St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
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What Is Ponder Anew?

Free Seminar
​November 5 from 10 am to 1 pm
Borrego Springs Library
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Ponder Anew is a training course that provides a set of skills, a toolkit for accompanying people living with dementia. It teaches a view of dementia that focuses on what remains, not what is lost, and how that knowledge can be used to develop positive moments of meaning and joy in the lives of all concerned. 
Ponder Anew’s founder is Anne Cox Bailey, a former ballerina with San Diego Ballet and California Ballet, whose career led her to New York City and Europe. While Bailey was in graduate school pursuing a career change, her mother began to show signs of signs of changes in her brain function that turned out to be Frontotemporal Dementia. At the hands of doctors, officials and trusted friends the ignorance, apathy, abuse and abandonment caused  both parents and daughter to suffered was far worse more than the disease itself. She died in 2006. 
Seeking help for her mother led Bailey to Teepa Snow, the world-renowned expert in Dementia. Bailey first became a Trainer in 2014 in Teepa’s “Positive Approach to Care.” She became certified in 2017 as an Independent Coach and a Consultant. 
Bailey is available for residential staff trainings, family consultations and individual questions. She is especially interested in developing centers of information and assistance by establishing local-led groups of practitioners who can become resources for their communities. She can be reached through her website: www.ponderanew.org.
The local Episcopal church, organized a group of people who felt that help with dementia was something that the community of Borrego Springs could probably benefit from and so established a program called “Dealing with Dementia: A New Approach” They hired Ponder Anew with Ann Cox Bailey to develop a center of information and assistance by establishing a local-led group of practitioners who can become resources for Borrego. You can learn more about  Ponder Anew at the website www.ponderanew.org.
 
Ponder Anew will hold a free, bilingual introductory training workshop on Saturday, November 5th from 10 am to 1 pm at the Borrego Library.
 

Ponder Anew to Offer Free Seminar on Accompanying People Living with Dementia

November 5 from 10 am to 1 pm
Borrego Springs Library

Ponder Anew will host a free seminar on Saturday October 22 from 2:30 p.m. .to 5:30 p.m. at the Borrego Springs Library on  Accompanying People Living with Dementia. The Seminar will offer an introduction to an effective method for partnering with family and loved ones who are living with dementia. It will be a bilingual presentation.  
It’s hard to talk about dementia, isn’t it? But when we don’t discuss difficult subjects, all kinds of misunderstandings can arise. Can we talk?
 Dementia is an “umbrella” term that includes Alzheimer’s, Frontotemporal, Lewy Body, Vascular, and over 100 other types of disabling brain change. The bad news is: there is no cure for any of them, nor do medications do much to alleviate symptoms. The good news is: competent Care does make a big difference, and we can learn how to do it well.
 So many of us experience the joys and trials of partnering with loved ones, family and friends who are living with dementia. Difficult behaviors challenge our sense of reality, our patience and our ingenuity as people living with dementia change unpredictably from one day to the next.
 Few have any training; Many people get into providing care when a family member or other loved one’s behavior becomes so difficult that the person is unable to perform daily activities. Few are able to cope with the anger, disorientation, odd behavior and inevitable death that come with it.
 Worse still, few receive a competent diagnosis. Most people do not have resources or access to assistance following a diagnosis.
 Dementias affect people regardless of nationality, gender, race, faith and even age. They often go unnoticed until behavioral changes become impossible to ignore. Often, it is still misdiagnosed. For many the ignorance, apathy, abuse and abandonment from doctors, officials, police and trusted friends are far worse than the disease itself.
 What if there were a technique that one could learn, a set of tools that make the path through dementia easier? What if it were possible to create more moments of peace, joy and meaning for all concerned? Ponder Anew does just that: it is a program based on Teepa Snow’s A Positive Approach To Care.
 Would you like to learn more? Please come to a free initial training session on October 22, from 2:30-5;30 p.m. at the Borrego Springs Library where Ponder Anew will present ways to approach and assist a person living with dementia in respectful, supportive and useful ways.
 
                                                                                                                                        By Anne Cox Bailey, founder of Ponder Anew

St Barnabas Hosts Ecumenical Blessing of The Animals

People of All Faiths, Animals of All Species and Breeds

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October 4 is the feast of the most beloved of all saints, Francis of Assisi, the 13th century “little brother” who embraced poverty and the natural world in his songs and prayers. He sang of the moon and sun as sister and brother, saw even death as a relative not to be feared. He tamed the fierce wolf in Gubbio and had doves fly to his arms. St Francis is known as the Patron Saint of Animals and is often shown in art surrounded by the animals he loved.
Thus the custom of blessing our pets, and this year three churches will join together to bless our animals: Fr Fernando Maldonado of St. Richard’s Roman Catholic Church, Pastor Mateo Mamea of Community United Methodist and Fr. George Keith of St.Barnabas Episcopal Church. The Blessing of the Animals is a beautiful annual ceremony celebrating the human-animal bond, celebrated as part of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. 
Bring your pooch, your kitty, your turtle, fish or whatever. And the blessing will extend to our coyote and bighorn sheep, the desert hares and squirrels and all our friends of the desert.
The blessings will take place on Tuesday, October 4 at the Courtyard at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 2680 Country Club Rd. at 4:00 p/m.
The Blessing of the Animals is open to People of All Faiths, and Animals of all Species and Breeds.  All humans and animals are welcome.


St Barnabas Welcomes New Organist

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​Borrego Sun - 
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022 Easter Sunrise Service by the Churches of Borrego

For the first time since spring, 2019, the Borrego Ministers' Association (BMA) was able to hold a community-wide Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday, April 17. ​(Click the link above to read more from the Borrego Sun)

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​Borrego Sun - BMA says Thank You
Please come join us. During the year, the BMA sponsors several ecumenical or joint public services: a service on Thanksgiving eve, another Sacred Concert of carols and readings at Christmas, a recent Ash Wednesday “Ashes-to-go” distribution, and the popular Easter Sunrise Service. The group also welcomes lay members who are available to attend weekly meetings. (Click the link above to read more from the Borrego Sun)

St Barnabas Episcopal Church will welcome Dr. Charles F. von Gunten, CAGO, as its new organist at the services on Sunday October 2, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.
The music for the service represents the breadth and depth of music for the organ as a way to mark the first day Dr. von Gunten will serve as the organist at St Barnabas.
Service will commence with a Prelude from JS Bach, the 1st movement, Sonata I in E-flat Major.  The sonatas for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach are part of the training of organists because they require the organist to ‘rub the stomach while patting the head’. Three parts each going their own way.
The hymns chosen for the occasion will include the Gradual Hymn known as “De Tar” written by Calvin Hampton (1938-1984), organist at Calvary Episcopal Church, New York City before his untimely death from AIDS. The tune was named for Vernon de Tar, longtime organist at Church of the Ascension in New York City.
The service will conclude with a Postlude Processional by William Mathias.  William Mathias is a Welsh composer most famous for composing the anthem, Let the people praise Thee, O God, written for the July 1981 royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (Dr. von Gunten was privileged to visit patients with Princess Diana when she visited the hospice unit he directed in Chicago in 1997, a year before her death.)
According to a St Barnabas spokesperson  “we are truly blessed that, upon retiring from his medical career where he was a world recognized pioneer in palliative care, that Dr. von Gunten has decided to retire in the San Diego area, and even more blessed that he has chosen to come to Borrego Springs to provide us with wonderful organ music.  Sometimes God simply provides.”
Dr. von Gunten recently retired from his role as a leader in palliative care where he spent his career helping patients and families have the best possible experience and live life to the fullest while living with cancer.  Upon retiring, he decided that he had time available to regularly pursue his love for music in general, and organ music in particular. Dr. von Gunten has pursued church music as an avocation for more than 40 years, beginning as an undergraduate at Brown University.  During college,  he assisted in an Anglo-Catholic parish where a 16-voice mixed volunteer and paid choir sang classical repertoire including a full Missa Brevis and 2 anthems each week from medieval through contemporary composers.  During medical school, he accompanied a 50-voice adult choir and a 3,500 member congregation.  In 2021 he achieved the prestigious Colleague of the American Guild of Organists status in 2021.

Borrego Sun - Bring Your Own Bowl Lunch & Performance Series
Seems like only yesterday since the last BYOB (Bring Your Own Bowl) concert and soup series. After a year off, everyone is more than ready to come and see friends (and friends of friends) perform the lively arts in this acoustically-splendid space, then enjoy a simple lunch of soup and bread on the patio. (Click the link above to read more from the Borrego Sun)

Borrego Sun - Rev. Laura Brecht Leaving Borrego
"She is stately as she walks purposefully into a room, colorful robes and skirts flowing gracefully – sometimes wearing the classy white clerical collar and other times donning her distinctive straw hat. But always bearing her huge and contagious smile a - smile that radiates warmth, passion, kindness and love. She is Reverend Laura Brecht (Rev. Laura) and this village is going to miss her severely."

Borrego Sun - Caring About the Community - Lyle Brecht

"Quiet-spoken, thoughtful, articulate, insightful, and driven by hard facts, Brecht has used his education, background, and critical analysis to become a powerful force within the Borrego community in his insistence on BWD fiscal sanity, much to the early displeasure of some of those holding different agendas. He still retains his own simple agenda: 'Caring about the community.'"

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 St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 2680 Country Club Dr  
PO Box 691  Borrego Springs CA 92004-0691
760-767-4038

  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Leadership
    • Now and the Future
    • History
  • Worship
    • Our Services
    • Our Music
    • Past Sermons
  • Christian Education/Formation
    • Lunch w/ Michael
    • Psalm Study
    • Centering Prayer
    • Church as Community
    • Interview with Bishop Susan
    • Book Reviews
  • St B in the Community
    • Our Mission
    • Food Bank
    • Care Partnerships
    • BMA
    • BYOB
    • Habitat 4 Humanity
    • Pet Project
  • LABYRINTH
  • Newsletter
    • Current Issue
    • Current Year
    • Carillon Archives
  • CONTACT
  • RESOURCES
  • News
  • Transition
  • Parish Profile
    • Download PDF
    • Vision Statement
    • Summary
    • Highlights
    • Financial Standing
    • History
    • About Borrego Springs
    • Community Involvement
    • Community Partnership
    • Worship
    • Music
    • Education and Christian Formation
    • Congregational Survey Results
    • Buildings and Grounds >
      • Church and Parish Hall
      • Labyrinth
      • Rectory
    • Our New Rector
    • What we offer
    • Next Steps
  • Give Now