Bulletin 11.7.21

Calendar

Sunday, Nov. 7

  • 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.

  • Sunday Evening Worship | 5-5:45 pm | Outdoors (Iredell St. Lot)

Join us for the final outdoor evening worship service of the fall. Middle and High school youth groups are not meeting this evening. Families, please come to the service instead!

Wednesday, Nov. 10

  • Congregational Meeting- Interim Pastor Update | 7-8 p.m. | Zoom (Link on CCB)

    You're invited to a congregational meeting to hear an important update from the Pastoral Transition Team about their search for an interim pastor. The call will be recorded, but you are encouraged to join us live if you're able. Zoom Link on CCB.

Friday-Saturday, Nov. 12-13

  • Women’s Retreat | Durham and Stem, NC

    Last chance to register for our local retreat! The theme is Encounters with Jesus, based on passages found in the Gospel of John. Read all about it and register here.

Sunday, Nov. 14

  • Prayer for Mission Partners (4 p.m.) and Congo (6:30 p.m.) | Zoom (link on CCB)

Saturday- Sunday, Nov. 20-21

  • Men's Backyard Gatherings (various days/times)

    All men are warmly invited to a series of backyard gatherings held in various neighborhoods around town. This will be a great opportunity for fellowship, reconnection, and a chance to share your perspective with the men's ministry leadership team as they seek to respond to the needs in our congregation. Please view the list of gatherings and RSVP at your earliest convenience. Contact: Cullen Rodgers-Gates.

Sunday, Nov. 21

  • Special Mission Offering for Afghanistan

    Please read the full announcement below (scroll down to Announcements) about this year’s Mission Offering. You may give online now through Nov. 30, the offering will be collected in worship on Nov. 21.

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.).

Announcements

An update from the Interim Pastor Transition Team

Once Blacknall’s Interim Pastor is appointed, the next step is a Mission Study involving the whole congregation. The graphic below describes the various pieces of this study. Visit this page for more information on the pastoral transition process and be sure to join us for the congregational meeting on Wednesday! More details.

Mission Offering

In the month of November Blacknall is collecting financial donations for its Annual Mission Offering.  This year our offering is directed to care for the people of Afghanistan who are in our community and who are in Afghanistan. 

The offering will be divided equally between three mission partners.  World Relief Durham, Samaritan Health Center, and International Assistance Mission.  We are expecting 1,000 Afghans to be resettled in North Carolina in the next 4-6 months with as many as 400 coming to the Triangle area through refugee resettlement agencies.  All of these refugees are entering our nation legally but because they are being so rapidly processed they are limited in their access to benefits including medical care, housing assistance as well as other support offered to incoming refugees.  This offering will help World Relief in resettlement efforts as well as helping Samaritan Health Center provide translation services, medication, and health care for these Afghan refugees.

International Assistance Mission continues to work inside Afghanistan.  They support Afghan-led community development, education, and health work.  This offering will not only support Afghan refugees but also the people of Afghanistan who still remain in the country. 

You can give to this offering online through the Blacknall web site and we will be receiving the offering in worship on Sunday, Nov. 21. If giving online, choose “2021 Mission Offering” under Designation. If writing or sending a check, put “Mission Offering” in the memo line.

Personnel Update

Ali Shoenfelt has faithfully served and supported us for the past 6.5 years as Administrative Associate. She is integral to so many parts of our life together, holding important details and thoughtfully keeping us centered. We are sad to announce that she will be leaving her role on staff at Blacknall at the end of December. During her time with us, her creative gifts, passion for missions and natural talent at relationship building have blessed our ministry partners, members and staff. We are thankful that the Shoenfelt family will continue to be active members in our life together at Blacknall. We give thanks for Ali and wish her and John the best as they consider what God is calling Ali to next professionally. Please take a moment in the next couple of weeks to send Ali an email or a note to thank her for her incredible work.

Community Announcements

  • Families Moving Forward Gala

    Families Moving Forward’s annual fundraising gala will be held virtually this year on December 3 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. Attendance at the Gala is a fun way to learn more about the work of FMF and its impact on families experiencing homelessness in Durham and to financially support this important work. The Gala will include presentations from FMF staff and residents as well as an online auction of local products and experiences. Tickets are $50 and include a special basket of goodies delivered the day of the event for ticket holders. The online auction will also open early for Gala ticket holders, so you will have the first look and opportunity to bid on some incredible packages and experiences – so buy your tickets now!

Love and Serve

  • Meal trains

  • Samaritan Health Center

    Blacknall local partner Samaritan Health Center is looking for project help the week of November 15 (mailing to supporters) and the weekend of December 3 (assembling and delivering volunteer gift bags). These are family-friendly ways to bless SHC and the community at year end. Service can be onsite at the clinic, or done from home. Contact communications director Meredith Martindale to learn more.

  • StepUp Durham

    Volunteer with StepUp Durham. Particular needs right now are for volunteers to serve as Resume Builders and Mock Interviewers at job readiness workshops, and to walk with participants as Co-Partners in Step2’s 8-week training modules. All opportunities are virtual through the end of 2021. To learn more, email StepUp’s Volunteer Coordinator, or contact Nancy Grigg.

  • Iglesia Emanuel Food Pantry

    Volunteer at the Iglesia Emanuel Food Pantry. Not comfortable gathering? Sign up to bag rice and beans from home.

  • Walltown Neighborhood Ministries Food Bank

    Volunteer at the Walltown Neighborhood Ministries Food Bank.

Deep Common Journeys

What’s a Deep Common Journey? One of Blacknall’s commitments in mission is that we would intentionally enter into “Partnership with an organization in mission toward learning to be disciples of Jesus Christ.” We call these partnership relationships “Deep Common Journeys.” While Blacknall supports approximately 60 different international, Durham, and campus mission partners, we have focused on four Deep Common Journey partners—Reality Ministries (Durham), Families Moving Forward (Durham), International Students, Inc. (Campus), and Congo Initiative (International).

How can I enter our Deep Common Journey? There are many ways to get involved:

  • Congo Initative— Join the monthly prayer time for our Congolese brothers and sisters (second Sundays at 6:30 p.m. over Zoom), be a pen pal to a university student at UCBC, serve on the Congo Leadership Team. To learn more about these and other opportunities, fill out the CI Volunteer Interest Form or contact Kim Dunderdale. Sign up to receive news and updates from CI.

  • Reality Ministries — Reality has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities including gardening, beekeeping, karaoke dance, art, music, cooking, Bible study and much more. Join a daytime or evening group at the Reality Center, have fun and make some new friends! Check out Reality’s Volunteer page or contact volunteer coordinator Tammy Rodman.

  • Families Moving Forward— Be a Study Buddy, join the Hospitality Team, donate to Barrels of Joy, be a Room Refresher, or dine with Chefs for Change. Visit FMF’s volunteer page or contact Mark and Anne Paulson to learn more.

  • International Students Inc.— Join the IstudentsDuke prayer ministry and engage in regular conversation with an international student (in person or virtual). To learn more, fill out the volunteer interest form, visit ISI’s Volunteers page, or contact Dan Kronstad (630.903.1300).

Prayer

Ministry Partners

Durham—We pray for St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church across Perry St. from Blacknall. We pray for their pastor, Lauren Winner, as she continues to get settled after starting at the church in July. Please pray for their ministry to our homeless neighbors as they feed them and pray for them. Pray for the team of Blacknallites who serve breakfast there on Monday mornings.


Campus & National—We pray for Jim Herman working with international students for InterVarsity at UNC-Chapel Hill.  We pray for God-directed opportunities to connect with students and for opportunities to share the love of Christ and the truth of the gospel with students.

International—We pray for Blacknall global workers, Noé & Bethany Kasali, (and children, Joy, Anna, Lydia, and Selah) who are with Congo Initiative in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo. Noé is the director of the Bethesda Counseling Center there. Prayer requests: 1) thanksgiving for their family’s good physical and emotion health; 2) protection from Covid and Ebola, which has recently resurfaced in Beni; 3) a quick response to contain Ebola and a willingness for those identified as contacts to take the Ebola vaccine; 4) safety, as the government struggles to provide security in and around Beni; 5) balance in juggling work, school, family, and social demands; 6) their children’s experiencing God’s love for them; 7) the Bethesda Counseling staff in their care for clients.

Griefs

  • We pray for those who are struggling with infertility.

  • We pray for those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus.

Joys

  • We rejoice with Mike & Beth Sholtz on the birth of their new grandson, Kent Michael Russ.

  • We rejoice with Bill & Kris Barman on the birth of their new great granddaughter, Olivia Kasen.

  • We rejoice with Courteney (Paulson) & Francisco Contreras and grandparents Anne & Mark Paulson on the birth of Eva Lucia .

  • We rejoice with Lucy & Evan Cate and grandparents Kim & David Dunderdale on the birth of Frances Elizabeth.

Concerns

  • We pray for Daniel (Stu) & Danielle Stulac as Stu recovers from Achilles tendon surgery last week and as they get settled into their new home.

  • We pray for those who are caring for aging parents and for those who are aging as they face difficult decisions together.

  • We pray for Jo Oldham and Margaret Scearce, who are both fighting cancer.

World

  • We continue to pray for the release of the 17 missionaries and their driver in Haiti.  We pray for a cessation of the violence and chaos in Haiti.

  • We pray for Lynn & ‘Ale Vanderwoude-‘Aho, Blacknall supported global workers living in Tonga as it was reported this week that Tonga has had its first reported case of COVID-19.  Pray that the virus can be contained and for ‘Ale’s parents who are at-risk and were exposed to someone who was exposed to the virus.

  • 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 search for an Interim Senior Pastor and for our Zoom meeting with the congregation this Wednesday to receive an update from our Interim Pastor Transition Team.

  • We pray for our continued searches for a Communications & Program Coordinator and a Choir Director.

  • We pray for Becky Gould in her role as Congregational Care Director.  Pray as she serves our Women’s Ministry and as they prepare for the Women’s Retreat next weekend.