The Pathfinder: August 27th, 2026
Last Chance to Register for the Parish Retreat!
Earlier this year, during our retreat planning meeting, we took time to discern where the Spirit was inviting us as a parish community. Having just moved prayerfully through Holy Week and Easter into the beauty of summer, our discussion kept returning to prayer.
What does it mean to pray both in community and in private? How does prayer bolster us through life’s difficult moments while remaining a constant source of joy and divine connection?
Our theme for this year's parish retreat is “Teach Us to Pray.” Together, we will explore prayer as an embodied form of communion with God and with one another.
Program Highlights
Adult Program Leader: Annie Hayes
Breakout Workshops: Sarah Hinojosa, Ryan Greene-Roesel, Theo Dykzeul, and Rev. Rachel Dykzeul, and more!
Youth Program: Led and organized by Rev. Phil Brochard, engaging youth directly with the retreat theme.
Children’s Program: Led and organized by Rev. Emily Boring, offering age-appropriate ways to explore prayer and community.
We are so looking forward to being together and watching our community grow in prayer, love, and connection!
Important Details & FAQs
Registration Deadline:Tuesday, September 1st
Coming Alone? No roommate, no problem! Roommates will be assigned, but feel free to let us know if you already have someone in mind to share a room with.
Financial Support: We want everyone who wishes to attend to be there. We recognize that the elevated cost of The Bishop’s Ranch can present a barrier. Financial aid, sliding-scale options, and scholarships are readily available. Please email rachel@allsoulsparish.org in confidence so we can find an option that works for you.
Who Will You Invite? Let’s be all in! Sometimes all it takes is a simple check-in or a personal invitation. Take a moment this week to reach out to a friend or fellow parishioner and invite them to join you.
-Mother Rachel
Watching Films and Discussing Racial Justice
Three months ago, the All Souls for Racial Justice team (the ASRJ) screened Crash (2004), a Best Picture winner, in the latest installment of our film discussion series. Roughly two dozen of us gathered in the Common Room with food and drink; some had seen the film, but long ago.
I had not watched the movie until I speed-watched it that afternoon. Crash does portray a literal car crash, but the title is also a metaphor for the way lives of many people of different racial backgrounds (including Black, white, Latino, Persian, and Korean) intersect dramatically, unexpectedly, and sometimes violently. My preview did not allay my concerns that the over-the-top, on-the-nose filmmaking about race would turn people off that night. The interlocking plot lines felt contrived. I resorted to having a bot make me a flowchart should I be charged with explaining what had just happened in the after-film discussion. Maybe I'm a snob for worrying about recommending a film that many critics have now come to see as among the worst Best Picture winners in history.
I was wrong to be worried. The evening was a hit.
Folks apparently didn't share my concern that the movie was contrived or over-the-top. Perhaps the bonk-you-on-the-head style of Crash made it a better (not worse) jumping-off point than a deeper, subtler movie. The discussion was spirited. Writing this, I asked ASRJ members what they remembered, and what stuck was the people in the film more than the plot: characters who, under pressure, reacted in ways that surprised themselves, and none of whom came off as unambiguous hero or villain — every one of them carried racial bias. The quality of the film is not the ultimate determinant of the quality of the conversation.
We will continue the film series because movies allow people to converse, directly and indirectly, about racial justice. All Souls' film screenings go back to December 2015, when a parish event — before the current racial justice committee existed — showed Traces of the Trade, a documentary about a family confronting its slave-trading past. In the past three years, we have explored aspects of Black American life (Get Out, American Fiction, Crash), Indigenous history (Sugarcane), Korean-American memory (Past Lives), and Christian-Muslim solidarity by a Black professor at a white evangelical college (Same God). We twice co-sponsored events with Building Interfaith Bridges. Though the ASRJ can pick where to focus the parish's attention, we trust that individuals will respond in meaningful ways.
Films aren't the only way in. Join us Sunday afternoon, October 4, at the Oakland Museum of California for Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory, her first major museum retrospective — admission is free that day. And if there's a film you think All Souls should watch together, I'd love to hear it.
-Raymond Yee
Faithful Friendships
Joshua and I began our friendship as students together at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL in 1981. He was a young priest on leave in Nigeria working on a MTh degree. I was a little older and coming from the diocese of Western Michigan along with my seven-year-old daughter, starting on my MDiv.
In the refectory (dining room), there were a number of tables, including one that students called the “third world table.” The refectory looked very much like what you see at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies! Joshua and I would often sit together at the "third world table" and share meals and conversations alongside another Nigerian and two Native Americans from reservation lands. Meal conversations, respectful curiosity across national, cultural, and racial differences, common Christian worship several times a day, and study together became the matrix for forming some deep relationships. Throughout the years, our friendship has endured and developed amidst the changes of family life; vocational twists and turns; different cultural, social, and political contexts and challenges for ministry; and stresses in our shared Anglican communion.
For the most part, our friendship has been sustained over these 45 years through correspondence, phone calls or voice messages, and prayer for each other. The Rt. Rev. Joshua Sunday Oyinlola, D.D. retired bishop of the Diocese of Irele Ese-Oso in the Anglican Church of Nigeria, is visiting family and friends in the U.S. We invite you to get some refreshments following the 10:30 service on September 6 and join us in the Common Room for an informal conversation on faithful friendship. We'll share some of our stories and then invite your questions and your own reflections on the gift of friendships emerging from Christian community.
-The Rev. Dr. Daniel Prechtel
Spaghetti Again is Back!
Get ready for another season of Spaghetti Again, the All Souls Parish men’s group that meets monthly for faith, fellowship, and a shared meal. We’re kicking off the new program year this Monday, August 31st.
Unlike our usual potlucks in the Parish Hall, we’ll be meeting out at Barney’s—so the kitchen staff will handle the cooking this time!
When: Monday, August 31st
Time: 6 pm
Location: Barney’s Gourmet Burgers (1600 Shattuck Ave. #112, Berkeley)
RSVP: Please reach out to Bob Cross at rcross@skootskyder.com to let us know you’re coming, and feel free to invite a friend or fellow parishioner who might like to join!
Peace,
-Bob, Kirk, and George
Announcements & Events
Thursday (TONIGHT)
5 pm*, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room. *Note the change in start time.
6 pm, Beer Garden Meetup at CellarMaker.
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.
10:30 am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the Godly Play classroom downstairs.
12 noon, Coffee Hour in the Courtyard.
Monday
6 pm, Spaghetti Again Men’s Dinner at Barney’s on Shattuck.
Wednesday
9 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
Gather With Us
SPAGHETTI AGAIN DINNER - August 31st
Get ready for another season of Spaghetti Again - the All Souls Parish Men's group that meets monthly for faith, fellowship, and a delicious potluck meal. Spaghetti Again’s first meeting of the program year will be this Monday, August 31, at 6 pm at Barney’s at Cedar and Shattuck. Unlike our gatherings in the Parish Hall, the cooking will be provided by Barney’s staff.
Reach out to Bob Cross at rcross@skootskyder.com to RSVP, and invite someone who might be interested.
HOWARD PERDUE MEMORIAL - September 5th
A service to remember and celebrate Howard’s life will be held at All Souls at 11 am on Saturday, September 5th. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. All are welcome.
ISAIAH PROJECT 2.0: VOLUNTEER TRAINING - September 8th
Join us from 6-8 pm on Tuesday, 9/8, in the Common Room for a mandatory training for people wishing to volunteer at one of our four Isaiah Project grantee organizations. Led by Rector Phil Brochard, Wendy Calimag, Jenny Kern, and Molly Nicol, the training is designed to invite us to reflect on what it means to serve in a Christian context. In addition, we will learn about how cultural humility can help us build bridges and help “repair the breach”. Dinner will be provided. To sign up, use the QR code on the bulletin board in the Narthex or click here.
YOUNG ADULTS: ATTEND A DIOCAL FELLOWSHIP AND RETREAT - September 11th-13th
Young adults, ages 18-40, are invited to "Seeing and Being Seen", a weekend retreat at the Bishop's Ranch, September 11-13. The retreat will include plenty of unstructured time to relax and enjoy fun and fellowship with other young adults from across the diocese, as well as opportunities to connect and share where God is at work in our lives, worship together, and learn about opportunities for leadership and involvement. Maleah Rios will be our facilitator, leading us in prayer each morning and night as well as in a time of formation on Saturday.
The cost of the retreat is $200 for general and $150 for students, with scholarships available for those who cannot afford to pay full price. The cost covers shared room accommodations in the St. Stephen's Cottages, as well as all meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch.
Register to attend today! If you have questions or want more information about scholarships, please contact Hannah Elyse Cornthwaite, vicar@holyinsf.org.
ALL SOULS PARISH RETREAT - September 18th–20th
It’s time for our annual Parish Retreat! Join us Friday, September 18th through Sunday, September 20th for a weekend getaway up at the beautiful Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg. The Bishop’s Ranch offers something for everyone. You can join the traditional group bike ride, relax by the pool, hang out on the lawn, or get creative in the well-stocked art casita. Whatever your pace, you are sure to find renewal in this beautiful space. Read the article above for all the details!
BEING WITH GROUPS
Being With is for anyone 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.
What happens during Being With?
Every 90-minute group, 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.
To foster trust and meaningful conversation, cohorts are capped at 12 participants and led by trained All Souls clergy and community members.
Who Is This For?
This course is especially designed for you if:
You want deeper connection: You’re looking to meet new people and build relationships at All Souls.
You are exploring: You are new to Christianity, grew up in another faith tradition, or consider yourself "spiritual but not religious."
You are re-examining faith: You grew up in the church, have experienced doubt or hurt, and want a safe space to process your questions.
You have big questions: You’re wrestling with thoughts about God, Jesus, and what it means to practice faith in the modern world.
What Is the Commitment?
We ask participants to commit to attending all 10 sessions. Because we hold these conversations—and the personal stories shared within them—as sacred, building a safe and trusting environment requires everyone to show up consistently.
Click Here to Sign Up for a Fall Being With Group
Schedule & Origins
When: Being With is offered twice weekly and starts the second week of September. The Tuesday evening group for 20/30s starts on Tuesday, 9/8, at 6 pm, and the Sunday evening group (all ages) starts on 9/13 at 5 pm. We will add more groups if there is interest.
Origins: All Souls is deeply grateful to the Rev. Dr. Sam Wells and the Rev. Sally Hitchiner of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, who originally developed the Being With curriculum.
For questions or more information, please contact Mother Rachel at rachel@allsoulsparish.org.
Learn With Us
ADULT FORMATION
Christian Perspectives on Money is a three-session Sunday school series exploring what the Bible — and particularly the teachings of Jesus — has to say about our relationship with money, from the broadest social level down to our own wallets and our church community. We begin by examining how money functions in society, considering how the economic world of Jesus' day compares to our own, and asking how his teachings remain powerfully relevant across that divide. In the second session, we turn inward to explore our personal relationship with money: considering money as a tool whose use reveals our deepest values, and taking up practical questions about ethical investing. Finally, we zoom out to look at the church itself — tracing the many creative ways congregations have sustained themselves throughout history, and reflecting on how a community's choices about funding its church are themselves an act of faith and shared values. Classes will be held at 9:15 am in the Parish Hall on the following days: Aug. 30, Sept. 6, and 13, and will be led by Sarah Reynolds, Jenn Ying, and Richard Lynch.
WEEKLY 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 5-6:30 pm. Both groups meet in our Common Room and use the Reading Between the Lines curriculum. Join us! Drop-ins are always welcome, too!
Worship With Us
CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES
August 30th - Sunday School begins and is offered weekly during the 10:30 service. Kids start in the nave with their parents, then process downstairs (following the wooden cross) shortly into the service.
September 13th - First Youth Group of the year! All grades (middle and high school) are invited to join us in the courtyard for a kick-off event, 7:00-8:30 pm.
Sept. 18th-20th - Parish Retreat at The Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg. This is a great family-friendly event. Youth are also welcome to attend on their own (there are special youth cabins and programming). Read more and register here.
If you want to join the Children and Family or Youth mailing lists, please email Emily B+ (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
TAIZE TUESDAYS
These services will be on hiatus during the summer months. Check back in the Fall for information on a potential new series of services.
WEDNESDAY MORNING EUCHARIST
Join us every Wednesday at 9 am in the Chapel for a small, discussion-based service. All are welcome!
Serve With Us
There are lots of ways to share your talents and time! Check out the bulletin board in the Narthex to sign up for one of All Souls’ many ministries.
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.
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!
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.
Vigil at the Concord Immigration Court on the 4th Tuesday of every month. Most of our vigil is spent singing and holding signs expressing welcome and solidarity for those who are coming for an appointment at the court. We take time each month to pray, remembering immigrants in detention centers and those who have died in detention. Join us at 1855 Gateway Blvd., Concord, on the 4th Tuesday of every month, 7:15-9:30 am. For more information, contact Kaki L. or Ruth M.
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!
Last but not least
Genesis is an interfaith social justice coalition working to build the Beloved Community in the East Bay. Many of you have met Mary Lim (Executive Director of Genesis), who is the partner of Matt Wolka (she does other stuff too!). The Genesis "Be the Change" Breakfast Fundraiser at First Unitarian Church of Oakland will feature The Rev. Ethan Lowery as keynote speaker.
As you may remember, All Souls was the sending parish of Ethan. Ethan was also the seminarian assigned to Genesis during his time at CDSP. Ethan, who has created an amazing youth-centered ministry in Fredericksburg, Virginia, would be very jazzed to see All Souls-ians in the crowd!
Come find out what social justice work Genesis is doing and how you can support on September 26th from 8:30 am-10:30 am. Register at the QR Code on the graphic OR you can email gamaliel.genesisca@gmail.com
