Join us at The Table! During this midweek gathering, we connect as a community over a meal -- sharing the joys and concerns of our lives, having fun, and engaging in lively conversation. We begin with dinner from 5:30--6:15 pm. Then, we share celebrations, prayers, and community announcements before beginning the topic or activity for the evening. Pullen children’s and youth activities are also offered during this time.

If you haven't joined us for dinner in a while, come taste the difference! Thanks to your feedback, we have a new caterer. Now, we serve larger portions with meat, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Dinner is $8 for adults and youth (grades 6-12), $4 for children (grades K-5), and free for preschoolers.

See what’s happening each week at pullen.org/thetable.

Contact: Chalice Overy

After casting your vote, please come to Poteat Chapel to meditate, breathe, center, walk the labyrinth, connect with the Spirit, and offer prayers for our nation during this consequential time in history. There will also be an opportunity to connect and pray together during our regularly-scheduled Wednesday night gathering at The Table.

Contact: Chalice Overy

The election will be over; there will still be work to do in the world. After we enjoy our regular family dinner at 5:30 pm, join us as we: give thanks for our efforts in civic engagement, ask for healing for the division in our nation, and seek guidance and strength for the journey ahead.

Contact: Chalice Overy

When you grocery shop, buy two extra cans of food and bring them to church on Sunday as your expression of gratitude for having enough to eat. Place the cans in the grocery cart at the back door, and then the Pullen Mission Women will take them to Urban Ministries where they will provide groceries to families in need. If enough of us make this a habit, we can have a significant impact in reducing the hunger in our midst. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Contact: Deb Norton

Are you thinking about joining Pullen? Pullen 101 is a unique opportunity to hear from Pullen staff and members about our history, values, and the ways in which we put our faith into action. This intimate eight-week class gives you an opportunity to ask questions and get to know other people at the church. Pullen 101 is for those who are new to the community, who are thinking about joining, or who just want to get a better sense of who we are. If you are interested in attending the class, please email Chalice Overy.

Contact: Chalice Overy

Foundations for Faith is primarily a Bible study class led by a rotating team of teachers who will focus on various themes -- Books of the Bible or other faith-based topics, such as Baptist history. The class format will consist of some lecture and lots of open discussion.

This class will be taught by Cathy Tamsberg, David Walley, Jim Jarrard, and Allen Page. These four offer a rich mix of life experiences in theological study, teaching, parish leadership, and social justice activism, which promises a rewarding and stimulating class experience. There are no prerequisites for this class, and no Bible study experience is necessary. All ages are welcome to join us.

Contact: Steve Smith

Using the loving-kindness meditation as a tool to calm and care for ourselves, we learn to cultivate compassion, non-judgement, and connection. With music, chanting, and drumming, we engage in this heart-centered meditation practice with the intention of creating a circle of compassionate awareness and presence that will soften the heart, calm the mind, and radiate beyond ourselves into the world. This will be an opportunity to gather in community to pray for groundedness and kindness over the coming weeks.

Contact: Nancy Petty

Since October 7, as we marked the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I have been reflecting on my personal feelings and thoughts, and my role as a religious leader. Some of my feelings and thoughts remain muddled and complex, while others have become clearer. For this session, I will share some of the ways that I have responded to this crisis over the last year, and how I currently intend to approach this issue in my role as a religious leader.

By November 10, we the people will have elected the 47th president of the United States of America. So, I will also share my reflections on what I see as the important issues facing our country, regardless of who emerges as the victor.

Contact: Nancy Petty

The Committee on Becoming an Anti-Racist Congregation will have a series of discussions with Pullen members about the following question: “Which elements of our church life do we want to update to reflect our anti-racism goals as a church?”

Each Sunday, we will focus on one of four areas: Church Policy, Outreach, Worship, and Education. For each area, we would like to hear from Pullen members about what you’d like to change, what you feel should stay the same, and what questions you have about our anti-racism work. We value everyone’s input. All perspectives are welcome, as we discern how to put into practice our anti-racism goals as a church.

Contact: Ian McPherson

Join Rachael Wooten in exploring teachings and practices from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. This form of Buddhism developed several hundred years after the Buddha died. The practices that developed in this later form of Buddhism, based on the Buddha's original teachings, offer simple ways of accessing the subtle energy aspect of our body. This can be extremely helpful in calming our central nervous systems, which are easily triggered into overdrive in these stressful times.

In this course, we will explore foundational stories of the tradition, particularly that of Avolokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and Tara, the enlightened female Buddha. We will look at how these stories remain profound reflections of our lives today, both our capacity for great compassion and inner wisdom, as well as our tendency to overestimate what we can do alone. We will look at this story alongside stories and teachings related to Jesus. This inter-traditional approach allows us to discover how each informs the other, and opens us to new understandings of both traditions.

We will learn several short practices that offer peace in times of stress, open inner space for our natural intelligence to arise, giving us inner guidance from our deeper selves.

Rachael Wooten is a Jungian analyst who has studied, taught, written and practiced in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, while remaining rooted in her life-long connection to the life and teachings of Jesus and his native tradition, Judaism.

Contact: Rachel Wooten

Join us on Sunday mornings as we engage scripture and the church calendar to learn about our faith, how it helps us confront the issues of our time, and what it means for how we show up in our everyday lives. We begin by checking in with each other, and usually find a fun way to get into the topic of the day. We strive for honest dialogue that is accessible no matter where you are on the spectrum of faith.

Contact: Chalice Overy

On Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:30 pm, students are invited to gather to explore our faith in the context of our everyday lives and what’s happening in the world around us. Students are also invited to join for dinner in Finlator Hall before Youth Group at 5:30 pm.

Contact: Ian McPherson

Youth volunteers will carpool to the Diaper Bank of NC in Hillsborough to help package diapers and other products for folks in need. Volunteers are advised to: dress comfortably as the warehouse does not have A/C; wear close-toed shoes; and bring water to stay hydrated during the shift.

In addition to volunteering your time, please consider donating items such as baby diapers, baby wipes, and period supplies. These items will help the bank to cover those in need across the state.

To participate in this volunteer opportunity, you must first fill out the registration and waiver documents.

Complete the registration form here. Complete the volunteer waiver here.

Contact: Allie Pruden

This choir gathers each Sunday morning to enliven congregational singing and offer accessible music for that day’s worship. There are no other prerequisites or prior rehearsals. All youth and adults are welcome on any Sunday!

Contact: Larry Schultz

Youth and Adults who play wind, string, or percussion instruments at an intermediate level or beyond are invited to play in this group that accompanies congregational singing and provides music for worship. Rehearsals take place on scheduled Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:00 am. 

Contact: Larry Schultz

Youth are invited to register for this choir that prepares music for the Youth Choir Festival by the Sea held in Myrtle Beach, SC, March 7-9. Pullen partners with other regional churches to provide this experience of choral music-making, with a large festival choir led by nationally known conductors. Participants who are unable to attend the Myrtle Beach event are still invited to sing in this choir, as the festival repertoire is used in worship at Pullen. Rehearsals are prior to Youth Group from 6:00-6:30 pm on Wednesdays in January and February in Room 128-B.

Contact: Larry Schultz

All Youth and Adults are invited to register for this choir that prepares to offer a service of music on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The Resonance Choir will lead an experience celebrating a specific area of Pullen’s diverse life and ministries. Rehearsals will be on Wednesday nights in March and April from 7:30-8:30 pm in Room 128-B.

Contact: Larry Schutz

Youth and adults are invited to register for this choir that prepares music for Pullen’s second Caroling Christmas service, after the traditional Christmas Breakfast on Sunday, December 15. This joyful, interactive service combines the Caroling Christmas Choir with the Pullen Orchestra and congregation for festive carols of the season. This choir will also join the Pullen Orchestra in presenting music for a vespers service at Glenaire Retirement Community on Sunday, December 8 at 4 pm.

Register here.

Contact: Larry Schultz

All adults are invited to register for this choir that prepares music for the Adult Choir Festival by the Sea, held in Charleston, SC, January 24-26, 2025. Pullen partners with other regional churches to provide this experience of choral music-making, with a large festival choir led by nationally known conductors. Participants who are unable to attend the Charleston event are still invited to sing in this choir, as the festival repertoire is used in worship at Pullen. A “Sack-Lunch Rehearsal” takes place on Sunday, January 5 from 12:30-1:30 pm. Other rehearsals are on Wednesdays, January 8, 15, and 22 from 7:30-8:30 pm in Room 128-B.

Contact: Larry Schultz