November 12-14, 2021 | Location/Format TBA
We are excited to announce the theme and speakers for this year’s retreat! Blacknall’s Kat Burgett and St. John Missionary Baptist’s Sylvia Belcher will be speaking on “Encounters with Jesus”.
Please stay tuned for more details. The retreat committee is evaluating the safest format, based on the latest CDC recommendations and women’s comfort levels for gathering.
Contact: Becky Gould
The Young Adults & Friends Weekday Morning Scripture Reading Group invites you to read scripture with them at 7:30 on weekday mornings. “Join us for 15 minutes while we read Scripture together, say a prayer, and head into our days. Newcomers (of all ages) are welcome any day of the week!”
We’re eager for each woman at Blacknall to participate in our study of Romans 8, using the study guide If God Is For Us: The Everlasting Truth of Our Great Salvation. The large group gathering and teaching begins on Thursday, September 23 (9:30-11:15 a.m.). Join us on Thursday mornings to hear teaching, enjoy fellowship, and meet in small groups.
You may also listen to the talks online and join a Zoom small group or follow the study on your own. It is no small thing for the women of the church to be engaged together around a portion of God’s Word! There is no fee aside from the cost of the book, which can be purchased from your favorite book seller. Please register using the link below.
Due to forecasted rain, The Betty will be held in the sanctuary. Please come, wear your mask, and hear what the Lord has to say to us through our storytellers.
The Betty is Blacknall’s effort to create a space for women to bear witness to the amazing/head-scratching/wonderful/ impossible/painful/glorious/joyful work of God in our lives. We invite 3-4 women to step up to the mike and share a reading, recite a poem, do a comedy sketch, or tell a short story about a time they encountered Jesus. Humorous content is encouraged! Serious reflections are too! Maybe you’ve encountered Jesus on a literal mountaintop, or maybe it was in a cramped office, or maybe it was in a grocery store. If Jesus was there, no story is too wild or too mundane. The Betty is a forum for all of us to hear, resonate with, and reflect on these sacred stories in the company of other listeners. It is the promotion of a culture of God-story tellers. We hope you’ll join us.
Please consider joining John Nicholson and Paula Rinehart for prayer (and fasting, if you can) for Afghanistan as we pray for the church under duress there, for allies who need safe passage out, for the mercy of God in a crisis situation, for Christ to reveal Himself to this stricken people. Contact: Paula Rinehart.
Small groups (sometimes called Discipleship groups or Home groups) are a great way to share life, hear the word, and grow in love for Christ and one another. Several co-ed small groups are starting up or continuing this fall.
UPDATE: Fall groups are now full, please contact Goodie Bell if you’re interested in future groups.
Groups will meet for 8-10 weeks from September through Advent.
Suggested Format: (Individual groups may vary.) Open with fellowship time. Spend 30 minutes reading the upcoming Sunday’s sermon text and considering questions like “What jumps out to you on your first reading of this text? What does this scripture say about who God is? What does this mean for our life together in Christ?” Close with prayer time, sharing, and perhaps a hymn.
Childcare subsidy available: Up to $200 per 10 week session per family.
Small Groups Contact: Pastor Goodie Bell
Paul spends the first 11 chapters of his letter to the Romans explaining what it is that we believe. When he gets to chapter 12 he says, “Therefore…” Here he begins his description of what our lives should look like because of the truth of the gospel. This Fall we will take a 4-week pause in our sermon series on the Gospel of Mark to look together at Romans chapter 12. Specifically, we will be asking the question, “How are we to be the Church? How can we live life together in a manner that reflects the truth of the gospel?” We will spend four weeks listening to God’s Word to us from Romans 12.
For an overview of Paul’s letter to the Romans, check out The Bible Project’s videos:
Worship at Blacknall happens in many ways. For the past 10 years, many elementary age girls have worked at participating in and sometimes leading worship at our church. When everything shut down in March 2020, these girls continued practicing their gift via Zoom. In the fall of 2020, they moved their practice to the backyard of Sara Stults’ house and continued practicing into the spring of 2021.
Several of their worship dances were shared via Zoom with the church on Sundays; we now ask you to worship along with their last “Stults Studio Backyard Worship Dance” of Oceans. Registration for the Blacknall Dance program for the fall of 2021 is now open. We are moving back to the community room, which means a limited enrollment and masks for everyone. Practice will be Sundays, 5-6 p.m. beginning September 12.
The Communications Coordinator search team (chair, Lucy Cate) is now accepting applications. Our hope is to find a person who will communicate the work of our church effectively, build relationships with members and engage with new audiences. Please visit the job posting for the full job description and application details.
Blacknall is also seeking a part time Choir Director. Please view the job posting for details and share these two openings widely.
Donuts in the Rose Garden | Sunday, August 29, 10 a.m.
Glazed or Jelly? Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts? Whatever your preference may be, please join us between services on August 29 for donuts, fellowship, music, and a chance to get to know our staff and learn how you can serve at Blacknall this fall. Many thanks to our Deacons for hosting this event. Questions? Contact Maggie Holland.