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BPC NEWS BRIEF

Thursday,

June 20, 2024

OUR MISSION: We are an open community who believes God is love

and who lives our belief through praise and service.

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

NEW for THIS WEEK


  • WORSHIP SUNDAY, June 23 Worship at 11:00am


  • MESSAGE from the PASTOR


  • PASTOR on CALL June 29-July 5


  • TUESDAYS WITH TED - You're Invited!



  • BPC SISTERS TEA PARTY! June 21


  • BOOK CLUB July 9


  • 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


  • BIRTHDAYS


  • CALENDAR of EVENTS


  • BPC Photos
  • Worship Photos
  • In the Creation Station

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


DID YOU MISS THIS LAST WEEK? (Read it now - it's right after the photos!)

  • 226th GENERAL ASSEMBLY PCUSA June 25-July 4


ONGOING INFORMATION LINKS:


SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

DONATIONS


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED



PASTORS & SESSION CONTACT INFORMATION LINK


Sunday Worship

June 23, 2024


WORSHIP SERVICE 11:00am


Scriptures: Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon: The Church as Inspirer

Rev. Mark Howland

Can't attend Worship in person? Join us on YouTube LIVE!

Link to LiveStream Worship on YouTube at 11:00 am

Link to the Worship bulletin for June 23

Previous Worship Services at Balmoral are also still available on the 

Balmoral YouTube channel 

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, MAKEBAPTIZING, 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

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.


Small Group Update:


TUESDAYS

with TED

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.

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).

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.)

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.

NEWS from PC(USA)


For more articles this week,

go to https://www.pcusa.org/news/

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

William Warren (25);

Rose Lucas (26)

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)


CALENDAR of EVENTS

REGULARLY SCHEDULED EVENTS

Want to know what days certain groups or events meet? Or what groups may not meet during the Summer? Check out the current regular events calendar! Click the image here to see what groups are meeting when!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, June 20, 2024

12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A

6:30pm Fellowship Team meeting on Zoom (contact Paul Below for the link)

Friday, June 21, 2024

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)

Sunday, June 23, 2024

10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary 

11:00am Worship in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube

Thursday, June 27, 2024

10:30am Sandwich Project in Classroom A

12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A

Sunday, June 30, 2024

10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary 

11:00am Worship in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube

12:30pm HOME COMMUNION Meeting in Classroom A

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

8:00am Tuesdays with Ted at Cracker Barrel on Hacks Cross

12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A

Thursday, July 4, 2024

OFFICE CLOSED

Sunday, July 7, 2024

10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary 

11:00am Worship & Communion in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

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.

Thursday, July 11, 2024

12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A

Sunday, July 14, 2024

10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary 

11:00am Worship & Communion in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube

12:30pm Lunch with Mark in Classroom A

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

8:00am Tuesdays with Ted at Cracker Barrel on Hacks Cross

12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A

Friday, July 19, 2024

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)

Thursday, July 18, 2024

9:00am Food Drive at Colonial Park UMC

5330 Park Ave

10:15am Thursday Small Group in Classroom A

12:30pm Chair Yoga in Classroom A

Sunday, July 21, 2024

10:30am Choir rehearses in sanctuary 

11:00am Worship & Communion in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube

12:30pm Session Meeting in Classroom A

LINK to the CHURCH CALENDAR

BPC PHOTOS

June 16

Sunday Worship


Janice Hill, Liturgist

Rev. Mark Howland

for the Children's Moment

Musical Offering by The Summer Singers

Jensen Van Nortwick and Eleanor, Clara and Vivian Dawson

at the Creation Station


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)    

CLICK HERE for SESSION & OTHER CONTACTS

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES!

DONATIONS

FOOD CART

Bring items for the Food Cart weekly - keep the cart full!

Link to Food Cart  Needs

JOHNSON AUXILIARY

Items needed at Region One for patients and their families.

Links to Region One needs

RECYCLING

Toothbrushes, Toothpaste tubes etc can be recycled. Cardboard recycling is also available

 Link to Recycling

BE A VOLUNTEER!

SUNDAY LITURGIST

Sign up to join Mark at the podium as a Liturgist

Sign Up as Liturgist

SIGN-UP to BRING COFFEE_TIME SNACKS

For goodies with your coffee.

Sign Up for Coffee Snacks

SUPPORT the HOSPITALITY BAGS PROGRAM

Make donations and/or pass out bags to those in need

Hospitality Bags Info

VOLUNTEER for the SOUP KITCHEN

Make sandwiches and/or serve lunch at 1st Presbyterian

Soup Kitchen Info

PASS OUT FOOD at COLONIAL PARK

Food from the MidSouth Food Bank distribution location

Colonial Park Food Distribution Info



PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ARTICLES



These articles appeared in a earlier newsletter but are still relevant this week!

The 226th GENERAL ASSEMBLY PC(USA)

June 25-July 4 in Salt Lake City

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.


Read about GA, the Agendas & More
  • 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.