The Pathfinder: October 15th, 2026
Discernment Week
Starting next week at All Souls, we’re asking three questions:
What is the work in front of us now that construction is behind us?
Why does it matter - personally, spiritually, in the life of a community?
How do we begin to resource it together?
Below are three articles, in that order. We hope you’ll take a few minutes with all of them.
What Comes After the Construction is Done?
An update on All Souls’ financial picture and plans for 2027.
For four years, All Souls has been building. The Living Waters renovation. Seismic upgrades. The organ. A newly finished campus that finally matches the community that calls it home. As of this fall, the scaffolding is down, the dust has settled, and — to borrow a word Phil+ has been using — it is time to open our doors.
At the Kickoff Brunch last month, we promised to share more about the financial picture once the pieces were more defined. They are now. It is still in the early stages, and the Vestry has much work still to do, but the Vestry leadership has made some assumptions about what 2027 may look like:
The building was never the point
Phil+ put it plainly at the Kickoff: “The church is not the building. The church is the people who live through that building.” The $4 million Living Waters renovation was never the goal — it was the means. The goal is what happens inside it: small groups, shared meals, adult formation, newcomers finding their way in, long-time members going deeper, a community that keeps showing up for one another.
The 2027 budget is built around that goal.
Investing in the people who make it happen
The single biggest change in the 2027 spending plan is also the most human one: we intend to invest more in our staff. That means salaries that better reflect the work already being done — and it may mean expanding the clergy time available to pastor this growing community. Between cost-of-living adjustments, healthcare cost increases (running 12% - 16% across the Diocese this year), and additional capacity to support the work of opening our doors, we are looking to increase personnel costs about 10% next year. That is a significant number, and the Vestry believes it is the right one.
The numbers, in plain language
The framework the Vestry is working toward for 2027 looks like this:
Revenue: approximately $1,025,000 — up about 13% from the 2026 budget. The largest piece is a pledge goal of $860,000, which represents a 7.2% increase over what was pledged in 2026. The remainder comes from $100,000 in license fees for use of the preschool space — a contract that is currently awaiting approval from the Diocese.
Expenses: approximately $1,010,000 — up about 6% from 2026. The increase is driven primarily by personnel, with the balance going toward a deliberate deferred maintenance budget to care for our newly renovated campus. We just finished one capital campaign; there is no reason to start the next one because we let things slide.
The result: a plan that is essentially balanced — and one that, unlike 2026, does not plan to draw on our cash reserves.
A word about 2026
This is worth saying plainly: 2026 was a stretch year. We budgeted a $50,000 operating deficit, with no preschool revenue and a planned $25,000 draw from reserves. The seismic project required an additional $200,000 from reserves to complete — money well spent, but it moved our operating cushion from roughly six months to roughly three. The Vestry felt that was prudent to get the work done. The 2027 budget is designed to begin rebuilding that cushion while still making the investments in people and ministry that this moment calls for.
What’s still in motion
The preschool license agreement — and the $100,000 in revenue it represents — awaits Diocese approval. We will share an update as soon as that is in hand.
Starting early next week we will each determine how we can support All Souls financially in 2027. The results of our Setting Our Path: All Souls 2027 will make a huge difference in what is possible in 2027.
-Richard Lynch, Stewardship Chair
Why I Pledge
I’ve spoken often about how much my home church in Webster Groves, MO, Emmanuel Episcopal, reminds me of All Souls and vice versa.
In many ways, Emmanuel raised me and I am lucky to count among my caretakers Ann-Marie, the children’s choir director, Jim, the Associate Rector and youth group leader, Bob and Susie, the beloved (and wedded) Rectors, Larry, Donna, the MacBryde family, and the list goes on. ,I do believe that the love and service that Emmanuel’s congregation poured into me is much of the reason that I ended up who I am today: a social justice-minded teacher and mom who spends all her free time at church.
Emmanuel represents my roots, and All Souls my wings. I am constantly in awe of what this parish is - and does - in the world, and particularly in our corner of the Bay. My Emmaus sisters inspire and cheer me on, have for the last seven years, and will forever more. What a gift. I am filled with the spirit when I sing and hear the glorious music we make together. Something inside me is stirred when I listen to our clergy’s preaching. I get verklempt every time we lay hands on one another’s shoulders and pray for the release from anxiety that moving into the unknown entails. My 13 and 9 year-old kids have a place to remind them that they - and everyone they know - are beloved by God no matter what. How do I even begin to quantify all that I receive?
And our reach goes well beyond just me and us. It stretches all the way from Cedar and Spruce to 8th and Harrison, on to the Oakland Elizabeth House and the Concord Immigration Courthouse, to Mexico City and beyond. This embodiment of Christ in today’s world is a living, breathing, jambalaya-making reminder of the infinite love from which we come and points us toward the kingdom of God that we wait and work for. This love sustains us when we feel like we don’t have the energy or resources to keep going. But it is also true that, in our modern context - with increasing food, gas, healthcare and rent costs parallel to increasing needs for the houseless and most vulnerable - we have to find tangible sources of sustenance so that we can stay on the path of serving God’s will in Berkeley, and the world.
For us, this Fall, that means reflecting on the specific investment we are committing to make to All Souls in 2027 and bringing that offering to the altar on October 25th. As you take time these next ten days to discern and pledge, I invite you to conjure up every detail of awe and gratitude and connection that you have been witness to, or directly received from this place. And every hope you have for the world yet unseen.
My mom walked into Emmanuel back in the 80s largely because she needed help. As a single working mom to three girls, she leaned a lot on the spiritual and physical gifts shared. As an adult, I learned that an anonymous parishioner wrote a check every December to help her pay for Christmas. When I asked my mom who she thought it was, she said, “That’s the thing about Emmanuel, Mol. It could’ve been anyone.” This, too, reminds me of All Souls - our generosity knows no bounds, and our strength lies in all we individually and collectively contribute to God’s creation.
Join me on Sunday, October 25th, as we pledge together all we can do with all we have. And then see you at the party that evening! Terry, the gamemaster, has planned a fun sermon-based improv competition (which is perhaps the first time those words have all gone together!)
-Molly Nicol, Junior Warden
How Discernment Week Starts - And Finishes
This Sunday, October 18th, All Souls begins the path to Ingathering with something new: Discernment Week.
Discernment Week grew out of a request we hear often — how do I actually come to a pledge amount? Rather than arriving at Ingathering Sunday and filling out a card in the pew on the spur of the moment, Discernment Week is an invitation to take a few quiet moments during the week to prayerfully consider what your support of All Souls will look like in 2027. We hope it turns what could be a hurried response into a real and joyful choice.
Watch your inbox this Sunday or Monday — or your mailbox early next week. Each household will receive a personal pledge packet by email where we have one, and by mail for those who’ve asked for a hard copy or where email isn’t available.
In the packet, you’ll find three things:
A Discernment Week sheet walking through three ways to approach your gift, along with a brief worksheet to help you calculate your giving as a percentage of income over the past few years. A few minutes with it can be quietly illuminating — and can ground your pledge in something more than instinct.
The three approaches:
Tithing — the Episcopal Church’s standard of faithful generosity: giving 10% of income to charity, the practice that keeps us honest about what already belongs to God.
Intentional Proportional Giving — choose a percentage you can sustain now and commit to growing it over time, as a personal on-ramp toward the tithe.
Gimme a Number — anchors like your prior pledge, All Souls as one of your top two charitable gifts, or the community average ($4,570 in 2026), to help you land on a faithful number.
A summary of the financial landscape — where All Souls stands in 2026 and what we’re building toward in 2027 — so you have the full picture as you discern. More on that in the article above.
A tailored pledge invitation with a specific ask for your household, based on your history with All Souls.
All gifts should be good gifts — the intersection of your financial capacity, your connection to All Souls, and the impact you want to have. Stretching toward a faithful gift can bring real joy. We hope this week gives you the space to find yours.
Ingathering
Then on Sunday, October 25th we will celebrate Ingathering Sunday.
Pledge cards at the 8 am and 10:30 am services, with online pledging opening at 8 amDiscernment Week grew out of a request we hear often — how do I actually come to a pledge amount? .
All-parish potluck at 5:30 p.m. — everyone welcome.
Please register for Ingathering Potluck - October 25th by the end of the day next Wednesday, October 21.
-The All Souls Stewardship Committee
Feed My Sheep
The simple fact is federal SNAP funding has been cut, pushing many more people to rely on food banks for support. All Souls has embraced the command to feed the hungry with the monthly Open Door Dinner and the collection of food to supplement local food banks.
When my family found All Souls in 1998, canned goods were collected at Sunday services and kept in a big barrel outside the sacristy for the Berkeley Food Pantry to pick up. Shortly after our arrival, the Food Pantry could no longer manage the pickups, and I was recruited to deliver our offerings. The Pantry had already been feeding the hungry for thirty years, and more than twenty more years have flown by.
The COVID lockdown had us reimagine how to feed our neighbors; ODD became Jambalaya to go, and several drivers regularly picked up grocery bags from porches for delivery to the Berkeley Food Pantry. When the Berkeley Food Pantry closed after failed negotiations to merge with the Berkeley Food Network, All Souls asked the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd if we could partner with them. It’s a wonderful fit. Small in size and large on love, they distribute food on Friday mornings, and I deliver what has been collected at All Souls, as well as bags of groceries from the porches of some folks who maintain their COVID practice.
As you discern what you will pledge to sustain All Souls for the coming year, consider an additional commitment to our food ministry. Will you bring a can or two to church on Sundays? Will you pick up extra groceries and leave a bag on your porch for me to pick up every couple of weeks, or once a month? Whatever form it takes, let it be a spiritual practice faithfully followed. Reach me at dmcooke92@comcast.net to discuss logistics. I will happily record your commitment in my heart.
Peace,
- Maggie Cooke
The Feast of All Saints & All Souls
Join us at the 8 am and 10:30 am services on Sunday, November 1st, for the Feast of All Saints/All Souls. During the worship services, we will read aloud the names of those who have died over the past year.
If you would like to add a name to that list, please include it here or click here to email Diana, our Parish Administrator (before noon on Wednesday, October 28th).
After the 10:30 am service, we will gather in the Parish Hall for brunch. Please bring a dish that reminds you of someone you have loved but no longer see. Feel free to include a story about the dish, the recipe, and/or a fond memory of the person.
-The Staff
Assistive Listening System Now Available
For those of us who want the audio at the 10:30 am Sunday service to be a bit louder or clearer, our long-awaited assistive listening system may help. The system is now installed, working, and available for use.
Easy to use
Most users will check out a small wireless receiver and compact headphones in the narthex, then adjust the volume to their liking. That’s it. After the service, they will return the system. The receiver is smaller than a deck of cards; about the size of a thick artisanal chocolate bar. In testing, the headphones worked both for people without hearing aids and for those with hearing aids.
Broad compatibility
If your hearing aids support t-coils/telecoils, you can check out a small receiver and a necklace loop that will transmit directly to your hearing aids. If your hearing aids support the new Auracast standard, we can help you connect your hearing aids directly to the assistive listening signal.
We hope to officially roll out support for Auracast-enabled smartphones and earbuds in the near future. We also plan to eventually have a separate assistive listening system in the parish hall. You can learn more about the core technology that we’re using here: https://www.bluetooth.com/auracast/assistive-listening/
Try it out
Starting this Sunday, you can check out a receiver and headphones, or receiver and t-coil loop, in the narthex near the Cedar-side door. We hope to have a QR code to let Auracast hearing aids connect to the signal. Ushers and AV team members will get you set up.
-Jim Feeley and Charlie Myers
Invitation to Baptism
The Book of Common Prayer suggests particular days throughout the year when baptism is especially fitting: the Easter Vigil, the Day of Pentecost, All Saints' Day (or the Sunday after), and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. One of those occasions is coming up soon.
On Sunday, November 1st, we will celebrate our church’s title feast, the Feast of All Saints/ All Souls. In our liturgy, we’ll commemorate the souls who have departed before us, and we’ll also celebrate new life through the waters of baptism.
If you would like to explore the option of baptism, we would be honored to walk that journey with you. Folks of all ages are invited. We’re happy to meet with you or your children to explore the concept of baptism and answer any questions. Please reach out to Phil+ for more information.
Thanks,
-Phil+
Announcements & Events
Thursday (TONIGHT)
5 pm, Reading Between the Lines Bible Study in the Common Room.
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 in the Parish Hall.
10:30 am, Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Join us via livestream here. Sunday School in the Godly Play room downstairs.
12 noon, Coffee Hour in the Courtyard. Justice & Peace Meeting in the Common Room.
5:30 pm, Being With group in the Common Room.
7 pm, Youth Group - High School Small Group.
Tuesday
6 pm, Being With 20/30’s Group.
8 pm, Taize in the Chapel.
Wednesday
9 am, Holy Eucharist in the Chapel. Please enter through the copper doors downstairs on Cedar Street.
7 pm, Choir Rehearsal in the Nave.
Gather With Us
LECTOR AND INTERCESSOR WORKSHOP*
*Note: This workshop has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date.
Are you interested in learning more about becoming a Lector or Intercessor? Join us for a workshop on Saturday, October 17th from 10 am - 12 noon in the Common Room. Email Mother Rachel (rachel@allsoulsparish.org) with any questions.
INGATHERING SUNDAY - October 25th
Come with your pledge cards to the 8 am and 10:30 am services, and we will celebrate that evening with an all-parish potluck. Our pledge campaign, Setting Our Path, leads us together — and it leads us to the table.
Join us for an all-parish potluck on Sunday, October 25th, starting at 5:30 pm in the Parish Hall and Courtyard. Children and youth will have their own tables and are encouraged to join the festivities. Sign up using this link: Ingathering Dinner registration. Let’s celebrate the community we are!
SPAGHETTI AGAIN POTLUCK - October 26th
Join the men of All Souls on the last Monday of every month at 6 pm for an evening of food and fellowship. This group typically gathers in the Parish Hall for a potluck dinner but occasionally meets at a local restaurant.
BEER GARDEN MEET-UP AT HEADLANDS IN BERKELEY- October 29th
One Thursday a month, from 6-8 pm, 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! Invite a friend.
October location: Headlands
Note: This will be the last meet-up of 2026. More gatherings will take place in the new year. Stay tuned!
ALL SOULS/ALL SAINTS DAY - November 1st
Join us as we celebrate our Feast of Title! Just after the 10:30 am service, in the Parish Hall, we’ll gather for a potluck meal together. Please bring a dish that reminds you of someone you have loved but no longer see. Feel free to include a story about the dish, the recipe, and/or a fond memory of the person.
During the 8 am and 10:30 am services, we will read all the names of people who have passed away in the past year. If you would like the name of a loved one added to the list, please add their name here or click here to email Diana, our Parish Administrator, no later than Wednesday, October 28th at noon.
Learn With Us
ADULT FORMATION
Icons at All Souls with the Rev. Dr. Paul Fromberg. This four-part series on iconology explores how icons communicate theology, spirituality, and prayer through image. Together, we will explore the history, symbolism, and visual language of icons while spending time with four contemporary icons created for All Souls. E
Each session will focus on a different icon, offering an opportunity to reflect on how sacred images can invite us into deeper contemplation of God, the saints, and our own spiritual lives. They are as follows:
Week 1: The Good Shepherd: What Is an Icon, and What Does an Icon Do?
Week 2: The Crucifixion: How Does an Icon Proclaim the Gospel?
Week 3: Mary and the Tree of Life: How Does an Icon Say Something New?
Week 4: Easter and the Anastasis: How Do We Picture Resurrection?
The Rev. Dr. Paul Fromberg is the recently retired rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco. For more than 25 years, he has practiced the ancient art of iconography following the technique of 14th-century iconographers. He believes that one part of his work is sharing the joy of icons with everyone. Join us in the Parish Hall at 9:15 am on the following Sundays: October 4, 11, 18, 25. Questions? Email Anne Yardley (ayardley@drew.edu) or Vicki Dempsey (viv@writingedge.com).Classes meet at 9:15 am in the Parish Hall on the following Sundays Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25. See the article above for full details.
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!
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.
Feeding Our Neighbors - Let’s do our part to make sure that all of our neighbors have access to nutritious food. Please bring non-perishable food on Sundays and use the baskets in the Narthex. Food will be delivered to Pan Del Cielo, the pantry at the Episcopla Church of Good Shepherd in West Berkeley.
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.
COURTHOUSE VIGIL
Most of our vigil is spent singing and holding signs expressing welcome and solidarity for those who are coming for an immigration 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!
Worship With Us
WEDNESDAY MORNING EUCHARIST
Join us every Wednesday at 9 am in the Chapel for a small, discussion-based service. All are welcome!
TAIZE TUESDAYS
Join us on Tuesdays at 8 pm as we gather in the Chapel for a community-led contemplative Taizé service that weaves singing chants, reading poetry and prayers, and sitting in silence. All are welcome.
We're looking for people to help lead chants, select and read readings, or keep time and guide the flow. No musical experience needed—just a willingness to hold space. Email Ryan (rypotpie@gmail.com) or Kris (kris.starr@gmail.com) if you are interested.
CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES
Sunday School - Grades Pre-K - 5th
We meet during the 10:30 am service. We follow the Godly Play curriculum, an approach to spiritual formation that features storytelling, hands-on learning, and wondering. Shortly after the service starts, we go downstairs together, following the cross, and return at “The Peace”.
Youth Group - Grades 6-12
We meet on Sunday evenings in the Youth Room from 7-8:30 pm for games, art, reflection, and prayer. We alternate between a High School Small Group and a Middle School Small Group with occasional larger group events. Click here to see the Fall Calendar.
If you want to join the Children and Family or Youth mailing lists, please email Emily B+ (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
Everything Else…
Episcopal Impact Fund Silent Auction
The clock is ticking! Our Night of Light Online Silent Auction closes tomorrow, Friday, October 16, at 12:00 PM. Bidding is underway, favorites are getting snapped up, and there’s still time to score something amazing while supporting a great cause!
Bid now! eifund2026.ggo.bid
From unique experiences and getaways to wine, art, and fabulous gifts, our auction has something for everyone. Don’t wait until the last minute—visit the auction now, place your bids, and see what treasures you can take home! Every bid supports Episcopal Impact Fund’s work to break cycles of poverty and advance housing security for Bay Area families.
Important reminder: Online bidding closes Friday, October 16, at 12:00 PM. Final winners will be determined at the in-person Night of Light Gala, so don’t miss your chance to participate!
Thank you for helping us make a difference—one bid at a time!
