St. Barnabas Rector Justin Crisp has a weekly podcast, “For Better, For Verse,” giving parishioners and other listeners a new way to enter the church’s regular rhythm of Scripture, conversation and reflection beyond Sunday worship.
The podcast, hosted by Justin and Jewelle, centers each week on an excerpt from Luke. The church describes the format as a discussion of their “reactions to and take on an excerpt from Luke,” with the purpose of joining them in “their personal search for the heart of Jesus in the heart of the Scriptures.” The series is listed on the St. Barnabas website with recent episodes including “Did We Hear That Right,” “Moses, We Have a Problem,” “The One About Leviticus,” “Rules Rules and More Rules,” “God Is Who God Is,” and “This God Is Not Angry.”
For a parish whose identity has long been rooted in place, the podcast is a small but telling extension of its ministry. St. Barnabas sits at 954 Lake Avenue, in the backcountry portion of town, where the church’s founders first sought to create an Episcopal community closer to rural areas. The church’s own history traces its beginnings to the 1950s in a tack barn, before the congregation grew into a permanent church community with a midcentury modern building designed by parishioner Philip Ives.
That history matters because the new podcast does not replace the parish’s physical life. It extends it. The church continues to hold Sunday services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., with Holy Eucharist Rite I and Rite II listed for upcoming Sundays. St. Barnabas also presents itself as a parish built around children, worship, beauty, music, friendship and service, with ministries for children, youth, music and outreach posted on its website.
“For Better, For Verse” brings that parish culture into a medium that fits how many residents now engage with faith, civic life and education. A listener does not need to be in the pew at a set hour to follow along. A commuter, parent, retiree or student can hear a conversation framed around Scripture while moving through an ordinary week.
