Ministries

Acolytes actively participate in our worship service by leading processions (in and out of church, as well as Gospel Processions) and serving at the altar. Our youth acolytes, ages 10-18, and adult acolytes receive required training and serve on a rotating schedule that is flexible to accommodate family commitments.

The Altar Guild consists of a group of men & women committed to ensuring that the atmosphere & appearance of the church’s sanctuary conforms to the changing requirements of the church calendar. Duties consist of not only setting up before & cleaning up after a service, but also polishing silver & heavy brass, maintaining of altar and Eucharist linens, replenishing oil in candles. We provide an enjoyable way to work with fellow parishioners at Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, wedding, funeral, & memorial services as well as other special church services (i.e., Easter, Christmas, etc.). Finally, in preparing the house of God for His people, the tasks performed by altar guild members can become more than reverent routine. They can represent an act of praise.

The flowers on our altar are given each week in thanksgiving for special blessings or in memory of loved ones. We have large floral decorations At Easter and Christmas, we have large floral decorations given in memory and thanksgiving which enhance our worship space and then are shared with members of our parish family who are homebound or in the hospital.

Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs) vest, wearing white albs, and process in our worship service with the Clergy. They serve as readers of the second lesson of scripture, leaders for Prayers of the People, and they administer the Chalice (offering the cup of wine during communion). Training by the Clergy that leads to Diocesan certification is provided and required. Please speak with either of the Clergy if you are interested.

Lectors serve as readers of the first lesson within the worship service. Coming up out of the congregation, lectors help bring the Word of God to the congregation through the meaningful reading of scripture. Readings are mailed out in plenty of time to allow for practice! Lectors are encouraged to participate in the prior week’s lectionary-based bible study class to help find personal meaning in the lessons they are reading. Please speak with either of the Clergy if you are interested.

We are members who assist in the conduct of the worship service: greeting parishioners, helping with seating, collecting the offering, and assisting with communion.

Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEVs) take the Eucharistic sacraments (consecrated bread and wine) to parishioners who are home-bound or in a nursing home. This is a ministry of hospitality and an opportunity to bring a part of Sunday morning’s worship to those who are not able to be with us. Diocesan training and certification is provided and required. Please speak with either of the Clergy if you are interested.

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The St. Barnabas Youth Group meets in the parish house every other Sunday afternoon for a service followed by supper we all prepare and enjoy together. Our Curate, the Rev. Matthew Potts, is our youth leader. Send him an email or give him a call at the office (508-548-3863). What about events outside of our parish? Want to know what is going on in the Diocese for youth? Check out the Diocesan youth ministry’s web page!

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Coffee Hour is an informal fellowship time after worship. We sign up to serve as hosts, and we always welcome baked goods to share as well. What better way to get to know those you see in worship!

Our responsiblity when called upon, whether it be a church celebration or after a funeral, is to provide refreshments. The committee calls parishioners to bake; we then set up, serve, and clean up. We have a silver service tea set which we use on special occasions. Serving on hospitality, the rewards have been countless!

There’s more to church than Sunday morning worship. We plan events, meals and activities to give us opportunities to get to know each other better and to extend the warmth of our extended family.

We have a group of parishioners committed to daily prayer for any prayer needs that you might have. The Prayer Chain meets on the first Monday of each month at 5:15 p.m. in the Chapel. We gather to update our prayer lists and talk about ways in which we can support each other, our parish, our community, and our world through the power of prayer. If you have a special need that could benefit from group prayer, please don’t hesitate to contact Susan Schmidt or our clergy or the Parish Office. Names on the prayer list and needs are kept confidential by members of the Prayer Chain. If you would like to join the Prayer Chain and enter into the ministry of daily prayer for others, just show up to our next gathering! All are welcome.

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Although some of us are shy and retiring by nature, the Newcomers Committee is dedicated to extending a warm welcome to families and individuals who are new to our parish life. Currently, we hold quarterly get-togethers designed especially to introduce folks to different aspects of our parish life. We will help you become more familiar with ways we can be together and get to know each other better. Whether your nature is outgoing or more reserved, if you have lots of good ideas, or if you just want to help out, we’d love to have you join us!

ECW meets monthly for a luncheon and meeting. But we are more than a social gathering – we raise funds through our Christmas Fair and other events for projects in the parish and in the community. –LINK to ECW page coming soon–

ECM gathers for breakfast on the last Saturday of each month (September through May) at 8:30 a.m. at the Falmouth Inn (824 Main Street, Falmouth). This is a wonderful time for fellowship. Each month features a special guest speaker as well and always provides for fascinating conversation. The ECM is open to all men of the parish. And spouses and friends are always welcome as well! Please come join us. We need your presence to complete our sense of unity

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Part of our church’s mission is to open our doors to welcome in homeless guests who have nowhere else to go. Two nights each month, five to seven men or women are selected from the NOAH Shelter in Hyannis to attend the overnights of hospitality program at St. Barnabas. Our guests spend the night with a few church members in the Parish Hall. There are no structured activities other than light snacks and perhaps a movie to watch. Our guests are provided with a safe, warm place to spend the night. Just as in the Old Testament story in which Abraham welcomed the strangers who turned out to be angels, our church has the honor of welcoming strangers who are truly the sons and daughters of God and cherished guests for the night.

The Vestry, Wardens and Treasurer are the elected lay leaders in the parish. Learn more about the role Vestry plays in parish life –LINK to Vestry page coming soon–

Stewardship is all about gratitude for the blessings we have been given by God. So often we hear ‘stewardship’ and think ‘fundraising’, but it is much more than money – although supporting the church financially is important. Stewardship is a mindset of gratitude and thanksgiving that leads us to give back to God some of that with which we have been entrusted. Join us and explore this ministry.

We help the Rector, Vestry and Treasurer with the financial aspects of parish life. If you are interested in joining us, we would welcome you. Please talk to the Rector, our Treasurer or Finance Committee Chair.

Blessed with our beautiful campus, we work as stewards to maintain our buildings and grounds. For those who like gardening, carpentry, painting, odd-jobs and working with their hands, this is a great group to join. Get to know St. Barnabas from the grounds up!

We help the parish to keep dreaming big dreams. Then we help map out the steps to realize them.

Is your expertise in helping craft personnel policies? This committee develops job descriptions and personnel policies and supports the Rector as needed with respect to personnel.

Parish Historians play a quiet but important role in every parish. We are blessed with over 120 years of history. Our faithful historians maintain our archives, research aspects of our history and create exhibits to share our past with the parish and the community.

Our parish lending library is located in the Parish Hall. We have books to appeal to all ages. Please browse the collection, and feel free to sign out a book!

The Memorial Garden Committee is responsible for the area of our property behind the Parish House near the large granite Cross. We are responsible for the ordering, engraving, and maintenance of stones purchased in memory of loved ones. There is a master plan for our garden that we would like to pursue, and we are in the process of reviewing our committee and its goals. We are always happy to have new faces join us!