Kristi Barnard named Citizen of the Month

By Kara Linaburg

“Kristi (Barnard) is a co-worker, but she’s also a dear friend,” said Carrie Hill, worship pastor at Jewel City Church of Meadowbrook. “She leads everything that she puts her hand to with integrity and full of the love of Jesus. It’s evident in the way she serves our community.” 

Barnard has worn several hats,, including wife, mom, church children’s director, and co-owner of Gibby’s Ice Cream in downtown Shinnston. She said that she grew up going to a small church in Clarksburg, where she later became the youth leader. 

“I was in college getting two degrees,” she said. “One was in child development, so I always felt that I was to work with children…When (my husband) Gibson sang for the Jewel City Quartet and when God spoke to Robert (Shingleton) to open the church, we felt led to go with him… And pretty much we’ve been with the church since it opened. I’ve been involved in the kid’s ministry since the start of it.”

She volunteered as the children’s ministry director for 15 years, before last year becoming full-time staff. Overseeing the children’s ministry in a congregation of approximately 700 every Sunday, as well as coordinating annual outreach events that draw large crowds, such as Fall Fest and Vacation Bible School, Barnard said that she isn’t going to lie; there are several times she has felt burnt out. “Perseverance. Keep on keeping. It has gotten me through, knowing that I am doing it for the Lord and not man,” she said.

She also gave credit to “amazing” volunteers who have helped her organize, take care of the children, and take on sometimes overwhelming events. “It wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for them,” she said.

Working with the children makes it all worth it, according to Barnard. “It really truly blessed me, and I get teary eyed if they even go out of here a lot of times… just listening to them, knowing that God has had his hand in it the whole time,” she said.

“(She’s) constantly giving,” Hill said of Barnard, “many times behind the scenes when no one would even know. From the kid’s ministry at Jewel City Church where she has served for nearly three decades, to her family’s restaurant business, Gibby’s, she’s always giving back to others. Whether that’s in (the) form of ice cream for the kids at Vacation Bible School, cooking meals to serve to school teams, donating to local organizations, or giving her time to those in need…” 

Her daughter, Azlee Barnard, also said that her mom has a heart that loves to serve. “Obviously, I am a little biased, but my mom is one of the best women I know. When I was in Big Elm, you would find my mom volunteering on Fridays to make popcorn. When I was in Lincoln High, my mom fed numerous athletic teams and staff members, served as the Spartans football president, and drove my 2016 basketball team to the state tournament in Charleston, and you could find her most Friday nights in the concession stand at football games. To this day, she continues to serve our local schools and community even though all four of her children have graduated.”

When Kristi isn’t working with the youth at Jewel City, she’s helping her husband run their business of eight years, Gibby’s Ice Cream. They began Gibby’s when they realized that Shinnston didn’t have a restaurant of the like in town, and it has taken off from there. 

Barnard has lived in Shinnston with her husband and four kids for 28 years. “Everyone wants Shinnston to be better, and there are times that everyone pulls together to try to better the community despite their differences,” Barnard said of the city. “Be it someone wins the state championship or someone is really sick in the community, they really pull together as one.” 

Since her children have all grown and graduated, she said she doesn’t get out into Shinnston quite as much as she did in previous years, but tries to remain as involved as possible. However, when it comes to what she likes doing in her free time, “I like resting at the house with my new dog and Gibson at my side. Peace and quiet,” she said.