The Pathfinder: March 20th, 2025
Changing into the Realm
Change is really hard. And it’s even harder when it’s a change that you didn’t choose. I realize that is the case for many as we make this transition with our church directory. The current directory is so sweet––there are all these outdated photos of little kids who are now adults, and records of us when we were much younger.
I think we’ve had our Instant Church Directory app for a good 15 or so years. It’s done us well, but it’s time to say goodbye.
All Souls is a thriving and growing place and the needs of this place are ever changing and growing as well. We as a staff have consulted with folks over the years and while this change is hard to make, moving our database, directory, and communication to one place is an immense help to our system and our staff. Here’s why.
First, this move will help to include people who are currently on the margins. Currently, the only place to communicate something to a large group of All Soulsians is to join Facebook and post something to the private All Soulsians group. Obviously, then, this group can only be accessed by folks who are able and willing to join Facebook. And because it is a third party platform, we as the staff don’t have oversight of the group and don’t have the bandwidth to monitor posts or monitor who is included in this private group. For example, currently there are many folks who have left this parish years ago, but are still in this private group. Then, there are folks who would like to be in the directory, but don’t want their private information out on an app and so choose not to be in the directory at all. All of these folks are currently left out of our current systems, and so Realm, while not perfect, is more inclusive.
Second, most of what I do around Welcome at All Souls is stuff that has lived on paper copies in my office for years, specifically around helping newcomers move through the Pathway to Membership. This has made the work of Welcome mostly mine to do, which is a bad system, to put it frankly. With the help of some of the features of Realm, we are able to have the whole staff plus our new Welcome Team take more responsibility for Welcome at All Souls. This will make all of us better and a more inviting and inclusive place for more people.
And so I know that this move is hard, and Realm is so far from perfect (in fact, there is currently a glitch in their system around creating a password and we are in communication with the company to get that fixed!), but the staff has been carrying an extra load, which can be at least in part relieved by some of the features of Realm.
So, here’s what you can do to get into Realm. First, I would recommend logging in and doing this whole punch list from a laptop or desktop rather than a phone or tablet.
Login. You can request an invitation by clicking here. Then click “sign-up”, fill out the questions on the screen, and await approval.
Once you’re in Realm, here’s the punch list of stuff to do to make sure your information is both secure and accurate.
Update personal information
Add personal photo and family photo (if applicable)
Family photo can only be added from a computer (not a phone)
Update privacy controls (for each family member, if applicable)
Update notification settings
Add skills & interest, race, and baptismal status (all if desired)
Toggle button to “opt-in” to the directory!
Click around and see what groups exist, playing with the directory, and how to communicate with other members. Try “chatting” with someone you know!
3. Get the app!
4. Use the help videos on the website if you get stuck or email me or Dan Hardy if you really get stuck. You can also come in person to the Common Room on the 3rd Sunday of the month for Realm help if you need it.
The more of us login and get our photos loaded, the better the app will be. And for those who would like a proper paper directory full of those old family photos, please write to me or Diana (diana@allsoulsparish.org) and we’ll print one up for you (though, please note that until we all get these photos in, the directory will be pretty sparse).
At the end of April we will phase out our current Instant Church Directory, so please give this a shot this month. We’ve got a whole team of folks ready to help you get in, in addition to the Realm Help 3rd Sundays of the month down in the Common Room––please don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.
This transition will take some patience and a good sense of humor. I totally believe in us.
–Emily HC
Uganda Reflection
Last month I was greatly blessed to travel to Uganda, Africa, with a group from Mercy Beyond Borders, which provides scholarships for girls and young women in and from South Sudan, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya and Haiti. Sr. Marilyn Lacey, RSM, a Sister of Mercy from the Burlingame Mercies, founded MBB in South Sudan close to 20 years ago.
I heard Sr. Marilyn speak at a women’s spirituality group I’m a part of, and I was moved to the core of my being. She shared that it is almost unheard of for females to get an education in these places and that most of the girls MBB works with would be married off at the age of 12, often to a man 60 years old as his 4th or 5th wife. Girls are taught from childhood that they are worth less than cattle and in fact they are “sold” off to the groom for cattle.
Our group went to the Palabek refugee camp in northern Uganda, just on the southern side of the South Sudan border where we visited the camp and two secondary schools a little further south. Each time I gaze and ponder my photos, I revisit what I experienced of these young women's lives - their hopes and dreams, their sufferings, losses and heartbreaks. It haunts me, challenges me, melts my heart ... AND lifts me, heartens me, amazes me.
I am often on the MBB website and they are constantly posting new videos and stories. Here’s one I just watched about a young woman who is so much like the girls and young women I met.
I met close to a hundred young women who spoke over and over about their core values as MBB Scholars: personal integrity, academic excellence, and compassionate action. They told me of their gratitude for gaining an MBB scholarship and of how “lucky” they were, knowing that for every 20 girls given a scholarship, there were 300 applicants. They plan to become doctors, nurses, engineers, social workers, politicians. Many of their predecessors from MBB are achieving these goals today.
The local MBB Ugandan staff, develop a personal relationship with each young “Scholar” (the term they consistently use for the girls). They provide ongoing emotional support, counseling, academic tutoring, computer classes, and monthly leadership workshops for skills development (and fun!). I have never met more motivated students. They will indeed change our world. https://www.mercybeyondborders.org/mission
-Sharon Chipman
Select from among yourselves seven
Therefore, brothers and sisters, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task. (Acts 6:3)
Last Saturday, I knelt with six others before three bishops in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.
We solemnly engaged to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church. The bishops laid hands – heavily – on each of our heads, and asked God to fill us with grace and power, and made us deacons in God’s Church.
Most of the seven deacons in my cohort are women. We are all (at least occasionally) unsure of our wisdom but relying on the Spirit. We hope to be up to the task. We have come through the church’s best effort at ensuring our good standing.
The process of becoming a clergy member in The Episcopal Church is lengthy and complex. When I first saw the lists of steps and requirements for ordination, I was overwhelmed. I had just begun exploring with my priest whether this vocation might be a good fit for me. I saw that I would be tested in numerous ways and that I needed a huge amount of spiritual, physical, and mental commitment– and that I had to be open to the ways other people discern God’s call for me. Other members of my parish, my diocese, my seminary, and the church at large weigh in at specific times.
The process, which I’ve officially been in for 5 years (a short time compared to others in my cohort) has been full of surprises, joys, and frustration. I have leaned on the support of my family in huge ways. I have knocked down beliefs and practices I thought I needed, and found stronger foundations underneath the wreckage. I still have questions and fears and wonderings– and the process has given me the time to pay attention to them, to seek God’s answers as well as my own.
Now, coming to the last few steps and requirements, I have come to be grateful for the process. I am especially grateful for the collective way that leaders in our church are selected and raised up. Both discernment of where the Spirit is leading and formation of individuals for ordination are community activities. I am fortunate to have deeply supportive spiritual homes – both Grace Church Hastings where I discern God’s call, and here at All Souls where I am being taught, led, guided, and formed into a better servant of our Church.
One highlight of my trip to New York last week was not my ordination service or proclaiming the Gospel for the first time on a Sunday morning. Instead, it was in getting coffee with two other young women who are also in this process through my sending parish. One in her first year of seminary on the East Coast, and one who is just beginning to explore this path with her parish discernment committee. I encouraged them to lean into the process, and especially to lean into all of the other people who surround them, who listen with them, who learn with them, and who lift them up. No one could walk this path alone, and I thank you, All Soulsians, for lighting my way.
–Harlowe+
Progress: forward movement on a select project
With the removal of the shoring for the new elevator, there is room for the boiler and other components. Still not hooked up, but certainly progress! There are so many pieces to this big puzzle.
Although we are turning rooms over for use, work is still in progress! If you have questions or concerns about what you see, please contact Ann Myers @ annclairemyers@gmail.com for clarification.
Egress continues through both Narthex doors and out the nave to the Jordan Courtyard. Remember to bundle up when the temperatures are expected to drop!
Left: The air handler in the boiler room. Middle: Boiler work in progress. Right: New doors being worked on for entry to Chapel
–Ann Myers and the Property Committee
Announcements & Events
Happening This Week
SUNDAY
7:00 AM, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study, either in person in the Common Room or Click here to join by Zoom.
8:00 AM, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please access the Chapel through the copper doors on Cedar St.
9:15 PM, Adult Formation in the Parish Hall.
10:30 AM, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the classroom downstairs.
7:00 PM, Youth Group - All Grades Group
WEDNESDAY
9:00 AM, Eucharist in the Jordan Court Community Room.
THURSDAY
6:30 PM, BIB Film Screening of “Same God” in Jordan Court Community Room (see Justice & Peace section below for more info).
Adult Formation
The Death of the Messiah
Join the Rev. Michael Lemaire this Sunday, March 16th, for the second class in this series looking at the various accounts of the Passion and Death of Jesus in the four gospels. We will explore what is known about the history and origin of the story and explore the different ways each gospel writer shapes the narrative. Classes will be held in the Parish Hall on the following Sundays: 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, and 3/30.
Children & Family
Sunday School (for kids pre-K through 5th grade) happens every week during the 10:30 service. Starting March 16th, we’re trying out a new way to begin our time together! Children will begin the service in the nave with their families (rather than going straight down to the classroom before the service). They’ll stay through the opening hymn and procession. Then, during the “Song of Praise” (about 5 min into the service), the kids will see a teacher holding a big wooden cross coming down the aisle. They’ll “follow the leader” as a group downstairs to the classroom. We hope that this change will help kids feel more involved with the congregation at the start of the service, and it will create an intentional transition into the start of class. Children will still return to church at the “Peace.”
Come join other All Soulsian families and kids in the courtyard after church. Please be mindful of fencing around the perimeter.
To sign up for our Children and Family newsletter, please email Emily B.
For Both Kids and Youth: Summer Camps!
It’s that time of year… time to sign up for camp! Kids and youth from All Souls have loved attending camp in two places: Bishop’s Ranch (the same place we have Parish Retreat, near Healdsburg), and St. Dorothy’s Rest. Both have roots in the Episcopal tradition and have programs for all ages (and some for families, too). You can find more information about St. Dorothy’s here, and Bishop’s Ranch here.
For children: It can be especially fun to go to camp at the same time as other kids from church! If you’re interested in coordinating dates, please reach out to Brenna Hall, an All Souls parent (brenna.k.hall@gmail.com).
Youth Program
Youth Group (for grades 6-12) happens on Sundays from 7-8:30pm. Generally, we alternate between an all-grades gathering, and a high school small group (~once a month).
This Sunday (March 9th) is the gathering of the High School Small Group.
Coming up:
March 23rd - ALL Grades Youth Group
March 30th - No Youth Group because of Spring Break.
Download our Spring (March/April) 2025 calendar here. To join the weekly youth mailing list, email emilyb@allsoulsparish.org.
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
4/17 6-7:15PM - Agape Meal
4/17 7:30PM-9PM - Maundy Thursday Service
4/17-4/18 9PM-9AM - Overnight Prayer Vigil
4/18 12N-3PM - Three Hour Service
4/18 4PM - Holy Week for Children
4/18 7:30PM-9PM - Good Friday Service
4/19 9:30AM-10AM - Holy Saturday Service
4/19 8PM-11PM - Easter Vigil
4/20 9AM-10:30AM - Easter Sunday
4/20 11:15-12:30PM - Easter Sunday with Baptisms
Justice & Peace
Building Interfaith Bridges invites you to TWO UPCOMING EVENTS:
MARCH 27th: Join us for a movie night on Thursday, 3/27 in the Jordan Court Community Room, showing "Same God," a documentary featuring Dr. Larycia Hawkins - a black, female professor at a prominent Christian college who wore a hijab in solidarity with Muslims and said that Christians and Muslims worship the Same God. The firestorm that followed exposed the rifts among evangelicals over race, Islam, religious freedom and politics. The evening will follow this schedule:
6:30pm: Gather and snack
7:00pm: Movie
8:35pm: (optional) Small group reflection and discussion
9:00pm: Adjourn
For questions, please contact Paul Mathew or Bonnie Bishop.
APRIL 13th: Please join Building Interfaith Bridges for a Passover Seder at Congregation Beth El on Sunday, 4/13th @ 5p. Register here today! (Please note: registration closes on April 3, 2025)
Led by Rabbi Ira and Cantor Elaya, friends from the Building Interfaith Bridges partnership are invited to enjoy a festive and musical Passover celebration and a delicious kosher-for-Passover meal. The seder will include singing from our Beth El Chorus and will be accessible and meaningful for participants of all ages! Let all who are hungry come and eat! There is no Zoom option for the seder - we look forward to celebrating with you in person at Beth El!
Event Details:
Day/Date/Time: Sunday April 13 @ 5p
Location: Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St.
Cost: $54/person
RSVP here: https://www.bethelberkeley.org/event/second-night-congregational-seder2.html
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. With the colder weather, they are especially seeking donations of the following items:
General hygiene products (toothbrushes/toothpaste, deodorant, soap, etc.)
Clothes/cold weather gear
Bottled water
Please bring these donations to the red bin in the Narthex. Email Beth Christensen (beth.christensen) for donation and other direct volunteer opportunities with USMO.
Open Door Dinner (ODD) happens on the second Sunday of every month. If you are able or interested in helping put the meal together or deliver some meals to the camps around Berkeley, please email Jennifer Akiyama.
Needs of the Community
A seminarian at CDSP, Karla Koon, needs temporary help with some domestic chores as she deals with medical treatment. If you are interested in joining a temporary ministry team to provide assistance (between now and the end of May), please contact bonniekbishop@myyahoo.com.
Last but definitely not Least
Lent 2025 Playlist is on Spotify. Matt Wolka invites you to click here to check it out.
2024 Contribution Statements: They are already prepared and ready for download on Realm. You'll see a blue button that says "2024 Contribution Statement" on your Home Profile Page, and also on your Giving Page. If you aren't registered yet on Realm, or if you have trouble, just email, text or call Maggie Cooke, Giving Secretary, and she will have an email out to you (or a hard copy mailed if required) within an hour or so. Don't hesitate to ask... but it's a great feature of Realm to see your Giving at any time.
Maggie Cooke, Giving Secretary
