BPC NEWS BRIEF Wednesday, August 3, 2022

BPC NEWS BRIEF

Wednesday,

August 3, 2022

mailing address: Balmoral Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 17309, Memphis, TN 38187

NEWS THIS WEEK

WORSHIP for SUNDAY, AUGUST 7

ELECTION DAY, AUGUST 4
NO CHAIR YOGA Aug 4

BOOK CLUB AUGUST

MIFA NO-GO GALA

FALL SUNDAY STUDIES

225th GENERAL ASSEMBLY SUMMARY of ACTIONS

BPC Photos
Worship in July

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!

BPC SUMMER SCHEDULE

SUNDAY STUDIES will start back up September 12

BPC WORSHIP

Sunday, August 7, 2022

11:00am

IN BPC's SANCTUARY

Scripture: Luke 12:32-40

Sermon: Where Our Treasure Is

We will still send an email on FRIDAY

with the LiveStream YouTube link & Sunday Worship Guide.

Previous Worship Services at Balmoral are still available on the

Balmoral YouTube channel

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.

SUNDAY STUDIES is

ON VACATION for the SUMMER

Studies will start up again in September

BALMORAL HOSTS TN PRIMARY

& GENERAL ELECTION

Thursday, August 4, 2022

BPC's Sanctuary area will again be hosting our neighbors as they vote in their precinct from

7:00am to 7:00pm tomorrow.

CHAIR YOGA

for Thursday,

August 4, has been CANCELLED

due to the voting

BOOK CLUB

AUGUST 16, 1:30pm

Classroom A

We will be discussing the book Seed to Dust by Marc Hamer. Janice Hill and Ted Pearson will co-lead the discussion.

The author is an English vagabond turned gardener, philosopher, poet and artist. This journal will mesmerize non-gardeners as much as those with green thumbs, as Hamer reflects on "the cycles of birth, growth, life and decay in nature . . . and the mysteries of being alive."

NO-GO GALA

Dear MIFA friends,

Many of you are familiar with the No-Go Gala, our annual fundraising campaign that asks you to stay home with an activity and donate what you would have spent on a night out to MIFA instead.

This year's No-Go Gala features several of our "MIFA superheroes" in a comic book, photographed by the talented Justin Fox Burks, and our team has been so excited to share the finished product with you. Unfortunately, due to postal service delays resulting in a low rate of delivery, many of you have not received your No-Go mailings yet.

While you wait, I hope you will take a moment to

view this online version

and consider making a gift to No-Go. Every donation supports MIFA's programs for seniors and families.

We are grateful to our No-Go hosts, the superheroes featured in the booklet:

The Incredible Crenshaws | Lucia and Hal Crenshaw and their family

Meggan, Daniel, Sadie & Ben Kiel

The Magnificent Malones | Tamera, Skylar, and Tylar Malone and Kaleb Anderson

Gus & Gibby Martin | Children of Hope and Tom Martin

Alison Morris | Daughter of Mary and Paul Morris

The Outstanding Orrs | Pastor Bartholomew Orr and his grandchildren

Evelyn Rakestraw | Daughter of Jeff and Tiffany Rakestraw

The Superb St. Mary’s Seventh Grade Class

Thank you for your patience as we continue work with our print vendor and the local USPS to track this mailing. We hope every copy will be delivered soon!

Sincerely,

Ellen Whitten

Director of Impact & Communications

FALL SUNDAY STUDIES

BEGINS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 9:30am in Classroom A!

Our Fall Sunday Studies book study will be:

We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People's Campaign

by Liz Theoharis.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims justice and abundance for the poor. Yet these powerful passages about poverty are frequently overlooked and misinterpreted.

Enter the Poor People's Campaign, a movement against racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism, and religious nationalism. In We Cry Justice, Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the campaign, is joined by pastors, community organizers, scholars, low-wage workers, lay leaders, and people in poverty to interpret sacred stories about the poor seeking healing, equity, and freedom. In a world roiled by poverty and injustice, Scripture still speaks.

Organized into fifty-two chapters, each focusing on a key Scripture passage, We Cry Justice offers comfort and challenge from the many stories of the poor taking action together. Read anew the story of the exodus that frees people from debt and slavery, the prophets who denounce the rich and ruling classes, the stories of Jesus's healing and parables about fair wages, and the early church's sharing of goods. Reflection questions and a short prayer at the end of each chapter offer the opportunity to use the book devotionally through a year.

The Bible cries for justice, and we do too. It's time to act on God's persistent call to repair the breach and fight poverty, not the poor.

LEADERS: Ted Pearson and Cliff Gurlen

225TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (2022)

A Summary of General Assembly

Actions

Israel/Palestine, fossil fuel divestment, OGA/PMA unification among major issues addressed

Rick Jones & Mike Ferguson | Office of the General Assembly - July 12, 2022

Church leadership

Key positions in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) were filled during the assembly. The Rev. Ruth Santana-Grace and Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis were elected co-moderators of the 225^th General Assembly. The assembly confirmed Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett’s re-election to a second term as president and executive director of Presbyterian Mission Agency. The assembly confirmed the re-election of the Rev. Dr. Tom Taylor as president and CEO of the Presbyterian Foundation, his fourth term. The assembly also confirmed the 2021 election of Rev. Dr. Asa Lee, president of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Israel/Palestine

The General Assembly voted 266-116 to approve INT-02 , a “Recognition that Israel’s Laws, Policies and Practices Constitute Apartheid Against the Palestinian People.” It declares that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) “recognizes that the laws, policies, and practices of the government of Israel regarding the Palestinian people fulfill the international legal definition of apartheid.”

Fossil fuel divestment

General Assembly approved ENV-10 calling for divestment from five oil and gas companies: Chevron, ExxonMobil, Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66 and Valero Energy. The assembly said the companies were not doing enough to slow global warming.

Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) reports that this is the first time the PC(USA) has voted to divest from companies out of compliance with GA’s environmental policies (which was established in 2018.)

Unification and National Structure

On a vote of 321-54, General Assembly approved FIN-10 , which calls for the appointment of a commission to oversee and facilitate the unification of the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) and the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) into a single agency. The assembly also approved MOV-02 , which moves Mission Engagement and Support (MES) from the Mission Agency to the Administrative Services Group, which supports both OGA and PMA.

Unified budget/per capita

The assembly approved FIN-14 , which includes unified budgets for the Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Administrative Services Group of the PC(USA), A Corporation. The budget for the three agencies and entities totals $88.3 million in 2023 and $89.5 million in 2024. The breakdown of the budget will be 16% for OGA, 79% for PMA, and 5% for ASG.

The assembly voted to approve FIN-13 which assesses a per capita rate of $9.85 per member in 2023 and $9.80 per member in 2024. The current per capita rate is $8.98 per member meaning an 87-cent (9.6%) increase next year while the 2024 rate will drop by five cents (0.5%) in 2024. The per capita budget for 2023 was approved at $15.2 million and $15.6 million for 2024.

Immigration

By a vote of 340-25, the General Assembly approved IMM-06 , allowing the church to declare itself a “Sanctuary and Accompaniment Church.” The assembly’s Immigration Committee says the decision sends a message that the church is committed to working for justice in U.S. immigration policy.

Gun violence

General Assembly approved a motion that the church renew its commitment to end gun violence by developing a 10-year campaign, the Decade to End Gun Violence (2022 – 2032).

The assembly also voted to direct Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) to engage with Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Kroger, three publicly traded companies held by either the Board of Pensions or Presbyterian Foundation, that sell guns not classified as semi-automatic and assault-based weapons.

Ukraine

The assembly also voted 374-1 to approve INT-19, a commissioners’ resolution condemning the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and crimes against humanity, and calling for a cease-fire and the immediate resumption of internationally mediated negotiations.

Race and gender justice

Commissioners and advisory delegates approved several items of business from the Race and Gender Justice Committee (RGJ), including RGJ-07 : “A Resolution Addressing the Lack of Installed Pastoral Leadership in People of Color Congregations in the PC(USA) — From the Racial Equity Advocacy

Committee” and RGJ-08 : “On Offering an Apology to African Americans for the Sin of Slavery and Its Legacy.”

A two-hour plenary ended with votes overwhelmingly approving both items, and with white Presbyterians reading aloud “A Litany of Repentance” found in RGJ-08, which begins with the words: “As white Christians we repent of our complicity in the belief in white supremacy.”

The assembly also approved RGJ-12 calling for a new special committee to expose white supremacy within the denomination and make recommendations for improvement. In addition, the assembly approved RGJ-13 , directing the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation to “create educational resources for congregations to identify and interrupt practices and policies that perpetuate the adultificaiton of Black girls and criminalization of adolescent behavior.” Commissioners and advisory delegates passed a resolution, RGJ-14 , denouncing violence against Asian women and Pacific Islanders.

The Church will form a committee to write a new PC(USA) confession.

226^th General Assembly

The assembly voted to change the format of the 226 ^th General Assembly , whereby committee meetings will be held online, with in-person plenaries being conducted on site in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2024. The assembly is expected to cost approximately $2.8 million.

Mid councils

Commissioners and advisory delegates approved MC-10 , which creates a task force to explore the theology and practice of ordination for ruling elders and recommend any changes to the 226th General Assembly (2024). The task force will include representatives who identify as BIPOC, immigrant congregations and New Worshiping Communities. Several amendments and motions were considered, but the overture was approved as amended by the committee.

Other

The General Assembly approved changes to the Standing Rules (STAN-22 ) that alter requirements for those serving as Young Adult Advisory Delegates to the assembly. YAADs must be:

An active member of a PC(USA) congregation or participant in a new worshipping community or immigrant fellowship that has a relationship with a presbytery
Between 18 and 23 years of age on the day the assembly convenes.

Read more news of the 225^th General Assembly at https://pcusa.org .

WORSHIP will be IN-PERSON and LiveStreamed as usual at 11:00am each Sunday all summer!
SUNDAY STUDIES will be ON VACATION for the SUMMER (We will start up again September 12)
Balmoral Book Club is Tuesday, August 16, at 1:30 p.m.

Check with your Small Group Leaders about their Summer Plans!

LITURGIST SIGNUPS

We have LOTS of open slots for Worship Liturgist volunteers. Use the button here to sign-up!

LITURGIST SIGN-UP

Choose the Sunday(s) you are available to serve. All materials you need will be sent to you for that week!

(Contact Rev. Mary Gale if you have questions or need help signing up.)

OPPORTUNITIES for OUTREACH

FILL UP

the

FOOD CART!

STEWS & MEATY CHILI

are on the MENU FOR THE

FOOD CART!

St. Luke Methodist Food Pantry needs stews or Chili with meat! Add a can or two to your grocery list this week for the

Food Cart!

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!

URGENT NEED: WE ARE OUT of BOTTLED WATER and SOCKS for the HOSPITALITY BAGS! Please bring what you can!

COLONIAL PARK FOOD DRIVE

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

THE VA WANTS YOUR BOOKS!

GENTLY USED BOOKS WANTED!

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 desperate need of the following items:

T-shirts, sizes M and 2XL
Sleep pants/lounge pants, summer weight, sizes 2XL and 3X
Deodorant, men’s

Of course, we always need all sizes of underwear, t-shirts, sleep pants, but we are either out of or down to just a few of the items listed above. And we get requests daily!

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.

CLOTHES DRIVE

for

JOHNSON AUXILIARY

Men’s Clothing:

Men’s Casual Shoes (athletic-type shoes) /Slippers (with backs) (All sizes needed)
Men’s Jackets and Hoodies (all sizes) & gloves
Men’s Casual Pants—Waist Sizes (All sizes needed, but particularly need sizes 30-36 waist and sizes 44 and up waist)
Men’s Casual Pants—Sweatpants (All sizes)
Men’s Casual Shirts—long sleeve (All sizes needed, but particularly need sizes XL and up particularly big and tall sizes); button down the front and pullover
Men’s underwear and socks (Must be new)—(All sizes)

Women’s Clothing:

Women’s sweatpants—all sizes needed
Women’s underwear and socks (must be new); all sizes needed
Women’s hoodies/casual outerwear (all sizes needed, particularly plus sizes); gloves
Women’s casual shoes (athletic-type) /slippers (with backs)—Sizes 9 and up

Other Clothing Related Needs:

Umbrellas
Rainwear such as ponchos (unisex, preferred)

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.)

VOLUNTEERS are also needed!

Contact Beverley Hooker for more information!

Jan Kaplan (4), Margaret Mullins (9),

Lori Lucas (14), Ruby Jean Powell (15), Beverly Hooker (19), Barry Dotson (26)

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 B

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

CHECK WITH YOUR SMALL GROUP LEADER for their SUMMER SCHEDULE

Sunday, August 7, 2022