Creative Worship & Care

As corporate worship and regular gatherings change shape due to Coronavirus precautions, here are some creative ways to worship from home and care for others.

• Worship from Home: Sermon audio, written prayers and hymn lyrics for worshiping at home, available weekly at blacknall.org.

• Lenten Daily Reflections: Anchored to a Psalm and ranging from praise to lament to gratitude to head-scratching. Sign up here.

• Blacknall Buddy System

  • Need Help with Shopping? If you would like help with grocery or pharmacy shopping during these stay-at-home days, or if you'd simply like a new friend to call, email or text, there are 25 young adults at Blacknall who have signed up to help. This strange time might create surprising friendships. To request help, contact Margaret Frothingham or Joyce Kight.

  • Be a Helper. If you would like to volunteer to help, please sign up here - Be a Buddy in Covid-19 Season. In addition to your contact information, we ask that you watch a brief tutorial with safety guidelines before you serve.  

Do you have other examples of creative worship or care? Contact Mary Grimm.

The Gathering Postponed

A letter from The Fellowship Gathering Board

On March 16, The Fellowship Community board members gathered on a conference call to pray and discern the best way forward regarding our National Gathering. We agreed unanimously — because your health and safety are of primary importance to us, we are postponing the 2020 National Gathering until October 20-22, 2020. We’ll still gather at Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC, and we’ll keep our theme of “Leadership for Real Church.” We hope to maintain our same slate of speakers, as well. What does this mean for you?

• If the April time slot was inconvenient for you, you have a second chance to join us! Block off October 20-22 on your calendar now, and we’ll let you know as soon as our new registration site is up and running!

• If you’ve already registered, look for an email from Julie McGowen in the next few days outlining the next steps.

• If you have any other questions or concerns, email us at office@fellowship.community and we’ll respond as quickly as we can.

Over the next few months, we’ll continue to pray for you — and we covet your prayers, as well. Pray that God would grant us “energy, intelligence, imagination, and love” as we lean into what God is calling us to be and do as a Fellowship Community. Be well, and we’ll see you in October!

In Christ’s Love, The Fellowship Community Board

Loving Our Neighbors

If you are in a position to provide extra community support, consider the below ways to love our neighbors during this time.

•  CROP “Virtual” Walk: Sunday, April 5. We encourage people to walk sometime on Palm Sunday as if they were in the CROP Walk.  Durham receives 25% of donations. To give or sign up, click here. Contact: Doug Koenig.

• Iglesia Emanuel Food Bank: They have more food needs than they are able to meet. The safest and most helpful way to contribute is by making a financial contribution through their website.

• Families Moving Forward: To give extra support, contact Anne Paulson.

• Meals on Wheels / Interfaith Food Shuttle: Donate to the BackPack Buddies program for children who depend on school meals.

• School for Conversion Buddy System: Healthy young adults are paired with an elder in order to maintain regular check-ins and coordinate delivery of essential supplies if/when needed. Sign up here.

• Walltown Neighborhood Food Bank: Collection dates on April 9-10, 2-4 p.m. Read more details here.

• Word Relief Refugee Families: A family from Afghanistan and a family from Congo (both families that Blacknall supports through World Relief) are in need of unprepared food items and items to entertain children. To provide support, contact Andrea Tshihamba.

COVID-19 Testing

If you or anyone you know:

1. Have fever or lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within the past 14 days; OR

2. Have fever and lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and a negative rapid flu test

Then you qualify to be Covid-19 tested. You do NOT need to be seen at ER/urgent care or their primary care office but rather call one of the number below. Do not call multiple numbers.

North Carolina COVID-19 Hotline:
(866) 462-3821
24 hours, seven days a week

NC State Department of Health COVID-19 line:
(888) 850-2684
24 hours, seven days a week

Duke Health COVID-19 Hotline:
(919) 385-0429
8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday

UNC COVID-19 Helpline:
1-888-850-2684 
24 hours, seven days a week

These number are ONLY for patients who are concerned they have covid 19 and need to be screened and tested; not for general questions. UNC is opening ten new dedicated testing sites that will be open this coming week but you cannot walk in, you MUST call one of the phone numbers to set up your screening.  

Please continue to use social distancing, good hand hygiene and read the CDC guidelines.  

Blacknall COVID-19 Response Plan

3/28/20 Update: No Blacknall events through April 30th.

————————

A note from Goodie Bell.

Dear Blacknall family,
 
These are strange times. Already, I feel your absence, and, yet, I am convinced that it is wisdom and love that keeps us apart. Blacknall’s Infectious Disease Response Team (IDRT) has warned us that even individuals who are relatively low risk and do not have symptoms can spread the virus to others. We are adjusting our life together as a congregation to protect our vulnerable members and to slow the spread of the virus in the community at-large. We do so out of love—not fear.
 
As the body of Christ, we have a vital and unique mission in the world. There is no substitute for the corporate gathering of believers in Christ’s name. Yet, there are manifold ways to bear witness to Christ and to encourage one another. You have already responded to the present restrictions with creativity: This weekend, the Blacknall Dance Group held a rehearsal over Zoom. Young Adults gathered for worship over Google Hangout. Someone offered me the peace of Christ in a text message. As Dave Stuntz put it, “We are not practicing social distancing. We are encouraging physical distance but social connection.”  
 
In order to make the necessary adjustments to our life together – and to allow the IDRT sufficient time to evaluate the rapidly changing public health situation – we have decided to extend the cancellation of all Blacknall activities until April 4th. (See below for further details on both large and small gatherings). This Lent, we will practice worshipping and connecting with each other in new and less familiar ways.
 
Be on the lookout for further information, updates, and announcements.
 
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)
 
In Christ,
 Goodie
 
On behalf of the Pastors (Allan Poole and David Dunderdale) & The Blacknall Infectious Disease Response Team (Jeff Baker, chair, Leslie Cenezy, Martha Carlough, Rich Frothingham, Margaret Frothingham, Joey Pointer, and Karl Umble)
 
Blacknall COVID-19 Response Plan, as of Monday, March 16:

• We will not have corporate worship on Sunday March, 22 or Sunday, March 29.  We will provide a liturgy, including audio files of music and a sermon, for home use.

• There will be no Blacknall events in the building through Saturday, April 4. This includes Sunday evening gatherings and the Wednesday Lenten services.

• The Blacknall IDRT is researching the situation and hopes to prepare guidelines for small group meetings. However, until we make those guidelines available, we highly recommend that you take a pause from small groups and other in-person meetings. We encourage you to use Zoom, WebX, and other technologies to hold meetings virtually.  

• Pay attention to the economic, social, and psychological repercussions of COVID-19 in the community at-large, and consider how we can love our neighbors during this time. The Durham Ministry and Engagement Team will provide more information. Here are some opportunities:

  • Donate food, money or volunteer to shop, pack or deliver meals with the Walltown Neighborhood Food bank.

  • Give extra support to Families Moving Forward and volunteer to cover our March 23 and 24 volunteer meal slots.  Contact Anne Paulson.

  • Donate to Meals on Wheels or the Interfaith Food Shuttle, which oversees the BackPack Buddies program for children who depend on school meals.

  • Sign up to be a “buddy” and make food bank deliveries to senior citizens in Walltown through School for Conversion.