2nd November 2025
Welcome to St Barnabas, especially if you are here for the first time! Please introduce yourself to our host team so we can welcome you personally. We are delighted to welcome a team from French Churches this weekend as part of our Project Zacharie partnership with the French Protestant Church.
This Sunday in our four services we continue an autumn series entitled “Life in his name”, looking together at the life Jesus offers us as shown through the gospel of John. This week’s theme is “Bread of Life” as we look at how Jesus feeds a huge crowd of 5,000 people - a wonderful picture of the abundant life he promises to all who feed on him, the true bread from heaven.v
TODAY'S SERVICES
Bread of Life
John 6:1-13, 35, 53-56
9am Holy Communion
Lead: Basir Amini
Preach: Stephen Green
Hymns: 26, 67, 188
5pm French Connect
Lead: Corinne Chellembrom
Preach: Juliette Colas
10:30am Morning Worship
Lead: H Miller
Preach: Andy Buckler
7pm Create
Lead: Leona Lengyel
Preach: Andy Buckler
FARSI TRANSLATION ON SUNDAYS
Each Sunday we aim to offer live translation of the 10.30 am service into Farsi.
To access this, please follow this link at the time of the service:
عزيزانى كه در كليسا حضور ندارند مى توانند از لينك زوم استفاده كنند و به زوم وصل شوند و ترجمه مراسم را گوش كنند با
سپاس كليساى سنت بارناباس
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85271717355?pwd=Z2svWG9pYWRlSmdjMjJXV0NIejhrQT09
Meeting ID: 852 7171 7355
Passcode: 270176
THIS WEEK
Each morning at 8am – Morning Prayer on Zoom (link on Prayer Page)
Tuesday 7am – Early Morning Prayer
Tuesday 7:15pm - Alpha
Wednesday 10am - Women on Wednesday
Wednesday 1pm - Lunchtime Concert
Sunday 9th November - Remembrance Sunday
9am Holy Communion
10.30am Morning Worship
5pm French Connect
7pm Create
NOTICES
Wildlife - Team Barnabas: Me!
It is the penultimate week of Team Barnabas and this week the children will be focusing on themselves as part of God's Team. Their Team Barnabas card is entitled: Me!
If possible, please can the children bring a printed picture of themselves to cut out and add to their Team Barnabas card (do not worry if this is not possible - they can also draw themselves!). We will be exploring Psalm 139 together and focusing on the Wildlife words of: Known, Wanted, Loved.
For those children taking part in the short ballet performance as part of the Families Christmas service, please remember that the weekly Sunday rehearsal will be happening. Please ensure that your child is downstairs in the Mark Thomas room for the rehearsal starting at 12. Thank you!
ALPHA HOLY SPIRIT DAY
On Saturday 15th November we will be holding a special Holy Spirit day as part of the current Alpha course. It will be special because we want to open the day up widely to all who would like a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit in their lives! There will be food, worship and prayer ministry. All are welcome - no need to be a part of the current Alpha group to come along - but we do ask you to sign up in advance and contribute £5 to the cost of lunch. To register, please follow this link: https://stbk.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3250344
Midweek Lunchtime Concert Wednesday 5th November, 1pm
Step out of the everyday and into a world of exquisite sound. This Wednesday, soprano Oksana Lepska and pianist Tania Park present a lush programme of lyrical and soulful French and Russian songs.
From the shimmering intimacy of Fauré and Poulenc to the sweeping emotion of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, this concert offers a rare chance to experience vocal and piano artistry at its finest.
Admission is free. All are welcome. For more information: concerts@stbk.org.uk
SAYING THANK YOU TO H
H will be stepping down in November after 10 years as Associate Vicar here at STBK, in order to focus on his new role as CEO of the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication (CCX). We are deeply grateful to him for everything he has brought us, and will be thanking him and praying for him and Carol at a special united service for the whole church on Sunday 23rd November at 10.30am. We have also set up a Just Giving page for anyone wanting to make a gift to bless them. To contribute, just follow the link or QR code. Please give generously! - https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/hthankyou
JOHN IRVINE
John died peacefully on 10th October surrounded by his immediate family. He was vicar at St Barnabas from 1985-2001 and led the HTB church plant that revitalised our church in 1985. As we give thanks for his life, let’s continue to hold his family in our prayers. Please note that the time of John’s funeral on Monday 10th November has changed to 12.30pm (from 2pm). Everyone is welcome to the service which will be taking place at Bishop Hannington Memorial Church in Hove. If you would like help with transport, or can offer a lift, please sign the list at the back of church.
BISHOP OF LONDON
As Bishop Sarah has recently been designated as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, a process is now beginning to discern the next Bishop of London who will replace her in the New Year. This is an exciting opportunity to reflect back on what has been happening in our Diocese and to consider the opportunities for the gospel going forward. Church members across the Diocese are invited to participate in this process by sharing their views on the profile of the post and person that God is calling. Please take time to complete the survey using this link or by following the QR code.
SHOEBOX APPEAL
This year we are encouraging members of the church to take part in the shoebox appeal - filling shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for children in need, organised by the charity Samaritans Purse. If you are interested in taking part, please pick up your shoebox from the welcome desk! More details on the website occ.samaritans-purse.org.uk
WOMEN OF STBK, Save The Date!
Join us for a weekend away from the to-do list at St. Columba's retreat centre in Woking, 6-8 February, 2026. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know other women at STBK and be restored in a relaxed environment. Our speaker, author and editor Claire Musters, has written widely for women and describes herself as "a lover of words and music-and the way that God has worked his grace in my life." There will be time and space for prayer, contemplation, singing, walking, creating, playing and resting.
The full cost for the weekend will be £245 for a single en-suite room, with all meals included, £215 if you are happy to share a twin room. Partial bursaries may be available if cost is a barrier. Spaces will be limited due to venue size; hold your spot with a £50 deposit. Please contact Carolyn Green or Dana Irons for more information. Please register in advance here.
REGULAR GIVING
Over the last few weeks, we have been inviting church members to reflect prayerfully on their pattern of giving. Giving is a part of our Christian discipleship and one practical way we offer worship to God. In this season, we invite you to pray about two aspects of your own personal giving:
1. Regular giving. At STBK, we encourage all our members to give regularly to the church. If you do not yet do this, please would you consider starting? It will help our church finances, but more importantly, it will be a source of blessing for you. One ancient pattern of generosity is to tithe your income (give 10% to God). But whatever the amount, God loves a cheerful giver!
2. One-off gifts. In addition to regular giving, next week we are launching a special Thanksgiving Offering to invite people to make one-off gifts to the church as an expression of their gratitude to God for everything he gives to us. We are currently running a deficit budget and are trusting God to provide for all our needs so we can continue to invest in his kingdom work. Please take time to pray about how much you will be able to give.
For more information, please go to stbk.org.uk/giving or follow the QR code.
To encourage us all, here are some thoughts from church members on giving:
"When I think about how much I used to spend on two coffees and a croissant at Costa most mornings, the cost of giving feels small by comparison. Yet what I gain — discipline, self-esteem, and faith — is far greater. The return on investment truly makes sense."
"The truth is that when you give God what you have, you will be amazed what He does with it."
"This absolutely a no brainer for me. It’s what the bible says. By tithing I am completely trusting in God for my future. I am investing in him. He is a faithful God and because He is I want to be faithful to him 100%. There is no debate it’s the right thing with however much or little you have."
CHRISTMAS LUNCH
This year we want to organise a special Christmas lunch following the morning service on Christmas Day for all who would like to celebrate the joy of Christmas together. We will enjoy a full Christmas meal, with lots of fun and laughter. If you are interested in joining the fun and sharing in this special time with others, please let Andy or Uta know! We would also be delighted to hear of anyone who can offer practical help with this.
At St Barnabas, we are a vibrant and diverse community, passionate about
WELCOMING all in Jesus’ name, GROWING TOGETHER as his disciples,
and STEPPING OUT in God’s mission to all nations.