Jesse Sun and Sophia Chen are moving to Nashville. This will be their last Sunday at Blacknall. Jesse recently accepted the position of Assistant Professor of History of Christianity at Belmont University. Jesse and Sophia wanted to take an opportunity to express their gratitude to the congregation. We’re sorry to see them go and pray for the best in this next stage of their journey!

If you got your picture taken at the Block Party, you should have received an email from Imago Dei Media (Paul and Andrea Tshihamba) with a link to a gallery of proofs. Please select your favorite portrait. Once you make your choice, your photo will be touched up if needed, and the final photo will be downloadable at full resolution, with full printing rights at no cost to you. if you did not receive this email or have questions, please contact Paul Tshihamba at paul@imagodeimedia.com.

Wen Reagan has curated a new Spotify playlist for songs we’re singing during Eastertide and through Ascension Sunday, as well as songs for meditation and contemplation during the season.

If you’re disappointed that you missed the fantastic panel discussion with Dr. David Kasali of the Congo Initiative, you can watch the recording of the livestream. The panel, “Can a Divided Society Be Renewed.”, also included Kyle Beardsley, Professor of Political Science at Duke University, and Julio Ramirez-Eve, pastor at Iglesia Emanuel.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Block Party on Sunday, April 24. It was a great time of fun and reconnecting with one another. A special thanks goes to the Deacon’s Hospitality Committee: Bill Shively, Heather Hodge, Fabian Linares, Rhett Davis, Maggie Holland, and Chad Miller. Thank you!

The Block Party is finally here! These are some items you won’t want to forget for this Sunday, Apr. 24:

👕👕📸 Your most color-coordinated outfits for your free professional family portrait taken by Imago Dei Media. (Just kidding, you can wear whatever you want!)

🥘🥗 A potluck side dish to share. You can drop it off in the Community Room (near the Rose Garden). Refrigerators are available. But, if you forget or can’t bring a dish, just come!

☀️🧴💦 Sunscreen and a water bottle. Projected temperatures are in the mid to high 80s for Sunday. We will also have water and drinks available at the party.

🪑 A folding chair. Seating will be limited, please bring a lawn chair to sit in and relax under some shade.

🍔🌭🍦 Your appetite. We will serve FREE hamburgers and hot dogs and Pincho Loco ice cream!

🚘 Also, please leave yourself enough time to find parking this Sunday. Most of the street parking near the church on Iredell Street will be blocked off as well as the gravel lot. Limited parking is available in the Duke lot.

Don't miss out on a FREE professional family portrait! We are excited to offer every family at Blacknall one free family portrait (digital download) taken by professional photographer and Blacknall elder, Paul Tshihamba! With your permission, we will include your picture in Blacknall’s updated directory. Portraits will be taken inside the church during the Block Party. Exact locations TBA.

The Church Office is closed the Monday after Easter, April 18.

Blackall is excited to host David and Kaswera “Kassie” Kasali of the Congo Initiative for a series of gatherings and church-wide events on the weekend of April 22-24. Please mark your calendar for a panel discussion with Dr. David Kasali, “Can a Divided Society Be Renewed?”, on Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. This event is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed from Blacknall’s YouTube channel.

The Kasalis’ visit intentionally coincides with the church’s Block Party on Sunday, April 24. David Kasali will preach that Sunday morning and we expect that his message of hope and resilience will help us, as a congregation, to enter into this next season of our life together with joy and faithful endurance as we manage the ongoing uncertainty around COVID and the other significant challenges that confront our community and our world.

Come celebrate the spring and reconnect with Blacknall Presbyterian Church after the second service on Sunday, April 24. All activities and food at this family-friendly block party are FREE!

“Back to the Block” will feature a bounce house, family portraits taken by Imago Dei Media (one per family), burgers and hot dogs, Pincho Loco ice cream, and other surprises.

We are sad to announce that, starting in April 3, Tanya Kronstad will no longer lead our Middle School Ministry. Following much prayer and discernment, Tanya has decided to take a remote position with Student Financial Aid at the University of Washington.

We support Tanya's decision and we are thankful for the 10+ years she has faithfully served our church and its young people. Though we will miss Tanya's presence on our staff, we are grateful that she and her family will continue to be a part of the Blacknall community. If you see Tanya, please thank her for her service!

Blacknall missionary Rich Leary, based in Virginia, has recently returned to Budapest, Hungary to join Cru staff in support of displaced Ukrainian Cru staff and to assist Ukrainian refugees. Rich and his wife, Barb, served in Kyiv, Ukraine for nearly three decades, as well as worked for a number of years in Budapest.

Cru staff are participating in a humanitarian mission to shuttle supplies from western Ukraine to Kyiv and other cities along the frontlines. On their return trip, they will transport refugees, mostly women and children, who are fleeing cities under Russian attack.

Please pray that Rich has smooth travels and productive meetings with the Cru staff in Hungary. If you would like to know more about this program, please visit Charity and Aid Ministry Ukraine.

Starting Sunday, April 3 masks are no longer required in the 8:30 a.m. service, except for in the balcony. Blacknall is also lifting all social distancing requirements on the main floor of the Sanctuary for the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services.