Adult Christian Formation

at Binkley

Ongoing: Sojourners Class: Facilitated by our Senior Minister, Rev. Dr. Marcus McFaul in the Fellowship Hall.  This Sunday, March 10, the Sojourners Class will discuss this article: https://sojo.net/magazine/april-2024/alchemy-grief-and-hope

Ongoing: Mindful Parenting:

Facilitated by Ty Hagler, Lisa Parks and Joey Powell in the Chapel. The class includes prayer, a brief check-in, a summary of the book or article being shared, and a discussion of prepared questions. Novice and experienced parents and caregivers – all are welcome to share laughter, support, and hope in the journey of parenting.

February 18 - March 24: Have a Beautiful, Terrible Lent! Cindy Bucy leads the class in the Library this week, based on the same name of a Lenten guide created by Dr. Kate Bowler, faculty at the Duke Divinity School. The Christian Season of Lent is intended to prepare us, as Bowler writes, “for the the holiest, hardest days of our [faith] story.” Meanwhile, our own lives, and the life of our one world, march on – full of the beautiful and the terrible. How are the two intertwined during these 40 days and beyond? What does it mean "to follow Jesus through the ups and downs of our days"? 

If you are interested in Kate Bowler, her, book, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! is available in the Binkley library for check out.

March 3 – April 28: Faith in the Company of Doubt: Herman Greene and Micheal Palmer lead a hybrid class in the Lounge on questions and doubts that show up in our lives as Christians today. Some may question calling oneself a Christian, what other Christians are doing and saying, what the Bible says, what’s in the liturgy or in hymns. Some may question doctrines, the future of the church and its mission, or what’s the point of theology and the complex history and practices of our faith. Herman has an extensive background in theology and Micheal in Biblical studies. Bring your questions and your answers. This will be a lively class. Here is a link to the Zoom for people who would like to join from home:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84949882589  

LIVING THE QUESTIONS: First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God:

Tuesdays at 7, January 16-April 2, led by Senior Minister Marcus McFaul, in the Lounge and via Zoom. This 12-part series is a DVD and web-based study filmed in the Holy Land and features New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan and theologian Marcus Borg. 

Condolences to the family of Don Wilhoit, who died Thursday, March 7. Please keep Don's family in your prayers. Information about his service will be forthcoming.

Condolences to the family of Dick Helwig, who died Wednesday, March 6. Please keep his family in your prayers.

Bans off Our Bodies Meeting Thursday, March 14, 7pm

Binkley Chapel

Church In Conference

Sunday, March 17

Dear Binkley Members,

On Sunday, March 17, there will be a meeting of the Church in Conference following worship. The purpose of this meeting will be to vote on the roster of church officers for the 2024-25 council year.

Alan Brown

Moderator

Binkley Baptist Church

Brad Berglund at Binkley on March 17-18!

Musician, pastoral theologian, photographer, author, and

spiritual pilgrim- guide, Brad Berglund, will be with us March 17-18. He was with us last as our speaker-special guest at a Church Wide Retreat in Blowing Rock several years ago, as well as a musical guest in worship in pre-pandemic times!

We are excited to have him with us for worship on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th. He will participate in the morning service. During the Sunday School hour, he will lead the Sojourner Class with a presentation on "Life as Pilgrimage."

At 4pm Brad will speak to us on the spiritually vital community of Taize, France, and its continuing influence on spiritual growth for many persons of faith. Following a break at 5:15, we will hold a very special Taize service at 5:30pm in the sanctuary.

The next evening, Monday, March 18th, you are invited to attend a presentation from Brad on an upcoming Binkley Pilgrimage to Ireland in spring 2025. The exact dates are April 25 to May 9th. Details on the pilgrimage will be shared at the gathering but you are welcome to visit his website illuminatedjourneys.com for more information.

Brad and his wife Rita have led pilgrimages all over the world for 25 years. Marcus’ recent sabbatical pilgrimage to Portugal and Rome were led by the Berglund’s, as well as the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain that Marcus experienced in 2021.

It’s time for Deacon Elections at Binkley! Now through Sunday, March 31, members are asked to nominate up to 5 people to the Deacon Class of 2026. You may also nominate yourself. Think about those whom you feel would be most effective in this important and meaningful way of serving at Binkley.

The deacon nomination form will appear each week in the bulletin, or you may submit your nomination online at any time during March by going here: NOMINATIONS FORM.

Whomever you nominate is private, of course, unless you nominate yourself. 

Please prayerfully consider who among you would serve well on the diaconate, and whether you would be willing to serve as a deacon yourself.  It’s a two-year commitment with an option to serve a second term. The only requirements are as follows:

• be a church member for at least a year
• possess an open heart, and
• feel a willingness to serve. 

Questions? Contact Claudia Templeton at [email protected].

"Speaking Truth, Seeking Justice: Stepping into the Whirlwind of Israel-Palestine"

Binkley is hosting a 3-part series. Part 1 was February 7, and you can view the video of that session here:

https://youtu.be/VlIxJE7RkaQ.

Exhibit through Lent in the Fellowship Hall

Welcome to the traveling exhibit. Guided viewings are scheduled for individuals and or groups on Thursdays at 11 am throughout Lent. The next date is February 29 at 11:00 am. Other days and times for guided tours can be arranged by contacting Mary Lou Smith [email protected].

For a self-guided viewing, community members can come any time during office hours, M-F 9am-3:30pm.

Church members are welcome to view the exhibit at any time.

On the weekend of April 5-7 we welcome Jonathan Kuttab, Executive Director of FOSNA (Friends of Sabeel North America). There will be a clergy lunch on Friday, April 5th (12-1:30), a community-wide Conference on Saturday, April 6th from 9-12pm, and on Sunday, Jonathan will preach in worship.

More details and registration links for the April weekend coming soon!

Greeters needed! Sign up through THIS LINK or contact Sheryl Scrimsher.

2024 Senior Adult Ministry

Thanks to all 61 people who joined us last Wednesday for the informative presentation by Mitch Heflin, MD, geriatrician, on the topic of Cognitive Decline and New Treatment Options.  Extra Thanks to Linda and Karin for a nourishing and delicious meal. What a good time we had together on that rainy day!

Looking Ahead-

Time for More Dreaming, Visioning, Planning

April 4, Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Lounge

Join us to continue our on-going shaping of Binkley’s Senior Adult Ministry. Topics that we’re considering include another sing-along, end of life issues, care for aging parents, celebrating nonagenarians, memoir writing, more fun! What ideas do you have for this ministry? Please join this conversation.

Jeopardy II

Thursday, April 25, 10:30 a.m., Lounge

(Note date correction)

You never can tell what interesting tidbits you’ll learn about your Binkley staff! Lunch will follow. Watch for registration information. Thanks to Amy for offering this additional opportunity for laughter and fun!

Questions? Ideas? See Diane Eubanks Hill, Interim Minister with Senior Adults.

A Late Spring/Early Summer Sing-Along

Led by Sally Molyneux with Michael Davis accompanying. Lots of fun promised!

Please keep on talking with me about your ideas for our Binkley ministry with senior adults.

Diane Eubanks Hill,

Interim Minister with Senior Adults

Be sure to catch Lori Barbier on Sunday, March 10, when she kicks off a fundraising campaign for the Organ and Piano Upgrade Fund.

We plan to:

· Update and refurbish our organ

· Upgrade the baby grand piano to a full-size grand that will provide a fuller, richer sound.

More details this week! Meanwhile, if you have questions, you may contact Mike Davis ([email protected]).

If we work together, we can end world hunger.

That's why we're participating in the 2024 CROP Hunger Walk to support Church World Service and Interfaith Council and help families who are struggling with hunger. Please join us with your steps and your donations. Together we will provide more meals for the growing number of people in our community who need them and create greater food security in communities around the world. 

CROP Hunger Walk T-shirts are available to purchase from the Narthex on Sundays or at the site on March 24 or contact Craig Meisner [email protected]

Please donate to our team today! Go to the webpage and join the Binkley team and/or donate directly from the website. 

https://events.crophungerwalk.org/cropwalks/team/binkley-walkers

We meet at the Carrboro Common Grounds at 1:30 p.m. Sunday March 24 and we step off by 2:30 p.m. for about 2 miles around the town. There are plenty of monitors and police to keep our group safe.

Wednesday, April 10, 5:30-7:15: Dinner and Program by Binkley’s Bans Off Our Bodies working group: Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity.!

Wednesday, May 8, 5:30-7:15: Dinner, Reading and Book Signing by author and Binkley member, J. Dana Trent. Her latest book, coming in April, is Between Two Trailers: A Memoir.

Featuring a conversation with:

Karenna Gore, Executive Director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

Herman Greene, President of the Center for Ecozoic Studies in Chapel Hill and Thomas Berry Scholar-in-Residence of the Earth Law Center in Durango, Colorado.

Susannah Tuttle (moderator), Eco-Justice Connection Director of North Carolina Power & Light, North Carolina Council of Churches in Raleigh.

Focused on these questions:

Where are we: At the beginning of a golden age of innovation and progress? Or on the precipice of ecological catastrophe and political breakdown? Or both?

Religion is what binds us together. Ethics are what guide us. Law is how we order our lives in relation to society—a society now including non-human beings, ecosystems, and future generations of all species. 

How do Religion, Ethics, and Law need to respond to our planetary crisis and political decline? How must they change to do so? What is our role in bringing these changes about? And how will the changes affect our lives?

Co-sponsors of the Forum are the Center for Ecozoic Studies, Interfaith Power and Light NC, the Alliance of Baptist, Orange-Chatham Interfaith Care for Creation, Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle, Climate Action, NC, and the Binkley Earth Ministries Team.

• The Forum is open and free to all, but registration is required.
• Lunch will be served and a $10 donation is suggested. 
• REGISTER HERE

Our Wider Community

Click the links for more information

Support Binkley Preschool

Click HERE to learn the various ways you can support Binkley preschool through linking loyalty cards, purchasing from specific merchants, and purchasing holiday greenery.

Publication Deadlines

Submissions for the April

Newsletter are due by:

March 18

Submissions for the weekly bulletin and Friday Update are due by:

Wednesday

Noon

Please read our publicity guidelines before submitting:

Office Hours

The office is open Monday-Friday,

9am - 4pm

Email the office

919-942-4964