St Barnabas� Episcopal Church Many small congregations are blessed with abundance and vitality � St. Barnabas� in Norwich, VT (pop. 3,600) also happens to be blessed with a terrific website. A wheel theme runs through it � starting with the entry page, where a photo of the church, the church name, an icon of St. Barnabas, and the site�s navigation are set up in four quadrants of a circle (its dividers make a cross). The first navigation item is the �Good Wheels Program,� which accepts donated cars and sells them to low income families for the cost of repairs. The sixth navigation item highlights the church�s labyrinth. St. Barnabas� Church, with a staff of two (rector and organist) and three services a week (two on Sunday, one on Thursday), tries to draw the circle wide with worship that is �both ceremonial and down-to-earth, orderly and joyous, heartfelt and mindful.� The church is also brimming with opportunities to �enjoy one another�s company� � including coffee hour, two women�s groups, and regularly scheduled potluck dinners and picnics. Full accessibility, a sound system for the hearing impaired, and a program to support a �godson� in a Honduran school for homeless boys � are all featured outreach points in this well-organized website. The name �Barnabas� means �Son of Encouragement� (Acts 4.36) and this website stands out as an encouraging model of vitality for small-congregation churches. August 2006 |
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