St. Barnabas supports several AA and Al–Anon groups as a way of promoting healthy lifestyles among all members of our larger community. Contact the church office for contact information for the groups. Currently, AA meets at St. Barnabas in the parish hall every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

If interested in renting a space for your meeting, email or call the church office, 206.842.5601.  

Participate in the prayer chain, offer transportation to homebound individuals, or deliver meals for families that are going through difficult times in their lives.

Contact Deacon Dan Fowler

In 2026, Chaplains on the Harbor closed as a nonprofit organization in Grays Harbor County. For the previous twelve years, however, our parishioners vigorously answered the call for donations of clothing, food, household supplies, and Christmas gifts. This mission provided food, seasonal items, and general support for the many homeless men and women in the Aberdeen and Westport area. The Chapel/Shelter in Westport is searching for a new tenant and the Harbor Roots Farm in Montesano will likely be leased out to another nonprofit. A parishioner also served on the board of the organization for many years. The funds previously given to Chaplains on the Harbor will be designated to other organizations.

Sister Eileen Curteis, Order of St. Ann, states “Christian Reiki marries an ancient healing art with our Christian tradition.” It’s her particular approach we have used since 2009. Reiki is offered two to three times per week to parishioners and the wider community by a team of nine, including four from outside our parish. People come for these sessions not only because of illness but also to maintain wellness. Christian Reiki is a form of gentle, noninvasive body work that promotes well–being on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Sessions are given at the church by trained Reiki practitioners who work in pairs, and are available for free to those interested in this form of healing and wellness. Occasional classes are also offered for those who are interested in training at Level 1, Level 2 or Reiki Master. One parish member, who has been receiving medical treatment for cancer for the past two years, told us that Reiki fills him with feelings of peace and healing in body, mind, and spirit.

Contact Ric Cederwall

So many people in our Bainbridge and other close–by communities probably feel like the Grinch did indeed steal Christmas. No stockings, no gifts, no tree, and no roast beast. But, like Cindy Lou Who, we keep the faith and the hope. We put up the tree, decorate it with gift tags—some with suggested gifts and some with donation amounts to cover gift cards to grocery stores. Then the family of St. Barnabas parishioners search out tags and bustle to fulfill the requests. Before Christmas arrives, beautiful packages wait under the tree; envelopes with gift cards to grocery stores are also ready. Local “sleighs” are loaded with the goods to deliver to local groups such as Helpline House. And a better Christmas is had by all!

We (and our parish hall) are ready to serve as severe weather warming center and shelter open to the public in the event of adverse weather conditions or a natural disaster on the island. While it has yet to be used, we are inspected and certified annually. A vision for the future is to add a hub in the lower parking lot to store an emergency radio and essential emergency supplies.

The Fresh Start Mondays program, through Faith Episcopal Church in Poulsbo, provides showers, laundry service, and a freshly made lunch to unhoused people in the area. We put the call out to our parish for volunteers, and nine people from the congregation responded very quickly. They have been working on different Mondays each month since late fall 2024. Contact Sue Thompkins to get involved!

Contact Sue Thompkins

In 2025, a very special fundraising opportunity came to us through our rector. In March, we organized and sponsored the showing of the film Kintsukuroi—about Japanese Americans rebuilding lives stronger and more beautiful than they had been before the brokenness of internment—to benefit the building of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Welcome Center. The event more than sold out, and we exceeded our goal.  

This group of enthusiastic needle crafters meets once a month in the church library to happily turn skeins into scarves, hats, and shawls. These flying needles have created prayer shawls for St. Michael’s Hospital in nearby Silverdale, and for people in the parish and beyond. Winter hats and scarves have been given to Chaplains on the Harbor, Helpline House, Kingston’s ShareNet, and our very own parishioners. People who knit, crochet, or just like the fellowship of being together are welcome.

Contact Wenda Vielbig

The Memorial Reception ministry is one of the oldest ministries at St. Barnabas. We provide a warm, hospitable setting for parish families to gather with family and friends following a funeral or memorial service. We provide a traditional tea reception and will serve additional beverages and food that the family chooses. This ministry makes it possible for the family to easily visit with the guests and for everyone, together, to honor the beloved person who has died.

“Everyone at St. Barnabas was so kind to us...and, of course, the lovely reception was much appreciated. I could go on and on.”

Contact Chris Davis

The St. Barnabas Day School, which draws students from the wider community, provides pre–Kindergarten enrichment, preparing their little students for success in Kindergarten and beyond. Both the preschool and pre–K students attend monthly chapel sessions with our interim.

The school began as an outreach ministry of the church in 1969 and continues to be financially supported by the church. The director manages the school’s budget and part–time staff. Income from student tuition as well as from the annual wreath and garland sale, helps offset some of the costs of the school.

Several special events such as Trunk or Treat, the Christmas pageant, and Shrove Tuesday are prime for participation by day school families. It is such a joy to see these little ones in their costumes as they dive into the fun of the event. The school is open to identifying opportunities to deepen the connection to the St. Barnabas community.

The St. Barnabas Commercial Kitchen is utilized for many outreach projects, serving those experiencing food insecurity in our community. St. Barnabas in collaboration with Kitchen Manager, Tim Shelly, have donated kitchen time to these charities:

Chilly Hilly

• Used by BI Senior Center each February to prepare chili and cornbread.

• Proceeds from the race are donated to ten different charities.

Arms Around Bainbridge (AAB)

• Used once a month for nearly three years

(800 hours and 6,000+ meals as of April 2026).

• Over 140 meals a month are provided.

• Provides four to eight healthy meals for

each person in the AAB families.

Island Volunteer Caregivers (IVC)

• In June 2024, the AAB was expanded to IVC.

• Over 160 meals a month are given to their most vulnerable care recipients.

Helpline House

• The Senior Soup and Sandwiches program began in November 2024, making and delivering eighty soup and sandwich combos twice a week. That’s 160 nutritious, ready–to–eat meals for people in need.

• Kitchen time is also donated to Helpline House to create ready-to-eat meals utilizing donated food that can’t be distribute directly (dried beans, large quantities of frozen meats, bulk frozen pasta sheets, etc.). Another 200+ meals a week are provided this way.

Sharenet, Kingston (foodbank)

• 175 ready-to–eat freezer meals are delivered every two weeks.

Contact Tim Shelly, Kitchen Manager

The last Friday of every month, St. Barnabas—partnering together with Grace Episcopal—provides a meal to those in need in the community. This outreach program, organized by the Bainbridge Island-North Kitsap Inter-Faith and hosted at a centrally-located church, is a time–honored St. Barnabas tradition. Volunteers provide food, setup, cleanup, and companionship to all in attendance (typically forty to fifty people) at dinner on the last Friday of each month. Beautiful relationships have developed as a result of this endeavor, and we encourage people to participate if you have not yet done so. It is very rewarding. Aren’t a big cook? You can just bring bottled drinks and help serve! The more, the merrier!

Contact Barbara Bolles

The Outreach Committee donated $1,000 in 2025 to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem to support the schools, hospitals, and centers for children with disabilities in the Diocese of Jerusalem. One of the current focuses is on humanitarian aid for Gaza especially the Al Ali Arab Hospital in Gaza City. George Robertson is the liaison for this ministry.

The Outreach Committee maintains funds for BINK IFC membership dues and Super Suppers, a program organized by the BINK IFC which provides nightly dinners on the last week of each month when budgets are tight for many of our neighbors. Held at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, St. Barnabas provides dinner to forty to fifty plus community members on the last Friday of each month. St. Barnabas has a team of parishioners who work in partnership with Grace Episcopal Church, cooking and serving the meal (and they are always looking for volunteers!). Outreach has allocated $500 to help support Super Suppers, and $200 for our BINK IFC annual membership.

Bainbridge Youth Services (BYS) provides counseling and tutoring primarily to the youth of Bainbridge Island. They are also provide parent counseling and peer support. BYS has a jobs board for youth and a program where youth help senior citizens with computer issues. The important fact about BYS is that all services are provided free of charge to youth. Your Outreach Committee donated $1,000 to BYS during 2025.

Once again in 2025, disaster relief was an area of focus for the Outreach Committee.  We responded to the devastation that resulted from the wildfires in Los Angeles, as well as flooding in both Texas and Washington. Our Diocese of Olympia and Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) worked together to lead the relief efforts in Washington, and we were able to make our donation through the diocese. Many members of the parish also made individual donations to the flood relief and wildfire efforts. The Outreach Committee donated $5,000 for disaster relief in 2025.   

Fresh Start at Faith Episcopal Church in Poulsbo provides showers and laundry service to homeless people in the Poulsbo area on Mondays. They also provide meals while their guests are waiting. St. Barnabas continues to provide a team of volunteers to help with these services. The Outreach Committee donated $125 to Fresh Start in 2025.

Laurie Fergusson continues to provide leadership in the Outreach Committee’s support of Helpline House. Some of the services that Helpline House provides are food assistance, social services, counseling, housing and utilities assistance, and homeless assistance. Their focus is primarily Bainbridge Island. The Outreach Committee donated $1,500 to Helpline House during 2025. There are at least eleven members of the parish who volunteer in various jobs at Helpline House. In addition, members of the parish donated $2,000 through the eighty gift cards they added to the Giving Tree this year.  Members of the parish also donate directly to Helpline House as part of their own charitable giving. In 2025, using money from our Outreach Endowment, the vestry designated $50,000 for their capital campaign to fund their new building. In addition, they challenged parishioners to donate an extra $25,000 by promising to match that amount, potentially bringing in $100,000. As usual, parishioners quickly stepped up and, in the end, we gave $118,522 to celebrate our long history and continuing relationship with Helpline. Helpline House is hoping to move into its new building in early summer 2026.

ItKitsap Homes of Compassion (KHOC) works with the Housing First model in providing housing and support services to residents of Kitsap County. KHOC provides housing by operating shared rental housing with private bedrooms and shared common areas of the house. They provide housing for people with disabilities and/or mental health issues, young adults, mothers with young children, seniors, and veterans. This model essentially is a sublet of rooms in a rented house that provide a house, Wi–Fi, and utilities as well as case services. The Outreach Committee donated $1,000 to Kitsap Homes of Compassion during 2025. Sue Thompkins is the liaison for this ministry.

Lynn Whipple is the liaison to Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center (KIAC). Their mission is to support the well–being and enhance the empowerment of immigrants in Kitsap County with family services programs such as translation help, clothing and baby items, and a free medical clinic three days a month. KIAC also acts as a referral coordinator to existing specific resources for rent assistance, English language classes, and dental care. KIAC’s immigration assistance includes assistance with green card applications and renewals, visas, DACA renewals, and obtaining work authorization. The Outreach Committee donated $750 to KIAC during 2025.

Our Little Roses Ministries is a Non–Governmental Organization (NGO) in San Pedro Sula, Honduras founded in 1988. They provide housing, food, medical care, medicine, and education to seventy plus young girls who would otherwise be living in abject poverty or abandoned and living in the streets. Young girls in Honduras have a significantly higher rate of extreme poverty and lower access to education than young boys. In 2025, St. Barnabas donated $1,640 to provide a life sponsorship for Mely, an eleven–year–old girl at Our Little Roses. We are committed to continuing this sponsorship each year, as it provides a safe secure home, nutritious food and clean water, medical and dental care, and education (tuition, supplies, and uniforms). In addition we donated $1,000 to help fund a roof replacement. George Robertson is the liaison for this ministry.

We also applied for a $5,120 Global Mission Grant from the diocese to fund life sponsorships for two more girls in 2026 and to provide $2,000 to support build projects and other girls who do not yet have sponsors, but we were not awarded the grant. We continue to look for other ways to support this important work.

St. Barnabas has been contributing to Restoration Laos for the last three years ($1,000 in 2025).  We were funding a bomb disposal team which has cleared hundreds of unexploded bombs that still litter the countryside of Laos. This removal helped people in rural villages near the Vietnam border to safely use their farm land, rice paddies, school yards, and church yards. We are now funding a highly trained mobile bomb disposal team that handles larger or more complex bombs. George Robertson is the liaison for this ministry.