Narrative Budget

Sharing Christ's Light: A Story of Generosity

At St. Paul’s, Christ’s light shines in the hearts of our people.
Your gifts — of time, talent, and treasure — make our ministries possible.

Christ’s light shines in and through all of us as we worship, care for each other and our neighbors, and pursue peace and justice in our streets.

This narrative shows how we use the resources entrusted to us
to carry out God’s work in Oakland.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church Expenses 2021; Total = $497k. $74323 on children and families. $73537 on adult spirituality. $63337 on our community. $53993 on outreach to our neighbors. $213383 on worship. $17986 on diocese and national church.

Most of our funding comes from the financial gifts of parishioners like you. Every gift, large or small, helps sustain the programs, worship, and outreach that bring Christ’s light into our community.

Your generosity supports our worship life, our ministries that care for one another, serve our neighbors, nurture spiritual growth, pursue justice, and maintain the spaces where we worship and gather.

Our community’s generosity extends beyond financial gifts. At an estimated value of $34.79 per volunteer hour, St. Paul’s members will contribute over $324,000 in time, this year.

Please consider making a promise, or statement of intent, to support the ministries of St. Paul’s in 2026. All submissions are totally confidential, and can be changed at any time.

Download the form HERE.
Fill it out, save it, and

1. Email the form to our bookkeeper [email protected]

OR

2. Put it in the offering plate at church,

OR

3. Mail it to the church office:
St. Paul's Church
114 Montecito Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610

Paper forms can be found in the narthex.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ST. PAUL'S!

QUESTIONS? Contact Sharon Pilmer

HOW TO GIVE

We appreciate all donations, and thank you in advance for supporting St. Paul's!

You may make a one-time gift or give weekly, monthly, yearly, timed as you wish.

Pay by Credit or Debit Card or Paypal
CHECK. Placed in the offering plate or mailed to the church office.
Give by Electronic Funds Transfer (ACH)– Set up your continuing, or one time, gifts through THIS LINK or directly with your bank.
CASH. Cash may be placed in the offering plate. Please put it in a sealed, labeled envelope, so we can identify the giver.

Other Ways to Give

Employer Match!
Stock, Mutual Funds, or ETFs
Through your Door-Advised Fund (DAF)
From your IRA

Click HERE for Details and How-tos!

Consider a Legacy Gift!
Include St. Paul’s in your estate plans and help sustain our ministry long into the future. Read about our Legacy Society HERE, or
contact Doug Jensen, [email protected]

VOLUNTEER!
St. Paul’s welcomes your participation in any of our Church Programs.

With so many different types of programs and ways to volunteer at St Paul’s,
there’s sure to be an opportunity where your unique talents, gifts, and time meets our community’s greatest needs!

Read more about our Ministries HERE.

Worship
Worship is the foundation of our life together at St. Paul’s. We offer weekly spoken and choral Eucharists, online prayer, and monthly contemplative services of Evensong and Compline. Our worship is marked by beautiful traditional liturgy, dynamic preaching, and inspiring music. This year, we gave thanks for
Fr. Christian Harding’s many years of service and welcomed the Rev. Linda McConnell and the Very Rev.
Julia McCray-Goldsmith as assisting priests, along with the Rev. Stephen Tiffenson as deacon.

Community Life
Weekly coffee hour and special food events throughout the year keep bellies full and conversation flowing. Our new Pastoral Care Support team has recently been trained in Eucharistic Ministry and visitation, and looks forward to serving parishioners in times of need. Welcome Ministry is committed to creating a robust ministry to those walking through our doors for the first time.

Children & Families
St. Paul’s welcomes children of all ages. Our youngest members can remain with their parents or play in our professionally staffed Mustard Seeds room just steps away. During the school year, trained volunteers lead our Faith Quest/Sunday School program for children ages 5–12. Programming also includes special outings, picnics, trips to Fairyland, Youth Sunday twice a year, and our Christmas Eve Pageant—creating a fun, faith-filled experience for all children.

Adult Spirituality
Adult Spirituality at St. Paul’s flourishes through study, reflection, and fellowship.
Opportunities for growth are centered around in-depth discussions, book readings, and more. Parishioners are encouraged to share their journeys, ask questions, and support one another as they seek to live out their faith in daily life.

Social Justice
The people of St. Paul’s live out their baptismal vows by caring for the most
vulnerable. Through the Pantry of Hope, volunteers serve 80–100 clients twice a month and deliver 500+ holiday meals to seniors. We stand for civil rights through protests, immigrant rights advocacy, and other public actions. Our Social Justice work also includes reducing gun violence—joining Stand-Ins, partnering with OPD on the Guns to Gardens buy-back program, and hosting an Oakland Ceasefire teach-in with Mayor Barbara Lee. Parishioners provided school supplies for 100+ students and Christmas gifts for local children and families in need.

Diocese and National Church
Clergy and parishioners take part in many diocesan and national church efforts, with roles in diocesan and deanery leadership, and the Union of Black Episcopalians, where Fr. Mauricio now serves as president.