Calendar
Congregational Meeting
Sunday August 22, 10 a.m. | Sanctuary/Livestream
The session has called a congregational meeting to receive the fiscal year 2021/2022 budget, approve changes in terms of call for our pastors, and pray together for the year ahead. The meeting will be held in the sanctuary between services and will be livestreamed. Childcare provided for nursery through 5th grade. Parents, look out for an email with childcare details from Children’s Ministry.
Donuts in the Rose Garden
Sunday August 29, 10 a.m. | Perry Street
Glazed or Jelly? Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts? Whatever your preference may be, please join us between services on August 29 for donuts, fellowship, music, and a chance to get to know our staff and learn how you can serve at Blacknall this fall. Many thanks to our Deacons for hosting this event. Questions? Contact Maggie Holland.
Fall Sunday School Kickoff
Sunday September 12, 10 a.m.
Children and Adult Sunday school classes begin on September 12. Details coming soon.
Announcements
Blacknall is Hiring!
The Communications Coordinator search committee (chair, Lucy Cate) is now accepting applications. The committee’s hope is to find a person who will communicate the work of our church effectively, build relationships with members and engage with new audiences. Please view the posting for the full job description and details on how to apply.
The part-time Choir Director search is also open, and the application deadline has been extended until September 15.
Dance Worship | Sign up (Children 1st-5th Grade)
Worship at Blacknall happens in many ways. For the past 10 years, many elementary age girls have worked at participating in and sometimes leading worship at our church. When everything shut down in March 2020, these girls continued practicing their gift via Zoom. In the fall of 2020, they moved their practice to the backyard of Sara Stults’ house and continued practicing into the spring of 2021. Several of their worship dances were shared via Zoom with the church on Sundays; we now ask you to worship along with their last “Stults Studio Backyard Worship Dance” of Oceans. Registration for the Blacknall Dance program for the fall of 2021 is now open. We are moving back to the community room, which means limited enrollment and masks for everyone. Practice will be Sundays, 5-6 p.m. beginning September 12.
Nursery Volunteers | Sign up
We are inviting fully vaccinated adults and teens in our congregation to partner with the Nursery Ministry in providing childcare during our Sunday 8:30 a.m. worship service.
Love and Serve
Take a meal to Josh and Lori Riggs and pray for Lori as she’s experiencing health issues.
Volunteer at the Iglesia Emanuel Food Pantry. Not comfortable gathering? Sign up to bag rice and beans from home. There’s a significant need as the teenagers that were a mainstay of their summer operations are returning to school.
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:
Reality Ministries Volunteer Gathering— Tuesday, August 31, 7 p.m. at the Reality Center, 916 Lamond Ave. Reality has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, including gardening, beekeeping, karaoke dance, art, music, cooking, Bible study and much more. Contact Reality’s Volunteer Coordinator Tammy Rodman or simply show up on August 31. Reality will follow CDC guidelines for in-person meetings, virtual option also available (email Tammy for link.)
Families Moving Forward— FMF is looking for volunteers to step up and help restart their in-person programming. Visit FMF’s volunteer page or contact Volunteer Coordinator Associate Imani Vincent for more information.
International Students Inc.— We hope you heard today’s Focus on Missions! There are many ways to participate: 1) Be a Supper Club host for the Fall 2021 semester, 2) Join the IstudentsDuke prayer ministry, 3) 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).
Congo Initative— Visit CI’s News and Updates page, and contact Kim Dunderdale to be part of the Congo Leadership Team.
Prayer
Ministry Partners
Campus & National— We pray for Dan (& Tanya) Kronstad, working with International Students, Inc. on Duke’s campus. We rejoice with Dan over opportunities to meet with students here at the beginning of the semester. Praise God for over 275 contacts with international students between the Airport Welcome and Shopping Trips. Please pray: 1) For protection from COVID for Dan and other ISI staff and for the students. 2) For God to guide the matching of volunteers with students with the aim of ongoing friendships developing. 3) For the ISI staff and volunteers as they follow up with students that they meet with in these opening weeks.
International—We pray for Blacknall global workers Charlie & Frauke (Barnabas International), long-time members of our congregation, who are providing counseling for global workers. “The counseling ministry of Barnabas International is founded on biblical principles yet strives to meet both spiritual and emotional needs.” Recent prayer requests: (1) this month’s Global Healthcare Providers Retreat to be a time of encouragement and renewal for all the participants; (2) health, stamina, and patience for their counseling of global workers and healthcare providers; (3) guidance for the board tasked with establishing a retreat center in Spain for Latino missionaries.
Durham—We pray for World Relief Durham and for Adam Clark, the Durham Office Director. We pray for the influx of refugees that are coming and will be coming from Afghanistan. We are asked to pray for these specific requests related to the crisis in Afghanistan:
• For the emerging church in Afghanistan, that it will persevere in the face of persecution, and that the gospel would shine bright in this time of darkness
• For Afghans at risk because of their service alongside the U.S. government, that they would be quickly and safely evacuated
• For other Afghans who face persecution under the Taliban, that they would be protected and, if they must flee, that they would find refuge, whether in neighboring countries or abroad
• For the Taliban, mindful that God calls us to pray even for our enemies and that, if God can intervene and redirect the life of a persecutor of the church like Paul, he can do the same for leaders within the Taliban
• For President Biden and decision-makers within his administration, that they would have wisdom and courage to keep their commitments – and that of our nation over decades – to those facing persecution on account of their association with the United States
• For churches throughout the United States, that we would not only pray and advocate for Afghans and other refugees, but also eagerly welcome them into our communities in partnership with organizations like World Relief.
Griefs
We pray for the family of Jack Adams who died on August 13.
We pray for those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus.
Joys
We give thanks for an alleviation of back pain for Bill Beckman after his procedure last week.
Concerns
We pray for Greg and Sue Duncan. Greg is in hospice care at Duke’s Hock Pavilion.
We pray for Margaret Scearce recovering from cancer surgery.
We pray for April Perry and Sheila Rittgers as they care for their friends from Haiti, Romel and Fregga’s, daughters, Gaelle (7) and Hadassa (3) for the next several months.
World
We pray for children and teachers who are starting back in school and that their education would not be negatively impacted by the coronavirus.
We pray for the nation of Afghanistan and particularly for the most vulnerable and for Christian brothers and sisters who are there (see World Relief prayer requests above)
Life Together
We pray for our Divinity School intern, Ben Davison, particularly as he reaches out to our undergraduate university community. Pray that he would be able to make good connections with students as they begin a new school year.
We pray for the Congregational Meeting today and for a clear communication of God’s vision for us as a congregation. We thank God for Rich Frothingham and the members of our Finance Committee.
We pray for Calvin Bragg, Ronnie Browser, and Enrique Gonzalez, as they serve us by keeping our building clean.