Thursday, March 5, 6-8:30 p.m., Blacknall Fellowship Hall (1902 Perry St., Durham)
Enjoy a delicious dinner, learn how to build a strong marriage, and celebrate with couples who have just completed the Marriage Course.
RSVP here by Monday, March 2.
Questions? Contact Joyce Kight (nightingale1960me@yahoo.com).
Interested?
Click here to learn more about the course.
By Allan Poole
Since the 1960s Blacknall has intentionally identified itself as part of the “evangelical stream within the Reformed Protestant tradition.” Although that word “evangelical” has become contested in its meaning since it became compromised by its association with particular political positions, we have used it in its older sense, expressing a four-fold commitment emphasizing the primary and unique authority of the Scriptures, the lordship of Christ in his incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, the invitation to know Christ personally in repentance and faith through the work of the Holy Spirit, and the command to make Christ known as Lord throughout the world.
We have also been planted in the Reformed Protestant tradition, in this case within the Presbyterian family, a tradition that looks back to the Protestant Reformation and in particular the Swiss Reformation and its central figure John Calvin. Our particular denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), is theologically diverse; Blacknall has been grateful to be able to maintain an irenic and yet, we trust, faithful witness within that theological diversity.
To that end, we have supported various renewal efforts within the denomination throughout the years. Blacknall was a member of the Covenant Fellowship in the days before reunion in 1983 with the northern branch of the PCUSA; following that reunion we have participated in other organizations with names like Presbyterians for Renewal and the Presbyterian Coalition. In recent years some of those organizations have coalesced into one group of like-minded churches called The Fellowship Community, designed to encourage and support congregations by promoting local fellowship and accountability and theological reflection and faithfulness.
Each year the Community sponsors a national gathering, and some months ago Blacknall was asked if we would be willing to host. Blacknall’s elders agreed, and the gathering will be here, Tuesday April 28-Thursday April 30, 2020. We expect to welcome more than 200 hundred participants from around the country. Anne Paulson has volunteered to head a team of Blacknall folk who will work closely with the national planning team to address the many details that make for a successful conference. We are excited that our own Jeremy Begbie will be leading off the opening worship on Tuesday evening.
Go to their website for more information, and look for regular updates. Would you like to help? Please contact Anne. I know she would love to hear from you.
Hospitably yours in Christ,
Allan
Read more from the February Newsletter . . .
Pastor’s Letter by Goodie Bell
God at Work by Ashley Weinard
Chefs for Change by Anne Paulson
Iglesia Emanuel Ministry Celebration by Margot Hausmann
The Elders were recently asked to write about three pivotal moments in their Christian formation and many have generously offered to share them in the newsletter. If you would like to share about God at work in your life, contact Mary Grimm.
By Ashley Weinard
Vision is my most precious sense. I work in the arts, so observing and analyzing visual information is part of my every day. Wisely, God uses vision to get my attention. I have to make an effort to hear Him, but it is easy to see Him at work around me. So, it is not surprising that the pivotal moments of my Christian formation begin with an observation.
The first moment is when I began to see Christians as unique individuals shaped by their faith. I was not raised as a Christian. Stereotypes were reinforced by my parents, my non-Christian friends, and popular media. I had Christian friends, but I never looked closely enough to see how their faith formed them. That changed when I was 24, living as a graduate student in New York. Perhaps it was because the city is a sea of people and I needed an anchor or, more likely, it was because I fell in love. Whatever the reason, I met two people who looked different. One was a close friend, the other a boyfriend. Holly and Chad were intriguing because they humbly shared their faith in Christ and helped me see that what I loved most about each was actually Christ in them. That was the start of a disequilibrium that left me wondering what truths were forming me from the inside out.
The second moment was on a mission trip to Rwanda. My husband and I went there to visit an orphanage for children of the genocide. We took open hearts and lots of art supplies. The children and I drew pictures of the volcanos out their back window and I cried as they joyfully sang “This is the Day that the Lord has Made.” What I saw there was a faith deeper than terror, torture, and loss. The Christians we met wore their own stigmatas and were alive to tell the tale of how Jesus brought them through crisis and the ensuing work of reconciliation. Every time I remember that mission trip, I see the thorns of the acacia tree. This symbol of resurrection was planted next to a genocide site we visited. My husband picked a thorny piece off the tree and held it out to me in his unscathed hand. That memory reminds me to trust that God will hold me gently, in spite of the sins and sadness of this world.
Finally, my last moment is a really a series of years spent in community at Blacknall. Chad and I have been privileged to be in a collection of small groups over the last sixteen years. In each iteration, it always surprises me how graciously our friends share their hospitality, time, and honesty with me and my family. In these communities, I am invited into other people’s messy, extraordinary lives. It is a gift to observe how others rely on Christ. The view always intrigues, humbles, and transforms me.
What have you seen and how does it form you? Trust your eyes, friends. God is at work.
“Heart of my own heart, whate'er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all”
Read more from the February Newsletter . . .
Pastor’s Letter by Goodie Bell
Blacknall to Host the Fellowship Community Annual Gathering by Allan Poole
Chefs for Change by Anne Paulson
Iglesia Emanuel Ministry Celebration by Margot Hausmann
By Anne Paulson
Heading into our fourth year, Chefs for Change is a fundraising dinner series that pairs the burgeoning Durham food scene with the needs of families experiencing homelessness. This is more than a dinner – this is a fine dining experience with a purpose.
A distinguished chef will serve three or more courses at a ticketed dinner with the proceeds benefiting Families Moving Forward. Tickets are sold online in advance to 175 attendees and is held at the Rickhouse (609 Foster St, Durham, NC 27701). Doors open at 6:00 pm for the cocktail hour and dinner starts at 7:00.
Go to fmfnc.org to reserve your tickets now for the March 9th dinner, staring Andrea Reusing, chef at The Durham, Lantern. Two thirds of the ticket price will be tax-deductible.
Join a fun group of Blacknall folks for a great evening of fellowship and dining, while helping raise funds for FMF. Bob and Ann Talton-Lee are organizing a group to sit together, so let them know you want to come!
Read more from the February Newsletter . . .
Pastor’s Letter by Goodie Bell
Blacknall to Host the Fellowship Community Annual Gathering by Allan Poole
God at Work by Ashley Weinard
Iglesia Emanuel Ministry Celebration by Margot Hausmann
By Margot Hausmann
Blacknall is partnering with Iglesia Emanuel, a local Latino Presbyterian congregation, to host their third annual ministry celebration, including dinner and entertainment. This year will be very powerful, as the theme for the evening is: “Journeys to Durham: Receiving the Stories of Our Immigrant Neighbors.”
So mark your calendars for Saturday evening, March 28; 6-8pm, Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church. It is such a fun evening! The purpose is twofold: fundraising to support and expand the church’s amazing ministry in the community, and a precious opportunity for friendship and fellowship. Because seating will go fast, RSVP to Margot Hausmann asap.
Read more from the February Newsletter . . .
Pastor’s Letter by Goodie Bell
Blacknall to Host the Fellowship Community Annual Gathering by Allan Poole
God at Work by Ashley Weinard
Chefs for Change by Anne Paulson
Join with Durhamites from St. John’s and Mount Level as a group of "pilgrims" in a full weekend experience first pioneered over a decade ago by Blacknall's Chris Rice and now run by DurhamCares in partnership with the Duke Center for Reconciliation. DurhamCares describes the Durham Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope as "a journey into the story of Durham, the story of God, and our own stories as pilgrims" that, "through encounters that foster a posture of listening and reflection," aims to help us "see how our discipleship impacts, and is impacted by, the place we live."
Full participation in the program is important. This includes a pre-meeting on Tuesday evening Feb. 25; the Pilgrimage weekend; and a debrief follow up meeting (TBD). The Pilgrimage runs 3 pm - 8:30 pm on Friday Feb. 28; 8:45 am - 7:30 pm on Saturday, February 29; and 7:30 am - 4 pm on Sunday, March 1.
This program is organized by Blacknall's Durham Ministries and Engagement Team (DMET) and is subsidized by Blacknall. We hope for a racially diverse group of approximately 20 from the three churches to deepen the program's immersive learning, the relationships between our churches, and the conversations in our city about race. For more information, go to the "Pilgrimage" tab on the DurhamCares website or email DMET chair Warren Gould.
The fee to participate, including meals, is $150. Financial assistance may be requested. If you are interested in participating, you must fill out the Pilgrimage Interest Form by Feb. 16.
Sunday, Feb. 16, 8:30 & 11 a.m.
The Class of 2023 officers will be voted on at the end of both services. Officers serve three-year terms. Elder nominees (7 nominees for 5 positions): Jeff Baker, Evan Cate, Doug Dahms, Alex Hartemink, Susan Kinghorn, Kathy Mitchell, Katie Reeder-Hayes. Deacon nominees (6 nominees for 6 positions): Rick Copland, Bo Harrison, James Junker, Fabian Linares, Sarah Solie, John Warnell.
Friday, Feb. 7, 6:30-9 p.m. | Fellowship Hall
Board games, card games, any sort of tabletop games! Bring your own or just come and join in with the various games people will bring to share.
Contact: Bill Shively.
Sunday, Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m. | Fellowship Hall
Come celebrate and enjoy a feast of good food and reports from our own congregation and our mission partners locally, on campus, and internationally of how “the lost have been found.” Childcare provided. Dinner is free and catered by our friends from St. John's Missionary Baptist Church. Contact: David Dunderdale.
April 3-4 | Haw River State Park
Lenten Journey into Prayer Sign Up
This Lenten Journey will kick off with one meeting on Sunday, February 23 (5:30-6:30 p.m., Upper Room) and will culminate in a 24-hour contemplative retreat beginning Friday, April 3 at 4 p.m. through Saturday afternoon. Location: Haw River State Park in Browns Summit, NC.
Participants will receive weekly guides for reflection to encourage their spiritual practice throughout the Lenten season. This spring retreat, led by Martha Carlough, will incorporate expansive quiet time, large group sessions, meals and prayer together.
Cost for a double occupancy motel-like room, meals, etc. is $100. There are some single rooms for $125. Some partial scholarships are available, contact Margaret Frothingham by Feb.13. Registration is open now and closes on February 20. Retreat limit is 35 women.