We are glad that you are interested in visiting St. Barnabas and would like to give you some information that might be useful for your first encounter.
Sunday services are at 8:30 AM and 10:15 AM. There are sidespeople (welcomers) at the door who will greet you and offer a bulletin which includes the order of service for the morning worship as well as announcements for the coming week. If you need assistance at any time during the service, the sidespeople are there to help.
The 8:30 AM service is a said service (i.e. no music) of Holy Communion and lasts approximately 45 minutes. The liturgy is taken from the Book of Common Prayer, the traditional prayer book of the Anglican Church of Canada.
The 10:15 AM service begins with a processional hymn, and, over the course of the worship service, we will listen to readings from the Bible, hear a short sermon, offer prayer and repentance, and share in the bread and wine of communion. Several times per year we have a service of Matins (i.e. Morning Prayer) that does not include communion. The liturgy is taken from either the Book of Common Prayer, The Book of Alternative Services or other contemporary liturgies.
Children are welcome to participate in either service, or, at 10:15 AM service, may choose to join the Sunday School class downstairs after the opening prayer. (Sunday School is in hiatus during the summer and on long weekends.) There are activity packs and youth bulletins with puzzles and activites for children in the narthex (lobby) if they would like something extra to do. Ask one of the friendly sidespeople to point out these items. The service lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
During the offertory hymn, a plate will be passed to collect money that parishioners offer to support the church. Visitors are not expected to contribute unless they want to, so feel free to pass the plate to the person beside you.
Anyone who has been baptised in a Christian church is welcome to receive the bread and wine of communion, and those who are not baptised are most welcome to come forward to receive a blessing. If you require a gluten free wafer, please make your need known to the priest when you are at the communion rail. If you are physically unable to go to the communion rail, please indicate this to one of the sidespeople who will let the priest know and she will bring communion to you in the pew.
After each service has concluded, coffee, tea, and light refreshments are served downstairs in the lower parish hall. This is a great time for everyone to connect and meet new people.
We also have a Holy Eucharist service on Wednesday at 12:15 PM which lasts approximately 30 minutes.
The church is accessible by public transit by bus on routes 65, 404 and 414, and by C-Train from the Sunnyside stop. There is free parking on Sundays on the streets adjacent to the church.
We look forward to welcoming you to St. Barnabas! God bless you!
-
Location