Given a spike in COVID cases due to the Delta variant, the city of Durham and Durham County enacted an indoor mask mandate as of Monday, August 9. For the health and safety of our community, masks will be required for all individuals (regardless of vaccination status) when in the building at Blacknall. Please view our updated COVID-19 Safety Precautions and Vaccination Policy for more details.
A letter from Goodie
Dear Blacknall family,
Remember last July? We were worshipping at home or gathering in backyards, and we had just begun to video sermons in the sanctuary. What a year! Since April, it has been a joy to see many of you at Blacknall on Sundays and to reconnect with others in small groups. Although many aspects of our life together remain altered, we are encouraged by the current situation and hopeful for the future. Staff are doing in-person ministry this summer and planning for the fall. We continue to adapt worship each week — further communication about Sundays and the fall semester is coming soon!
In the meantime, we have become aware that, while it was difficult for our congregation to be apart, it can feel hard for us to come back together. Many of us are vaccinated, but some are not. We want to address what could become a source of division for us; to find our way forward, we look back.
The Apostle Paul continually encountered conflict in churches. In his letters to the church in Rome and to the church in Corinth, Paul addresses the contentious issue of consuming meat offered in sacrifice to idols. Some Christians thought that they should avoid meat sacrificed to idols (which, in effect, meant avoiding most meat); other Christians reasoned that, in comparison with the living God, an idol was “nothing”. Therefore, since idols were “nothing”, sacrifice to idols could not contaminate God’s good gift of food. You get the impression from Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 that this theological disagreement ruined many church dinners!
Paul was clear in his own mind and makes his belief known in his letters: “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself” (Ro 14:14). In other words, since an idol is “nothing”, the routine dedication of meat to idols does not, in itself, contaminate the food for Christians. While some concerned Christians might change their mind because of Paul’s theological arguments, Paul’s foremost concern is that all Christians—whatever their belief about meat sacrificed to idols—“pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding. Do not for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.” (Ro. 14: 19-20). Pursuing peace required restricting personal freedom for the sake of Christian brothers and sisters. In practice, this meant that those who would otherwise enjoy a side of beef might need to order a salad instead.
So how does this relate to us? Perhaps you think that, just as an idol is “nothing”, so COVID is the “nothing” of our time. Nonetheless, in Christ, you are called to build up your Christian brothers and sisters who are concerned about COVID. This means following protocols to minimize the spread of COVID and considering vaccination. On the other hand, some of you think that COVID is something and vaccinations are “nothing” to be concerned about. Nonetheless, in Christ, you are called to build up your brothers and sisters who are hesitant about the vaccine. This means creating ways to include unvaccinated friends without violating your own safety and conscience, as well as speaking respectfully about their decision to remain unvaccinated.
The Session is clear: We regard COVID as something (not “nothing”!). We think vaccination is a timely way to love one another and the most effective means to restoring much of our life together. However, we are most concerned that we, as a congregation, recognize the opportunity to “pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding. Do not for the sake of food COVID, destroy the work of God.” (Romans 14:19-20).
To help us accomplish this goal, the Session, in collaboration with the staff and the Health Advisory Team, has drafted a vaccination policy. The policy reflects our current status; we will continue to update and add to our guidelines. We thank you for receiving our guidance; we press on, trusting in the grace of Christ.
In Him,
Goodie
On behalf of the Pastors and the Session
Please click below:
Blacknall’s Vaccination Policy
Seeking an Interim Pastor
Please visit our Employment page for updates on Blacknall’s search for an Interim Pastor. This page, which includes application details, can be shared with anyone interested in applying for this position.
Any additional employment opportunities will appear on our News and Employment pages as they become available. Stay tuned!
Summer FUN-Day Evenings
Pack a picnic dinner and head to Duke Park (106 W. Knox St, Durham) on Sunday evenings (5-7 p.m.) in June and July. (June 20, June 27, July 4, July 11, July 18, and July 25)
Expect fellowship, games and a time of devotion. The “program” part of the evening will begin at 5:45.
It’s been a while.. come get reacquainted and make new friends!
Summer Small Groups
Two new small groups are forming this summer. Groups are co-ed and open to youth (16+) and adults. The format will include reading and discussing the upcoming Sunday’s sermon text, fellowship and praying for one another.
Options:
Monday evenings beginning June 21, 7-8:15 p.m. at Blacknall. Leaders: Tom and Jane Robinson
Thursday evenings beginning June 17, 7-8:30 p.m. at the home of leaders Mark and Helen Atkinson
If you’ve been hesitant to commit to a small group, now’s a good time to try one out! Groups will meet through the end of August, at which time group hosts and leaders can decide whether to continue meeting. Sign up here.
Pastoral Transition
Celebrate Allan & Betsy
Celebrate Allan and Betsy’s 36 years of service as Allan retires May 31.
Upcoming Events
Allan’s last sermon | Sunday, May 23
Allan & Betsy’s last Sunday in worship | Sunday, May 30
Camp Chestnut Ridge Gatherings
Saturday, June 5, 10-11:30 am & 1:30-3 pm | Register here
We are monitoring guidelines as to how many people we can safely have at each gathering.Drive-by Celebration at Blacknall
Sunday, June 6, 2-3 pm
A drive by farewell parade around Blacknall’s building.
Celebration of Baptism
Sunday, April 25, 4 pm at West Point on the Eno
Please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Join us to witness and celebrate as several Blacknall families present their children for Christian baptism. We will gather for a brief service at West Point on the Eno. Meet at the picnic shelter circled in yellow (see map below). All are welcome. Baptisms: Maria & Zach Bradshaw (Joanna); Chad & Hannah Crafford (Grayson); Hanke & Wilco DeVries (Rivka); Deb & Aaron Ebert (Carys); Lou & Josh Gaghan (Violet); Emily & Jonathan Kinsey (Caroline & Olivia); Mary Lynn & Jimmy Myers (Kitty); Casey & Wen Reagan (Lovewell); Danielle & Stu Stulac (Susannah).
"The Great Divorce" Book Group
Wednesdays, April 14-May 12, 7:30 pm over Zoom | Sign up here
A book group on “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis, led by Allan Poole.
What to Expect: Parenting Teens During Uncertain Times
Sunday, April 11, 6:30 pm
Webinar link on CCB
It's no secret that the mental health of teenagers has declined over the past year. Thankfully there is hope that gathering together will again be the norm; however, there will be mixed feelings as we all adjust to new and unexpected ways of being over the course of the next year. Join us to learn about how loss and change can affect middle and high schoolers, the confusing ways kids show their grief and anxiety, and how parents can be part of the healing process to help kids move forward in the midst of uncertainty.
Led by Emily Cox, Blacknall member and a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill.