Announcements

Backyard Worship Groups | View Here
Are you looking for a way to gather this winter? Some Blacknall Backyard Worship groups are continuing to meet during this season. Find details at the above link and reach out to the host for details.
Be an iFriend
International Students Inc | Please register by January 10th
Be A VOLUNTEER (virtual) to connect with an international student for the Spring Semester 2021.
iFriends – Facilitate friendship building and cross-cultural exchange between international students and residents of the Triangle by engaging together via video chat. Register yourself, with a housemate or spouse, or as a family. We'll match you with the appropriate number: 1 or 2+. Aim to meet each other virtually at least monthly through about early May. Register by January 10th, iFriends launch - when you get connected to your international student(s) - is January 30th. Click here: https://ivolunteers.site/iFriends/
Prayer – Receive regular prayer notes and/or join virtual prayer times. Never, ever must we minimize how utterly dependent we all are on the King, for apart from Him we can do nothing! Click here: Prayer
Questions? Contact Dan Kronstad (dkronstad@isionline.org) or Scott Hawkins (shawkins@duke.edu)
Women’s Bible Study
Please join Women’s Bible Study as we study Philippians together as a community this spring. We will begin the week of January 18 and run through the end of April. We will have audio teachings each week by a variety of women and an opportunity for you to join a zoom group, in person small group, or you may choose to do the study on your own. If you have already registered, you do not need to do so again. If you have not registered (or if you have decided you would like to be part of a small group), please fill out this registration form here and we will be contacting you with more information. Purchase your study guide "Discovering Joy in Philippians" here or from your local bookstore.
Iglesia Emanuel Food Bank Service Opportunities: Every Wednesday our friends at Iglesia Emanuel serve approximately 400 families. They can’t do this alone. If you can help with the preparation, distribution, or traffic control, please sign up using this link. Help is needed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

Photos of Life Together
Do you have a photo of worshiping or sharing life together? Please send to Mary Grimm. Above photo of the Christmas Eve service.
In Case You Missed It
- Worship on the Longest Night | View Here
  A contemplative service to remember that Jesus comes for those of us who are suffering, lonely, or grieving.
- Community Rising Together | View Here
  A Service of Worship and Lament with the Mt. Level Partnership for Racial Justice.

Prayer

Ministry Partners:

Durham—We pray for the Durham Public Schools Foundation and for the Student Learning Center that is happening at Blacknall. We pray for a successful conclusion to the Accelerating Digital Equity financial campaign that Blacknall was able to support. We pray for encouragement and training for teachers who continue to navigate the challenges of teaching online. We pray for principals and administrators and for wisdom for them as they lead and make decisions. We pray for our children. We pray for those meeting at Blacknall, that our building would be a safe and secure environment where they would be encouraged to learn. We pray for those children facing obstacles of not having digital access or not having a safe place to learn. We pray that we as a community would find ways to care for these children and give them hope.

International—Please pray for Blacknall missionaries Rich and Barb Leary. They are presently in the U.S, each having dealt with medical concerns: Barb diagnosed with breast cancer, necessitating a mastectomy, and Rich with “severe back pain,” requiring an epidural steroid injection. Rich writes. “Last week, right before Thanksgiving, Barb's doctor gave her the ‘green light’ to travel back to Hungary. We are very thankful that this day has finally come! We will fly on December 30 and arrive in Budapest on New Year's Eve, just in time to celebrate the New Year.” Specific prayer requests: (1) the long-term effectiveness of Rich’s epidural injections to give relief from his back pain; (2) continued healing for Barb; (3) that this month’s Leaders Impact webinar will enable their leaders to make new contacts; (4) many opportunities to disciple people in government, education, business, and sports; (5) a spiritual hunger among the people of eastern Europe, leading many to turn to Christ.

Campus—We pray for Terri Shell and her ministry with InterVarsity. Terri is the Regional Director for IV for North and South Carolina. She reports that despite the challenges of COVID and having to meet remotely, the fellowships on several campuses have been growing. She shares how 25 freshmen at UNC-Chapel Hill have become involved in the fellowship even though they were on campus for only a week. She shares how the group at Duke has begun cultivating the practice of Sabbath where “they are learning to receive God’s grace and rest.” Terri also helps to train new IV staff in the area and gives thanks for Liv and Samuel who just completed their training this Fall to begin ministry at Elon and at NC State. Terri asks for prayer for a new couple, Cierra and Mack, who have just begun their training. Terri asks for prayer for her financial needs as well

Grief:

We pray for Nancy Congleton on the death of her father in Indiana. Pray for her father’s wife, Joan (Jo-ann) as she is near death with COVID. Pray for Nancy’s mom who has also come down with COVID but hopefully is recovering.

We pray for the family and friends of Don Halderman who died recently.

We pray for Griff and Elizabeth Gatewood on the death of Griff’s Dad recently.

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

Joys

We rejoice that Pastor Julio from Iglesia Emanuel has recovered from COVID and that it has not spread further in his family or among the church staff.

We give thanks for this past year and for God’s provision for us in these days!

Concerns

We pray for Scott Crane as he recovers from recent surgery and radiation treatment.

We pray for those in our community who have contracted the coronavirus.

We pray for those who are caring for those with the virus and for frontline workers who are most vulnerable to the virus.

World

We pray for deliverance from the virus as it surges in our nation and around the world.

We thank God for the development of vaccines that promise to help fight this virus. We pray for a speedy and just distribution of these vaccines around the world.

We pray against the spirit of violence in our city and the lives that have been cut short and irreparably damaged through violence.

Life Together

We pray for the search committee for the Director of Congregational Care (chair, Melissa Hartemink).

We pray for the new staff person who will be leading us in the ministry of music and worship.