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

transform the world by sharing God’s love.

January 11: God’s Radical Gospel

Details below about this topical study during Epiphanytide.

Dear People of St. Barnabas,

We are in a new year and a new liturgical season. Wise Men from the East have departed and we are settling into a season of Ordinary Time with a return of the liturgical color green… except, of course, for this coming Sunday when we will celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus with the color white. A change in liturgical seasons means that our Sunday liturgies will change once again. In addition to changes in the Prayers of the People, you will notice that the Eucharistic Prayer for the 8 a.m. Sunday service will return to Eucharistic Prayer II, while the Eucharistic Prayer for the 10:30 a.m. service will shift to Enriching Our Worship Prayer 1. All will change again when we enter Lent on February 12.

The official notice has been sent out of our upcoming Annual Meeting and parish brunch that will be held on Sunday February 1, 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. To enable us to accomplish the work of the Annual Meeting in one hour, there will be two Bridge presentations that I encourage you to attend:

January 18, 9:30 a.m.

A Portrait of St. Barnabas

The Profile Committee will present the compiled findings of last fall’s Holy Cow Survey and small group discussions with parishioners.

January 25, 9:30 a.m.

2026 Finance and Budget Presentation & Group Reflection

Chair of the Finance Committee, Borgan Anderson, will offer a Budget Presentation and Interim Dianne Andrews+ will facilitate a Group Reflection on the Life and Mission of St. Barnabas.

Notices will go out today to ministry leaders requesting that individual reports for the Annual Report be submitted by Wednesday, January 21. Please know that these reports do not necessarily need to be exhaustive, but they do need to convey relevant activities and information about the respective ministry. I like to think of Annual Reports as a form of documented history responding to the question, “What was the year 2025 like at St. Barnabas?” Reports illuminate the many ministries that are happening in our midst while providing opportunities to express gratitude and extend invitations to participate in the ministry.

On Wednesday, I, along with others from St. Barnabas, had the privilege of attending the swearing-in of parishioner Michael Fitzpatrick as a new member of the Poulsbo City Council. Michael serves at the altar, is a leader in Adult Faith Formation, and is a licensed preacher who will be offering the sermon on January 18. Congratulations to Michael and to the people of Poulsbo! Tis a witness of faith in action! Please note, also, that Michael will be leading this coming Sunday’s The Bridge session “God’s Radical Gospel” beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Tierney Parish Hall.

Yours in the love of Christ,

Dianne+

The Rev. Dianne Andrews

Interim

revdianne@stbbi.org

Join Us For The Bridge Between Sunday Services!

9:30-10:15 a.m.

The Bridge at St. Barnabas is a time between Sunday morning worship services when our church community gathers to connect, learn, and grow together. It’s more than a breather between services—it’s a time set apart for encouragement, education, and faith formation. Bridges connect and support, and over coffee and conversation, The Bridge at St. Barnabas gives attendees from both services the opportunity to connect and support one another in our spiritual journeys. In The Bridge, we find community that nurtures our hearts, minds, and spirits, reminding us that the road is easier when we walk it together.

January 11: God’s Radical Gospel

What is the connection between the Good News of Jesus that we proclaim and participate in every Sunday during worship with the wider communal and political life around us? Join Michael Fitzpatrick this Sunday, January 11 during The Bridge for a crash course in Rowan Williams’ political theology. We will discuss, among other things, the non-competitive God, the freedom of Christ, and the responsibility of the Church to model for the world what beloved community looks like.

This presentation will be a preview of Michael’s upcoming group study, God’s Radical Gospel, which will begin meeting Tuesday evenings at 6:30 starting on January 13. If you want to get a glimpse of the group study or cannot make it, come to The Bridge this Sunday to learn more!

Adult Formation learning opportunities are regularly offered at St. Barnabas to encourage and nurture our continued spiritual growth in the life of Christ. All are welcome at any upcoming events. We welcome suggestions for future events and volunteers to facilitate or lead classes and discussions on topics you are familiar with.

Centering Prayer

Tuesdays at 9 a.m.

Centering Prayer: Centering Prayer: body prayer, chanting, twenty minutes of silence, followed by contemplation of reflections from Meister Eckhart.

God’s Radical Gospel:

Topical Study During Epiphanytide

The Good News (or Gospel) is that through Jesus, God has changed everything. Our liturgy proclaims this in our worship. Over 5 weeks, Michael Fitzpatrick will lead a study discussion group exploring two questions:

What is the Gospel?

And what are its implications for how we live our lives?

Each week the group will read a fresh essay to be discussed together. All essays will be provided in advance either by accessing them from the St. Barnabas website here or having them emailed in advance. Participants who would like essays provided by email need to email Michael at the address below in advance so as to receive the essays prior to each meeting. We will meet every Tuesday for five weeks at 6:30 p.m. starting on January 13 in Tierney Parish Hall. If you’re not comfortable driving in the evenings, please ask a fellow parishioner or Michael Fitzpatrick for a ride to and from the church. 


Contact: Michael Fitzpatrick, m.c.fitzpatrick@outlook.com

Did you make a resolution this year to strengthen and deepen your faith? The Zimzum group continues to meet every month to support each other on our journey and consider ways in which our understanding and commitment to follow Christ can grow. We meet on the fourth Friday of every month at 1 p.m. in the St. Barnabas Library. So far we have discussed the importance of Sabbath in our lives and the central part that the stories in Scripture give us new ways of considering our lives. Our next gathering is Friday, January 23. Join us! Even if you’re just curious. Questions? Contact The Rev. Patricia Robertson, revprome@hotmail.com.

No, that’s not a pun or misspelling—January’s book , Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor, is set in Wales. The New York Times described it as “a stunning debut [novel] about loss, isolation, folklore, and the joy and dissonance of finding oneself by exploring life outside one’s community.” We will meet on Monday, January 12, 2-3:30 p.m. in the Gowan Library.

Contemplative Wisdom Resumes

Our world is full of busy-ness as we are inundated each day with more stimuli than we can process with any kind of understanding and meaning, leaving us all depleted and unable to be present to the abiding love of God.

The prayer of the contemplative is, essentially, an attention to the omnipresence of the God who is Love. God/Love is omnipresent not as a theological doctrine, but as the great silence that is present in every moment—but from which we are usually distracted by an overactive mind that refuses to wait in a humble unknowing for a pure wisdom from above.

You are invited to discover this Contemplation which yields to Wisdom as we gather to read, mark, and inwardly digest, Silence by Robert Sardello. This winter/spring, our gatherings will occur monthly on Saturday mornings, beginning on January 10, 9:30 a.m. to Noon. All gatherings include intentional body practice, chant, silence for meditation, small group and whole group discussion.

For dates and planned readings for each gathering, please register with The Rev. Patricia Robertson, revprome@hotmail.com. Please join us, even if you have never done so before. Discover the gift of wisdom and love that emerges in silence, and expand loving Presence in the world.

With Ash Wednesday on the horizon, it is time to begin assembling Lenten Reflections for the upcoming season. This year, the Adult Faith Formation Team is inviting us to focus on the Gospel according to Matthew. You are invited to choose a passage from Matthew, reflect on it and respond by submitting a piece of your own prose or poetry, a photo, or a photo of an art creation. If you choose to submit a work of another author or artist, please provide a suitable attribution and maybe some brief comments about why your chose the piece. Children and youth are especially invited to participate. All are invited! 

Get out your Bible and click the button below to sign up for your preferred pericope! (Don’t be distracted by the ads that Sign Up Genius runs in order maintain this free tool...just look at the scripture and sign up!) The deadline for submissions of reflections is Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

To support this year’s focus on Matthew’s Gospel, Dianne+ will offer a presentation during The Bridge about Matthew’s approach to the Good News in light of the other three gospels. Mark your calendars for Sunday, February 22 at 9:30 a.m. 

From the Giving Tree at St. Barnabas to the 
Giving Tree at Chaplains on the Harbor and Helpline House! 

On December 22, all of the gifts presented to the St. Barnabas Giving Tree were delivered to the Giving Tree at Chaplains on the Harbor. Similarly, the Gift Cards donated to Helpline House were delivered. On behalf boards, staffs, and recipients of the gifts at both Chaplains on the Harbor and Helpline House, this message of gratitude is being relayed to the congregation of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island. Once again in 2025, the parishioners demonstrated unmatched generosity in their donations to the hungry, homeless, needy, and poor of Grays Harbor County and Kitsap County. Saying “thank you” hardly seems adequate and yet gratitude is felt by sponsors, donors, and recipients of the gifts. Questions or comments can be forwarded to Steve Schmitz, COH Board Member and Outreach member, 206/327.1643 or Laurie Fergusson, Outreach member and Helpline House liaison, 206/683.1431.

Would YOU like to be part of a caring community of women?

I would like to invite the women of St. Barnabas to join Secret Prayer Partners! We are a group of women in the church who are forming a caring community through prayer and acts of kindness for our partners. The twist that adds to the fun is doing all of this for your partner in secret—she does not know who is praying for her and remembering her with notes, kind words, and sometimes presents in addition to prayers. Those of us who participate in this ministry are coming to believe that the Holy Spirit is moving through this group in such a way that sometimes we just know that our prayer partner is having a difficult time and in need of special care.

Registration forms are in the parlor and online by clicking the button below. Secret Prayer Partners will be assigned in February and we will begin our new year then. We welcome all women of St. Barnabas to come and experience the caring, love, fun, and community that we are building with each other!

—Sue Thompkins

SPP Coordinator

If you have problems catching all of the words in sermons or other announcements in church, we have just the thing for you! We have two types of hearing devices available for use during the church services.

One type, for those with hearing aids equipped to pickup inductively, is a loop you wear around your neck that boosts your own hearing aids. The other type uses standard ear buds. Both types of these hearing assistance devices have volume control for you to adjust as needed. If you would like to try one out, please ask your usher who can provide one to you.

Please note that there is no Godly Play or Youth Group on Sunday, December 28. Please join us in church for Christmas Lessons & Carols!

Godly Play at St. B

Sunday Mornings

Grades PreK-4 thru 5 | 10:15 a.m.

Youth Group at St. B

Sunday Mornings

Grades 6-12 | After 10:30 Service

Dear Parishioners,

The paved Fire Lane that leads from the lower parking lot up next to the Parish Hall has been occasionally blocked by parked cars near the hall and kitchen entrances. This is in violation of the Bainbridge Island Fire Code and creates a potential safety concern for accessibility by emergency vehicles. In addition, it makes it more challenging for parishioners or their drivers (family, friendly parishioners trying to help, local retirement home bus services, etc.) to easily exit the Parish Hall after a passenger pick-up is made. Signage does exist in a couple of prominent locations that clearly identifies this access road as a “Fire Lane.”

Dropping items off for Parish Hall events is not a problem. However,  we respectively request that you do not park in the Fire Lane for a more extended time. Please help us to be compliant with the Bainbridge Island Fire Code and make it easier for others delivering people or services to easily exit the area.

Thanks for your consideration,

Phil Fergusson

Peoples Warden

To foster transparency about church business, the Vestry has instituted a monthly column to highlight the decisions made at monthly Vestry meetings. Additionally, any parishioner is welcome to attend our meetings (usually held at noon on the third Sunday of the month in the parish library), and minutes of meetings are available in the wall holder on the right as you enter the parlor. Read the summary update here!

Full Vestry meeting minutes can be found on the St. Barnabas website.

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

Every Thursday at 1:45 p.m.

Fieldstone—January 21, February 4, 18

Memory Care 1:30 p.m.

Assisted Living 2 p.m.

Please share info about community events with the church office!

Faith Episcopal in Poulsbo to Host

A Space to Honor Loss

Saturday, January 24, 2025

2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Faith Episcopal Church, Poulsbo

In a culture that often avoids or rushes through pain, this gathering offers something different: a time set aside for feeling, sharing, and honoring the many forms of grief we carry. Whether you are grieving the death of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, a shift in identity, or the pain of the world – we welcome you. This grief circle is open to anyone who wants to be in a caring space to acknowledge what they are carrying in their heart.

What to Expect

Led by Dr. Jeffrey Batstone, the day will include:

• Ceremony
• Talking Circles
• Contemplative Engagement
• Teaching and Guidance
• Rest and Reflection Time
• 
  

All participation is invitational.

The Five Gates of Grief

Inspired by author and therapist Francis Weller, this circle acknowledges that grief comes to us through many “gates”:

The loss of someone or something we love

The parts of ourselves that have never known love

The sorrows of the world

The grief we carry from our ancestors

The grief for what we expected but did not receive

These gates will gently guide the themes of the day, offering language and presence for grief that may otherwise feel hidden or unnamed.

All Are Welcome

This gathering is open to all ages, backgrounds, and identities. You do not need prior experience with group work or healing spaces. Just bring yourself exactly as you are. There will be breaks for rest, journaling, nourishment, and gentle care of your body and spirit.

Register or Learn More:

To sign up or ask questions, please contact:

jeffrey@jeffreybatstone.com

206-778-1313

You may also RSVP in person or through Faith Episcopal Church.

Office Hours: Monday–Thursday | 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

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

For pastoral care emergencies please contact Reverend Dianne Andrews, Interim, 206/817-6530, revdianne@stbbi.org.