyline Readers meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. in the church Parlor. Please mark the dates on your calendar and come join us!

Skyline Readersby Janet Thorpe

An Invitation to Join Skyline Readers for Food for the Mind and Body

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P r esc h o o l Ne wsfrom Debbie FortescueChristmas is about so many things to our preschoolers; toys, candy, trees, lights, decorations, presents and Jesus’ Birthday.As we prepare for the coming season, we will make special gifts for our parents, a field trip to the tree farm, decorating the tree with the wonderful ornaments the children make in class, making cookies

and learning songs for our Christmas Program.These are just a few of the wonderful things about Christmas. Because the best thing about Christmas for our preschoolers is learning about love. God’s love for us. Christmas is Jesus.Please join us for our Annual Christmas Program on Tuesday, December 18th at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Our Christmas program is a magical night of wonder, excitement, laughter, friends and family. It’s a celebration. Happy Birthday, Jesus!Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

S CP

Learning About Advent in Sunday Schoolby Marilyn Ratcliffe

In Sunday School this Fall, children have learned about Moses and Joshua, and where to find their stories in the Old Testament. They have learned about the various unexpected ways that God guided the Israelite people in Egypt, in their years of travel in the wilderness, and their arrival in Caanan.December 2nd begins the season of Advent, the time of expectation during the four weeks leading up to Christmas. As the main areas of the church building are decorated, we also will have an Advent wreath in Sunday School to help emphasize a different part of the Advent story each week. On the first Sunday of Advent each child in Sunday School will be given an Advent booklet to take home. It is designed to be used at home for a family time centering on the meaning of Advent and celebrating the coming of Christ. As we prepare for Christmas, may all of us, children and adults alike, focus on the hope, peace, love and joy we have in Christ.

SKYLINE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH6301 Westgate BoulavardTacoma, Washington 98406253•752•5757253•752•5816

Whitworth 2012 Christmas Festival Concert

Laud to the NativitySaturday, Dec. 8th at 7:30 PM or Sunday, Dec. 9th at 2 PM

1st Presbyterian Church of Seattle (1013 8th Ave)

Whitworth’s Concert, Laud to the Nativity, features over 130 student performers including members of the Whitworth Choir, the Whitworth

Women’s Choir, the Whitworth Men’s Chorus, and the Whitworth Chamber Singers, as well as student-instrumentalists and student-narrators.

Tickets are $18 ($15 student/seniors) and may be purchased by calling 1-800-532-4668. Saturday’s concert is at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday’s is at 2 p.m. We will meet at our church at 6 p.m. on Saturday or 12:30 p.m. on

Sunday to carpool to this fun Christmas season event!

Let us know you’re coming by signing up. Sign up sheet is in the Narthex.

We hope you can make it!