The People and Pets of St. Francis

For the faithful and the seekers who need a safe place to find hope and spiritual nourishment in a Christ-centered community, St. Francis offers a theologically progressive, diverse, welcoming and joyful church committed to exploring and deepening our faith in God and each other through community, worship and outreach.

Reverend Stacey Grossman, Priest-in-Charge, 415.892.1609

Jumi Kim, Music Director, 415.892.1609  

Teri Clark, Preschool Director, 415.892.2597

Kristine Fretz, Office Admin, 415.892.1609

About Reverend Stacey, Priest-in-Charge

Stacey Grossman began her new call as Priest-in-Charge at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Novato in August, 2018. She has served three parishes as intentional interim and had a long pastorate at the Church of the Nativity in San Rafael. She has also trained as a hospital chaplain.

Stacey has served on a variety of diocesan committees and commissions, and counts her term on the Standing Committee  as her most important ministry. She has been involved in safe church work, including leading an effort to rewrite the diocesan safe church standards and policies. She taught Pastoral Theology at CDSP and conflict resolution in the field education program there.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Pomona College as well as an MBA in finance and international business from New York University.  Her Masters in Divinity was earned at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California, a member seminary of the Graduate Theological Union.

Stacey lives in Novato, Marin County. She is a fifth generation Californian and has happily assumed her grandmother’s role as the family genealogist. She lives under monastic vows taken in 2005 in friendship with the Order of the Holy Cross, an Episcopal religious order. While not engaged in the work of the church, she rows in the early morning on the San Francisco Bay with the Marin Rowing Association. She loves all things Yosemite and is an avid contemplative photographer.

About Jumi Kim, Music Director

Jumi Kim, soprano, has been a featured soloist for Oratorios, Masses and Church Cantatas. Recent performances include, Mozart Requiem and Coronation Mass, Vivaldi Gloria, Bach Church Cantatas, Pergolesi Stabat Mater, Handel’s Messiah and others with various symphony orchestras in the Midwest and West Coast. She also regularly appeared as a guest artist at the concert series of the non-profit organization Music Untold performing in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

Ms. Kim recently performed the role of high priestess from Aida and Lola from Cavalleria Rusticana with Opera San Luis Obispo. Previously, she performed the roles of Suzel from L’amico Fritz, Donna Elvira from Don Giovanni, and Countess from Le Nozze di Figaro. She has also presented lecture recitals at the CMS National and International conferences and also at various universities.

Ms. Kim also recently served as the interim music director and organist at Grace Episcopal Church in Martinez and previously at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in San Luis Obispo. Prior to this, she served as music director for First Baptist Church of Muncie, Indiana, and also as a soprano section leader for various churches.

Ms. Kim taught at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo as a voice instructor for the last six years prior to moving up to the Napa valley area. She previously taught voice at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion and IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne). Ms. Kim received her doctoral degree in vocal performance from Ball State University. She received her master’s from Indiana University and her bachelor’s degree from Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, Korea.

About Teri Clark, Preschool Director

Teri Clark joined St. Francis Preschool as the Director in 2016.  She has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, holds a degree in Child Development, a Site Supervisor permit with the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing and is a California Mentor Director.  Teri developed the Marin Director’s Group in 2017 and coordinates monthly seminars for early childhood programs in the county.  Before coming to St. Francis, she was the Educational Resource Director/Executive Team Member for a large multi-site early childhood education program where she was responsible for staff development and education and helped develop community educational partnerships in Marin and Sonoma counties. She has multiple years of experience teaching at the preschool and elementary school level and directing preschool programs.  In addition, she has coordinated several school gardening programs. Her hobbies include gardening, hiking and baking. 

2018 Vestry

Ann Gordon, Senior Warden, annmgordon@comcast.net

Mary Santora, Junior Warden, Hospitality and Vestry Secretary, marysantora@gmail.com

Julie Jacobson, Treasurer, juliejacobson222@gmail.com

Bill Burrell, Outreach, bburrellhome@hotmail.com

Roy Gale, Facilities, roygale67@comcast.net

Allison Waterworth, Community Outreach, Allison@DrWaterworth.com

Beverly Roberts, Finance, beverlyrobertsreo@gmail.com

Rowena Hutchinson, metrelineg@gmail.com

Orrin Cook, occook@gmail.com

2018 Vestry

(Left to Right): Bill Burrell, Ann Gordon, Frank Lewis, Bev Roberts, Allison Waterworth, Mary Santora, Roy Gale, Rowe Hutchinson. Julie Jacobson (not pictured).

2018 Deanery Representatives

Bill Roberts

Carole Dillon-Knutson 

Frank Lewis

(Left to Right): Bill Roberts, Carole Dillon-Knutson, Frank Lewis

Our Church began as a Mission founded in 1948. On November 7 of that year, Paul and Marie Brindel, Novato citizens who wanted an Episcopal Church to inhabit the vast and rural area that was Novato, hosted a group of twenty people at their home to meet with the then Bishop of California, Karl Block. Bishop Block allowed the creation of an Episcopal Mission, and the people chose Saint Francis to be the mission’s patron saint. The choice of Francis was twofold: for one, the church was located a mere 30 miles from the great city by the same name; and two, Novato was a land rich in peaceful, natural settings.

In 1950, the Mission worked with the diocese to purchase an acre-and-a-half of quiet, ancient-oak-tree studded farmland to be the grounds for that Mission.  The first building, a humble chapel named after Saint Clare, was carved out of the very earth on which it stood, a monument to the Mission’s connection with nature and its humble beginning. Over-time St. Francis grew from a mission to parish.

Nestled among tall oak and pine trees, St. Francis Preschool has been serving families in the North Bay Area for more than forty years. A safe environment, physically and emotionally, is provided where children are given the opportunity to become curious learners who are socially competent, cooperative, self-reliant, motivated, confident, and considerate. To learn more about our preschool and to schedule a tour call Teri Clark, Preschool Director, at 415.892.2597.