The Pathfinder: October 2nd, 2025
Pictures that Focus our Prayers
Months ago at an All Souls Arts meeting, Erin Horne and I volunteered to create a project with the children and youth that would help mark Ordinary Time. We kept returning to the idea of teaching the kids about icons, and using those icons as part of our communal worship during this season of growth and marking time.
And so I sat this past week in a circle of seventeen children. “Before you were able to read, could you understand stories?” As I was asking, I realized many of these kids could not yet read. But they understood the spirit of the question–nodding yes, and shouting out the stories they knew by heart. “My sister reads to me!” “Before I could read I had a book I memorized and could say all the words.” “You can use context clues!” And of course, “I look at the pictures.”
“There was a time when LOTS of people didn’t know how to read. But they still understood stories. A long time ago, many stories about God and Jesus were turned into pictures called icons that helped people remember those stories. Icons are objects or pictures that help us focus our prayers to God.”
I took that definition from The Rev. Emily Boring, and have been thinking about it ever since: objects or images that help focus our prayers.
Together we looked closely at two of the large crosses that hang above the altar for Good Friday (they observed that Jesus’ muscles look like bread) and for Easter. We talked about the stained glass windows in the church. And the paintings that hang around the sanctuary.
And then we got to work creating icons, using these wonderings:
“I wonder what objects or pictures remind you of people you love?”
“I wonder what objects or pictures remind you of God?”
As they painted and sculpted, we reminded the kids that the whole congregation would use the images they were creating to help people pray. Here are some of their creations, which we hope will help focus your prayers when they are on display in the sanctuary over the next few weeks.
Along with the kids’ icons, Erin and Emily covered similar themes with the youth group. They toured some of the All Soul’s icons, learned about what icons are and how they are used, and then created some of their own icon paintings and sculptures. We’re looking forward to sharing what they create with all of you.
– Brenna Hall and Erin Horne
Renew and Sustain: All Souls 2026
Last Sunday afternoon in the Parish Hall, we launched our 2026 pledge campaign, Renew and Sustain: All Souls 2026. Recently - at the retreat, at a vestry meeting and in personal conversations, I have heard people describing All Souls as an oasis—a place where they are renewed and sustained before returning to the challenges of daily life.
Worship, music, community, and prayer become moments of refreshment for many in our parish family.
Our kickoff presentation picked up on that thread. Phil, Emily, and Mother Rachel each shared stories of times when All Souls has served as an oasis, not only for those who walk through our doors but also for people in the wider community. But the most powerful moment came when the people in the Parish Hall paused to reflect on and respond to one simple question:
When has All Souls felt like an oasis for you?
The answers poured in. People highlighted words like spirit, moving, compassion, nourishment, and community. Some remembered the comfort of worship during a time of loss. Others named the joy of music, the warmth of friendship, or the steady presence of prayer. Together, these stories painted a vibrant picture of a parish that truly renews and sustains people in every season of life.
We want to hear your oasis moment too. Over the next few weeks, cards will be available in the back of the nave—or you can use this Oasis Moment Google form. Your reflections will join those gathered on Sunday to help us share the many ways this community strengthens and uplifts us all.
Our 2026 Pledge Goal
We also announced our pledge goal for 2026: $820,000—a 3% increase from last year. Meeting this goal is vital. It allows the Vestry to maintain staffing, support ministry, and provide stable funding for the work that sustains our parish life.
This year, the AOC team will reach out to roughly 225 households. Of these, 154 pledged last year, with an average pledge of about $4,800. We’ve welcomed 31 new households in the past two years, and there are 41 long-time households who didn’t pledge in 2025 but remain part of our community. Every gift matters, no matter the size, and every pledge strengthens our shared mission.
Considering Your Pledge
Pledging is more than a financial decision—it’s an act of spiritual discipline, a practice of generosity. People often ask, “What should I pledge?” On Sunday we talked about two, perhaps overlapping, ways to approach your decision.
• Give intentionally as a percentage of income. While tithing (10%) is a traditional benchmark, you can choose a percentage that feels both realistic and joyful. Recently, one parishioner realized their pledge was a smaller fraction of their income than they had assumed—and found new meaning in increasing it.
• Discern the overlap between your connection to All Souls, your financial capacity, and the impact you’d like your giving to have.
I will be by the doors after each service between now and Ingathering, ready to talk about pledging! If you have any questions, please let’s have a conversation.
Mark Your Calendar: Ingathering Sunday
Pledge packets will be snail mailed to all our households in mid-October with a personalized request for each household. Then, on Ingathering Sunday, October 26, during both services, we’ll invite you to complete your pledge card. Then we will bring our pledges forward to the altar. This communal act reminds us that we give together as one body.
That evening, we’ll gather again for our All-Parish Ingathering Dinner at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall and Courtyard. Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex and on Realm. In the week before the dinner, you’ll be assigned a table and invited to coordinate a potluck with your table host. At the dinner, we’ll share the first pledge totals and celebrate the abundance we’ve received.
Together, We Renew and Sustain
All Souls is, at its heart, a place of renewal. By pledging, you make it possible for this parish to continue being that oasis—for you, for your neighbors, and for those who have yet to find their way through our doors.
– Richard Lynch for the AOC (Annual Operating Campaign) team
Coffee Hour: A Ministry of Fellowship
Coffee hour isn’t just about coffee and cookies—it’s about community. After worship, we gather not only to enjoy a bite to eat but also to welcome newcomers, catch up with friends, and strengthen the bonds that make our parish family so special.
Scripture reminds us that hospitality is central to the life of the Church. Acts 2:46 tells us the first Christians were “breaking bread in their homes and eating together with glad and generous hearts.” In that same spirit, our coffee hour is an open table where all are received with warmth and belonging.
For visitors and newcomers, this is often the first chance to connect personally and feel at home. For longtime members, it’s a time to check in, share joys and concerns, and strengthen the bonds that make us one body in Christ (Romans 12:5).
To keep this ministry thriving, we invite everyone to take part, as they are able. Each week we ask a few parishioners to bring refreshments—homemade treats, fruit, or simple snacks—to share. Your contributions help make our hospitality warm and abundant.
Please click the Coffee Hour Sign-Up link to support this ministry. We ask for someone to lend a hand (literally) as “host” in support of Scott, and folk to provide some treats (enough to feed 10-15).
Your help will make coffee hour a joyful expression of Christian community and welcome!
– Sarah Crawford
Thanks to the willingness, skill, and talent of All Soulsian Will Boutelle, we now have visibility into our Common Room and library! The addition of these three windows (see photos below) on our existing doors helps All Souls meet the requirements of Whole and Healthy Church. Pop downstairs to check them out.
– All Souls Staff
Sacred Ground
In June of 2020, All Souls began to offer an online course through the national Episcopal church, called Sacred Ground, inviting participants to walk back through history in order to peel away the layers that brought us to today. As members of All Souls, we were all committed to racial healing, reconciliation and justice and wanted to learn and explore the nuances and depths of our individual and societal prejudices.
For the next several months, we learned on a deeply personal level that it is not enough to treat people without prejudice. Rather, we need to own our own microaggressions, unrealized biases, and passive tolerance of exploitation and violence towards other people.
Now, five short years later, six of us have met monthly on Zoom and have developed strong connections as a group, without ever having gathered in person. We have read almost 50 books, and continue to challenge and enjoy each other’s reactions, often agreeing wholeheartedly, and sometimes quite divided on whether the book was worth reading. We often comment that many of us would never have read the chosen book on our own, but were so glad the opportunity was presented.
Here are just a few of those we have found to be the most educational, inspiring, humorous, and challenging:
Solito by Javier Zamora – “This is the immigration story of a nine-year-old on his 3,000 mile journey from El Salvador to San Rafael, California, to reunite with his parents. His nine-week journey shares a powerful message about survival, sacrifices, and resilience in the face of adversity.” (Holly Brownscombe)
James by Percival Everett – “An outstanding and unforgettable book! Having read Mark Twain’s version, I now hear Jim and Huck less like characters in another world and time, and more like me. And I learned more about being human.” (Janet Chisholm)
Apeirogon by Colum McCann – “The characters are living honestly and bravely in an oppressive culture, rather than withdrawing into their private grief.” (Mardie Becker)
Master, Slave, Husband, Wife by Ilyon Woo – “This story, in its time, was as famous as the OJ case was in ours. Everyone should know about William and Ellen Craft, and their ingenious, courageous escape to freedom.” (Kate Garrett)
The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration by Floyd Cheung – “These were very powerful testimonies continuing in the spirit of Sacred Ground in teaching me about the personal histories of our citizens and residents.” (Cindy Townsend)
How To Be An Anti Racist by Ibram Kendi – “It is not enough to be against racism. We are challenged to go beyond just believing in equality but rise up and challenge the basic structures and policies that favor whites.” (Diane Haavik)
Some of our books are offered to you in the Peace and Justice shelves in the narthex. Please feel free to take one or two.
– Diane Haavik
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
SUNDAY
7 AM, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
8 AM, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please access the Chapel through the copper doors on Cedar St.
9:15 AM, Adult Formation in the Parish Hall.
10:30 AM, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the Godly Play room.
12 N, Blessing of the Animals followed by Coffee Hour in the Courtyard
6 PM, Pizza + Pajama Movie Night for ALL GRADES (kids pre-K through high school-aged youth)
MONDAY
7:00 PM, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
TUESDAY
8:00 PM, Taize Service in the Chapel.
WEDNESDAY
9:00 AM, Eucharist in the Chapel.
Learn with Us
THIS SUNDAY IN ADULT FORMATION
October 5th - The Rev. Emily Boring and the Rev. Phil Brochard: Soul and the Self
What is a soul? What is the self? For three weeks, the Reverend Emily Boring and the Reverend Phil Brochard will explore the notion of soul and self from several different vantage points: scripture, theology, history, science, and liturgy.
Join us for these three Sundays, let us know what a favorite piece of soul music you’d like us to start our classes with, and bring some favorite soul food to share! Class meets in the Parish Hall on the following Sundays: Sept. 28, Oct. 5, Oct. 12
COMING UP IN ADULT FORMATION
October 19th - Dr. Mary E. McGann, RSCJ: Lament and Praise in an Ecologically Challenged World
Lament is often missing from our personal and liturgical prayer. Yet in this time of ecological destruction, can we reclaim lament as essential to the truthfulness of our prayer? Human praise would be greatly diminished without the witness of other-than-human creatures. Can we turn more fully toward them as our partners in praise, while remembering those whose voices have been extinguished? Class meets in the Parish Hall on the following Sundays: Oct. 19, 26
Save the Date! November 2nd - Kaki Logan: “Immigration with Dignity”
Join us for this two-week series intended to increase awareness of the realities facing immigrants today. The first session offers an overview of the Episcopal conference “Leaving Home, Migration Through the Eyes of Children” and introduces the Welcoming Quilt Project. The second session gives the upshot of the Episcopal Pilgrimage to 5 detention centers in New Mexico and Texas in early June. Both sessions will offer ideas about why immigration has increased and changed in recent years, and suggest how we might support immigrants in this present and rapidly changing environment. Class meets at 9:15 am in the Common Room on the following Sundays: August 31, and November 2nd.
2025-26 Adult Formation Calendar
Click here to see the calendar for the entire year.
Gather with Us
WELCOME LUNCH - October 12th
We are so glad you found us and would love to welcome you. Join us for lunch on Sunday, 10/12, at 12 noon in the Common Room to meet our clergy, enjoy a meal, and learn more about getting connected at All Souls. Please RSVP by signing up in the narthex or online via Realm at this link.
FUN WITH FLOWERS - October 12th
Join Cathy Thompson and Bonnie Bishop after the 10:30 service on 10/12 to learn how to arrange flowers, specifically for Sunday mornings. All flowers and other supplies will be provided but bring an apron and your own clippers if you have a favorite pair. Please RSVP by Friday, October 10th to either Cathy T or Bonnie B so we will have sufficient supplies.
BEER GARDEN MEET UP - OCTOBER 23rd
All are welcome to come for a drink, a bite, a chat, or a game. Beer gardens have plenty of family-friendly, outdoor space and are casual enough that anyone can drop by for a spell as they are able. All ages are invited to join us at Cellarmaker Brewing Co., 940 Parker St, Berkeley. Email Sarah (sbakkerkellogg@gmail.com) for more info.
INGATHERING SUNDAY - OCTOBER 26th
Sunday morning, 10/26, we’ll gather our pledges of financial support to All Souls. Then, Sunday evening at 5:30 pm, we’ll all meet in the Parish Hall and Courtyard to eat and celebrate together. All are welcome to join us for this very fun and celebratory event. For more details, see the Pathfinder article from Richard Lynch above.
Worship with Us
TAIZE TUESDAY
Join us on Tuesday evenings this Fall for a community-led Taize service. These weekly services will be held from 8 pm-8:30 pm until November 18th. All are welcome to join us in the Chapel for a simple program of silent meditation and Taize chants.
WEDNESDAY EUCHARIST
The 9 am Eucharist will remain in the Chapel of the Nativity. Come join us for a reflection on the Saint of the day and sustenance for the rest of the week.
CHILDREN & FAMILY
Sunday School
Sunday School happens every week during the 10:30 service. Kids pre-K through 5th grade are welcome. Children begin the service in the nave with their families. About five minutes into the service, they process down to the classroom together - look for the leader with a wooden cross! We follow the Godly Play curriculum: a mixture of storytelling, wondering, and creative work time. Children return to church at the “Peace.”
To join our Children and Family mailing list, email Emily+.
October 5th - Kids & Youth Pajama + Pizza + Movie Night
Join us on Sunday, Oct. 5th, for a screening of King of Kings (2025), a new animated movie about the life of Jesus. Families with kids of all ages are welcome.
6:00 Pizza dinner
6:30 Movie
This will be a joint event with our older youth, too. Pajamas encouraged! Please RSVP here to let us know you’re coming and to share any dietary restrictions.
To sign up for our Children and Family e-newsletter, please email Emily+.
YOUTH PROGRAM
Youth Group
Youth Group happens on Sundays from 7 pm-8:30pm during the school year. We alternate between a high school small group and an all-grades (6-12th) youth group.
Coming Up:
Oct. 5th - all-grades pizza and movie night, 6 pm (note earlier start time)
Oct. 12th - High School Small Group, 7-8:30 pm in the Youth Room
Download our full Fall Youth Program 2025 calendar here.
To sign up for our Youth e-newsletter, please email Emily+.
Serve with Us
A message from Kaki Logan - Seeking Donations for La Casa de Misericordia in Nogales, Mexico. As part of the Episcopal conference, “Leaving Home, Migration through the Eyes of Children,” we visited a shelter for asylum seekers, La Casa de Misericordia (The House of Mercy). People whose lives are in danger due to political, gang, or domestic violence are referred there by various organizations for safety, as they make plans for their next steps. The director asked me when I would be coming back. Having been very moved by the stories of migrant children, I decided to return with books, games, and clothing for the children at the shelter. La Casa will receive nearly 100 books donated by parishioner Pat Prudebusch from her bookstore, Orinda Books. Thank you, Pat! A small group of parishioners and friends translated and inserted Spanish text into the books in English, making many of them bilingual.
La Casa is seeking donations of the following items: jackets, sweaters, warm hats, and gloves, along with money for cleaning supplies to be purchased in Mexico. If you would like to contribute, please bring your donations in paper shopping bags to the back of the narthex this coming Sunday, October 5th. Kaki Logan and Diane Haavik will leave for Nogales on October 8th to deliver the donations, along with pickleball and baseball equipment, funded in part by All Souls parishioners. For questions, please call Kaki at 510-367-9416.
Food Bank collection is active. Please bring non-perishable food on Sundays and use the baskets in the Narthex. We also need drivers to deliver food. If you want to help, click here to e-mail Cathy G.
Meal Train delivers food to others. If you are in need of meals, or if you’d like to join this team to deliver to others, click here to email Sarah O.
Open Door Dinner (ODD) makes a warm jambalaya meal for anyone who is hungry every second Sunday of the month. If you are interested in joining the ODD team, click here to email Jennifer A.
Undergraduate Street Medicine Outreach (USMO) is a Cal student group that organizes outreach events every Saturday to bring food and resources to homeless encampments in Berkeley. They are especially seeking donations of the following items:
Bottled water, or water filtration devices
Clothing, particularly large shoes, socks, and jackets/sweaters
Hygiene supplies and toiletries, particularly wet wipes, toothbrushes, soap
Menstrual pads and diapers
Please bring these donations to the red bin in the Narthex. Click here to email Beth Christensen for donation and other direct volunteer opportunities with USMO.
Looking for ways to be politically engaged from a faith perspective?
Learn more on the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations site. You can find out about timely action alerts, service opportunities, and ways to be involved on local and national levels.
In particular, consider joining their weekly network call via Zoom, which the Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers mentioned in her recent sermon. Register here.
You can also receive action alerts from the Episcopal Public Policy network here.
Ways to respond to the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Education: Learn and educate yourself on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dating back to the late 19th Century.
Partnership: Consider partnering with these organizations: Episcopal Relief and Development (episcopalreleif.org), Episcopal Peace Fellowship (episcopalpeacefellowship.net), and the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (www.im4humanintegrity.org).
Advocacy: Our baptismal covenant calls us to "...strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being."
Last but not least
UPCOMING PLAY
Tess Taylor, an All Soulsian, is celebrating the release of her play based on the book Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. This play grapples with themes like climate change, migrancy, internment, and economic crises– issues of high relevance for our present time. You’re invited to join the Arts at All Souls committee to attend a matinee performance on Saturday, Dec. 6th. Tickets for the whole run are already half sold out, but SVMA is reserving a block of 20 tickets until September 30th. Please reserve your tickets soon! You can do so at this link and then email Ann Trinca (atrinca@svma.org) to say that you’re part of the All Souls group.
We may be able to arrange carpools for parishioners. Please contact Michelle Barger (barger1965@gmail.com) if you can provide a ride or need a ride, or if you have any questions.
