Worship

We gather every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to remember and celebrate. Apart from Sunday morning, there are services on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. On the first Sunday of the month, the eponymously named First Sunday takes the place of the traditional service 8:30 a.m. Held in Providence Hall, the worship service is informal, less liturgical, and can feature different styles of worship and of music. Communion is celebrated at 10 different tables, furnished with bread and pitchers of wine and grape juice. As we celebrate together, each table group shares its own conversations and commitments.

Sunday morning worship at St. Barnabas is traditional in format, informal in climate and seeker-friendly. All texts required are printed in the bulletin. Worship is a conversation already in progress between God and humankind, regardless of sex, age, ethnicity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, political inclinations, or worldly condition. For worshipers with special needs, we provide:

• Large print hymnals
• Listening aids
• Worship bags with appropriate children's activities for use in worship
• "Sonshine Hour": a time of extended activities for pre-kindergarten children beginning prior to the sermon
• Professional nursery care
• Wheelchair-friendly facilities

In keeping with Reformed tradition, worship at St. Barnabas can be characterized by:

• Focus on community - worship belongs to the whole church
• Involvement of the community - singing, reading and engaging with scripture
• Combination of word and sacrament - we experience Jesus Christ with all our senses
• Importance of the Psalms: sung responsively every week, they reflect the full range of human emotions
• Adaptability - we are open to new forms of worship, grounded in faith