Calendar
Sunday, Nov. 28
Advent begins!
View the full calendar of ways we will gather together this Advent season to wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior. Vote now for your favorite Christmas carols- we’ll sing the most requested tunes during our “Community Carol Singalong” on Dec. 12 (5 p.m.). Pick up this year’s Advent Devotional at church or download a copy for printing at home or viewing on your device.
Advent Wreath Workshop/Kit pick-up | 4-6 p.m. | Community Room and Rose Garden | Reserve a kit
Shape a beautiful advent wreath using fresh greenery. Plan about an hour for wreath-making in the Rose Garden at Blacknall (weather-permitting). You may also pick up a kit (oasis ring and candles) to make your wreath at home. $10/wreath kit, please reserve one here and pay by credit card or bringing a check.
Changes to sanctuary worship seating options
Beginning on Nov. 28 during both services, the center section of the main floor will not be socially distanced. The side sections and balcony will continue to have spacing between pews. Visit our Sanctuary Worship FAQ page for more detailed information.
Monday, Nov. 29
Registration opens for Lessons & Carols, Worship on the Longest Night and Christmas Eve
Links will be published on our Registration page. Please register your family and any anticipated guests. Children’s program registration will become available on a week-by-week basis. Contact Leslie Petree with questions about children’s registration.
Fifth Monday Prayer | 7:30 p.m. | Sanctuary
All our welcome to join our ordained officers and pastors in praying for our congregation and community.
Sunday, Dec. 5
Cancer Support Group | 10-10:45 a.m. | Zoom (Link on CCB)
Gather for prayer, education and sharing our lives. This is for all cancer survivors, caregivers, and loved ones. Contact Karen Allen with questions or to join the email list.
High School and Middle School Youth Christmas Party | 6-7:30 p.m. | Enter on Iredell St.
Fun and games indoors followed by cocoa and cookies outdoors. Bring a friend! Contact Brad Turnage (high school) or Tanya Kronstad (middle school).
Sunday, Dec. 12
Community Carol Sing | 4:45- 6 p.m. | Outdoors under the Oaks (714 Iredell)
A festive evening of outdoor fun and fellowship as we raise our voices and mugs to the birth of the Savior! Join us as we sing our way through a collection of beloved Christmas carols. Prelude music by High Strung beginning at 4:45.
Announcements
Deacon and Elder Candidates
As part of the Officer Nominating Committee's discernment process, we invite members of the congregation to recommend potential elders and deacons to the committee. These recommendations are not official nominations, but they will inform the committee's work in bringing a slate of elder and deacon nominees to the congregation in the coming months. Please use this link to submit your responses. Please submit a separate form for each person you are recommending. The form will accept recommendations through November 30. Thank you for prayerfully considering these recommendations! If you have questions, please contact Evan Cate. (Note: Officers must be official members of Blacknall, though feel free to recommend someone even if you're not sure about their membership status. The committee will verify their status.) Visit this page for more information on the role of elders and deacons from the PCUSA Book of Order.
Music Corner
Blacknall’s Advent Spotify Playlist
Listen to the songs we’ll be singing during Advent, as well as many more to accompany you during your Adventian journey to Bethlehem.
Check out Advent and Christmas music from Wen and Casey Reagan
Released a decade ago, Epiphany features Advent and Christmas classics reimagined by Wen and Casey Reagan with their longtime collaborator, Stuart Pierce. You can listen and purchase it on Spotify, Bandcamp, Amazon, or Apple Music. And then, four years ago, Wen, Casey, and Stuart followed up with a lo-fi acoustic EP of some of their favorite seasonal tunes on After-Hours Volume 1. You can listen and purchase on Bandcamp.
Angel Tree
Our 2021 Angel Tree is up and ready to go! This is an opportunity for Blacknall to bless folks who are struggling to provide for their families this year. We have invited three ministries (Families Moving Forward, St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church and Step Up Durham) to allow us to support their clients this Christmas. Our hope is to fill every wish on this list! Thank you for helping make that possible.
Prayer
Ministry Partners
Durham—We pray for the ministry of Durham Rescue Mission as they provide safe shelter and addiction recovery in the name of Jesus Christ. Pray as Gail & Ernie Mills step back from their positions of leadership and as Rev. Rob Tart steps up as President/CEO. Please pray for: 1) Toys for the children at Christmas as they are having trouble finding them. 2) The situation with COVID as winter sets in. Crowding is always an issue when it gets cold and there is a greater demand for shelter. 3) This time of transition as the Mills move on to other roles. 4) Their annual Gala is Dec. 10 where they will honor Ernie & Gail (still seats available). Pray that they will be blessed and honored for over 50 years of service.
Campus & National—We pray for Lynerd Tillery in his work with Every Nation Campus (ENC) on the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Pray as they continue to navigate COVID, being unable to be on campus still. Thank God for successful summer discipleship programs that have strengthened the fellowship at NCCU. Pray for Josh, a senior, who is considering a call to join ENC’s staff after graduation. Pray that he would be able to raise the needed support for this to happen. Pray for Lynerd as he disciples a strong group of student leaders.
International—We pray for Blacknall global workers Ron and Betsy and their daughter, Joy. The M. family have been serving the people of Central Asia since 1999. Their work focuses on bringing health, wellness, and a better quality of life to the local community where they live and minister. Their heart to serve the people has opened many doors for relationships and the sharing of the gospel. They have started a Health Education Project in the community as well as a Children at Risk Project that ministers to children in a local orphanage. Prayer requests: (1) the peaceful solution of interpersonal conflicts in their team; (2) wisdom to give wise counsel to friends and colleagues who come to them needing help to resolve conflicts; (3) the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, leading many Kyrgyz to repentance and faith in Christ.
Griefs
We pray for the family of Margaret Scearce, a longtime member of Blacknall, who died last Sunday, Nov. 21. The memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Dec. 11 at Crossroads Baptist Church in Hillsborough.
We pray for David & Cindy Chapman and Hise & Scarlett Chapman on the death of David and Hise’s mother on Nov. 12
We pray for Jim & Sandra Hagood on the death of Sandra’s mother on Nov. 10
We pray for Rich & Margaret Frothingham on the death of Rich’s mom, Mary Frothingham, on Nov. 7.
Joys
We give thanks for the many gifts God has given to us at Blacknall in these past several months and for many, many years. We give thanks for faithful pastoral leadership for over 60 years. We give thanks for the bonds of friendship that have lasted decades and those that just formed last week.
We rejoice with Ashley & Chad Kersey on the birth of their son, Samuel Glenn on Nov. 6.
We celebrate with Andrew & Lauren McCrary (and big brothers, Luke, Ty, & Hayes) on their receiving their foster son, Josiah.
Concerns
We pray for Bob Mutter’s mother who fell and broke her hip last week.
We pray for Jo Oldham who is fighting cancer.
World
We give thanks for the resolution of the Ahmaud Arbery trial and pray for repentance as a nation from our tendency to turn to violence to relieve our fears.
We continue to pray for the release of the 15 missionaries and their driver in Haiti. We thank God for the release of 2 of these hostages. We pray for a cessation of the violence and chaos in Haiti.
We continue to pray for the nation and people of Afghanistan, and particularly for Christian brothers and sisters there. We pray for attempts to rescue those whose lives are in danger.
Life Together
We pray for our Advent celebrations coming up. We pray that we might be intentional about looking for opportunities to invite our neighbors to any of these events.
We pray for our 2021 Mission Offering being received this month to care for the people of Afghanistan both here in Durham as well as those still in Afghanistan. Pray that we might generously respond to demonstrate the love and care of Christ for these people.
We give thanks to God for his guidance and provision of Mark Hutton who will be our new Interim Senior Pastor, beginning on Dec. 5.
We pray for our continued searches for a Communications & Program Coordinator and a Choir Director.
We pray for Goodie Bell and David Dunderdale as they serve us. We pray for good health and energy as they enter into this Advent and Christmas season. We pray for sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit as they discern how to lead and pastor our congregation.