Stewardship

Stewardship at St. Paul's

Abundant God, you made us in your image and breathed in us a spirit of generosity that is both gift and response.
Move us, we pray, to give as we have received—abundantly, generously and joyfully,
that our common ministry may ever bear witness to your unfailing grace.
In the name of the Three in whom we are One.

Fill out your Pledge Card NOW
Bring it to church, put it in the mail, or submit via email.

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 Pantry of Hope provides food to our neighbors.

CELEBRATING GOD'S GIFTS:
St. Paul's Annual Giving 2023

As Christian stewards we strive to live into a spirit of generosity which, as stated in the prayer above, is “both gift and response.” As Christians we acknowledge the blessings we enjoy in this life are a gift from God, and we respond prayerfully and joyfully in response to those blessings in worship and ministry.

Jesus came among us so that we might be reconciled with God and each other, helping us to know God more intimately as we live our lives as believers. He preached about the needs of the people…physical healing, spiritual healing, feeding the poor, healing the sick, and teaching us how to live. This is the work of the believing community.

Our spiritual lives are enriched and formed by our life in the church. The church supports us in our faith journey, and it needs our support. Please join us in making a pledge of financial support to St. Paul’s for 2023! We look forward to renewed and growing ministries to each other and the community around us in 2023!

We are extremely grateful to all who financially support the St. Paul’s community! Your pledged offerings and other financial contributions represent the largest single source of our income, about 42%. Other important sources of income include space use, investment income and our financial reserves.

We are mindful of the trust you place in us to be good stewards of the gifts you have given to St. Paul’s. The chart below represents an approximation of how monetary resources are allocated, considering both direct expenses and staff time.

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.

PLEDGE YOUR ONGOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT

If you did not receive a Pledge Card in the mail, download it NOW or get one in the narthex.

Questions? See Stewardship FAQs

IN PERSON
Place your completed pledge card in the offering plate.

BY MAIL
Mail your completed pledge card to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave, Oakland, CA 94610

ONLINE
- Download fillable Pledge Card
- Complete, save and email to [email protected]

OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
- Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA
- From your Donor Advised Fund
- Gifts of securities
For these options, contact [email protected]

MATCHING GIFTS FROM YOUR EMPLOYER
St Paul’s is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Contact your employer to see if St. Paul’s is eligible to receive a matching gift, then contact
[email protected]

Our Ministries

The pandemic and the resulting isolation disrupted our rhythms of worship, service and fellowship. Despite the challenges presented by COVID19 we were able to worship every Sunday, either online or in person, throughout the pandemic. In addition, the people of St. Paul’s:

Continued to serve our neighbors through the Pantry of Hope, 80 clients bi-monthly
Provided back to school supplies for 90 vulnerable children (summer, 2022)
Removed 130 guns from Oakland streets through Guns to Gardens project (late spring, 2022)
Leveraged technology for adult formation through our Lenten series, newly formed Book Club and Sacred Ground work (ongoing).

As we emerge from/adjust to life with the pandemic, we are filled with hope and gratitude for the many blessings that we have received. We are excited to resume programs for children and youth under the direction of Archdeacon Carolyn Bolton. We are thrilled to welcome Benjamin Bachmann, Director of Music, after a 9 month search process, and look forward to the evolution of our music program under his leadership.

WORSHIP 39%

Many people gathered for worship inside the church, with priest praying at the altar

“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

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 20%

Smiling family in nature background, with father, mother, and daughter.

The McManus Family in Fall of 2022. Now there are four!

“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 FORMATION 18%

Smiling family on mountain top, with father, mother, and baby

Children and families are growing fast! Wesley's little brother Donovan was born this year!

“I was able to participate in last 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

OUR COMMUNITY 18%

“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

OUTREACH TO OUR NEIGHBORS 9%

“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!

American flag and rainbow pride flag flying above the church

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
USHERS & GREETERS
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
FOOD PANTRY, ST. PAUL'S PANTRY OF HOPE
SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE
FRIENDS OF MUSIC (FOM)
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS
CONCERTS
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AND THE POLLINATOR POSSE
COMMUNITY OUTREACH & SOCIAL JUSTICE
LOAVES & FISHES
GUNS TO GARDENS
THE GIVING TREE
FELLOWSHIP EVENTS
COFFEE HOUR
FAMILY MINISTRIES/YOUTH & CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES
BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES
FAITH-IN-ACTION: FRIDAY NIGHT WALKS
ADULT EDUCATION/FAITH FORMATION
ST. PAUL'S LEGACY SOCIETY
VESTRY
FUNDRAISING/STEWARDSHIP
ESL EDUCATION

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Thank you for supporting St. Paul's!
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.