Update: October 7, 2024

Sharing Spaces Update

The Vestry of St. Michael and All Angels continues to explore ways in which we can both serve the larger community and address our short and long-term financial needs by stewarding use of our land and facilities.

In addition to continuing to welcome Brownies and Girl Scouts to our meeting rooms and basketball and volleyball leagues to our gym, we are now pleased to share space with the Gordon School (toddlers through pre-K) and OC Academy (K through 12th grade) during the week. It has been a blessing for us to have so many young people using our facilities.

On a longer-term basis, we continue to explore opportunities to develop a portion of our site for affordable and market-rate housing. With guidance from the Diocese, we seek to discern how we may best serve our needs and our community with sustainable development.

Jill Draffin
Vestry Chair
Building Project/Real Estate




Below is historical information about St. Michael's Sharing Spaces Task Force. The Task Force mission has been completed.

Challenges and opportunities—they often seem to come together. This is true of the explorations your Vestry is spearheading: how we meet our financial needs here at St. Michael’s and how we serve the needs of the wider community.

We spent time at our Vestry Retreat in June considering the challenges and opportunities, and stemming from that, set up a Task Force on Sharing Spaces. The Task Force team leads reported to the congregation at the Parish Town Meeting on September 11th and continue to seek ways of moving toward these goals.

Team A, chaired by Steve Morris, is looking at ways to provide space for outside groups and activities. We have a beautiful campus; how do we open it up for others to use? Team B, led by Mary Bailey, is looking at how we might provide space for faith communities, as we have done for St. Monica’s Coptic Church. If you hear of any group looking for a place to be, please contact Mary. Lead by Ali Haghjoo and Louise Stover, Team C is looking at low-income housing opportunities. They have met with representatives of Habitat for Humanity and will be contacting several other Episcopal churches which are building low-income housing on their properties.

If you have ideas or suggestions, please let any Vestry member know. Think big! Expand our vision of sustainability and service!

Updates

Click the links below for news and updates on our progress.


Sharing Spaces Update

January 7, 2024 Saint Michael and All Angels has engaged LeSar Development Consultants of San Diego to conduct an affordable housing development feasibility study. The firm will conduct market research to determine appropriate assumptions for ...
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Sharing Spaces Task Force Update | LA Voice Cohort

St. Mike's Sharing Spaces Task Force has been participating in a program coordinated by the nonprofit LA Voice over the past six weeks. This organization works with congregations interested in learning about putting affordable housing on their la...
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Dr. Jill Shook’s Biblical Rationale for Affordable Housing

Dr. Jill Shook authored Making Housing Happen: Faith-Based Affordable Housing Models . Her book was recommended to Gail Haghjoo and Steve Morris by Patty Slough of the United Methodist Church of Palm Springs who is working with LeSar Development...
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The Rev. Michael Bell to lead housing development for EDLA churches

Episcopal Communities & Services (ECS) has hired the Rev. Michael Bell as director of housing and business development, a newly created position key to Bishop John Harvey Taylor’s vision to build affordable residential units on 25 percent of th...
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2023 Annual Meeting: Sunday, February 5, 2023

Immediately after the 9 am worship service, we will hold our 2023 Annual Meeting in the sanctuary. This will be a hybrid meeting simultaneously in person and on Zoom. After the meeting, we will enjoy coffee and refreshments in the south courtyard...
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Sharing Spaces | Bishop Taylor outlines housing initiatives

Bishop Taylor outlines housing, fundraising initiatives at Diocesan Council’s January meeting by Pat McCaughan The Episcopal News Jan 18, 2023 Bishop John Harvey Taylor’s vision for the Diocese of Los Angeles includes affordable hou...
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Pastoral Note from the Rev. Shane Scott-Hamblen

Dearest sisters and brothers of Saint Michael’s: First of all, let me thank all of you for electing the people you did to serve on the Vestry and Search Committee. My time getting to know them was amazing and I’m so humbled that they chos...
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Sunday, Dec. 4 - Betsy Densmore, Guest Homilist

Betsy Densmore is guest homilist at Saint Michael’s on Giving Sunday, December 4, as we conclude the 2022 Stewardship Campaign. Betsy is co-founder of Episcopal Enterprises which helps churches like Saint Michael’s find ways to fund powerful ...
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Expanding Our Vision: Sharing Spaces Task Force

Challenges and opportunities—they often seem to come together. This is true of the explorations your Vestry is spearheading: how we meet our financial needs here at St. Michael’s and how we serve the needs of the wider community. We spent ti...
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