We are a community of faith that welcomes and values all people.

We commit to follow Christ, serve others, grow in faith and

transform the world by sharing God’s love.

Your team of wardens (Phil Fergusson, People’s; Mary Anne Smith, Property; and Barbara Bolles, Rector’s) have begun meeting regularly as we track of all the tasks and activities happening between now and Rector Rev. Karen’s retirement date, June 8. We take all this very seriously, hoping to relieve the congregation of any stress as you no doubt wonder if everything will be okay. Since communicating well is key, be sure to revisit the transition page that Phil updates as needed.

We invite you to focus on celebration. We have an opportunity for storytelling on May 18 (this Sunday) at 11:30 (as the post-10:00 coffee hour settles in) in the parish hall. Storytelling about Rev. Karen’s time at St. Barnabas will fill the air, and we sincerely hope to hear from you. On June 6, we’ll join in a grand, celebratory potluck dinner. You may have seen the invitation to sign up for the potluck and bring along a hardcopy (handwritten or printed out) of a favorite personalized recipe—maybe the one you brought to the dinner! It’s also ok to bring a recipe and no dish, as the invitation mentions. Please attend! Your participation will definitely make the evening merrier and afford us the calming closure of properly acknowledging the gift of seven and a half years of deeply meaningful ministry and leadership.

While celebration is our focus, we wardens and vestry also need to continue working on other tasks, such as securing clergy for the Sundays between when Rev. Karen departs and the interim priest begins. Finding supply priests to come in for a Sunday or two has turned out to be more challenging than expected. The work continues.

Having discerned the names of the parish profile committee, our next step is to call those we nominated. This project will require a team of eight members with a variety of gifts. If called, please strongly consider saying yes. This is a finite project and a meaningful way to contribute to our transition.

May the Holy Spirit work in us, so that our gifts may unite for the thriving life and mission of St. Barnabas, bringing God’s love to the world.

We are the church!

Faithfully submitted,

Barbara Bolles

Rector’s Warden

barbara@stbbi.org

Friday | May 16

 9 p.m. | Compline | Zoom

Saturday | May 17

2 p.m. | Divas Sing Devotion Concert | Parish Hall

Sunday | May 18

8 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite I | Sanctuary

Post–Service Coffee Hour | Parlor

9:45 a.m. | Godly Play | Youth Room

10 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite II | Sanctuary

Post Service Coffee Hour | Storytelling Open Mic | Parish Hall

12:30 p.m.| Vestry Meeting | Library

2-4 p.m. | Youth Group | Youth Room

Monday | May 19

1 p.m. | Knitting Circle | Library

9 p.m. | Compline | Zoom

Tuesday | May 20

9 a.m. | Centering Prayer | Sanctuary

1:30 p.m.| Staff Meeting | Zoom

Wednesday | May 21

7 p.m. | Faith Formation, Pilgrim Ways | Parish Hall

9 p.m. | Compline | Zoom

Thursday | May 22

9 a.m. | Healing Eucharist | Sanctuary

7 p.m. | Parish Choir Rehearsal | Choir Room

Friday | May 23

5 p.m. | Rev. Dennis Tierney Requiem Evensong | St. Mark’s Cathedral

9 p.m. | Compline | Zoom

Sunday | May 25 | Bishop Phil LaBelle Visits St. B

8 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite I | Sanctuary

Post–Service Coffee Hour | Parlor

10 a.m. | Holy Eucharist, Rite II | Sanctuary

Post-Service Coffee Hours | Parish Hall

Post-Service | Newcomer Brunch | Parish Hall, Near Fireplace

3 p.m. | Rev. Dennis Tierney Memorial & Reception| Sanctuary & Parish Hall

Clergy Transition: Mid-May 2025 Update

As we approach Rev. Karen’s departure (Sunday, June 8), our focus is on celebrating her many talents and time with us: her leadership, spiritual guidance, and friendship to name a few. Collectively, we will be meeting for this purpose twice—see detailed info further down in this newsletter!

The Vestry continues to make progress towards hiring our Interim Priest during the upcoming transitional period. An excellent Interim Priest candidate has been identified and interviewed by the Vestry. The documentation required by the Diocese for our hiring request has been submitted and is being considered by Bishop Phil. We hope to soon share more details about this exciting development.

The other important area is bridging the gap for clergy leadership between the time of Rev. Karen’s departure and an Interim Priest’s arrival. Senior Warden, Barbara Bolles, is diligently working on filling this important staffing role.

You can be assured that the wardens and vestry continue to put their own gifts to work to shepherd the parish through this process with integrity. Please contact me or your ministry’s Vestry liaison with questions as we live this together.

Blessings,

Phil Fergusson

Peoples Warden

philfergusson@hotmail.com

Join us for Coffee Hour after the 10 a.m. service this Sunday, May 18 as we share our stories and insights about Rev. Karen’s time with us. Grab a treat and join the toast!

If you signed up to attend the potluck but were disappointed to find that all of the dish sign-ups were full, you’re in luck! There was a hiccup with the sign-up which has been resolved, and there are now plenty of potluck sign-ups available! If you would like to contribute something, please edit your sign-up (if this is beyond your know-how, just email the church office and we’ll edit your sign-up for you).

Please do not RSVP or send your recipes to Rev. Karen directly! If you would like to submit your recipes in advance of the party please send them to Parish Administrator, Etienna Wright, etienna@stbbi.org.

A time of transition in pastoral leadership is a pivotal moment in the life of any church. St. Barnabas is fortunate to kick-off the Invite, Welcome, Connect (IWC) ministry during this time, enabling us to settle into who we are as a parish, and who we aim to be as the spirit of evangelism (Invite), hospitality (Welcome), and belonging (Connect) are nurtured and cultivated in our community.

Please join us on Saturday, May 31 as we dig deeper into what it is that Invite, Welcome, Connect can bring to St. Barnabas, and how we can plug into this ministry as individuals (everyone can!). This day-long workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be a time of creativity and brainstorming, evaluating where we’re getting it right within each of the IWC categories, and where we need to bridge some gaps and how to go about doing that work. Lunch will be provided, and all are welcome to attend. We highly encourage ministry leaders to join us, particularly volunteers who regularly interact with visitors and newcomers (ushers, greeters, welcome table, coffee hour, etc.). RSVP below so that we can prepare enough printed materials and a tasty lunch for all in attendance. We can’t wait to get started!

Trip Duncan

Vestry Member & Invite, Welcome, Connect Liaison

tripd74@yahoo.com 

If you have joined St. B within the last year, we are grateful for your presence in our community and would like to invite you to join Rev. Karen, the Vestry, and the Newcomer Team for a celebratory brunch to welcome you, introduce you to each other, and to hear a bit about your experience of this place. Everything will be quite informal, the food will be great, and we hope you will leave feeling more deeply connected to each other and to St. B. We’ll gather in the Parish Hall near the fireplace after the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, May 25. Please RSVP to Trip Duncan, tripd74@yahoo.com, by May 22. We do hope you can join us!

Upcoming Music Events

You are cordially invited to two upcoming music events!

Saturday, May 17, 2 p.m., “Divas Sing Devotion”: I am very excited to bring two wonderful colleagues, sopranos Ellaina Lewis & Cassandra Willock, to St. Barnabas for a program of arias & art songs. Included is a composition project I’ve been working on for some time, a song cycle based on the poetry of Harlem Renaissance writer, Angelina Weld Grimké. If you’d like to look at the whole program, click here.

Friday, June 27, Noon, Organ Recital: I’m delighted to welcome guest organist Andrew Scanlon, associate organist & choirmaster at Church of the Advent, Boston, to the Bond organ! He brings a wealth of performing experience and will perform a delightful summer program.

—Sheila Bristow

Music Director and Organist

Divas Sing Devotion

Please join us on Saturday, May 17 at 2 p.m. in the Parish Hall for Divas Sing Devotion, a concert of passionate art songs and arias featuring sopranos Ellaina Lewis and Cassandra Willock, accompanied by St. Barnabas Music Director and Organist, Sheila Bristow. Divas Sing Devotion will feature pieces by Bellini, Britten, Purcell, and Stravinsky, plus the world premiere of Bristow’s Grimké Songs. If you’d like to look at the whole program, click here. To download the event flyer, click here.

Admission is free. Call 206/842-5601 or email info@stbbi.org to reserve your seat.

Donations at the door are encouraged to benefit St. Barnabas music ministries. We hope to see you there!

Growing in Faith

Adult Formation learning opportunities are regularly offered at St. Barnabas to encourage and nurture our continued spiritual growth in our lives in Christ. All are welcome at any upcoming events, and we welcome suggestions for future events! Please let us know if you're interested in facilitating or leading one of our faith formation programs.

Tuesdays at 9 a.m.

Centering Prayer: Body Prayer, Chanting, 20 minutes of silence, followed by contemplation of The Gospel of Thomas.

Wednesday Evenings in May, 7 p.m.

Strolling Spiritual Meadows with the Religious Imagineer. Celebrate Eastertide with intriguing forays through the colorful terrain of Christian imagination. The Rev. Jim Friedrich will guide us through a wealth of images, ideas, and stories to delight the eye, engage our intellect, and warm our hearts.

On Wednesday evenings in May at 7 p.m., celebrate Eastertide with intriguing forays through the colorful terrain of Christian imagination. The Rev. Jim Friedrich will guide us through a wealth of images, ideas, and stories to delight the eye, engage our intellect, and warm our hearts.

May 21 | Pilgrim Ways

In an evening to illumine and inspire your own pilgrim way, Jim will share beautifully illustrated accounts from three of his own pilgrim journeys: the Holy Land, Camino de Santiago, and St. Cuthbert’s Way.

May 28 | Rare Beasts and Unique Adventures

Before he rides off into the sunset, our artist/priest in residence will share a diverse and engaging selection of readings, poetry, music, film clips and stories which have spoken deeply to him over a lifetime immersion in religious imagination.

Contact the Adult Faith Formation team if you are interested in participating in Zimzum Discipleship small groups here at St. Barnabas! Email Rev. Patricia Rome Robertson, revprome@hotmail.com

Bainbridge Island-North Kitsap Interfaith Council and Rainbow Crew NW are encouraging faith communities in the area to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community on Sunday, June 1—the first day of Pride Month. To show support for and stand with the trans community facing particular challenges at this time, St. Barnabas will host a Communal Service of Renaming at the 10 a.m. service on this date.

The Episcopal Church has a beautiful liturgy for blessing someone who has “taken or been given a new name.” It makes reference to the “God of Sarai revealed as Sarah, Jacob who became Israel, and Simon called Peter,” and seeks to honor the significant moments in which someone might change their name. This rite can be particularly poignant for those members of the LGBTQ+ community who have transitioned or are transitioning gender, or for those who feel a new name would better fit their true gender identity. This service might also be meaningful for individuals who have recently been adopted, or those returning to their maiden name after a divorce. All are welcome to participate in this liturgy to recognize and celebrate a name change, regardless of circumstances. Please join us!

Your Outreach Committee is inviting you to help us provide diapers and gift cards for the Diocesan Refugee Resettlement Program. Our donations will go to the 40 refugee families in the Preferred Communities program who are experiencing the most need at this time. How can YOU help?

1. Purchase Gift Cards: Please purchase gift cards in any amount from Safeway or Walmart. The recipients will use them for whatever they need most. The amount of the gift card is up to you. Please include a note telling the center the amount of the gift card. Mail the gift card to: Refugee Resettlement Center 515 B Street NE Auburn, WA 98002. Attention: Jennifer Brown You may stop by the church foyer or the Welcome Table and get a pre-addressed envelope if you prefer.
2. Purchase Diapers: We will collect diapers at the church throughout May and deliver them to the Refugee Center in early June. The forty families in this program have children of all ages who wear diapers. So you may buy any size diaper from newborn to toddler. Purchase as many packages as you would like! As any of us who have had children know, the need for diapers is ongoing. You may put your diaper donation in the basket at the back of the sanctuary, in the church foyer, or at the Welcome Table. Please join us in this way of showing God’s love in the world.

Gardeners Wanted!

Your Outreach Committee is looking for gardeners! The food banks in our area are experiencing an increase in the number of clients they serve, while at the same time their revenue streams are in jeopardy. If you garden, this is where YOU can help. Helpline House and other local food banks are looking for ways to provide fresh vegetables to their clients this summer. That means that vegetables need to be planted now! We have three ways you can be of service:

1. If you grow your own food, please donate some locally to Helpline House when you harvest.
2. Laurie and Phil Fergusson have two raised beds that they will not be using this summer. If you and a friend or a small group would like to use these beds to grow food for Helpline, please feel free to do so. The only thing that Laurie and Phil ask is that you make the commitment to plant, weed, and water the items you are growing. Contact Laurie, 206/683-1431 or Phil, 360/286-9126 to make arrangements.
3. Etienna Wright’s new house on the island also has raised beds and she would love to grow food to donate, however she is brand new to gardening and would need some guidance and a helping hand. If anyone wants to be her gardening buddy, please call or text her at 318-715-6937.

Items that might be good to plant are carrots, chard, beets, potatoes, and winter squash. For more information please contact Sue Thompkins, susan.thompkins@gmail.com or 828-230-9328, or contact Laurie and Phil or Etienna at the info above.

The St. Barnabas Prayer Chain consists of a group of pray-ers who believe in the power of prayer and who devotedly pray for others. If you would like to add someone to the prayer list, or if you would like to join those who receive information about those for whom we pray, email Prayer Chain Coordinator, Drucy Burnet Hodge, drucy15@msn.com. Parishioners remain on the prayer list for one month, non-parishioners for two weeks. The long-term prayer list is periodically reviewed and revised. 

*St. Barnabas Members

Deacon Dan Fowler and other volunteers from St. Barnabas lead devotion services at area senior living centers on Bainbridge Island. All are welcome join us!

The Madison House (will not take place on or 5/22)

Every Thursday at 1:45 p.m.

Fieldstone—May 14 & 28

Memory Care 1:30 p.m.

Assisted Living 2 p.m.

Please share info about community events with the church office!

Got summer plans? Kids (ages 3-11) are invited to cap off summer break at Grace Kids Camp.

Monday – Friday, August 18 – 22

9:00 a.m. – Noon

For pre-K – Grade 6

Through silly songs, crafts, and games, campers will build friendships and explore what makes each of us uniquely amazing. Volunteer crew leaders (ages 12+) wanted (Etienna will be there—bring your kiddos!). Contact Coordinator for Youth Ministries at Grace, Melissa Meyers, or click the button below to learn more and register.

Convene 2025 Register Today!

Convene 2025 is designed for leaders, potential leaders in congregations, and interested others – clergy, staff, vestries and bishop’s committees, administrators, members of convention, and anyone who wants to reconnect with others in the Diocese over ways to strengthen our congregations. So put together a team from your congregation and get ready to join us on May 31 as we Convene at Everett Community College. Click here to register.

In the early hours of Palm Sunday, twin airstrikes struck Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, causing immeasurable devastation. A ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, Ahli is Gaza’s oldest hospital—and the only one that provides care to all in need, regardless of religion, political affiliation, or ability to pay.

The attack completely destroyed the hospital’s two-story Genetic Laboratory and severely damaged the Pharmacy, Emergency Department, and nearby buildings, including St. Philip’s Church. Staff and patients were given only twenty minutes to evacuate. While there were no casualties from the blasts, one child—already suffering from a head injury—tragically died during the rushed evacuation.

This marks the fifth attack on Ahli Hospital since the war began in 2023. Click here to read more and to show support...

Office Hours: Monday–Thursday | 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Outside of office hours, contact the office at info@stbbi.org or 206/842-5601.

For pastoral care emergencies, please contact Rev. Karen at revkaren@stbbi.org.