Our outreach mission is to continue the Lord’s work by contributing our time and resources each week to activities designed to share His love and charity with those in need. Outreach activities include:
- E.S.C.A.P.E. Ministries (Enabling Social and Church Advocacy for People Enrichment) helps people in Carroll and northern Howard counties find and secure needed services and resources. This nonprofit volunteer organization, supported by area churches and civic groups, also coordinates relief assistance to needy families and individuals. St. Barnabas regularly participates in ESCAPE activities. Area churches provide bag lunches on a rotating basis throughout the year. Members of St. Barnabas prepare 70 bag lunches three times a year. These are delivered to another local church (St. Paul’s Methodist) for distribution.
- The St. Barnabas Pantry Project has been in existence for more than 30 years. Four times a year, at Easter, June, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, this outreach program collects groceries and other donations to support four local families in need. The goal is to provide food for special seasonal events, plus extra groceries and household products for the time in between the seasonal collection. This is achieved by the congregation donating a variety of specified grocery items and cleaning supplies for four or five weeks prior to the date of delivery. Some people give coupons for holiday ham or turkey, and some give cash. The cash is used to purchase perishable items. The families are also given grocery store certificates so they can purchase their own personal favorite foods. In recent years, cash donations have been sufficient to allow the church to purchase gift certificates from department stores at Christmas.