The Pathfinder: April 30th, 2026
A New Soul at All Souls
I first stumbled upon All Souls on the Sunday right after Christmas. This is one of the Sundays I later learned that Phil calls “Pillar Sunday” because only the pillars of the church show up. You know who you are.
Attendance was light, there was no choir, and the landscaping needed attention.
But Dean greeted me warmly at the door. And after the service, Cathy warmly engaged me and apologized because a loaf of welcome bread could not be found. I remember thinking, Gee, these people are all so nice and friendly; it’s a shame the church seems to be dying.
How wrong I was. The next week after that first sleepy Sunday, Phil+ and the music returned and I was knocked back on my heels by how full the pews were and how bursting with life and enthusiasm the congregation was. I also learned that the church was undergoing substantial renovation. Just goes to show how wrong first impressions can be.
The first sermon I remember was a week or two later on “In the beginning was the Word.” The sermon explored the roots of the word, “logos”. It was so rich and thought provoking. One of the first adult formation classes that I attended was Emily’s+ and Mark’s+ lecture series on reconciling evolution with religious belief. I thought maybe a dozen people would attend. The room was chock full of more than 50 people, many of them with the same color hair as I have -- white. I felt like I was back in college at a seminar. I felt challenged and alive and – home.
Then came the Mardi gras dinner. Emily HC just about took me by the hand and coached me into signing up for a Camino Lenten dinner group. I had no idea how to choose because I still didn’t really know anyone. I chose a Camino host on Spruce, thinking it would be within walking distance of the church (I was wrong again). Boy, did I strike it rich! Ann and Charlie, our hosts, provided elegant dinners. And Charlie, who is a gourmet cook, made delicious soups every week. Everyone in the group was so generous and understanding of my special diet needs. These became my first friends and gave me a sense of belonging.
When I came to All Souls I only wanted to get for a little bit of familiarity, a bunker to hide in during the insanity of politics in 2024. Just a few familiar prayers, some hymns I knew the tunes to. What I I got was a whole world of kind, generous loving people. People who pitch in, move furniture, cook meals, are curious about new ideas and books. But most important, people who care about each other.
As I look back on how I happened into All Souls, it feels as if All Souls picked me just as much as I chose it. From the moment I arrived, All Souls extended its hand out to me. All I had to do is reach out mine and accept it.
–Vicky Dempsey
Adult Formation: Isaiah Project Updates
Please join us at 9:15 am in the Common Room on May 3rd and May 10th for conversations with two of our Isaiah Project grantees. Elizabeth House will join us on May 3rd and Youth Spirit Artworks will join us on May 10th.
The Isaiah Project was born in 2022 when the Vestry voted unanimously to commit a tithe – 10 percent – of the Living Waters Capital Campaign towards racial repair in the form of community impact projects. A team was formed to evaluate and recommend grantee organizations to the Vestry. After many months of research, discussion, prayer and reflection, the Isaiah Project team in October 2024 recommended to the Vestry that All Souls award grants of $100,000 each to four East Bay organizations. The Vestry approved this request. These four organizations are: the American Indian Child Resource Center; Elizabeth House; the Center for ArtEsteem; and Youth Spirit Artworks. The grants are being disbursed over a three-year period, with the first installment having been paid in the summer of 2025. Our hope is that these grants may in some small measure promote repair of the harms caused by the history of racism in our local communities.
We have drawn our inspiration and guidance from Isaiah 58:12, which proclaims that “Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.” Each of the grantee organizations is addressing community needs in one or more of four focus areas that had previously been approved by the Vestry: housing; children and youth services; Native American land and sovereignty; and environmental justice.
It is the hope of the Isaiah Project that, in addition to disbursing the grant funds, the All Souls congregation can find ways to be in relationship with the grantee organizations. The Adult Formation sessions on May 3 and May 10 offer an opportunity to be in conversation with two of the organizations, to learn more about their work, and to better understand the ongoing challenges they face.
Elizabeth House (May 3)
Elizabeth House, founded in North Oakland in 1991, is a small organization but it makes a tremendous impact on the people it serves – women and children (primarily people of color) who have been living unhoused and in extreme poverty – by providing transitional housing. Ninety percent of the women who come to Elizabeth House were homeless for between 1 ½ and 5 years. All have experienced domestic violence, addiction, or extreme poverty. Families live at the House for an average stay of 18 months, but can stay up to two years. Approximately 80% of the women who have stayed at Elizabeth House go on to find safe, permanent housing and find employment.
Youth Spirit Artworks (May 10)
YSA was founded in 2007, as a response to the enormous employment challenges of unhoused and low-income youth. Young people, especially people of color, facing housing instability have overwhelmingly experienced abuse and neglect, mental and physical health struggles, and lack of access to public resources. YSA works with transitional age youth by providing art training, job training, leadership training, academic aid, wellness support, and housing support, including the building of Tiny Homes.
https://youthspiritartworks.org
Please join us on May 3 and May 10 for conversation with the leadership of these two remarkable organizations.
–Lewis Maldonado
Being With: Explore Life and Faith - Together
You are invited to join our very first Being With small group. Being With is for anyone who’s curious about faith or wondering if Christianity has something meaningful to offer them. In this 10-week small group, we seek out the sacred simply by paying attention to our lives — and the lives of those around us.
Amid the isolation that’s symptomatic of our divided world, we find meaning by building real relationships.
Each Being With session is centered on a question that invites the group to reflect on topics like meaning, suffering, and hope. There is no judgment, no wrong answer, and no prescribed path. The only thing you are asked to do is listen to others’ stories — and maybe share your own.
What happens during Being With?
Every 90-minute group begins with a question. For example, I wonder where in your life you find the most meaning? Then we listen to a brief teaching and move on to a group conversation. Participants are encouraged to listen to and openly receive what each person shares. Together, we’ll come to see how our stories are interconnected.
Our pilot Being With group will begin on May 17th, 2026. Groups are kept to 12 people. To inquire about joining, email Mother Rachel at rachel@allsoulsparish.org .
–Mother Rachel
April Vestry Update
The Vestry gathered on the evening of April 22nd, with Jr. Warden Molly Nicol calling us to order at 7pm and Jesse Kadjo led us in a reflection on a thought-provoking poem by Langston Hughes.
After a unanimous vote on the consent agenda - including March minutes and February financial reports - we welcomed our first presenters of the night.
Kim Wong joined us to share an update on Building Interfaith Bridges. This is a lay and clergy-led collaboration among All Souls, Congregation Beth El, and St. Paul's AME. The ministry began as a string of special events and has grown into a sustained group of passionate folks from each congregation including shared sacred meals and Peace and Justice Movie Nights. St. Paul’s has temporarily relocated to Congregation Beth El while their church land is being developed into affordable housing, similar to what All Souls did at Jordan Court. So now is a great time to connect with all 3 faith communities since we’re within a few blocks of each other. Kim hopes that others at All Souls can join the group over time.
Molly Nicol and Kim then walked us through the next chapter of the Isaiah Project: with grants from the 2.0 round being disbursed, the work shifts toward continued engagement with our partners. Molly is serving as our liaison to Elizabeth House, where there's a real need for volunteer support.
Next came an update on the preschool search by Richard Lynch. The taskforce has narrowed the field to two qualified candidates. We’re very close to making an offer to one of the groups, with a target lease start in the summer. At that point the selected provider will need to obtain a license as they cannot start the licensing process before a lease is signed. This means the space will be occupied a few months later. This new opportunity will be incredibly exciting for us at All Souls as it allows us to further serve our surrounding community, while also bringing in an additional source of income. We’ve invested a great deal in bringing the current space up to code to allow us to do this.
Our Stewardship chair Richard then led us into a wide-ranging conversation about the upcoming 2027 Annual Operating Campaign. Rather than another generic theme, we want to talk about life at All Souls: Our leadership, our vision, what makes us us. We want to continue to focus on those who are part of our common life but haven't yet pledged, as well as to those whose connection to giving has drifted with life circumstances. The Vestry agreed to play a more visible role this year. We also hope to use a more targeted approach in outreach.
Landscaping. Do you know what a Keystone Species is? It’s a species of plant or animal that is an indicator of how healthy our local ecology is. We have a large Keystone Species - an Oak - right in our midst. Kaki Logan and Joni Stickney walked us through a bid from the committee’s recommended contractor to implement our plans for a regenerative, Bay-Friendly landscape design. In addition to supporting our Oak tree, we will be adding new planting areas, a courtyard refresh, an irrigation system, and safety guardrails for the lightwells surrounding the church structure. Since the contractor bids came in higher than hoped, the vestry spent some time deliberating on whether we have the funds to pursue all the work at present. We took the recommendation under consideration, with an understanding that we will have a vote before our next meeting. The landscape work is pretty time sensitive as some of it needs to be completed before our new childcare provider can move in.
The seismic upgrade work is 90% complete: 13 of 14 nave pillars are complete, and the Parish Hall is nearly done. An unexpected modification for the preschool footing leaves us still well within our construction contingency.
Phil+ closed with his Rector's report:
We mourn the passings of Marsha Thomas Thompson, Howard Perdue, and Kate Murphy. A service for Marsha will be held on Saturday, May 2 at 2pm at All Souls.
The Fish Fry was an amazing success and was led by Isaac Webb, Anika Halverson, Mother Rachel and the rest of the Welcome Team. The event drew 115 souls and raised more than $1,000 to go toward a fund to welcome new folks to our church.
Holy Week attendance was up 10%.
The organ project is on track for the service at Pentecost.
And a discovery worth pausing over: All Souls as a Parish turned 100 this month. We officially became our own Parish in April 1926. One hundred years on, we're still building, still listening, still becoming.
–Dan Hardy, Vestry
Pilgrimage Pictures
Last Sunday, the youth (and youths-at-heart) of All Souls joined with folks from around the Diocese of California in a pilgrimage to Grace Cathedral. We traveled by foot, train, and boat from Berkeley to San Francisco and all the way up the hill!
There were many highlights: the ferry ride, cornhole on the Cathedral plaza, stops for boba and gelato, a scavenger hunt, a chat with Bishop Austin, and a backstage acolyte tour.
Thank you to the youth who participated, the adults who helped make it a fun and safe adventure, and all who supported us in your prayers from afar!
We’ll take part in the pilgrimage again next April (2027). If you missed it this time, we hope you will join us then!
–The Rev. Emily Boring
Announcements & Events
Thursday (TONIGHT)
5:30 pm, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room.
6 pm, Beer Garden Meet up at Headlands Brewery.
Saturday
10 am, Confirmation/Reaffirmation/Reception at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco (see details in the Youth section below).
2 pm, Memorial Service for Marsha Thomas-Thompson in the Nave. Reception immediately following in the Parish Hall. Join us via livestream here.
Sunday
7 am, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room or click here to join by Zoom.
8 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
9:15 am, Adult Formation classes in the Chapel and Common Room.
10:30 am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the Godly Play room.
12 noon, Coffee Hour in the Courtyard.
5 pm, Faithful Families in the Parish Hall.
7 pm, Youth Group (High School Small Group)
Tuesday
Taize Service at 8 pm in the Chapel. These Spring services will run until May 19th.
Wednesday
9 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MARSHA THOMAS-THOMPSON - MAY 2nd
You are invited to join us at All Souls on Saturday, May 2nd at 2 pm in the Nave for Marsha Thomas-Thompson’s memorial service. If you are unable to attend in person, the service will be live streamed. Please click here to join the service. There will be a reception immediately following in the Parish Hall.
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR KATE MURPHY - MAY 14th
It is with heavy hearts that we share that Kate Murphy, beloved of St. Aidan's, San Francisco, All Souls, Berkeley, and Christ Church, Alameda, died on Tuesday of this week. Kate and her wife Angela were stalwarts of our early service and bible study for many years. A Service of the Resurrection will be held at Christ Church, Alameda on May 14th at 2:30 pm. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
Worship With Us
TAIZE TUESDAYS
Each Tuesday, from 8-8:30 pm, we hold a community-led program of silent meditation, prayer, and chants from the Taize tradition. The spring series will run through Tuesday, May 19th.
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Sunday School (for kids pre-K through 5th grade) happens every week during the 10:30 service. We follow Godly Play, an approach to spiritual formation that features storytelling, hands-on learning, and wondering. Shortly after the service starts, children follow a teacher, carrying a cross, downstairs to the classroom and return to church at the “Peace.”
To join our Children and Family mailing list, email Emily (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
YOUTH
Youth Group (for grades 6-12) generally happens each Sunday from 7-8:30 pm.
Join us on Sunday evenings from 7-8:30 pm for games, art, reflection, and prayer. We alternate between a middle and high school group with some all-grades events.
COMING UP:
May 3 - High School Small Group
To join the weekly youth mailing list, email Emily B+ (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
Grace Cathedral Confirmation Service, this Saturday May 2nd
All are invited to a service of Confirmation/Reaffirmation/Reception this weekend. Several All Soulsians are taking part, and we would love your presence and support. Saturday, May 2nd, at 10 am at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.
Gather With Us
BEER GARDEN MEET UP - TONIGHT April 30th from 6-8 pm
One Thursday a month, All Soulsians meet up at a different beer garden to connect - for a drink, a bite, a chat, a game, etc. Beer gardens are ideal because they have plenty of family-friendly, outdoor space and are casual enough that anyone can drop by for a spell as they are able. This is an all-ages, intergenerational event—we would love to see everyone there!
April Location: Headlands Brewery, 1280 Gilman St, North Berkeley
FAITHFUL FAMILIES DINNER - May 3rd
This weekend is our last Faithful Families event of the school year. Join us for a time of intergenerational fellowship and learning. We will start with a shared meal. Then, there will be time for prayer practices, activities for kids, and a space for parents to connect and discuss important questions of faith. Families with children of all ages (kids, teens, young adults) are welcome to attend.
Sunday, 5/3 5-6:30 pm in the courtyard and Parish Hall.
Please RSVP here by Saturday, May 2nd.
BUILDING INTERFAITH BRIDGES MOVIE NIGHT - May 14th
The All Souls Parish Building Interfaith Bridges team is hosting a movie night on May 14th, showing "Live and Become" - a 2005 French film about an Ethiopian Christian boy who is infiltrated among Ethiopian Jews in order to escape famine and to emigrate to Israel. The film tells of his growing up in Israel and how he deals with the secrets he carries: not being Jewish and having left his birth mother.
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Location: The event will be in the Common Room (basement level) of All Souls. Enter via the Lower level doors on Cedar Street.
6:30 pm: Gather - please bring a snack to share.
7 pm: Movie
9:10 pm: (Optional) Small group reflection and discussion
9:30 pm: Adjourn
To help with planning, please RSVP pmathew1000@gmail.com.
PARISH PICNIC - June 21st
Just after the 10:30a service, we’ll all head up to Tilden Park for a church potluck and picnic! We’ll have a BBQ fired up with burgers and hot dogs, and maybe even play a favorite pastime of ours: a corn hole tournament. If you can help out with the picnic, please see Jeannie Koops. No RSVP necessary.
ALL SOULS PARISH ANNUAL CAMPING TRIP - July 17th–19th
Registration is now open! Join us for a weekend of togetherness at our private spot on the river behind the Big Sur River Inn. Whether you want to float downstream, let the kids splash in the swimming hole, or chat under the stars, it’s a sweet time for all.
Where? Santa Lucia Campground, Big Sur
Everyone is welcome: Invite a friend and get your tent ready!
Early Bird Option: Limited spots are available to arrive one day early (July 16th).
Sign Up:Click here to register on REALM or on the sheet in the narthex.
Volunteer: We need help with campfires and activities! Click here to email Mother Rachel and to lend a hand.
Learn With Us
ADULT FORMATION
Belonging at All Souls: Newcomer & Membership Class
Are you new to All Souls or looking to deepen your commitment to this community? Join us for a four-week journey exploring our worship, our shared life, and what it means to call this parish home. The class meets Sundays in May (3, 10, 17, and 24th) from 9:15–10:15 AM in the Downstairs Common Room. No RSVP required—all are welcome!
Isaiah Project Class
Join us on May 3rd and 10th at 9:15 am as the Isaiah Project team will update us on the work of the grant recipients. See article above for the details.
COMING UP IN ADULT FORMATION
Summer Book Groups 2026
The Adult Formation Committee is happy to announce the schedule for our summer book groups this year. We will send more information as the time draws nearer, but wanted to get this information out now so that you can start reading. For now just a few short teasers! Any questions, please contact Anne Yardley at ayardley@drew.edu.
June 14, 21, and 28
Jack Shoemaker will lead a discussion of Elaine Pagels' book Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus. As the description of her book says, in this book Pagels “sets out to discover how a poor young Jewish man inspired a religion that shaped the world.”
July 12, 19, and 26
Mark Richardson and Anne Yardley will lead a discussion of Angela Buchdahl's book Heart of a Stranger. “From the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi, a stirring account of one woman’s journey from feeling like an outsider to becoming one of the most admired religious leaders in the world.”
August 2, 9, and 16
Jane Vandenburgh and Jenny Kern will lead a discussion of Glenn Jordan and Pádraig Ó Tuam's book Borders and Belonging: The Book of Ruth: A Story for our Times. “A leading poet and a theologian reflect on the Old Testament story of Ruth, a tale that resonates deeply in today's world with its themes of migration, the stranger, mixed cultures and religions, law and leadership, women in public life, kindness, generosity and fear.”
BIBLE STUDY GROUPS
All Souls hosts two weekly Bible Study Classes each week. In addition to our Sunday morning group (meets from 7-8 am), we are now offering another group on Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30 pm. Both groups meet in our Common Room and use the Reading Between the Lines curriculum. Join us! Drop-ins are always welcome, too!
Justice & Peace Events and Resources
The Justice & Peace Ministry is highlighting five events this week. For more information, email Jenny Kern at Jenkernesq@gmail.com.
Please send prospective calendar items to Jenny Kern Jenkernesq@gmail.com.
IMMIGRATION
Event: Concord Immigration Court Vigil
Location:1855 Gateway Blvd.Concord
Date and Time: Last Tuesday of the month from 7:30-9:30am
Contact: Kaki Logan kaki.logan@gmail.com 510-367-9416
Bay Resistance
Event: Berkeley May Day (May 1st) solidarity march and rally with Bay Resistance
Location: 11 AM March, 2300 Ellsworth Way
11:30 -12:30 PM Rally, 2151 Martin Luther King Way
https://www.bayresistance.org/
Indivisible East Bay
Event: Dance for Democracy with Indivisible East Bay
Location: Strawberry Creek Park 1260 Addison Way, Berkeley, CA 94702
Date and Time: May 1, 5 to 6 PM ( and all Fridays)
Sign up or just show up:
Stay Informed and Take Action with the Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations represents the church’s priorities to the US government in Washington, DC, and offers several ways to connect to their work:
Weekly network calls, Thursdays 10-10:30 am Pacific time, provide information about current events, policy developments, and legislation coming before Congress. Register here.
Weekly immigration update, Tuesdays, 10-10:30 am Pacific time. Register here.
Weekly prayers, released every Friday, prayed aloud on Mondays at 8:45 am Pacific time, name concerns, offer prayer for those who are vulnerable, and seek God’s guidance as we respond. More information here.
Global Partnership monthly calls, 1st Wednesday of the month, 10-11 am Pacific time, consider how the church can address human needs, engage in peacebuilding, and build healthy, mutual relationships. Register here.
Take action by writing to your legislators and other government officials, with Action Alerts. Learn more and sign up here.
Serve With Us
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. 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 folks to provide some treats (enough to feed 10-15).
Your help will make coffee hour a joyful expression of Christian community and welcome!
Open Door Dinner makes a warm jambalaya meal on the second Sunday of every month for anyone who is hungry. Teams of All Soulsians and friends take turns cooking and delivering. Email Jennifer A. (akiyama.jennifer@gmail.com) if you’d like to help!
Food Bank collection is active for the Good Shepherd Food Pantry. 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.
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:
Waterproof tarps
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.
Everything Else
WOODS TO WAVES- MAY 2nd
To learn more about this fundraiser for St. Dorothy’s Rest, click here to see the flyer. All funds raised during Woods to Waves go to support St. Dorothy's Hospital Camp. Hospital Camp is offered each summer in partnership with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital to youth who have undergone transplant surgery.
