St. Bartholomew's

Episcopal Church

E-News

February 12, 2026

UPCOMING SERVICES

Sunday, February 15 at 9:30 am

Worship Service with Holy Communion & Music

led by the Rev. Amanda Gerken-Nelson

Wednesday, February 18 at 5:30 pm

Ash Wednesday Service with Holy Communion & Music

led by the Rev. Amanda Gerken-Nelson



Nursery Care will be available at the Sunday morning service, and little ones are also very welcome to enjoy our Quiet Play Area in the sanctuary during services.

To view bulletins for upcoming services,

and recordings and bulletins for previous services,

CLICK HERE for the Services page of our website.

Need hearing assistance? We have earpieces that receive audio from the sound system. You can find them in charging stations in the entryway. Simply slip the earpiece over your ear, turn it on with the volume switch, and adjust volume. Please return to the charging stations when you are done.

Want to access the bulletin on your notebook/iPad/phone? Scan the QR code posted in the Sanctuary to get to the Services page of our website. Click on the link "Click here for the bulletin" toward the top of the page.

Want a copy of a sermon from this or previous Sundays? Go to the sermon page of our website HERE and click on the date of the service. If you would like a hard copy, please contact the office at 207-846-9244 and ask Teri to print you a copy.

5th Sunday of the month Offering. All cash in the offering plate, and checks so designated, will go to the Rector's Discretionary Fund on 5th Sundays.

Pastoral Care

In Need of Our Prayers:

For all who have commended themselves to our prayers; for our families, friends, and neighbors; that being freed from anxiety, they may live in joy, peace, and health, we pray to you O Lord. (BCP, Prayers of the People, Form V, 391)



We pray for: 

Virginia & Jamil; Jenny & Matt; David; Sasha; Paige; Nathaniel; Haskell; Don; Gregory; Andy; Molly; Nova; Steven; Jenn; Vance; Ted; Matt & Shannon; Lem; Carol; Beverly; Ben; Morgan; Benson; Hana; Celeste; Hans; Pam; Hurshell; Melanie; Susan; Sue; Brooke; Elizabeth; the McMasters family; and the Diers family.



For those who have died, especially Diana Branch McMasters, friend of Barbara Barhydt, and Joe Diers, uncle of Jamie Michaud, receive them into the arms of your mercy.

Click HERE to go directly to the Pastoral Care section of our website. We have information about Healing Prayers, our Words of Comfort booklet and how to contact us via email.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Tuesday, Feb 17, 6 pm

Everyone is welcome to attend the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at St. Bart’s on Tuesday, February 17 at 6 pm. Join us for informal fellowship while dining on steaming pancakes and delicious fixings!

It is a pot luck, so contributions of quiche, salad, or dessert would be greatly appreciated. See you Tuesday evening!

A New Way to Help Our Neighbors Through the Diocese

St. Bart’s continues to show up for our immigrant neighbors. Below is one way you can help.

The diocese is switching gears from making soup to asking for contributions to go toward the purchase of groceries.

• A gift of $50 can help purchase the groceries to make a large pot of stew.
• A gift of $100 can provide enough ingredients to feed a group of families.
• A gift of $250 can supply protein, rice, and fresh produce for a week of meals.

Your contribution becomes something very real: chicken, fish, beans, rice — and a warm meal shared with our neighbors.

If you would like to participate in this way, gifts can be sent to the diocesan office by check or online here:

https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z5PN/campaign/C-1687X

"Faithful Conversations" Returns

If you would like an opportunity to join with others for discussion and prayer in these challenging times, Faithful Conversations with Rev. Vicki Smith and Dennis Fitzgibbons will return on Tuesday, Feb 24 from 5 - 6 PM on ZOOM. We will meet weekly for 6 weeks and reevaluate over Holy Week and Easter.

This reflection series will use the book “For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional”. It is not necessary to purchase the book. Each week, a link to the ZOOM call and a link to a reading from the book will be in the weekly St. Bart’s bulletin. We look forward to seeing you.

Diplomacy on Ice:

Climate science, glaciers, and effecting change on the global level

A Talk by Dr. Susana Hancock

March 8, 4 pm

St. Bart's Climate Action Committee is excited to welcome Dr. Susana Hancock back to St. Bart's to speak on Sunday, March 8 at 4 pm. Susana, familiar to many at St. Bart's, is an Arctic and glaciers researcher who specializes in science diplomacy and climate policy. Susana will share some of her recent icy adventures (ranging from an attempt to ski to the North Pole to climbing the high altitude glaciers along the Colombian Equator) and how she brings her research to world leaders and into international decision-making spheres to drive urgency and ambition in global climate action. We hope you will join us for an engaging and informative afternoon.

St. Bart's February Outreach:

Friendship House

A reminder of the needs of Friendship House. Please put in the bin in the Narthex. Thank you!

Paper towels

Toilet paper

Cleaning supplies

Dish soap

Dishwasher pods

Paper plates

Coffee

Extra silverware (does not need to be new or matching)

Please contact Pam Hobson with any questions.

A Letter from Archbishop Shane Parker

of the Anglican Church of Canada

Please CLICK HERE to read the comforting letter from our neighbors in Canada, who are praying for us, to our Presiding Bishop.

The Vestry Minute

The E-News includes a brief nugget of information from the Vestry each week. These are meant to provide current news or to refresh past information.

Did you know that...

...St Bart’s has an exceptional organ built by the Andover Organ Company specifically for St Bart’s? Andover Organ Company is a group of dedicated artisans who build and restore mechanical action pipe organs. They have built 118 new organs. The Andover website has a page dedicated to our organ. CLICK HERE to view the page and discover more about this very special instrument. We are incredibly fortunate to have this quality organ as part of our musical worship.

Democracy Not Theocracy

The Authoritarian Threat of “Christian” Nationalism

A training on how to recognize and resist authoritarianism and

White “Christian” Nationalism

Thursday, February 26, 6:30 – 8:00pm (Online)

Authoritarianism and White “Christian” Nationalism are closely linked and it’s up to us to expose that link and counteract it-- for the good of our democracy and our faith. Because so-called “Christian” Nationalists and the authoritarian government they support threaten a foundation of our Constitution and our creed: belief in the sacred worth and equality of all people.

That’s why Maine Council of Churches and Multifaith Justice Maine are inviting you to attend this online training led by our national partners at Interfaith Alliance and get equipped to speak and act with the moral clarity this moment demands.

Sign Ups & Resources for Volunteers

To learn more about opportunities to volunteer in the community through St. Bart's (St. Elizabeth's, Friendship House, etc.), go to the COMMUNITY OUTREACH page on our website.

To volunteer for a Sunday Coffee Hour, CLICK HERE.