Bulletin 10.10.21

Calendar

Sunday, Oct. 10

  • Prayer for Mission partners (4 p.m.) and Congo (7 p.m.) | Zoom link on CCB

  • Sunday Evening Outdoor Worship | 6-6:45 p.m. | Iredell St. Lot (714 Iredell St.)

    Please join us on Sunday evenings (Oct. 10, 24, 31, & Nov. 7) for outdoor worship at our Iredell St. lot (714 Iredell St.). This is an opportunity for all ages to see familiar (or new!) faces, witness to our neighbors and celebrate the Lord’s table. Each week we will look at one of the Psalms.

Sunday, Oct. 17

Rise to the chili challenge, and you may be crowned Lord or Lady of the Bean! Full schedule and chili cook-off details here. Help the deacons plan by answering this quick survey.

Sunday, Oct. 24

  • Inquirers’ Class | Sundays, Oct. 24, Nov. 7, 14, 21, and Dec. 5 | 5-6 p.m. at Blacknall

Curious about membership at Blacknall? Come to the Inquirers’ Class, a five-session series on what it means to be a follower of Christ in this particular Outpost of the Kingdom. Childcare is available. Please register here. Contact Goodie Bell with questions.

Thursday, Oct. 28

  • The Betty (Women’s Storytelling Event) | 7-8:30 p.m. outdoors, on Lauren Holahan’s lawn (4428 Guess Road, Durham).

    The Betty is an effort to create a space for women to bear witness to the amazing/head-scratching/wonderful/ impossible/painful/glorious/joyful work of God in our lives, and a forum for all of us to hear, resonate with, and reflect on these sacred stories in the company of other listeners. We invite 3-4 women to step up to the mike and share a reading, recite a poem, do a comedy sketch, or tell a short story about a time they encountered Jesus. The Betty is the promotion of a culture of God-story tellers. Please contact Maria Bradshaw if you’re interested in being at the mike or have questions.

Coming Up

  • Women’s Retreat | November 12-14, 2021 | Durham

    The 2021 Women's Retreat is ON! During the weekend of November 12, we'll gather locally (in person!) to worship, share in small group conversations, enjoy meals together, and have lots of time to socialize with the women of our community! This will be a Durham-based retreat like you've never seen before. The retreat fee is $20, and scholarships are available. Registration link coming soon. Contact: Abby Muehlstein

Announcements

  • Bull City Race Fest Next Sunday

    Next Sunday morning, October 17, the Bull City Race Fest route goes through several neighborhoods around Blacknall (Primarily on W. Club and Buchanan Blvds.) Find out if you need to amend your drive to Blacknall by viewing the course map. The race should be over by the Sunday School hour.

  • Men’s Ministry Leadership Team

    We are in the process of forming a leadership team for men's ministry at Blacknall. If you are interested in being a part of the team or learning more about this opportunity, please contact Cullen Rodgers-Gates (919.641.8198). Our next meeting is at 8pm on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at the home of Don Hoover (806A Madison St., Durham), and we invite any who are interested to join us!

  • Finance Committee Update

    We are grateful for the generosity of our congregation. Here is a summary of our offerings and our expenses for the first two months of the current fiscal year (July 1 through August 31, 2021):

    Offerings $185,559

    Expenses $294,400

    Offerings minus Expenses -$108,841

    It is normal for us to fall behind in the summer months. Our current deficit of $108,841 is quite a bit larger than usual for this time of year. We do have reserves set aside to cover gaps such as this one, and we have finished each of the past 5 years with a surplus. Our overall financial status remains strong. This would be a great time to consider your plans for giving to Blacknall in this fiscal year. Since we are no longer passing an offering plate during our services, some members have set up monthly automatic donations. Please see our Giving page for a list of ways to give to Blacknall.

  • Serve on Sunday Mornings

Community Announcements

  • Reality Ministries Fall Fundraiser

    Reality presents Swing Music on the Lawn with the Durham Jazz Orchestra. Sunday, October 24, 2021, 4:30-6:30 p.m., 4026 Glenn Road, Durham. An afternoon of music and fun along with a presentation about Reality and an opportunity to support our work. Please bring: Chairs or blankets, friends and family, and your dancing shoes! We will have popcorn and cookies, you're also welcome to bring a picnic!

  • Mentorlink Global Virtual Gathering

    October 19, 8 p.m. EST. The Global Virtual Gathering will focus on leading like Jesus. This event is open to everyone and has speakers from all over the world sharing their experiences leading and mentoring. Learn what leading like Jesus is and why it is vital today. Each message is followed by a time of discussion and reflection for all participants. Please use this link to register yourself and send to others who you think will profit from the Gathering.

  • High Strung Irish Learning Jams at Blacknall

    High Strung’s weekly Irish Learning Jam is now held in Blacknall’s Community Room on Tuesday nights, 6:30- 8 p.m. All players who are comfortable enough with their instrument to play in G major, D major, A major and the occasional e minor are welcome. Fiddle, guitar, mandolin, flute, tinwhistle, concertina, tenor banjo and harp are the most common instruments you'll find at this jam. Never a fee, always a frolic!

Love and Serve

  • Samaritan Health Center

    Blacknall local partner Samaritan Health Center is looking for project help the week of November 15 (mailing to supporters) and the weekend of December 3 (assembling and delivering volunteer gift bags). These are family-friendly ways to bless SHC and the community at year end. Service can be onsite at the clinic, or done from home. Contact communications director Meredith Martindale to learn more.

  • StepUp Durham

    Volunteer with StepUp Durham. Particular needs right now are for volunteers to serve as Resume Builders and Mock Interviewers at job readiness workshops, and to walk with participants as Co-Partners in Step2’s 8-week training modules. All opportunities are virtual through the end of 2021. To learn more, email StepUp’s Volunteer Coordinator, or contact Nancy Grigg.

  • 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

    Volunteer at the Walltown Neighborhood Ministries Food Bank.

Deep Common Journeys

What’s a Deep Common Journey? One of Blacknall’s commitments in mission is that we would intentionally enter into “Partnership with an organization in mission toward learning to be disciples of Jesus Christ.” We call these partnership relationships “Deep Common Journeys.” While Blacknall supports approximately 60 different international, Durham, and campus mission partners, we have focused on four Deep Common Journey partners—Reality Ministries (Durham), Families Moving Forward (Durham), International Students, Inc. (Campus), and Congo Initiative (International).

How can I enter our Deep Common Journey? There are many ways to get involved:

  • Congo Initative— Join the monthly prayer time for our Congolese brothers and sisters (second Sundays at 6:30 p.m. over Zoom), be a pen pal to a university student at UCBC, serve on the Congo Leadership Team. To learn more about these and other opportunities, fill out the CI Volunteer Interest Form or contact Kim Dunderdale. Sign up to receive news and updates from CI.

  • Reality Ministries — Reality has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities including gardening, beekeeping, karaoke dance, art, music, cooking, Bible study and much more. Join a daytime or evening group at the Reality Center, have fun and make some new friends! Check out Reality’s Volunteer page or contact volunteer coordinator Tammy Rodman.

  • Families Moving Forward— Be a Study Buddy, join the Hospitality Team, donate to Barrels of Joy, be a Room Refresher, or dine with Chefs for Change. Visit FMF’s volunteer page or contact Mark and Anne Paulson to learn more.

  • International Students Inc.— Join the IstudentsDuke prayer ministry and engage in regular conversation with an international student (in person or virtual). To learn more, fill out the volunteer interest form, visit ISI’s Volunteers page, or contact Dan Kronstad (630.903.1300).

Prayer

Ministry Partners

Laura Prewitt.jpg

Campus & National— We pray for Laura Prewitt, a new campus ministry partner for Blacknall.  Laura is on staff with InterVarsity, working with Graduate students and faculty at NC State.  She is just starting in her ministry and thanks God for helping to transition to life in Raleigh, including:

·        Bringing me back to Raleigh after several months with my parents in the mountains and providing a good place to live (with friends from church in their home)

·        GCF's (Graduate Christian Fellowship) new growth and for its healthy continuation

·        Generosity of supporters--including in providing an apartment from which to attend an online conference and a recent loan of a car when mine was in the shop

She asks for prayer for:

·        Support to reach full funding so that I can fully focus on campus ministry

·        More Jesus-guided cold-calls to faculty and staff on campus 

·        Wisdom and stamina for NC State administrators and faculty continuing to lead through the pandemic 

·        More fruitful networking with faculty/staff and Christian ministers on campus and Triangle-wide

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International—We pray for Tom Harvey, the academic dean of the Oxford Centre of Missions Studies, and for his wife Judy Harvey, who continues her pastoral work with St Andrews Church in the Cutteslowe Community of Oxford.  Tom writes, “OCMS continues to go full steam ahead even in lockdown, but everything has been moved online and I'm the officer overseeing that transition. That said, we have had 12 students successfully complete their degrees from around the globe. We hold the examinations online via video conferencing. We also have a strong cohort of students wanting to join the programme, which is good.” Prayer requests: (1) adequate support for OCMS in these challenging times. (2) vaccines so that students can travel freely and do research for their dissertations. (3) strength and perseverance for Tom in his demanding position as Academic Dean.  (4) Judy’s ministry in St Andrews Church.

Tammy Rodman

Durham—We pray for the St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church and their pastor, Rev. Robert Daniels.  We pray for their outreach ministry.  We pray for blessings for all of their members who are involved in volunteering with the Walltown Neighborhood Food Bank.  We pray for Karen Alston, their talented music minister.  We pray for Deacon Thomas Buffalo on the recent death of his wife, Marie Buffalo.  We pray for their outreach to children and youth and particularly to young men who are at-risk in the neighborhood.  We pray for safety from COVID-19 as they begin to come back together in worship.  We pray for Blacknall’s partnership in prayer with St. John’s on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month.  We pray that the Lord would strengthen the ties that bind our two congregations together.

Griefs

  • We pray for Susan & Derek Okada on the death of Susan’s mom, Margaret Louise Cameron Tew on August 29

  • We pray for Nancy Congleton whose mom died on September 17

  • We pray for Jim & Linda Demarest and family on the death of his mother, Rose, on September 16

  • We pray for Ilene Stitsinger and Abby Stitsinger whose mother/grandmother died on September 12.

  • We pray for Carmen & Bob Pennington on the death of Carmen’s father, Hassel, on September 13.

  • We pray for those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus.

Joys

  • We rejoice with Abby Stitsinger & Alvaro Portillo who were married yesterday in Mexico.

  • We rejoice with David & Erin Pervis, Blacknall supported global workers in Athens, Greece, on the wedding of their son, Josiah, to Hannah Newswanger last Saturday.

Concerns

  • We pray for Wen Reagan, who had surgery to remove a melanoma this past Thursday.

  • We pray for Margaret Scearce who found out that her cancer has spread throughout her body and has decided not to receive further treatment.

  • We pray for Lynn & ‘Ale Vanderwoude-‘Aho, Blacknall supported global workers in Tonga, as they are providing more care for ‘Ale’s parents who are declining in health.

World

  • We pray for the violence in our city and for one of Blacknall’s members who recently witnessed the murder of a young man in their neighborhood. 

  • We continue to pray for the nation and people of Afghanistan, and particularly for Christian brothers and sisters there.  We pray for attempts to rescue those whose lives are in danger.

Life Together

  • We pray for Ali Shoenfelt as she serves us in the front office.  We thank God for Ali who has taken on the responsibilities of the Communications Director while we search for a replacement.  Pray that she would be able to balance all of these responsibilities with all of the rest of her life.

  • We pray for the Sunday evening worship services for these next 5 weeks.  We pray that those who are uncomfortable with worshiping in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings will be able to participate in these services and that God would be glorified.