Congregants pose for a photo after service on Sunday, Jan. 25.
Hundreds of people fill our Sanctuary each Sunday, with two services bringing God’s word, shared worship songs, and a strong sense of community. But with snow, sleet, and ice blanketing Durham this past weekend, it took just 41 people to make the space feel equally alive on Sunday.
“I think it was a good reminder for me that God can meet us in the simplest of ways, and that the liturgies of our Sunday worship are impactful because God makes them so, not because of our own efforts,” said Maggie Budd, who volunteered to read Scripture from Isaiah 53.
Work Before the Storm
However members, attenders, and friends worshiped on Sunday, it took a week of preparation and teamwork to make the day feel as normal as possible during an abnormal winter storm. Four people even joined for the first time after searching for a place to worship when they couldn’t reach their regular churches.
Work began on Tuesday, as Blacknall staff made plans with Winter Storm Fern approaching and adjusted throughout the week. Facilities team members Alonso, CeCe, Sharon, and Stanley Breeden shifted schedules Wednesday and Thursday to ensure the Sanctuary and shared spaces were ready regardless of what the storm brought. Director of Congregational Care Becky Gould prepared communion on Friday, while Director of Operations Faith Weiskirch came to Blacknall on Saturday evening and Sunday morning to shovel and salt walkways and steps.
Communion was prepared two days ahead of the Jan. 25 service so it would be available for anyone who wanted it.
Answering the Call
But it was the spontaneous volunteers that helped make Sunday’s service especially meaningful. Along with Maggie’s Scripture reading, Chris Rice offered the prayer of invocation, and James Junker led the congregation in a cappella worship. John Shoenfelt managed the livestream, while Mark Atkinson ran the Sanctuary sound board.
Mark, who walked just under a mile to Blacknall, said he was struck by Chris’ prayer, noting that the Christian life “is a journey, and there are interruptions and detours that are sacred moments.” The simple, almost DIY nature of Sunday’s service made the typically full space feel uniquely intimate and holy as sleet fell outside.
“There’s a bond and fellowship in adversity — we all had to make an extra effort to be in worship together,” said Associate Pastor David Dunderdale, who also walked about a mile from his home to lead Sunday’s in-person service. “There’s a special connection in looking at another person and knowing, ‘Oh, you went through that, too.’”
Remote, But Not Disconnected
Encouraged to stay home as ice covered roads and sidewalks, four times as many people as usual joined Blacknall’s livestream of Sunday’s service. That included Sadie Shoenfelt, who tuned in from afar at Belmont University in Nashville after local churches and their livestreams were cancelled because of power outages in Tennessee. Even without power, she set up her laptop and hotspot so she could watch on YouTube with a group of friends.
“It was such a blessing to be able to share my home church with my friends at school,” said Sadie, daughter of John (who ran the livestream) and Ali. “The service was intimate and incredibly special, and my friends noticed that right away. We were so grateful to Pastor Dave and everyone who contributed because even without power, we could still watch church in community on Sunday morning.”
Julie Leyva also took advantage of the livestream, alongside her husband, Caleb Wagner, and Elder Lauren Holahan. After a weekend of tragic news in Minnesota, “we were hungry for pastoral word and to be connected to the church,” she said. “Being in person is always better, but having the livestream available meant we got a timely word that we really needed and set Sunday up to be a better day.”
Winter Weather Updates for Sunday, Feb. 1
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for central North Carolina between Friday, Jan. 30, and Sunday, Feb. 1. Along with prolonged periods of dangerously cold temperatures, current forecasts call for "light, measurable snow" between Friday night and Sunday morning. Total amounts aren't forecast yet. We'll provide updates on our website if Sunday services or programs are impacted again.