All Saints Lutheran Church sits at 2 San Marin Drive in Novato, in southern Marin County, and identifies as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Sierra Pacific Synod. A self-described Reconciling in Christ congregation, it carries a clear mission: "We are called to spread God's message of love and grace through word and action." The congregation's identity is rooted in three guiding principles - We Believe, We Listen, We Act - and in a welcome that names every boundary some might draw and sets it aside.
A Welcome That Names Everyone
All Saints states its welcome with unusual precision. The congregation welcomes all sexual orientations and gender identities, all ages and financial situations, those who are married, divorced, single, with or without children, all racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds, all who are struggling with addictions and other personal hardships, all levels of physical and mental health and abilities, and all faith backgrounds, including those questioning their faith or new to faith. As a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation recognized by ReconcilingWorks, All Saints is "proud to offer our space and services for the blessing and celebration of same-gender marriages, recognizing them as sacred unions before God." Visitors are invited to fully participate in the life and ministry of the church. The emphasis is consistent across the website: "Who you are, as you are, where you are coming from."
Sunday Worship at 9:30
Sunday worship is held at 9:30 a.m. and is offered both in person and online via Zoom, with bulletins, scripture readings, and sermons posted as PDFs for those following along at home. The church's YouTube channel carries recorded sermons, and the joining information is published on the homepage each week.
Worship opens with 1 John 3:1 - "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are" - and Colossians 3:14-15, which calls the community to clothe itself with love. After worship, members and visitors are invited to coffee and conversation, a chance for the congregation to welcome newcomers personally. Baptism, Holy Communion, and who may receive communion are also explained, and prayer is presented as "a conversation with God."
Pizza at All Saints Since 1995
The most distinctive ministry at All Saints has nothing to do with Sunday morning. Every Thursday at noon during the school year, high school students from nearby San Marin High School are invited - and permitted - to walk over to All Saints for pizza lunch. The program began in 1995 with two or three students and has grown to more than a hundred a week. Pizza is $2 a slice with a beverage and $1 for seconds. The fellowship hall, normally a quiet gathering space, fills with conversation and laughter as students step out of class for an hour, and the ministry has become one of the congregation's best-known gifts to its neighborhood.
Sixty Quilts a Year for Lutheran World Relief
A quilting group formed at All Saints in 2013 and now produces more than sixty quilts a year for Lutheran World Relief (LWR). LWR distributes the quilts in the United States and abroad wherever there is humanitarian crisis - natural disasters, war, and other circumstances of suffering - to bring comfort to those in need. The group gathers regularly to sew, tie, and pray over the work, and the quilts are a tangible expression of the congregation's wider mission.
A Children's Center at the Heart of the Congregation
All Saints Preschool and Children's Center has been providing Christian early education and care in Novato since 1977 and serves approximately fifty children year-round. The center is described as "an integral part of the mission of All Saints Lutheran Church," guided by the conviction that "all children deserve high quality and equitable childcare and education within a Christ-centered environment." The program emphasizes a developmentally appropriate, multicultural, and multiethnic curriculum, and treats each child as a "unique and valued creation of God."
Kristie Boyden has directed the Children's Center since 1998, having joined in 1991 as one of the Beaver (elementary school-age) teachers and serving as assistant director from 1994. A Kansas native who moved to California after graduating from Kansas State University in 1974, she has been a steady presence in the program for more than three decades. Sue Kovarik serves as assistant director, having joined the All Saints family in 1995 as a Honeybear teacher before moving into her current role in 1999. The center is governed by a committee of congregation members, center staff, and a non-member parent. Families interested in the program can contact the center directly at 415-893-4202.
Learning for Every Age
Education at All Saints takes several forms. During the 9:30 a.m. worship service, a volunteer-led Sunday Morning Little Ones craft time gathers young children after the children's message for a lesson on the love of God, hope, and relationships in church. After worship and a brief fellowship time, an adult Bible study meets in the Fellowship Hall; the lessons typically connect to the texts heard in worship that Sunday, and the group welcomes all levels of biblical literacy. Adult Forum meets at 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall following worship, with topics that vary widely but always focus on growing in faith. Rev. Dr. Kent Webber, a retired Presbyterian pastor in the Novato community, periodically teaches courses in person at All Saints and online via the church's Zoom channel.
Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation
By appointment, the congregation offers courses for youth and adults on Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. Baptism instruction is typically brief and is not required to complete before the rite itself - the church teaches that "Baptism is something that we live." First Communion instruction is open to first graders and up, for anyone ready to learn about the sacrament. Confirmation is a one- to two-year course for twelve- to fourteen-year-olds, available either online or in person, and is the affirmation that students make of their baptismal promises as adult members of the community. Inquiries can be directed to the church office.
The Little Free Library on San Marin Drive
The Little Free Library stands near the walking path along Novato Boulevard, close to the corner of San Marin Drive. It is described as "an outdoor ministry to the community," offering books of general interest to all and a companion box of children's books. A bench in the shade invites passersby to rest and read. Visitors are encouraged to take a book, bring a book, or simply sit for a while, and the library is a small but steady sign of the congregation's presence beyond its own walls.
Second Mile Giving
Each month, All Saints partners with a different organization through its Second Mile Giving program. Members are invited to designate their offering through the church's Tithe.ly giving platform to support the partner of the month. Recent partners have included Heifer International, which has worked with small-holder farmers and their communities to address hunger sustainably since 1944; Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization founded in 1974 that urges decision makers to address hunger in the United States and abroad; and California Lutheran University, one of two ELCA-affiliated universities on the West Coast. The Social Ministry team often uses Bread for the World's resources to host letter- and postcard-writing events at All Saints.
Women of the ELCA, Small Groups, and the Green Team
All Saints Women of the ELCA is a member of the churchwide women's organization, whose mission is "to empower women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ." The women meet for Bible study monthly. Small groups also meet in members' homes, typically on a weekend evening, for Bible study and shared topics of interest; the groups are usually self-forming and self-led, and individuals interested in joining or forming one can reach out at any time. A Green Team tends to creation-care concerns within the congregation's life, and a Youth and Family Ministry oversees intergenerational faith formation. The church also maintains an active email Prayer Chain that quickly connects individuals across the country to pray for those who have requested it; requests can be sent to AllSaintsPrayers@Comcast.net or phoned in at 415-892-3033.
Music Under Katy Hatfield
Katy Hatfield is the Choir Director and Accompanist. A Novato resident since 1975, she first served as All Saints' choir director from 1976 to 2002 and has now returned to the role. Her three children - Amanda, Spencer, and Preston - were all confirmed at All Saints. She has taught piano and voice, helped found the Novato Music Association, sung with several opera and musical theater companies including the Gala Singers, directed the Marin Opera Chorus, and served as music director and organist at Novato Presbyterian Church from 2002 to 2024. She and her husband, Barry, are deeply rooted in the wider Novato community.
A Pastor Rooted in Novato
Reverend Ariel Mink began serving as interim pastor of All Saints Lutheran in December 2024. In late 2025, the congregation invited her to continue on a permanent basis, and in January 2026 she was officially installed as Pastor of All Saints. She also serves as Associate Presbyter and Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of the Redwoods, a mid-council of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and previously served as interim pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Novato. A self-described lifetime learner, she holds four master's degrees - Divinity, Business Administration, Library Science, and Knowledge Management - and an undergraduate degree in English Literature. She grew up in Novato, loves to cook and bake, shares her home with two cats and a dog, and has taken up backyard bird watching in her spare time. She and her husband, David, have a daughter, Sierra, who lives in Boston.
Office, Calendar, and Facility Use
The church office is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The main telephone number is 415-892-1669, with the Children's Center reachable at 415-893-4202. Email reaches the office at admin@aslcnovato.org and the pastor at pastor@aslcnovato.org. The facility is available for outside use by inquiry through the church office, and the calendar page is the place to begin. A monthly newsletter called "the Trumpet" carries congregational news, including Second Mile Giving updates.
Giving and the Wider Connection
Online giving is handled through Tithe.ly, both on the website and through a mobile app. Members can direct their regular offering to the church or to the Second Mile Giving partner of the month. The congregation's life is shaped by its ELCA connections - through Lutheran World Relief, the Sierra Pacific Synod, and the wider ELCA family of colleges and universities - and by its RIC standing, which signals its welcome to LGBTQ+ people and allies. All Saints describes itself in a way that is at once simple and demanding: a community called to spread God's love and grace through word and action, and to live out that calling in Novato for as long as the building stands.