Calendar
Sunday, Jan. 16
Snow is currently in the forecast today. In the case of inclement weather, the building will remain open for worship for all those who wish to attend, but please stay safe!
Monday, Jan. 17
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the office will be closed on Monday, January 17.
COVID Update
For the month of January, there will be one in-person Worship Service at 11am only (with livestream). There will be no Children’s Worship or Nursery. Children are welcome to attend the service. Nursery & Sunday School will resume on Sunday, February 6. This includes Adult Sunday School, Youth Sunday School, and Children’s Sunday School.
As a pastoral staff, we seek the health of our Blacknall community: deep relationship with Christ, loving relationships with one another, and healthy bodies. We have endured a lot in the last few years; now we face the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
So far, the Omicron variant seems to produce milder symptoms, especially for the vaccinated. For this, we are thankful! However, we recognize that a positive case has ripple effects for households and for our life together at Blacknall: volunteers cannot show up; children are unable to attend school; parents and caregivers miss work. As a result, we are delaying the start of Children’s Worship, Nursery, Sunday School, and some programming.
We exhort you to seek the health of the Blacknall community with us: participate in worship, as you feel comfortable; remain connected with brothers and sisters in Christ; take care of yourselves.
Announcements
Happy Birthday Ray! We join with our dearest Ray Wilkins in celebrating her 90th birthday! Send a card, give her a call or join the Zoom Party on Saturday January 22, 2022 at 2:45PM. If you would like to attend the zoom celebration, please email Cameron for an evite at hart.cameron138@gmail.com.
There is a new Spotify playlist for songs we’re singing during the season of Epiphany, as well as songs for meditation and contemplation during the season.
Giving Update: The Finance Committee will notify the congregation as soon as possible with a giving update for 2021.
Anonymous Donors: The church office received some stock gifts from anonymous donors. If you gave a stock gift on one of the dates below and want a donation letter for tax purposes, please contact Carol Smith at csmith@blacknall.org or call the church office:
12/21/21 • 8/18/21 • 7/1/21 • 4/28/21Mission Offering Total: In November 2021, we collected our Annual Mission Offering. This offering was collected to provide support for the people of Afghanistan and was divided equally between three ministries. Two of those ministries are local to Durham and are deeply involved in caring and providing for Afghan refugees in Durham. They are World Relief Durham and the Samaritan Health Center. The third ministry is on the ground in Afghanistan, being run by Afghans. It is the International Assistance Mission (IAM), which has been involved in Afghanistan for over 50 years.
The total raised through your generosity was $29,077.27. That means each of these ministries will receive almost $9,700!
May the Lord use these gifts to bring glory and honor to His name and hope to these people loved by Him! Thank you for generously responding to this invitation.
Community Announcements
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., .
Love and Serve
We rejoice with Hanke & Wilco De Vries on the birth of their son, Sem Willem Asher De Vries on December 29th! Sign up to bring them a meal.
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.
Prayer
Syretta Hill, Executive Director, StepUp Durham
Durham—We pray for StepUp Durham and their Executive Director, Syretta Hill. StepUp trains job seekers how to find and keep a job. Syretta reports:
Praise report:
Our graduates continue to secure employment even in the midst of this pandemic. (Durham Housing Authority provided job opportunities to our participants ahead of the Christmas break, and 3 of our participants started work on the first Monday of this year, which is an encouraging start to their new year!)
Last month, we received $100k in support of Excel, our guaranteed income pilot, which is allowing us to provide an additional 14 formerly-incarcerated individuals with $500/month for a year.
At the end of the year, we received technology gifts - 10 laptops and $10k - specifically to support those we serve around technology access.
By the grace of God, we have made it through another challenging year!
Prayer requests:
Please pray for the folks who have been diligently seeking to find employment who have been unemployed for a while to get employment in positions that meet their needs and allow them to grow in their careers!
Pray for continued and increased resources (financial support, inclusive-hiring employers, affordable and decent housing, safe childcare, transportation) to best serve our participants.
Please pray for the health, both mental and physical, of our staff.
Andy White with InterVarsity students at NC State
Campus & National—We pray for Andy White working with international students with InterVarsity at NC State. Andy asks for prayer for:
The salvation of the following students and scholars and family members – Behaijet, Demhoma, Ele, Ezra, Farkhod, Ferse, Gemdic, Hemmet, Lilha, Mina, Muaz, Nafgwen, Nimaa, Pehsoj, Rokianal, Sofje and Taryo (to name a few, but not their real names).
For the continued spiritual growth of the following students – Annda, Langde, Lunji, Ojle, Saforit, and Vance.
Thanksgiving for the good turnout and positive response from the students who attended the Intl. Thanksgiving Dinner and who attended the Vision Conference over the holidays.
Chinese New Year Outreach – Feb.4th.
Easter event – April 8th.
Timothy Olonade
International—We pray for Blacknall global workers, Timothy & Hannah Olonade, (A Nigerian leader whose mission is training pastors to lead like Jesus in the midst of Muslim extremism and the prosperity gospel. He is a partner with Stacy Rinehart in MentorLink, and is now a Blacknall supported missionary.) Timothy was run over from behind by a motorized tricycle on December 14 while he was on his morning walk.
He sustained serious injuries but is recovering well. His shoulder had ligament damage and will need time and physical therapy to recover. In the meantime, he is recovering overall. Prayer requests:
Hannah Olonade
Pray for Timothy's complete recovery;
Pray for wisdom as he prepares to go through the open door of broad influence among the Nigerian Anglican Church;
Wisdom to maintain a low profile and avoid the attention of the enemy, as he quietly invades his territory;
Resources to conduct training projects in the midst of hyper-inflation and wisdom to manage limited resources; and
Guidance in making plans to train all 160 Nigerian Anglican bishops and their adjutants in a 4–5-day retreat in May.
Griefs
We pray for the family of Jo Oldham who died Dec. 2. The memorial service has been scheduled for Saturday, March 5, at 2:00pm.
We pray for those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus.
Joys
We rejoice in the birth of Sem Willem Asher de Vries (Sem) to Hanke & Wilco and siblings, Yael & Rivka on December 28.
We congratulate Bill and Joanne Beckman, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on January 15.
Concerns
We pray for Bethany & Noe Kasali in Goma, DRC, who are expecting their new baby due any day. Pray for a safe delivery for Bethany and the baby.
We pray for Jim Tuttle, Jennifer Sider’s fiancé, as he undergoes chemo treatment.
World
We pray for our schools—students, teachers, and administrators as they try to navigate this season. Pray for students who are struggling with isolation and anxiety because of the stress of COVID.
We pray for the nation of Kazakhstan and for a cessation of the violence and for peace and justice to prevail.
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 wisdom as we seek to make decisions about how we can be together in this season of COVID.
We thank God and pray for Becky Gould as she cares for our congregation. Pray for wisdom as she gives leadership to our Women’s Ministry.
We pray for our continued search for a Choir Director.