Retreat, Repair
Every year for the past couple decades, All Souls Parish has offered a retreat at the Bishop’s Ranch, an Episcopal retreat center outside of Healdsburg. For many, the parish retreat has offered a rare opportunity—time to rest and re-create, an opportunity for spacious conversation, ridiculous fun, and the space to sing, pray, and worship together. And for a while now we have tried to offer a theme each year that every All Soulsian can engage at their own developmental level. Past themes have included heaven, the Road to Emmaus, the story of Joseph, the Easter Vigil texts, storytelling, and pilgrimage.
My hope for this year is no different. While we may not have a baptism in the pool, we will still be able to enjoy the gift of each other’s companionship, hike in the woods of Sonoma County, and rest in God’s creation.
And, once again we will reflect on an essential practice of the Christian faith: repair.
As you may know, for the past year a group of All Soulsians has been meeting at the request of our primary leadership body, the Vestry. This team has led the Isaiah Project, an effort towards racial reparations and healing in the East Bay. This work has been grounded in and inspired by verses from Isaiah 58, in which the prophet calls the faithful to be “repairers of the breach and restorers of streets to live in.”
Last fall the Isaiah Project team (Toni Martinez Borgfeldt, the Rev. Phil Brochard, Nathan Brostrom, Wendy Calimag, Lewis Maldonado (Chair), Paul Mathew, Mark Mattek, Christine Trost) led the congregation in a series of conversations to discern areas of focus for a tithe from our recent Living Waters capital campaign. The areas of focus we collectively discerned are: Children and youth empowerment (with particular emphasis on education, culturally relevant mental health, and fostering community), Housing (with a particular emphasis on the unhoused and those in transition to permanent housing), Native American land and sovereignty, and Environmental justice (particularly community disparities).
After distilling these areas of focus we were compelled by a book released earlier this year by the Rev. Peter Schell called Reparations: A Plan for Churches. In it, Peter pushes communities, especially largely white congregations like All Souls, to learn the particularities of where the tears in the communal fabric have taken place. If we are going to take part in the repair, he says, we need to know more about the breaks in our own communities. So, for the past several months the team has been learning more specifically about where and how the breaches have taken place in Berkeley and surrounding communities.
At the parish retreat September 15th-17th at the Bishop’s Ranch, and Sunday morning the 17th from 9:15a-10:15a at All Souls, we will be engaging this work. We will be spending time in the text of Isaiah 58, learning about the interim report of the Isaiah Project, and listening for our own place in the repair of the world.
There is still space at the Ranch, both for overnight guests (partnership funds available) and for day-trippers on Saturday (sign-up by clicking here). And there will also be space in the Parish Hall on Sunday morning the 17th, where members of the Isaiah Project team will be presenting parts of the retreat program.
Please set aside the time and space at the Ranch or at the corner of Cedar and Spruce to learn more about our collective opportunity and responsibility towards reparation, restoration, and healing. Together we will continue this holy work, the work of the repair of the world.
Peace,
Phil+
Children & Youth Programming
Dear All Soulsians,
We are so excited to launch our 2023-24 Children, Youth, and Family programming in just a few short weeks!
Your leadership teams have been hard at work developing curriculum, setting up classrooms, and intentionally envisioning the values and skills we hope to foster in all of the young people who walk through the doors of All Souls. After a record number of Children’s Ministry sign-ups at Rally Sunday, we’re hopeful that this will be a season of momentum, excitement, and growth.
Here are some upcoming program highlights:
Sunday School classes begin on Sunday, September 24th at 10:30 a.m. At the start of the service each week, parents are asked to bring their children downstairs (teachers will be present to help direct you to the right classroom). Our Sunday School classes will run approximately 40 minutes, and children will rejoin their families in the sanctuary at the “Peace.”
Our program is into two tracks based on age:
Children pre-K through 1st grade will engage in Godly Play: a Montessori-based approach to spiritual formation that involves storytelling, prayer, art, silence, and liturgy. Godly Play honors and nurtures the qualities that are already present in children– wonder, curiosity, empathy– to teach lessons about the rhythm of worship, religious language, ritual, and community. Each session includes a combination of listening and hands-on learning. You can read more about Godly Play here.
For children 2nd through 5th grade, we’re excited to offer a new curriculum: Faith Explorers! Building on the tenets of Godly Play– storytelling, exploration, and hands-on activities– this program will encourage older children to think more independently and in-depth about faith. Some fun activities on our calendar include a visit to the sacristy, baking communion bread, learning about service animals, walking a labyrinth, and exploring the relationship between science and religion.
As a reminder, youth 6th grade and older are invited to join our Youth Program! Join us for our kick-off event after church (around noon) on Sunday, September 24th to meet other youth, get to know the leaders, eat donuts, and help us set dates and goals for the year.
Finally, Faithful Family dinners are indeed coming back this fall! Stay tuned for updates about dates and times.
If you have any questions about Children, Youth, or Family Ministry, please feel free to reach out to Emily B (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org).
Emily B+
Experiencing God’s Presence through the 5 Senses
Have you ever thought about the many ways you experience God throughout your daily life? Or perhaps you would like to explore new ways to be open to the many ways God connects with us in the space of this sanctuary?
Welcome to an art installation where you are invited to use all of the 5 senses to experience God’s presence! There is a myth that when a person can no longer experience the world with all one sense, the other senses grow stronger.
However, it is not that simple. Our brain needs to be given the time to learn a new way of experiencing the world, and that process is not always smooth. Each sense is unique and personal, and one may be stronger than another.
You are invited to begin your path of exploration at the front of the nave by looking at the first stained glass window closest to the door to the Parish Hall. There you will interact with your sense of vision. Follow the outside aisle towards the back of the church and up the other outside aisle to the side chapel where you will end with the sense of smell. There are many ways to grow in your experience of God’s presence and one may touch you in a profound way. Allow your brain, body and spirit time to explore and God’s presence will guide you.
These 5 stations are available at any time for us to grow together in the ways we articulate God’s presence. The handout in the pews will help us to be mindful of our senses during the Sunday services as our body, mind and soul is open to new ways of being children of God.
–Erin Horne & the Arts at All Souls Team
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
You may already know that for months I’ve been giving English lessons to 22-year-old Andrew, a Ukrainian asylum seeker who lives in my Berkeley neighborhood. Andrew (his anglicized name) and I have now become friends. His story, “Fleeing war and homophobia in Ukraine, he found a haven in the Berkeley Hills,” appeared in Berkeleyside on July 22, 2023. Andrew’s mother, 46-year-old Olha, and 14-year-old sister, Anna, arrived in the U.S. as Ukrainian refugees last month and are currently living in Florida. Andrew, of course, is eager to reunite his family in this area as soon as possible.
Andrew must stay in California while his asylum case proceeds. His mother and sister, however, have flexibility to relocate.
Andrew now has a room with a neighbor, but that neighbor isn’t able to accommodate Andrew’s mother and sister, too. Andrew’s mother can help with housekeeping and other chores; his sister will attend middle school. Both are learning English. I hope someone in our All Souls community might be in a position to offer housing to Olha and Anna, or might know someone else who could. If you’re that person, please contact me. My phone number and email address are listed in the All Souls directory. Please know that Andrew, his family, and I are tremendously grateful for whatever assistance you can provide.
Betsy Dixon
Announcements & Events
Children & Family
Nursery The downstairs nursery is open and available to you for your use whenever you’re at All Souls. This is not a staffed nursery, so an adult must be there with your child, but if you need a quiet place to take a time out, change a diaper, let your child play or take a rest, the nursery is open for you to do all of those things. If there is a service going on that’s being livestreamed, you will be able to watch the livestream on the computer in the nursery as well.
Sunday School
This week, Sept 3rd - Children’s Chapel. This Sunday (and the next two weeks), join us for Children’s Chapel during the 10:30am service. Kids of all ages are invited to follow the Children’s Chapel leaders down the center aisle after the Gospel reading for a short (~20 min) lesson. Children will rejoin their families before communion.
Starting Sept 24th - we will transition to our new Sunday School curriculum! Sunday School will begin at 10:30am. Children will head downstairs at the start of the service, then return after the “Peace.”
Pre K- 1st grade: Godly Play
2nd-5th grade: Faith Explorers
Youth The date for our Youth Group Kick-off Event has been changed to Sunday, Sept. 24th (rather than the 10th). Join us after the 10:30am service (around 11:45) to meet other youth, get to know the leaders, play games, and help us vision for the new year. Donuts provided! The permanent day/time of Fall 2023 Youth Group is to be determined. Questions about Children, Family, and Youth ministry? Contact Rev. Emily B. (emilyb@allsoulsparish.org)!
Adult Formation
Adult Formation Class: Giving Thanks and Praise The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers kicks off our 2023-24 Adult Formation year! Click here to learn more.
Click here to see the new Adult Formation Calendar for 2023-24.
Events & Everything Else
Climate Justice Events We’ve got a movie night coming up on September 7th (click here to learn more), and the Diocese is offering an online event, the latest in the Sacred Earth series. Sacred Earth: Growing Beloved Community through Environmental Justice, with Peggy Sheppard will take place on September 13th at 6p on Zoom. Learn more about this event by clicking here.
Parish Retreat September 15-17th at the Bishop’s Ranch. See more here.
2nd Thursday Lunch All women of the parish are invited to a potluck lunch on the 2nd Thursday of the month (September 14th) at 12p in the Parish Hall. Please bring one of your favorite lunch dishes or a beverage to share and feel free to invite other women. Contact Gloria Bayne for more information: gloria.bayne@comcast.net.
Tidepooling Expedition September 30th with the Rev. Emily Boring. Click here for more.