A barque is a ship with three masts. It is also an ancient symbol for the church that we can still find in use today. Since the fourth century, church buildings were likened to ships anchored in the world's seas. The part of the church that contains the pews is called the Nave which comes from a Latin word that means ship. And specifically at St. Bartholomew's, the roof of the church was intentionally designed to look like the bottom of one. 

During the first year of the pandemic, God gave Fr. Sammy Wood, St. B's ninth rector, the vision of the Barque of St. Bartholomew. The Barque helps us to refine what we do, where our resources go, and how we connect with the world.

The Barque of St. Bartholomew is the vision for how God is shaping and sending us as a church. We have a threefold responsibility as a church: to share the Gospel, to serve the poor, and to worship God. These three things are the sails on the Barque. 

The masts that raise those sails is our Christian formation and the hull that holds it together is our church community, often referred to as the St. B's family. 

God shapes us through worship, formation, and community, and then sends us into the world with the Gospel (the good news) to love our neighbors and serve the poor.