Blacknall’s Good Neighbor Team will set up an apartment for a refugee family this Sunday, March 10. The team needs volunteers who can purchase and deliver groceries and help onsite.

Blacknall has an opportunity to support StepUp’s upcoming training for their “Step2” cohort. There are two ways to serve: Become a “Co-Partner” and/or provide meals for the meeting. Each Tuesday, they meet at ReCity (112 Broadway Street) in Durham from 6 - 8 p.m. The session runs from January 23 - March 12.

Andrea Tshihamba is looking for people who want to support an Afghan refugee family experiencing a tragic loss. Please read Andrea Tshihamba’s letter to the congregation and consider joining the team that is forming to create a community of support for this family.

Marc Asobee and Joel Asiimwe, faculty members at UCBC (the Christian Bilingual University of Congo), will be visiting Blacknall on October 20 - 29. Would you be willing to host Marc or Joel for a meal with your family, friends, or small group?

Marc Asobee, a faculty member at UCBC (the Christian Bilingual University of Congo), will be visiting Blacknall August 13-20. Would you be willing to host Marc for a meal with your family, friends, or small group during that week? It is a great way to learn more about our Deep Common Journey with Congo Initiative and be blessed by Marc. Sign up now!

Every Sunday we livestream our worship service so that our homebound members or folks who are traveling can participate in our worship even when they’re unable to be with us in person. Our livestream is run by a team of Blacknall volunteers, and we need new members! It’s an important opportunity to contribute to our worship life together. No experience needed! We provide training and the rotation is once every 4-6 weeks for the first service only (8:30 am). Visit our Volunteer Hub to sign up! Contact Wen Reagan or Leslie Eibest with questions.

StepUp Durham partners with adults seeking to transform their lives through employment and life skills training. Blacknall has an opportunity support StepUp’s upcoming training for their “Step2” cohort. Step2 is for adults working at least 25 hours per week who would like to increase their network, community connections, career possibilities, and financial capacity. There are two ways to serve: Become a “Co-Partner” and/or provide meals for the meeting. Each Tuesday, they meet at ReCity (112 Broadway Street) in Durham from 6-8 p.m. The session runs July 25 - September 12.

Walltown Neighborhood Ministries Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help with a food distribution on Thursday, July, 27.

Blacknall’s Good Neighbor Team will set up an apartment for a Congolese (DRC) family of six this Sunday, July 16. The team will arrive at the apartment around 12:30 p.m., after the 11 a.m. service. If you would like to volunteer at the apartment, please text Andrea Tshihamba at (952) 334-9411. Also, watch for the grocery cards on the table in the Lower Atrium this Sunday.

Ushering is an easy and fun way to serve our church. You will be scheduled to usher during the service that you regularly attend and can participate in the service as usual. Keep in mind that middle-school and high-school youth make great ushers!

Blacknall is searching for a computer networking specialist who can provide a short-term consultation on a volunteer basis. The church is recruiting and reviewing new IT contractors and would like some assistance in evaluating our networking needs in relation to the qualifications of the vendors under consideration. If you, or someone you know, might be interested, please contact the Church Office for more details. 

Summer Sunday School starts this Sunday, June 4! Each June - August, we give our regular Sunday School teachers time off and invite parents and the wider congregation to step into what we have planned for our children in the Nursery and Elementary Halls. This is a wonderful chance for the rest of us to engage in the important (and fun!) work of discipling and learning with our children. Please check out these opportunities and sign up by this Friday, June 2!
 

Blacknall has a unique opportunity this summer to support the 2023 Durham Freedom School sponsored by the Mt. Level Community Partnership for Racial Justice. We will prepare and serve Family Night meals for about 120 people on Thursday nights, June 29 - July 27. (Read the "INDY Week" article about the Durham Freedom School with a quote from our own David Dunderdale.)

We are seeking intrepid small groups, Sunday School classes, committees, or other Blacknall collectives to procure, prepare, serve, and clean up the meals at Epworth United Methodist Church (3002 Hope Valley Rd.). Meals should be ready to serve by 5:20 p.m. and cleanup should finish by 7 p.m. All expenses will be reimbursed.  Learn more and sign up!

World Relief Durham is seeking donations of various household items: bath, bedding, kitchenware, cleaning supplies, etc., to supply refugee families resettling in Durham. See the full list. Please drop off your donations on the table in the Lower Atrium anytime on or before Friday, June 9. Please contact Andrea Tshihamba with questions.

Blacknall’s Good Neighbor Team will be setting up an apartment this Sunday afternoon on May 21. We could use 2-3 volunteers at the location. There will be no heavy lifting. If you would like to volunteer at the apartment, please call or text Andrea Tshihamba at (952) 334-9411. Also watch for the grocery cards on the table in the Lower Atrium on Sunday.

Join the team that is making a practical impact and loving our neighbors who are refugees! Blacknall has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with World Relief Durham (WRD). One of the tangible ways we realize this commitment is through the team of Blacknall volunteers who, once a month, set up apartments for refugee families who have recently arrived in Durham. If you want to join this team, please attend the next local volunteer orientation on Tuesday, May 9, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. on Zoom.