The Advent Calendar can be found via this link or by clicking the link under Worship – Seasons of the Church Year – Advent Calendar 2011.

• Handmaid Items
• Holiday Decorations Jewelry & Accessories
• Book Table
• Silent Auction
• Gift Baskets
• Centerpieces/Wreaths
• Mitten Tree
• Baked Goods
• Attic Treasures
• Fireside Luncheon

But we can always share it with God, so this year, on December 18 at 4 pm, St. Barnabas will host a “Blue Christmas” service in cooperation with Waquoit Congregational Church and Church of the Messiah in Woods Hole. The service will be held here at St. Barnabas. During this quiet service of prayer and remembrance, we will offer to God our mixed feelings of sadness and hope; remembrance and anticipation at this challenging time of year. As we wait for the arrival of Jesus, we will pray to God for ourselves and our loved ones. If Christmas sometimes brings you feelings of sadness as well as feelings of excitement or happiness, please consider joining us on December 18.

and honor someone you care about

SHOP FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY AT THE

ALTERNATIVE GIFT MARKET

 Saturday, Nov.12 10-3

Sunday, Nov.13  11 -3

ST. BARNABAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

91 MAIN STREET, FALMOUTH

 Choose from more than 40 gift ideas from

20 LOCAL and GLOBAL charitable organizations

INCLUDES GLOBAL BAZAAR & BAKE SALE

 Sponsored by: Church of the Messiah in Woods Hole, Falmouth Jewish Congregation, First Congregational Church of Falmouth, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth

2011 AGM Shopping List

What is an Alternative Gift Market?

An Alternative Gift Market is a community fair where you can purchase non-traditional gifts to give to family and friends. Rather than buy one more necktie for Uncle Fred, honor him instead by giving in his name, a life-sustaining gift that will help alleviate poverty and disease, renew our planet’s environment, or promote education, sustainable development and peace.

You might choose to buy food for the shelves of the local food pantry or purchase a bicycle for a health care worker in Kenya or provide a month’s salary for a teacher in rural Nepal – all in the name of a friend or family member.

How does the recipient of the alternative gift know about the gift?

When the shopper buys an alternative gift, he or she receives an attractive card with an insert to send or give to the recipient. The insert is a printed announcement which describes the project for which a donation has been made. The insert describes the project but does not include the prices on the shopping list or the amount of the donation.

Global Marketplace

The gift market also provides the opportunity to purchase fair trade items for gift giving. In 2009, our fair trade partners included Equal Exchange selling coffee and chocolate, SERRV International with handcrafted items from artisans around the world, and The Sharing Foundation with beautiful handbags and scarves made by young women in Cambodia. New to the gift market this year will be the work of Haitian artists. The handpainted silk scarves by the Atis Fanm (Kreyol for women Artists) are stunningly beautiful. The artists paint stories from their lives, the Bible, the Vodou religion and from memories of flora and fauna that are fast disappearing from their world.
History of the Upper Cape Cod Alternative Gift Market

The Upper Cape Cod Alternative Gift was first organized in November 2007 by the Social Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth, Now in its 5th year, the gift market is held at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Falmouth center and is sponsored by a coalition of five Falmouth congregations whose members come from Falmouth, Bourne, Sandwich, Mashpee and beyond. Volunteers from all five congregations work together to put on this festive and increasingly popular event each November.

The King James Version is beloved by many,” said Rev. Barrett, rector of the church. “And this anniversary is a good time to honor the words and the long tradition of our church. The service is different in that it is quite solemn with many prayers and exhortations throughout – so this is an opportunity to learn about our history as well as honoring this Bible.”

All are invited to the church for this service, which will include music – though that was not common at the time. The 8 a.m. service will take place as usual with the service of Rite !. For more information, please call the church office at 508-548-3863.

Harvest Dinner

Friday, September 23, 6 p.m.

We’ll provide the baked ham; you provide the extras:

• Surnames A-E: Sides
• Surnames F-J: Casseroles
• Surnames K-O: Desserts
• Surnames P-T: Salads
• Surnames U-Z: Drinks

Jesus saw table fellowship as part of his divine task. He took his cue from a long line of prophets – who were often hungry themselves – and pointed to the great feast as a sign of God’s generosity, goodness and the promise of life abundant. In God’s Kingdom there is not just enough, there is more than enough.

As we kick off St. Barnabas’ 2011 Stewardship Campaign, we ask you to join us for this simple fellowship dinner, share in the bounty of your own garden or kitchen, and consider the many ways in which parish life enhances your life at home and in our community. We at St. Barnabas grow together because we are a family; we help feed the hungry, house the homeless, provide comfort to the afflicted, and celebrate the joyous. We cannot do this without you.

Your annual pledge to St. Barnabas makes these things and much more possible. Please pray on your family’s 2012 pledge to our church, and return your pledge card at the Harvest Dinner or in the Sunday collection. Come Grow with Us!

Evensong is a reverent, ancient, and particularly Anglican form of worship.  All are invited and encouraged to attend what promises to be a beautiful, prayerful event.