Carol Smith, Blacknall’s Financial Administrator, is retiring at the end of this month. Carol has served at Blacknall for more than seven years and will be missed.

We are now accepting applications for the position of Financial Administrator (FA). The job description — written after careful consideration of our church's needs and with invaluable input from our current Finance and Personnel committees — has been approved by the Session and is now posted on the employment page of our website

Please look out for communication from a Blacknall elder who is your Elder in Prayer. The Session annually assigns each active member or regular attender an Elder in Prayer. These elders pray for you regularly and want to get to know you.

Please welcome Julie Leyva to her new role as Blacknall's part-time Middle School Coordinator! We're so grateful for Julie's willingness to help fill a staffing gap before we hire a permanent Director of Middle School Ministry.

In case you missed it on Sunday, we invite you to watch the Focus on Missions presentation about our Deep Common Journey (DCJ) partnerships.

The Blacknall Film Collective exists to explore our mutual love of cinema in community. The group will meet to both watch and discuss movies, coming together to glean spiritual truths in sometimes unexpected places. Together, we hope to deepen our appreciation for the medium and develop our ability to think critically about what we watch.

Blacknall Arts — our in-house songwriting and recording initiative — is excited to announce the release of “Living Water.”

As I was reflecting on how Scripture references water as an agent of new life, I was drawn into the narrative of John 4 and the picture painted in Psalm 1. The Psalm 1 imagery of a tree growing strong and bearing fruit because it is planted next to the stream offers a beautiful picture of the flourishing that I hear in Jesus’ words in John 4:14, “…The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The release includes two different versions of the song, artwork by Blacknall little ones Elias Fine and Pax Reagan (and exchange student Gonzalo Pérez-Salvador), and features the musical talents of Kate Van Farowe, Hannah Taylor, Nat Stine, Sarah Lapp, Kat Burgett, and Wen Reagan. “Living Water” is now available on all streaming platforms.

We are now accepting applications for the position of Director of Children's Ministries. The job description — written after careful consideration of our church's needs and with invaluable input from our current Children's Ministry leaders — has been approved by the Session and is now posted on the employment page. It also will be shared with various churches, colleges, and universities. Please pray for the members of the Search Committee (pictured left to right): Jeff Connolly, Pam Pennigar, Bethany Bonnemere (chair), Goodie Bell (ex officio), Kathy Mitchell, and Peter Cvelich as they undertake this important work. Direct any questions and/or applications to employment@blacknall.org and include “DCM Position" in the subject line.

The LCs are Blacknall’s fellowship group for older adults. Anyone between the ages of 50 (“L”) and 100 (“C”) is invited to join this group. Every Wednesday morning, the LCs meet from 10:30 a.m. - noon for fellowship and Bible study. We are currently meeting on Zoom with occasional in-person meetings.

Now is a great time to join the LCs! We are just beginning a study on Ken Bailey’s, “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels.” Bailey uses his 30 years of experience as a missionary and scholar living in the Middle East to illuminate the cultural background behind many Gospel stories. Bisharah Libbus is facilitating this study. Bisharah is from Lebanon and was neighbors with Bailey for several years. He brings his own insights to augment those of Bailey.

If you would like to join this group, please email Pastor Dave Dunderdale or join through Church Center.