Stewardship at St. Paul's
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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has been part of the fabric of Oakland for 150 years. We are a part of a “great cloud of witnesses” who have lived our faith and served Christ, each other, and our community, through world wars, earthquakes, and pandemics. The work of our hearts and hands is visible daily in our neighborhood.
St. Paul's Episcopal School, founded by the parish in 1975, is a thriving member of our community.
FAITH, GENEROSITY, AND MISSION: GROWING TOGETHER
Our faith teaches us that everything we have comes from a generous and loving God. In turn, we are expected to be thoughtful and careful stewards of the gifts that we have received. We make manifest God’s love for us through our gifts of time, talent and treasure in furtherance of God’s kingdom on Earth.
In the image of the tree, we see the church grounded in the earth, God’s own creation. Through its roots the tree receives all that is necessary to thrive. The trunk is the gathered community of faith, supporting the canopy: individuals and families and their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. |
WAYS TO GIVEMAKE A PLEDGE
Congregants and other members of our community can become sustaining members of St. Paul’s by making a pledge or gift to the 2022 Stewardship Campaign. We ask you to consider these three steps: 1. Prayerfully discern your giving for 2022 2. Complete a pledge card, and return it to the church 3. If you wish to give electronically, you may Text GIVE to 510 900 7759, make your payment(s) HERE, or give via PayPal Learn how to make your ongoing commitment. If you did not receive a Pledge Card in the mail, download it NOW, and email it or bring it to church on November 14. Questions? See Stewardship FAQs Or contact [email protected] MAKE A ONE-TIME GIFT
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St. Paul’s is a diverse and inclusive Episcopal community
that celebrates our tradition and history.
In this narrative budget, we tell the story of our collective values and how they are reflected in how we allocate our revenue.
that celebrates our tradition and history.
In this narrative budget, we tell the story of our collective values and how they are reflected in how we allocate our revenue.
Telling the Story of Our Faith and Action:
A Narrative Budget
How We Allocate Our Resources
Our baptismal covenant calls us to action: to love God, to worship together, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to strive for justice and peace among all people. We strive to align our budget with these values.
The dollar values shown in this pie chart are taken from the 2021 budget. The salaries and benefits of all employees are spread proportionally over the programs they serve, and administrative and facility costs are spread equally across all areas.
St. Paul’s employs a full time priest, a part time administrator, music director, sexton, and housekeeper. The 2021 budget also includes salary support for a part time youth minister. This position has not yet been filled.
The dollar values shown in this pie chart are taken from the 2021 budget. The salaries and benefits of all employees are spread proportionally over the programs they serve, and administrative and facility costs are spread equally across all areas.
St. Paul’s employs a full time priest, a part time administrator, music director, sexton, and housekeeper. The 2021 budget also includes salary support for a part time youth minister. This position has not yet been filled.
REVENUE: How We Fund Our Ministries
- Pledges and gifts from members and friends make up most of our income: $208,000 in 2021.
- Additional sources of revenue include rental fees for space use ($65,536) and investment income ($25,000).
- Historically we have had to draw on reserves to balance our budget: $128,880 was drawn from reserves in 2021.
We are entirely self-funded. We do not receive financial support from the diocese or from the national church.
Our Ministries
WORSHIP: $213,323
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“Worship for me has always been a centering force. It’s where I connect with those who’ve gone before me and pray for those who are still here with me.The familiarity of the liturgy and the comfort of our rituals give me the freedom to just be in a busy and sometimes chaotic world.”
– Erica Terry Derryck |
Worshiping together is the foundation for our faith life. During worship, we hear the stories of our faith, are nourished by the Eucharist, raise our voices in song, and are inspired to ministry. Through the lens of sacrament we mark sacred milestones: baptism, confirmation, marriage, healing, reconciliation, and discerning calls to ministry.
- Assisting Clergy
- Lay readers and intercessors
- Ministry of Writing: Prayers of the People
- Ushers
- Altar Guild
- Choir
- Acolytes
- Subdeacons
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: $74,323
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At St. Paul’s, children and families are especially welcome. We nurture their formation in our Faith Quest program, other group-based activities and through participation in worship. Children and families are a focus for our outreach in the community as well.
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“I have loved being a Faith Quest teacher. Spending a little bit of time preparing to tell the Godly Play story has given me the opportunity to pause in the flurry of my regular week and reflect on this little part of God's story, in a way that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. As a facilitator, I try to create a warm and welcoming space for our youngest members to ask questions and make personal connections. Volunteering with Faith Quest has felt like one of the most Episcopal things that I do--encouraging great questions, introducing our youngest members to simple and powerful rituals, and trying my best to model curiosity and empathy.”
- Virginia McManus |
ADULT SPIRITUALITY: $73,537
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“I was able to participate in this year’s Lenten series on race which was incredible and deeply enriching—I cannot stress enough what a blessing this St. Paul’s group was to me.”
- Katie Lauter |
Spiritual formation for all ages starts in worship and is deepened through group activities. We engage the gospel and each other, learn about our traditions, and educate ourselves about our faith and actions. How we are formed in our community of faith informs the kinds of jobs we seek, the ways we raise our families, the ways we invest our resources, and the ways we engage justice and injustice in society.
- Lenten Series
- Sacred Ground
- The Social Justice Bible Challenge
OUR COMMUNITY: $63,337
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Fellowship is an important reason we gather on Sundays and throughout the week. We form bonds around common interests and activities that support both ministry and church operations.
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“After my hip surgery, people from St. Paul’s came over with delicious food that I could eat on the spot and save the left-overs for the next day. Maybe even better than the food were the visits from people I hadn’t seen in person for over a year because of the pandemic! These visits were the highlight of my recovery time.”
- Alice Brilmayer |
- Holy Spirit Potlucks, including Black History Month, Patronal Feast Day, Easter, Pentecost
- Coffee hour (on Zoom this past year)
- Happy hour (on Zoom this past year)
- Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
- Loaves and Fishes ministry for meals for parishioners experiencing a temporary need
- Children’s Easter Egg Hunt
- Pastoral care
- The Rector’s daily meditations on Facebook
- Reconnecting Conversations
OUTREACH TO OUR NEIGHBORS: $53,993
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Our baptismal covenant invites us to seek and serve Christ in all persons, respect the dignity of every human being, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The people of St. Paul’s actively reach out to serve those in need in our community.
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“I am involved in the Pantry Ministry because of the example and dedication displayed by Deacon Carolyn. As a Christian it is my way of Giving Back because I have been amply Blessed.”
- Arnett Moore 
“Providing food to those in need is so important and being a part of that brings me great joy. Contributing time and muscle to this work has become a regular activity for our family…and we appreciate the fellowship with other parishioners. Food is a basic and fundamental need that many lack. Seeing the smiles and gratitude on recipients’ faces warms the heart.”
- Lane Ceric |
GIFTS OF TIME AND TALENT: thousands of hours!
In pre-pandemic times and IN SPITE OF the pandemic
The ministries of St. Paul’s would not be possible without the generous offerings of time and talent by our fellow parishioners. Ministry volunteers contribute thousands of hours per year. A few examples:
ALTAR GUILD
VOLUNTEER CHOIR
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
FOOD PANTRY
SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE
FRIENDS OF MUSIC (FOM)
ESL EDUCATION
Volunteers also provide thousands of person-hours of leadership and help for
St. Paul’s is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, tax ID # 94-1243684. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
ALTAR GUILD
- Arranged over 3000 flowers, washed and ironed 1,344 linens, filled 2,082 candles, and washed the Holy vessels over 300 times, for a total of 624 person-hours per year by 16 members.
VOLUNTEER CHOIR
- Supported by 4 professional section leaders, the 13 volunteers supported the 10 am liturgy September-June, monthly compline on the fourth Sunday, special services during Christmas and Holy week for a total of 2,366 person-hours per year of rehearsal time.
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
- 3 volunteers create and publish THE GOOD NEWS, our monthly newsletter, totalling 200 person-hours per year.
FOOD PANTRY
- 26 volunteers per session purchase and transport food, pack and distribute bags to 60-70 clients twice monthly, for 840 person-hours per year.
SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE
- Multiple volunteers maintain our Facebook Group page, send emails to the congregations, and update the website, 1-10 hours/week,
totalling more than 200 person-hours per year.
FRIENDS OF MUSIC (FOM)
- Friends of Music has been on hiatus for most of 2020 and 2021 but is slowly returning to its customary work. One person helps make booking and internal arrangements for 15-20 concerts/year performed by 10-12 outside music groups; over two dozen volunteers host these events (as well as church services) which bring 4,000+ people/year through our doors and help raise income for the David Farr Fund, totalling hundreds of person-hours per year.
ESL EDUCATION
- 3 people prepare lesson plans and teach 12 hours/month, totaling 432 person-hours/year.
Volunteers also provide thousands of person-hours of leadership and help for
- Worship as Assisting Clergy, Ushers, Subdeacons, Acolytes, LEMs, Readers, Intercessors, Prayers of the People writers, pre-pandemic FaithQuest and Mustard Seeds leaders, and leaders for Covid-time church services-in-the-park
- Church leadership as vestry members, representatives (and alternates) to the Deanery, Regathering Committee, AV assistance and improvements, church cleanup, and building improvements
- Social events including potlucks, Covid-time virtual Coffee hour and Happy hour
- Fundraising as the Stewardship Committee, with Pop-up Garage Sales, the Holiday CD Sale, and more
St. Paul’s is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, tax ID # 94-1243684. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.