OUR MISSION: We are an open community who believes God is love
and who lives our belief through praise and service.
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mailing address: Balmoral Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 17309, Memphis, TN 38187
Church Office Hours: Mon - Thur, 10:00am- 3:00pm
WEBSITE: www.balmoralpc.com
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NEW for THIS WEEK
- WORSHIP SUNDAY, June 23 Worship at 11:00am
- PASTOR on CALL June 29-July 5
- TUESDAYS WITH TED - You're Invited!
- BPC SISTERS TEA PARTY! June 21
- HOME COMMUNION TEAM MEETING
- THANK YOU for the PENTECOST OFFERING
- NEWS from PC(USA) this week
- MONTREAT MUSIC & WORSHIP CONFERENCE
- 226th GA to Consider Issues of Gun Violence, AI and Christian Nationalism
- BPC Photos
- Worship Photos
- In the Creation Station
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DID YOU MISS THIS LAST WEEK? (Read it now - it's right after the photos!)
- 226th GENERAL ASSEMBLY PCUSA June 25-July 4
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ONGOING INFORMATION LINKS:
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
DONATIONS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
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Sunday Worship
June 23, 2024
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WORSHIP SERVICE 11:00am
Scriptures: Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
& Matthew 28:16-20
Sermon: The Church as Inspirer
Rev. Mark Howland
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Can't attend Worship in person? Join us on YouTube LIVE! | |
Many people ask the question, "What is the Church supposed to be doing?" It is a valid question. Over the last few weeks we have been exploring in worship a similar question, "What is the Church?" Part of our response to the second question may be found in our response to the first question. The first question implies that the Church is supposed to be about action, activity, producing. This may be part of our response to the second question. Now that I have you completely confused with all this first question and second question language (which may a lot like how the Apostle Paul spoke), let's explore the concept of the doing aspect of the Church.
Most churches, ours included, have spent time periodically writing mission statements. The goal here is to summarize in one or two sentences who we are and what we are doing. However, the first mission statement for the Church can be found in Matthew 28:16-20. This is when Jesus tells the disciples what is expected from them from that day forward. Here we see action words such as GO, MAKE, BAPTIZING, and TEACHING. These are the activities in which the disciples are supposed to engage their time.
This leads me to lift up another response to the question, "What is the Church," and that is the understanding that the Church is to be the inspiring entity for today's disciples to go into the world, make disciples (followers), baptize those who choose to join the family, and teach what the Lord taught during his ministry on earth. The Church is to inspire people to fulfill the Great Commandment.
This Sunday during worship, we will explore how the Church may inspire and what we are to do when we are inspired.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark
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Pastor Mark will be serving as Commissioner to the 226th General Assembly of the PCUSA in Salt Lake City, UT, from June 29 - July 5.
While he is out of town, please contact Parish Associate Elizabeth Dick for any pastoral care needs (314.330.0506 or elizabethdick2@gmail.com). Elizabeth will also be worship leader on Sunday, June 30.
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Small Group Update:
TUESDAYS
with TED
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All are welcome; repeat, all are welcome!
Being of a certain age, we cannot remember precisely when we started eating breakfast together. We just now know to show up at 8 on Tuesdays at the Cracker Barrel on Hacks Cross Road.
We became an uppercase Small Group when someone noticed that a lowercase small group were sharing a meal each week, and it was so. The Cracker Barrel has a round table perfect for chatter that our regular server --sweet, hard-working Cathy-- sets aside for us. Each week we talk until the food comes, then resume the gabfest when the food vanishes and Cathy tops up the coffee. As civilized Presbyterians, we share opinions about movies, books, television, politics (egad!), personal stories, Tigers and Grizzlies oh my, grandchildren, religion (yikes!), oldies music, farming, recreational vehicle maintenance and repair, world peace, breaking news, the fate of democracy and anything anyone wants to bring up.
Our friendships have deepened over the months, and I'd miss it terribly if it were gone. We meet every Tuesday at 8:00am at the Cracker Barrel on Hacks Cross Road at I-385.
Try it, you might like it, even if you bump elbows and fight over a biscuit with a new friend.
--Scott Hill
*The title honors Ted Pearson, who, in the time before Small Groups, teamed with Cliff Gurlen to host a gathering where they would bring a topic for discussion.
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BPC SISTERS TEA PARTY
Friday, June 21
5-6:30pm
at Olive Garden on Poplar at I-240
A Balmoral Sisters tea party event will be this Friday afternoon, 5-6:30 pm, at Olive Garden (Poplar and I-240). The tea parties are held on the 3rd Friday of each month, and all ladies of Balmoral are welcome. This is a Dutch-treat social hour - You can choose tea or anything else on the menu!
We have to reserve seats, so an RSVP is important.
If you plan to attend or if you have any questions, call
Kristen Gurlen (901-275-4492) or Mary Schmitz (901-496-2799).
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BOOK CLUB
Tuesday, July 9
1:30pm
For our mid-year meeting on Tuesday, July 9 (1:30 p.m.) we are going to do something different: we will meet at
Otherlands Coffee Bar at 641 Cooper St. in midtown.
Our "assignment" is any story of your choosing from the many short story collections of the late Alice Munro, a highly acclaimed author of short stories who died last month. Ms. Munro received both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Man Booker Prize. According to Wikipedia, the Canadian author's stories "explore human complexities in an uncomplicated prose style. Her writing established her reputation as a great author in the vein of Anton Chekhov." Her story collections are readily available in local libraries.
We will share our thoughts on the story(ies) each of us reads.
Looking further ahead, in August we will meet at the house of Jan Kaplan, and Robin Ashworth will lead us in a discussion of Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt. Our September book will be Abide with Me by Elizabeth Stroutt, led by Bevery Hooker (location TBD.)
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HOME COMMUNION TEAM
Sunday, June 30
After worship in Classroom A
If you are interested in joining
Rev. Elizabeth Dick to serve
Home Communion, the team will be meeting after worship Sunday,
June 30, for a short meeting.
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Presbyterian Association of Musicians conference opens with the theme 'Lead Us Homeward' | The annual Worship & Music Conference of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians kicked off two weeks of offerings in Montreat, North Carolina, on Sunday with evening worship, followed by a full schedule of classes in choral and congregational music, lessons in specific instruments, hymn-writing, liturgy and preaching. | | | |
Domestic Engagement Committee to consider action on gun violence, studies on both Artificial Intelligence and white Christian nationalism | When committee work of the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) begins next week, its Domestic Engagement Committee will consider overtures and recommendations on a wide swath of issues. | | | |
William Warren (25);
Rose Lucas (26)
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Rebekah Bruce (3);
John Van Nortwick (6);
Camille Harrison (15);
Debbie Howitt (18);
Linda Waltz (20);
Cameron Fox-Cohen (21); Connie Pride (23);
Gary Reese (24); Scott Hill (28); Erich Shultz (30)
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12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A
6:30pm Fellowship Team meeting on Zoom (contact Paul Below for the link)
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5:00pm BPC SISTERS Tea Party at Olive Garden on Poplar at I-240 (reservations req'd - call Mary Schmitz (901-496-2799) or Kristen Gurlen (901-275-4492) | |
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10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary
11:00am Worship in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
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10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary
11:00am Worship in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
12:30pm HOME COMMUNION Meeting in Classroom A
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8:00am Tuesdays with Ted at Cracker Barrel on Hacks Cross
12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A
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10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary
11:00am Worship & Communion in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
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8:00am Tuesdays with Ted at Cracker Barrel on Hacks Cross
10:30am Operations Team in Classroom A
12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A
1:30pm Book Club at OTHERLANDS COFFEE BAR 641 Cooper St.
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12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A | |
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10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary
11:00am Worship & Communion in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
12:30pm Lunch with Mark in Classroom A
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8:00am Tuesdays with Ted at Cracker Barrel on Hacks Cross
12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A
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5:00pm BPC SISTERS Tea Party at Olive Garden on Poplar at I-240 (reservations req'd - call Mary Schmitz (901-496-2799) or Kristen Gurlen (901-275-4492) | |
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10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary
11:00am Worship & Communion in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
12:30pm Session Meeting in Classroom A
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Rev. Mark Howland
for the Children's Moment
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Musical Offering by The Summer Singers | |
Jensen Van Nortwick and Eleanor, Clara and Vivian Dawson
at the Creation Station
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Pastor Contact: Rev. Mark Howland
(515-988-5183 or email pastormark@balmoralpc.com)
Pastoral Care: Rev. Elizabeth Dick, Pastor Associate
(314.330.0506 or email elizabethdick2@gmail.com)
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FOOD CART
Bring items for the Food Cart weekly - keep the cart full!
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JOHNSON AUXILIARY
Items needed at Region One for patients and their families.
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RECYCLING
Toothbrushes, Toothpaste tubes etc can be recycled.
Cardboard recycling is also available
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SUNDAY LITURGIST
Sign up to join Mark at the podium
as a Liturgist
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SIGN-UP to BRING COFFEE_TIME SNACKS
For goodies with your coffee.
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SUPPORT the HOSPITALITY BAGS PROGRAM
Make donations and/or pass out bags to those in need
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VOLUNTEER for the
SOUP KITCHEN
Make sandwiches and/or serve lunch at 1st Presbyterian
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PASS OUT FOOD
at COLONIAL PARK
Food from the MidSouth Food Bank distribution location
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PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ARTICLES
These articles appeared in a earlier newsletter but are still relevant this week!
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The 226th GENERAL ASSEMBLY PC(USA)
June 25-July 4 in Salt Lake City
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The theme of GA226, “Live into Hope”, is based on the hymn of the same name by Jane Parker Huber. Daily themes have been chosen based on verses of the hymn. The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly chose the theme as an opportunity to charge the denomination after being in a space of lament and hope. We are now being charged to live into that hope.
The General Assembly consists of commissioners elected by presbyteries. Half of the commissioners will be ruling elders, half will be teaching elders. Few will ever have been commissioners to the General Assembly before, but most will have served in one of the other governing bodies of our church: the session, which provides care and oversight of a local congregation; the presbytery, which provides care and oversight of a group of congregations; or the synod which provides care and oversight of several presbyteries.
General Assembly reviews the work of synods, resolves controversies in the church, is responsible for matters of common concern for the whole church, and serves as a symbol of unity for the church.
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- Newsletter Articles & Photos should be emailed to Kathy Singleton at ksingle2@bellsouth.net no later than end of day Monday for the week you want the article in the news.
- Bulletin Announcements should be emailed to Kathy Singleton, no later than Monday the week before the Sunday you want the information to appear.
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