Monday, Feb. 21
The church office will be closed Monday, February 21.
Wednesday, Feb. 23
Men's Ministry Leadership Team
We are in the process of establishing a leadership team to launch men's ministry at Blacknall. The first meeting will be Wednesday, February 23. If you are interested or would like to learn more about this opportunity, please contact Cullen Rodgers-Gates at 919-641-8198 or cullen.rodgersgates@gmail.com.
In-Person Worship
We look forward to worshiping with you at the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services. Please do not forget to register. The livestream will start at 8:30 a.m.
Children’s Worship or Nursery
Children’s Worship is still limited to rising kindergartners through current second-graders with limited spots for the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services.
There will be no nursery for children under four and they are welcome to participate in sanctuary worship. There is a cry room available in room 402 with audio of the service.
Updated: Sunday School
Get ready for Sunday School! Nursery & Sunday School will resume on Sunday, March 6. This includes Adult Sunday School, Youth Sunday School, and Children’s Sunday School. Check out the updated Adult Sunday School classes.
In lieu of Children’s Sunday School, a ‘Playdate Under the Oaks’ is being offered outside between services this Sunday Feb. 20 and Feb. 27 in the Blacknall parking lot on Iredell Street. Hosted by the Witman family, they will provide water and goldfish crackers for the young and the young-at-heart to enjoy on blankets. A variety of activities to occupy little hands will be available.
The season of Lent is quickly approaching. Please mark your calendars for weekly Lenten communion services beginning on Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. Blacknall will also offer an imposition of ashes at noon on Ash Wednesday.
Our short Lenten services on Wednesday evenings are designed to help us as a community travel through the penitential season of Lent together.
Want to know more about Blacknall? Have you considered membership? The spring New Inquirers’ Class will begin meeting on Sunday, March 6. Pastor Dave Dunderdale will lead the class, which runs for five consecutive weeks. After completing the class, participants will have an opportunity to formally join as a member of the congregation. More details about the class content and schedule are on the registration page.
When: March 6 - April 3
Time: Sundays, 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
Where: Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church (Room TBA)
Cost: Free
Childcare Provided: Yes
Contact: Dave Dunderdale
Paula Rinehart and friend, Connally Gilliam are hosting three webinar interviews and discussions on sexuality and gender. Each interview will be followed by a Q&A. You’re invited to join the conversation.
When: Feb. 22, Mar. 1 and Mar. 8.
Time: Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Book Giveaway
Nancy Congleton is opening up the library of her late husband, Russ, in the lower atrium on Sunday, February 20 and 27.
An astute and engaging teacher, Russ shared his faith, intellect, and love of history for years here at Blacknall. The breadth and depth of his scholarship and interests are evident in the collection.
Feel free to take any books from the tables or the shelves outside the library.
Abundant Joy Center for Women's Ministries
Abundant Joy CWM serves women who are experiencing a difficult time. Our services are free and confidential and include one-on-one counseling to women 18 and over, support groups, and Bible study groups. We are offering the following groups in the Winter of 2022. Women can register for a group at abundantjoycwm@gmail.com or call 919-943-0789 for more information.
January 18 - March 15: Sermon on the Mount by Jen Wilkin on Tuesday morning 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.,
February 2 - April 13: Prayer Group for Mothers of Adult Children on the first and third Wednesday afternoon of the month 1-2:30 p.m.
February 3 - April 21: Basic Peer Counseling Training will be offered for anyone interested in volunteering as a peer counselor or group facilitator. An application will need to be completed as well as an interview with Priscilla, the Center Director, before taking this class. The class will be offered on Thursday morning 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., .
The Smith family is experiencing circumstances that would make meals extremely helpful right now. Sign up to bring them a meal.
world relief durham
Wondering where to find the list of donations still needed for Afghan and other refugees? Please find the Amazon Wishlist and other donation info here
Iglesia Emanuel Food Pantry
Volunteer at the Iglesia Emanuel Food Pantry. Not comfortable gathering? Sign up to bag rice and beans from home.
Walltown Neighborhood Ministries Food Bank
Food needs appear to be increasing in Durham. The Food Bank in Walltown is now serving well over 175 families each month. Volunteers are needed to shop, sort food, distribute food and deliver food. For those who want to volunteer to shop, sort food and distribute food please sign up on the updated Signupgenius. Volunteers who would like to deliver food can call Sylvia Belcher at 919 286 0332 ex 20. Funds are also needed to help needy families. Please make checks payable to and mail to Walltown Neighborhood Ministries.
Durham
Rutba House founded by Jonathan & Leah Wilson-Hartgrove
We pray for the ministry of Rutba House and Jonathan & Leah Wilson-Hartgrove. Jonathan & Leah named their house in Walltown after a town in Iraq where they experienced the hospitality offered to them as strangers in the days before the outbreak of the Iraq war. They open their house to neighbors and strangers who need a place to stay or who just need a meal. Pre-pandemic this included a weekly community meal for all who needed a meal.
Please pray for many of their long-term neighbors in Walltown who are being priced out of the neighborhood by rising housing costs. Pray that neighbors would learn about the program offered by the city to help with the rising tax burden in Walltown.
Campus & National
Fred Williams, Assistant Area Director for Graduate and Faculty Ministries in the Blue Ridge Region (NC, SC and VA).
We pray for Fred Williams in his work with Black faculty and grad students at UNC, in the Triangle and nationally. Fred gives praises for:
“Our wonderful group of students and faculty who meet weekly for Thursday Night S.O.S (which might mean, Sustain our Souls, Save our Sanity or Strengthen our Stand on any given week). We also meet weekly for a Tuesday morning devotional called Tuesday Morning REST, where we listen to music, reflect on scripture and pray.”
Requests prayer for:
“Continued favor and growth of our Triangle area Ministry to Black Graduate students”;
“Favor and open doors as we seek to serve more Black Graduate students and Faculty at UNC, NC State and NC Central and others”;
“Continued favor and growth in our national ministry to Black Law Students and Black Faculty”; and
The Williams family as “we seek to buy a house in the Garner, NC area in this intense housing market. We desire to be closer to our son, his wife and our grand.”
International
Woody & Mary McLendon. Woody is the president of JAARS.
We pray for Blacknall global workers, Woody & Mary McLendon. Woody writes, “Back in August, 2020, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me that my time as President of JAARS is coming to a close. Literally the words I heard in my spirit were, ‘It’s time.’ The JAARS Board appoints me to serve on renewable three-year terms and my current term ends in this year. This year also marks ten amazing years in this role, and I thank God for the privilege of serving.”
When asked if he knew what was next for him, Woody replied, “No, we don’t, and that’s actually a blessing right now. Wycliffe USA (our sending ministry) leaders have graciously encouraged us to take a sabbatical after I finish, and that is our plan. We will continue to be supported missionaries with Wycliffe during this time and use it to rest, reflect, and discern God’s leading for our next steps.”
For Mary’s next steps, he said, “Mary also has a JAARS assignment, working on engaging diaspora peoples in Bible translation, and collaborating with Kividi Kikama on the Bible translation in Kividi’s language, Iyansi. She will be making some transitions in her responsibilities this year and is in the process of discerning her next steps now too.”
Praises:
“Thank God with us as we’ve seen God’s provision personally and for JAARS over this past year.”
Requests prayer for:
Woody and Mary in this year of transition in their roles at JAARS;
God to raise up the person of his choosing to serve as the next President of JAARS, and pray for unity and strength for the board and staff through this important transition;
Kividi and Mary as they continue to work with the Iyansi translation team in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Yansi people will begin to use the translation in their churches and particularly in the rural areas where scripture resources are limited.
Griefs
We pray for those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus.
Joys
Phoebe Ann born to Jack and Goodie Bell
We celebrate with Susan Emmett and Bill Steinbach at the birth of their son, John Charles Steinbach on Feb. 10.
We rejoice in the birth of Phoebe Ann to Goodie and Jack Bell on February 11.
We celebrate with Vic & Anne Moore on Vic’s 90th birthday this past Thursday.
Concerns
We pray for Sean and Carmen Garrigan, and their children Nathan and Lilly, who were diagnosed with COVID this week. The Garrigans are global workers in Honduras.
We pray for Priscilla Allard slowly recovering from COVID.
We continue to pray for Lynn and ‘Ale Vanderwoude-‘Aho, Blacknall-supported global workers in Tonga, as they recover from the volcanic eruption off the coast of Tonga. Pray for control of the spread of COVID in Tonga as they are experiencing their first cases of the virus.
World
We pray for Rabbi John Atkins in Wake Hospital. Rabbi John is the pastor of the Messianic Jewish congregation that has met at Blacknall.
We pray against the threat of war between Russia and Ukraine and that leaders would choose peace.
We pray for an end to the COVID virus.
Life Together
We pray for our continued search for a Choir Director, but we also thank God for Donna Mutter who has agreed to serve as our Interim Choir Director. Pray for the choir as they come back together this week and begin rehearsals for the Lent and Easter season.
We pray for our elders and staff as they complete their training this weekend that is being led by Renew Partnerships. The purpose of this training is for our leaders to explore together what the scriptures have to say about the issues of racism and racial justice. Please pray that this training will help our congregation to stand together against racism in a manner and with a language that is rooted in God’s Word and his Way.
We pray for wisdom as we seek to make decisions about how we can be together in this season of COVID.
We thank God and pray for Beth Solie and Leslie Petree as they lead our ministry with young children and their families. We pray for preparations as Children’s Sunday School and nursery prepares to start back up on March 6. Pray that these Sunday School classes would reconnect quickly.
We pray for the members of our Confirmation Class as they meet with Brad & Jamie Turnage in preparation for making the decision to claim this faith as their own: Anastasia Eagle, Asa Gerend, Andrew Hartemink, Carson Hervey, Ava Kinghorn, Calvin Stultz, Hannah Taylor, Joel Van Farowe