The Center for Christianity and Scholarship (CCS) at Duke, a Blacknall campus ministry partner, is seeking homestays for a male and a female intern beginning this August or September through May 31, 2024.
Refugee Apartment Setup This Sunday
Blacknall’s Good Neighbor Team will set up an apartment for a Congolese (DRC) family of six this Sunday, July 16. The team will arrive at the apartment around 12:30 p.m., after the 11 a.m. service. If you would like to volunteer at the apartment, please text Andrea Tshihamba at (952) 334-9411. Also, watch for the grocery cards on the table in the Lower Atrium this Sunday.
Worship, Work, & Rest: High School Camp Reflections
By Kat Burgett
During the last week of June, 21 high schoolers and six adults went away to High School Camp — though not very far away, because this year we stayed in and around Durham! Two questions guided our time together: What kind of life is God inviting us into? What is God calling us to be and to do? So we structured our time at camp around three things to which God calls all Christians: worship, work, and rest.
“We Are God’s Masterpiece”: Art Camp Reflections
BY LIZ SHIVELY
“We are God’s masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
I was in Lowe’s one day when I saw it: a front door, ready for delivery. Nope, I didn’t need the door — but the box! Oh, what we could do with that box! I had to tell Beth Solie about it.
Beth and I began planning for Art Camp in January. This year’s camp would take its inspiration from the giant artworks of Frank Stella. He doesn’t work alone, and neither would our campers. When we work together, we can make bigger (and better) art. But Stella and his team paint and sculpt with wood, metal, and fiberglass. We needed something lightweight, affordable, and plentiful.
The Blacknall Usher Team Needs More Ushers!
Seeking Consultation with Computer Networking Specialist
Blacknall is searching for a computer networking specialist who can provide a short-term consultation on a volunteer basis. The church is recruiting and reviewing new IT contractors and would like some assistance in evaluating our networking needs in relation to the qualifications of the vendors under consideration. If you, or someone you know, might be interested, please contact the Church Office for more details.
Sign Up Now for Summer Book Clubs
A number of books clubs are revving up for the summer. Don’t miss your opportunity to engage with your fellow Blacknallites on such interesting topics as Beth Moore's memoir (women's), transformational encounters with God's love (women's), reconnecting with stories from our childhood (co-ed), and the problems and promise of global missions (co-ed). There is also a book club for high schoolers that is also a baking club!
The durations of the book clubs range from a single night to six weeks/sessions. Check out all the details in Church Center where you can request to join a group.
Serve and Learn With Our Children This Summer
Summer Sunday School starts this Sunday, June 4! Each June - August, we give our regular Sunday School teachers time off and invite parents and the wider congregation to step into what we have planned for our children in the Nursery and Elementary Halls. This is a wonderful chance for the rest of us to engage in the important (and fun!) work of discipling and learning with our children. Please check out these opportunities and sign up by this Friday, June 2!
Freedom Schools Thursday Night Family Dinners
Blacknall has a unique opportunity this summer to support the 2023 Durham Freedom School sponsored by the Mt. Level Community Partnership for Racial Justice. We will prepare and serve Family Night meals for about 120 people on Thursday nights, June 29 - July 27. (Read the "INDY Week" article about the Durham Freedom School with a quote from our own David Dunderdale.)
We are seeking intrepid small groups, Sunday School classes, committees, or other Blacknall collectives to procure, prepare, serve, and clean up the meals at Epworth United Methodist Church (3002 Hope Valley Rd.). Meals should be ready to serve by 5:20 p.m. and cleanup should finish by 7 p.m. All expenses will be reimbursed. Learn more and sign up!
Kids 4 Kids Summer Reading Program Is Back!
When you start making summer plans for your kids, put reading at the top of your list. Here’s the Blacknall twist: When your kids read with us, they can help other kids enjoy reading too!
All summer long, we see how many books our kids can read. Kids of any age are eligible to read — or be read to! Based on our grand total in August, we'll give books to our Deep Common Journey partner, Families Moving Forward. Last year, we read 337 books and donated 34 books. Let's beat that this summer! And to tie in with kids' Discovery Weeks, when kids read books about missionaries, they get a special sticker with double credit.
Stop by the library to sign up. The first day to record books is June 11. Start browsing the children's books in the library.