mailing address: Balmoral Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 17309, Memphis, TN 38187
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NEWS THIS WEEK
- WORSHIP for THIS SUNDAY
- Circle of Faith Worship at 8:30
- Sunday Studies 9:30am
- BPC Worship at 11:00 a.m.
- TRYING ON A NEW PAIR OF GLASSES
- SUMMER SABBATH will begin JUNE 4
- BPC Photos
- Worship May 14
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WEEKLY INFORMATION
- Birthdays
- Calendar of Events
- CONTACT INFORMATION
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
- BRING FOOD for the FOOD CART
- Give out Hospitality bags
- DONATED BOOKS for the VA
- SIGN UP to be a WORSHIP LITURGIST!
- Johnson Auxiliary - DONATIONS NEEDED
- MEALS on WHEELS SUBS NEEDED!
REMINDERS:
- UPDATE YOUR DIRECTORY LISTING! Latest listing 5/3
- LINK to PINECREST Summer Camp Registration
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BPC Worship
May 21, 2023
Scriptures: Psalm 25 & Romans 8:6-11
Sermon: “Praying Easter”
Worship Leader: Rev. Elizabeth Dick
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SPRING SUNDAY STUDIES
Sunday Studies for spring meets in Classroom A at 9:30am. The book, "Liturgy of the Ordinary, Sacred Practices in Everyday Life" by Tish Harrison Warren, led by Bev Hooker and Mary Schmitz.
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CIRCLE of FAITH WORSHIP 8:30am
IN BPC's Fellowship Hall
Everyone is invited to join Circle of Faith's worship service!
To enter the building, use Office door to the Fellowship Hall.
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Can't attend in person? Join us online LIVE!
We will still send an email on FRIDAY with the LiveStream YouTube link
& Sunday Worship Guide.
Previous Worship Services at Balmoral are also still available on the
Balmoral YouTube channel
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Jada Baldwin and Ian Mercer will be graduating in May. If you'd like to congratulate them, you can bring a note of encouragement for their upcoming journeys by bringing cards and place them on the table in the back of the sanctuary through the month of May. | |
YOUTH UPDATES: Wondering what the youth have been up to lately? Here's an update! | |
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Ian Mercer graduates MAY 12th from Collierville High School. Ian received several scholarship offers but ultimately chose The University of Tennessee. (Go Vols!).
Noah Mercer will soon to be 17 on May 31st and will be entering the 11th grade at Collierville High School. He plays guitar in The School of Rock House Band and performs in concerts all over the city…..even on Beale Street! This summer Noah will go on a week tour with School of Rock and play in a different city each night. Check out his guitar playing on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/733311891/videos/687031966521792/
Eli Gurlen is finishing up his Junior year at East High School. He has remained active with his Community Theater group, but is looking forward to summer break & plans to spend a lot of time at Pinecrest Camp.
Casey Gurlen has just finished her freshman year at University of Memphis & while she hasn’t officially declared her major yet, she has ruled out one of the majors she was considering. Casey is looking forward to summer break & using her down time to earn some money towards the Casey-Car-Fund.
Jada Baldwin will graduate from H. W. Byers high school May 19th . She has been accepted to Mississippi State on scholarship. She has been working at Starbucks for the past year and enjoying being a teenager now that the pandemic is mostly over.
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The PC(USA)’s Pentecost Offering Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary
Generous giving from across the denomination has supported children at risk, youth and young adults since 1998
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BPC will collect offerings on May 21 and May 28.
Checks should be made to Balmoral, with a note that it is for "Pentecost Offering." Special Offering envelopes will be available on the table at the back of the sanctuary.
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TUESDAY
June 20, 11:30 am
a
(NOTE the date and time change!)
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The June Book Club will meet at the home of Jane Schneider, 8487 Lofton Cove, on Tuesday, June 20, beginning at 11:30am.
We will have a salad potluck,
so please bring a salad or dessert.
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West with Giraffes
by Lynda Rutledge.
The book is inspired by a true story of how two giraffes miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic and then a cross-country truck drive during the height of the Great Depression. Part adventure, part historical saga and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes is sure to please.
Janice Hill will lead the discussion.
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Looking ahead: The book club is taking a month off in July, but will meet again on Tuesday, August 8, at 1:30 p.m., as we discuss the book Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Beverly Hooker will be our leader. | |
Trying On A New Pair Of Glasses
by Steve Young, Living Waters for the World
Special to Presbyterian News Service
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I’ve been thinking lately about glasses. Not the drinking kind, more like the seeing kind. Yet not the ones we use to improve our vision, but those we wear that color our perception. What I’ve come to learn after taking 60 trips around the sun is that we all wear these kinds of glasses, no exceptions — well, maybe other than God — I imagine that God sees purely, no glasses required; we humans, not so much.
Yes, we all have at least one pair of these glasses — some of us have several different pairs lying around. We’ve picked them up throughout our lives, from parents and teachers, from our friends and churches. Sometimes, we choose glasses that inspire us, that make us feel joy. And sometimes, we had a pair of glasses we really loved, until someone or something came along and crushed them right in front of us. We are lost, trying to find a pair that fits, or hurt and angry and choose our next pair accordingly.
Glasses of perception are offered insistently from our favorite media outlets, preferred political party, and our card-carrying groups of affiliation. We don’t just strive to “sing from the same hymnbook” — we love to look through the same prescription of glasses. It feels good to flock together, to belong, to know that we’re right and therefore …
No wonder different kinds of folks can look at the same thing — an idea, issue or situation — yet see it quite differently. The “aha” moment for me came when I realized that glasses of perception have one glaring blind spot — I can easily see the glasses others are wearing and completely forget that I have on glasses at all. Just like God, I believe I am seeing purely.
In case you’re wondering if this is a proposition to learn to take off our glasses, it’s not, because we can’t. We’re human after all — wearing these kinds of glasses has always been part of the deal. However, here are a few things we can own:
- We are wearing glasses! (If we get this one, everything else gets a whole lot easier.)
- We choose the glasses we wear for a variety of reasons.
- Others have equally valid reasons to them for the glasses they choose to wear
And a few ‘gut-check’ questions we can ask: Do my glasses …
- leave me feeling positive or negative?
- truly reflect who I am, or who I think I’m supposed to be?
- cause me to welcome or reject?
- help me live in hope or in fear?
- see with love or with hate?
Recently while hiking, I took the above picture. Initially, my glasses of perception told me that these are just weeds and they grow all over the place. Yet, something tugged at my heart and suddenly I saw beauty right in front of me, another of God’s perfect pieces of art to enjoy.
And maybe that’s the thing. We don’t have to choose our glasses alone, even if we think we must. We can ask for help. May the Holy Spirit nudge us all, overcoming our defenses, saying, “Here, give this pair a try.”
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SUMMER
SUNDAY SABBATH
begins Sunday, June 4
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Balmoral traditionally suspends some activities over the summer, giving everyone a chance to recharge the batteries, spend time with family and taking vacations.
Summer Sabbath gives us time to reconnect to the Father’s love individually and allows us space and time to linger with Him in the space of the unhurried. It also reconnects us back with our own souls and notice life happening around us. During Summer Sabbath, we can use the extra time for long walks in our neighborhoods, going to the park, sitting on the back deck, gathering around a summer’s night bonfire.
Over the summer, we will not have Sunday Studies on Sunday mornings. We will look forward to special solos and small vocal groups for our Worship music, and plans are being made for a “Hymn Sing” Sunday. PW Bible Study will meet in June and will take the rest of the summer off. The Book Club will meet June 20, then take July off, and meet again on Tuesday, August 8.
The Pastor Nominating Committee will continue their search activities. Other Committees may adjust meeting schedules, so check with your committee chair. Some small groups will also take off – check with your small group leader.
Renewed and refreshed in September, all activities will start back up as usual, and hopefully looking forward to a new Pastor!
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“On Sabbath, we cease our work so God can do God’s work in us.” | |  |
“Sabbath keeping is a way of living out our belief that we are not our own; that we belong to God.” | |
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CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU?
DOUBLE-CHECK our BPC DIRECTORY LISTING!
Contact Kathy Singleton at ksingle2@bellsouth.net to get an updated listing!
NOTE: Due to a scam phone message to several people (supposedly from Elizabeth Dick but not from her real phone number), we have removed the BPC Directory link from this email. We do not yet know if it was a phone hack on Elizabeth's phone or whether the newsletter email was hacked. So as a caution, we have removed the directory. Contact Kathy Singleton if you need a new directory copy - it will only now be sent to people who are verified and request it !
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LITURGIST SIGNUPS
Use the button here to sign-up!
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Choose the Sunday(s) you are available to serve. All materials you need will be sent to you for that week!
(Contact Kathy Singleton at ksingle2@bellsouth.net if you have questions or need help signing up.)
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OPPORTUNITIES for OUTREACH | |
St. Luke Methodist Food Pantry needs non-perishable staples all through the year.... pasta, cereal, peanut butter, can goods of fruits, vegetables, soups, stews or Chili with meat. Add an item or two to your grocery list this week for the Food Cart! | |
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HOSPITALITY BAGS
ARE AVAILABLE NEXT to the FOOD CART -
PICK SOME UP!
You can also pick up Hospitality Bags to donate to those you pass along the road who are in need.
(And bring donations for more bags - bring bottles of water,
And bring donations for more bags - bring bottles of water, boxes of raisins or other dried fruit, granola bars, cheese crackers (NO PEANUT BUTTER!!), clean socks - when you see someone asking for a handout, hand them a Hospitality bag!
Please bring what you can!
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IF ANYONE IS CALLED TO SERVE....
We work every 1st and 3rd Thursday.
Colonial Park UMC
5330 Park Ave
CONTACT SCOTT DAWSON for more INFORMATION
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UPDATED NEEDS for
JOHNSON AUXILIARY
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UPDATED LIST for Regional One needs the following items for our Clothes Closet for men & women:
Clothing:
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Men’s and women’s underwear—must be new, preferably in a package or tags still on them (all sizes needed)
- Men’s and women’s sweatpants, sweatshirts, etc.--all sizes needed (can be new or gently used)
- Men’s and Women’s socks (all sizes); must be new
- Men’s pajama pants (all sizes needed)
- Men’s athletic shoes and house shoes (with backs)—all sizes needed (new or gently used)
- Women’s athletic shoes and house shoes (with backs)—sizes 8 and up (new or gently used)
Other Needs:
- Adult coloring and puzzle books; crayons and colored pencils (must be new)
Hygiene Items -- must be new, unused and not beyond expiration date—
- Men’s and women’s deodorant (unscented preferred)
- Toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash (small travel size preferred)
- Body wash (small travel size)
- Large Combs (particularly those for detangling hair) and Brushes
- Nail Clippers
If items have been previously worn, they must be clean, odor-free, stain-free and not in need of repair.
Your contributions really help and are greatly appreciated!
(Place items near the Food Cart in the narthex hallway.)
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THE VA WANTS YOUR BOOKS!
GENTLY USED BOOKS WANTED!
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The VA has a need, a big one, that won’t cost you any money! We need books!! Books in good condition! BUT we need to be a bit picky….
No books that smell of cigarette smoke, no books that have been sitting in open boxes in someone’s garage or attic gathering dust and/or bugs. We need books of many genres, fiction & non-fiction: histories, mysteries, DIY, westerns, biographies, cookbooks, etc. We’ll take some romances, but most of the folks here aren’t big on the Harlequin variety!!
The VA ALSO NEEDS:
We are in need of the following items:
- T-shirts, sizes M and 2XL
- Sleep pants/lounge pants, summer weight, sizes 2XL and 3X
- Deodorant, men’s
Anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated.
Karen Pilkington will be collecting the books & clothes – bring them to church in bags or boxes and leave them next to the Food Cart and her DAR chapter will see that they get to the VA.
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Birthdays
Clinton Bailey (23), Casey Gurlen (26), Janet Smith (26), Shirley Vosburg (29),
Phil Shannon (30), Noah Mercer (31)
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Upcoming
Events . . . . .
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Every Monday
2:00pm Writer's Group CLASSROOM A and/or on Zoom
JOIN MONDAY'S WRITER'S GROUP via ZOOM MEETING
EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY
12:30pm CHAIR YOGA in CLASSROOM A
1st Wednesday of the Month
BIBLE STUDY 10:30am in Classroom A
1st & 3rd Thursday of the Month
Ellis Small Group 10:15 am
JOIN Ellis Small Group Zoom Meeting
2nd Tuesday of the Month
1:30pm BOOK CLUB in Classroom A
2nd Thursday Evening of the Month
7:00 pm Trouble I've Seen Small Group
JOIN US on ZOOM at this LINK
1st & 3rd Thursday of the Month
COLONIAL PARK FOOD DRIVE
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Thursday, May 18, 2023
11:00 AM SERVICE of REMEMBRANCE for Clara Jordan
Click HERE for LiveStream service Link
Sunday, May 21, 2023
8:30 AM Circle of Faith Worship in the Fellowship Hall
9:30am Spring Adult Sunday Studies in Classroom A
11:00 AM BPC Worship in the Sanctuary & on LiveStream
Sunday, May 28, 2023
PENTECOST SUNDAY
8:30 AM Circle of Faith Worship in the Fellowship Hall
9:30am Spring Adult Sunday Studies in Classroom A
11:00 AM BPC Worship in the Sanctuary & on LiveStream
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Summer Sabbath Sundays begin
8:30 AM Circle of Faith Worship in the Fellowship Hall
NO Adult Sunday Studies until Fall
11:00 AM BPC Worship in the Sanctuary & on LiveStream
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WORSHIP PHOTOS
Sunday, May 14, 2023
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Bells of Balmoral Prelude | |
Liturgist Erich Shultz and Worship Leader Rev. Mark Howland lead a Moment of Silence for Clara Jordan | |
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Worship Leader
Rev. Mark Howland
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Pastoral Care is supplied by Pastoral Care Resident
Rev. Elizabeth Dick (314.330.0506
or email elizabethdick2@gmail.com)
Session members are your primary contact for ongoing communication. Here's the current contact list:
Lori Blackwelder .... (901) 262-8282 ............... LORIEB1165@yahoo.com
Leiza Collins ........... (901) 246-5031 ..................... leiza1016@gmail.com
Barry Dotson .......... (901) 277-1596 ............... barry.dotson@yahoo.com
Janice Hill ............... (901) 826-9747 ................... janicehill81@gmail.com
Beverly Hooker.........(901) 496-1241 ......................... bev.h@earthlink.net
Ted Pearson home: (901) 754-9796 ................... pearsonteda@aol.com
...........................cell: (901) 486-6117
Karen Pilkington......(901) 262-5810 ............karenlpilkington@gmail.com
Erich Shultz ..............(901) 268-4951 ...................emshultz@bellsouth.net
Linda Warren............(901) 573-2654..............emighwarren1947@gmail.com
(NOTE: Many of these Session members work during the day, so you may want to text them or email them.)
Keep in mind that ANY Balmoral member who is healthy will most likely be happy to help you in case of need as well!
To contact other members, the most-current contact information is available by requesting a copy of the BPC PHONE DIRECTORY from Kathy Singleton by email ksingle2@bellsouth.net or by phone or text to (901) 734-7193.
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POLICIES for WORSHIP & BUILDING USE
- Wearing a mask in the church building is optional.
- Social distancing is still encouraged.
- Individuals exhibiting symptoms of illness are asked to not enter the building.
- Unvaccinated individuals are asked to wear a mask, including members of community organizations that use the building.
- Should a surge in Covid-19 infections prompt the Shelby County Health Department to recommend indoor mask-wearing and social distancing, the task force will convene to decide how to react.
- Members who test positive for Covid-19 are asked to notify Rev. Elizabeth Dick, who will notify the congregation so members can decide how to respond.
- To keep the SEED children as safe as possible, the procedures controlling the old end of the building will remain unchanged, except when there is a need for someone to pass through the SEED area.
- Individuals may bring only water into the sanctuary; food and drink is permitted elsewhere.
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Small Group Meetings in Classrooms A & B must be scheduled with Barry Dotson, barry.dotson@yahoo.com or signed text/cell: 901. 277.1596 | |
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THIS ISN'T ENTIRELY OVER YET, HOWEVER!
PLEASE, FOR THE SAFETY OF YOURSELF and ALL THOSE YOU LOVE AND CARE FOR:
PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE CHURCH
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS of ILLNESS
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IF YOU ARE EXPOSED TO OR HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COVID
Contact: The Reverend Elizabeth Dick 314.330.0506 or elizabethdick2@gmail.com
Let Elizabeth know when you were last in church; Give permission for notification to the congregation; Get Tested, if you have not already been; Contact any person or persons you have been with and follow with your doctor's advice.
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- Newsletter Articles & Photos should be emailed to Kathy Singleton at ksingle2@bellsouth.net no later than Monday at noon for the week you want the article in the news.
- Bulletin Information should be emailed to Kathy Singleton, no later than Monday noon the week before the Sunday you want the information to appear.
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Prayer Concerns should be submitted via email to Rev. Elizabeth Dick (elizabethdick2@gmail.com) with a copy to Kathy Singleton at ksingle2@bellsouth.net.
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MAY 2023
online church calendar
Click HERE for the BPC Calendar
The calendar will take a few seconds to load and, once it opens, you will see the month that we are currently in. To see the next month's calendar, click on the arrow pointing down - it is just to the right of the name of the month. Once you click on that arrow, an icon will appear with all the months of the year listed. Click on the month that you want to see. To see a specific date, click on the number of the day you would like to see. The entire 2021-2022 calendar is available to you.
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