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Sign up for a Small Group!
Find community and grow in your faith by joining a small group this spring! See a listing of times and locations on the small group page >>
If you are interested in hosting a small group, contact Reynolds Chapman.
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“Who is My Neighbor?” Dinner and Discussion Kickoff
You are invited be a part of the first of our exciting new mission initiatives this year. On Monday, February 13, a “Dinner and Discussion” will be held in Whitford Hall to kick off our mission theme. There will be a dinner (provided by the Boy Scouts) and panel discussion on
“Platitudes vs. Presence: Learning to Be With”
featuring Dr. Ann Stallings Smith, Duke Memorial Stephen Ministry Leader, Kate Bowler, Assistant Professor of American Christianity at Duke Divinity School, and Dan Rhodes, Co-Pastor at Emmaus Way Church. After the panel there will be time for people to discuss the topic together.
This is the first of a series of discussions that will take place throughout the year as part of our 2012 mission theme: “Who is My Neighbor? Listening, Learning, and Living with Our City”. The goal of these discussions is to get to know our city better. We want to learn more about the people, the places, the resources, the needs, the pain, and the hope of Durham. This is fundamental to our Christian witness; in the same way that God became flesh in Jesus to dwell with us, we are hoping that by listening, learning, and living with our neighbors, we will “become flesh” to our city.
The Dinner and Discussion will be from 6-8pm. (Childcare provided!)
Please RSVP today! >>
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IHN, February 12-19, Listening to Homeless Families
Duke Memorial is hosting Interfaith Hospitality Network families this week. Thanks to everyone who signed up to volunteer. If you are interested in volunteering in the future, contact Roger Loyd. Thanks!
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Ash Wednesday
Join us on Wednesday,
February 22 for a 7pm
Ash Wednesday Service.
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Sing Part III of Handel’s Messiah for Easter (yes, YOU!)
The Duke Memorial tradition of singing the “Hallelujah” chorus during Easter worship happily fills the choir loft to overflowing every year. The choir wants you (yes, the person looking at this newsletter!) to sing with us on Easter Sunday. This year, the choir will sing additional choruses from this beloved oratorio during Easter worship, including “Since by man came death” and “Worthy is the Lamb”.
To prepare to sing these amazing choruses with our guest orchestra, you should come to the following parts of Wednesday evening choir rehearsals during Lent:
March 7 (7:45-8:30pm)
March 14 (7:45-8:30pm)
March 21 (7:45-8:30pm)
March 28 (7:45-8:30pm)
April 4 (7:00-8:30pm)
See you in the choir room, and in the loft!
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Joy Club Spring 2012
Check out the Joy Club’s spring schedule (here >>) Mark your calendars for these day trips and contact Ann Smith if you are able to join in on the fun!
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Support Group — A Healing Journey
Beginning this Tuesday, February 14th, there will be a 6 week support group called “Healing Journey” for folks who have lost a loved one. The group is sponsored by Stephen Ministry, led by Stephen Leaders Ann Stallings Smith, and will meet in the Lullaby Room for 7-8:30pm. ”Healing Journey” will last 6 weeks (ending on 3/20) and provide a safe place for those who are grieving to share and discover positive ways to deal with their grief. Contact Ann Smith if you are interested or have questions.
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Summer Opportunities for Children and Youth
See a list of summer opportunities here >>
Check out what’s going on this summer and mark your calendars today!
Questions? Contact Gair and/or Faith!
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Stephen Ministry
Training — On February 8, 2012, Stephen Ministry training began for a group of four lay people from our congregation. Stephen Ministries St. Louis developed this training for a caring ministry. Rev. Kenneth Haugk founded this program to train people to give support to those in personal crisis in 1975. There are now 11,000 Stephen Ministry congregations from 150 denominations. Over the next few months, our Stephen Minister trainees will receive extensive training in Christian caring skills. Some of the training areas they will cover include listening effectively, dealing with feelings, confidentiality, using the resources of Christianity, being assertive and a number of topics dealing with specific life crises. After training and being commissioned, they will join with the current Stephen Ministry group to extend the caregiving capacity of our congregation. Please keep these trainees in your thoughts and prayers. If you have questions about Stephen Ministry, training and caregiving, please feel free to talk to Rev. Ginger Thomas, or any of the Stephen Leaders.
H.E.R.O.E.S. Care — The second training of Stephen Ministers for Heroes Care in North Carolina was at Duke Memorial on January 28. We were very fortunate to have Rev. Brandon Dunman from Missouri to lead this eight-hour session. Trainees were from Durham, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Greensboro, and Fayetteville. The particular training Stephen Ministers have and the H.E.R.O.E.S. Care training equips us to care for military families in the communities where they live. Here are some comments from a few of the trainees:
From Rocky Mount – “My eyes have been opened to what these men and women are going through. I am going back to my congregation and present it to them so that further training can be done. I see a great need for this for our service men and women.”
From Greensboro – “We need to respond and minister within our communities and not just within our churches. There is a great need in this area.”
The next H.E.R.O.E.S. care training will be in Fayetteville in May. If you would like to know more about Operation Homefront and H.E.R.O.E.S. care the website is www.heroescare.org
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