Blackhawk Affinity Groups (BAG’s)… Enjoying Life Together! Are you looking for a way to connect around Blackhawk? Would you like to get to know other people who enjoy some of the same kinds of things you do? A BAG (Blackhawk Affinity Group) could be for you! A BAG is simply an organized opportunity to meet others who enjoy the same stuff. ANYONE can participate - BAGs welcome friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Below, you'll find a list of current BAGs along with contact info for the Point person of the group. If your particular area of interest is not on the list, consider starting a BAG of your own! For more information on starting a BAG, please click here. Adventure Group for Men I call you forth from your lazyboys and from your lawnmowers to accept a challenge certain to be fun and inspiring! The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin has set aside about 23 sites around southern Wisconsin that it protects and maintains as natural and primitive as possible. While open to the public most are not well known and many are not too easily accessible. Each requires a different amount of time commitment, to travel and hike back into, but none that can't be done in a short to long Saturday morning. I would like to extend an invitation to all men of Blackhawk and their male friends (and sons) to join me in an 18 month goal of visiting all of these spots; to experience some of these in all of our four beautiful seasons. More information
Contact: Steve Fine Arts Night: Fine Arts Affinity Group Bring some art to work on and hang out with other artists. Critique and interaction takes place on an informal basis. We meet the first Monday evening of each month 6:00 to 9:00 at Blackhawk Church in the "Unfinished Underground" Room (163).
Contact: Gary Nauman Asian American Huddle Group We will meet monthly at a home or at church depending upon the size of the group.This group is for Asian Americans who come to Blackhawk Church or are exploring Blackhawk and would like to meet each other on a regular basis for friendship building. We are singles and married, men and women of all age groups. What we do depends on the preferences of the group.
Contact: Shere-Ling Kraus-Yao Basketry All levels welcome, beginner to advanced! Join us in weaving a napkin, newspaper or Easter basket. Or come and check out all the possibilities. Flexible meeting times - day, evening or weekend.
Contact: Kathy Karklus Bike Club Casual bicycle rides, third Saturday of the month, May through October, for all ages.
Contact: Joe Bertalan Card and Box Games A group of adults (non-smokers) meeting monthly (or as there is interest) in a home or coffee-shop setting to play card/box games, e.g. canasta, rummy, SORRY, Parchesi, etc. We meet on Fridays or Saturdays. Contact: Mary Manthey Chick Flicks A group of women watching movies they enjoy and eating snacks. Meets the second Tuesday of each month, at 6 pm at Irina's house. Contact: Irina Shpigelman Environmental Stewardship We will explore our role in caring for the environment. This will include:
Contact: Paul and Lynne Jacobsen ESL Café A friendly informal gathering of international students and scholars, plus Americans who want to meet people from new places, to talk about our languages, cultures, and experiences. Internationals can improve their language skills, while enjoying snacks and drinks. Meets 4:30 pm on Sundays at the church. Contact: Craig Rusbult Gourmet Dinner Group Challenging dishes shared in homes. We will meet about once a month. The dinners are open to couples, singles, anyone who likes to cook, and of course, eat! Menus are selected by the host(s) and everyone is assigned a recipe to bring, with the hosts preparing the main dish. For those who enjoy taking on some more challenging dishes in the kitchen and planning more complex menus - not just your everyday type of fare. Contact: Gail Braier Guitar Group for Men A group for men who would like to learn the guitar together playing folk, bluegrass, praise and worship, and old time gospel music. No music reading needed as we will use tabulature. Finger picking and flat picking styles will be used. Beginners, novices, and intermediates are welcome. We aim to bring glory to God through fellowship in Jesus, learning better how to connect with Christ-followers and non-Christians through the power of song as we develop into men sharpening other men in Christian fellowship.
Contact: Jim Southard Horseback Riding - NEW! A group of horse-riders/owners meeting for a group ride about once a month, at a State park or other place that allows horseback riding. (Need to have your own transportation.) Meeting Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, May through September (depending on the weather). Contact: Carlyce Skjervem Male Chorus The Male Chorus BAG is meeting Monday nights at 7:00 pm at church. We have had about 16 to 20 men participating, and have sung at various venues in the greater Madison area. We welcome any men who like to sing. Having a fantastic voice is not a pre-requisite. We have great fellowship in a very non-threatening environment. Interested men should feel free to come and "test the water" before making a commitment. Cost is free. Contact: Robert Ames Martial Arts Movies For martial arts enthusiasts, or people who just like martial arts movies. Get together at members' homes to watch a martial arts movie and eat snacks, approximately monthly.
Contact: Ryan Plender Mom's Night Out Moms! Need a break? Enjoy fun monthly activities with a group of fellow moms. Gatherings are typically scheduled in the evenings or weekends, about once a month. These events are sponsored by the Blackhawk Titus Group (Moms of preschoolers) but all moms are welcome. Contact: Sarah Boone Once-A-Month Cooking Group Following the example of a "cookie exchange," members create a meal (from one recipe) for each member of the group then swap with the others; each member getting a variety of meals each month. Focus is on family-friendly fare, FUN fellowship monthly (to swap meals) and preparing an extra meal each month to donate to the Congregational Care/Meals Team Ministry. Meeting Thursday night, once a month, at Blackhawk. Contact: Maureen Dietlin Outdoor Club Do you like the outdoors? How about camping, mountain biking, rockclimbing, hiking, rafting, snowboarding/skiing? If so, then you'll want to be a part of the Blackhawk Outdoor Club. The group plans to meet on Saturdays, once every month or two, to explore places such as Devil's Lake, Peshtigo River, Kettle Moraine, Door County, Tyrol Basin, and other areas to be determined. Contact: Josh Lavik Photography We meet for a workshop/review the second Saturday of the month. Just a group of folks wanting to better themselves at photography and share information/help each other out and go out and take pictures! We then network with each other to go out and shoot during the rest of the month. There is a Challenge based on the workshop, if you wish, to give you purpose for the month. Then we meet again the 2nd Saturday to review the photos and the cycle starts over. All ages, levels, digital or film. SPECIAL NOTE: We are now using YahooGroups and Flickr to keep in touch and post photos. Please sign up for a free yahoo account and request to join us at: Yahoo groups and Flickr groups.
Contact: Steve Salt Ping-Pong Enjoy playing Ping-Pong? Then come and play with others in this fun sport! We have everyone from "experts" (people playing in leagues), to those who haven't played in 15 years, to those just wanting to improve their game. Everyone's welcome! NOTE: meeting date/times are currently in flux, so let us know your interest and what works best for you!
Contact: Bob Braier Senior Singles Singles 60+ meet the second Wednesday of each month from 2 pm to 4 pm for "Coffee & Conversation". On the last Friday of each month the group gets together for "Dinner & A Movie." You need to phone Norma, 829-1142, or Letty, 833-4937, for location information or contact Norma by e-mail (click on the link below).
Contact: Norma Dodds Soccer This 18-and-over group is for anybody who enjoys the beautiful game of soccer. The goal (pun intended) is to get enough interest to play at least one match (11 v 11) per week through the summer (until October), picking up again in the spring. All skill-levels are welcome to play. There may be a fee to reserve the city of Madison soccer fields. Contact: Jason Knoll Volleyball We meet each Wednesday from 7 to 9 pm in the church gym for co-ed pick-up volleyball. As numbers grow we may go to different hours for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Tournaments are also a possiblity. The goal is for the group to have a social element and be friendly and welcoming to non-church folks, as well as help people improve their volleyball skills. Contact: Brian Hart Women's Book Group Meets monthly in homes (4th Monday evening)
Contact: Alison Haworth Women's Breakfasts Monthly, Saturday morning, 9:30-10:30 am, intergenerational (18 and older) time for food, fun, and fellowship.
Contact: Amanda Schumacher Writers Group Meets monthly in members' homes
Contact: Shelley Soceka If you are interested in starting a new group and becoming a Point Person, please click here. |
If you are interested in starting a new group and becoming a Point Person, please click here.
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