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Balmoral Presbyterian Church
Where the Spirit Takes Flight
BPC NEWS BRIEF
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
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mailing address: Balmoral Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 17309, Memphis, TN 38187
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NEWS THIS WEEK
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STORYTELLING FESTIVAL with DONALD DAVIS, Nov 12-14 at BPC LiveStream Links on YouTube
- WORSHIP SUNDAY November 14
- VETERANS DAY, Thursday, Nov 11
- BPC CLASSROOMS NOW OPEN!
- New Policies & Reservation Procedures
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GROUPS Who Are Now Meeting aaa In-Person
- FALL SUNDAY STUDIES
- Locations for each class
- Assignments for the week
- REMINDER from the HR TEAM
- PCUSA GIVING TUESDAY EVENT Nov. 20
- ADVENT DEVOTIONAL available from PRESBYTERIAN TODAY
- HR TEAM ANNOUNCED TRANSITIONAL PASTOR REV. MARY GALE
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WEEKLY INFORMATION
- Birthdays
- Calendar of Events
- OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
- CONTACT INFORMATION
- HELPFUL COVID-19 LINKS
LINKS to DOCUMENTS
REMINDERS:
- CHANGES to WORSHIP IN-PERSON POLICIES & PROCEDURES
- ALZHEIMER's MONTH & Walk Sat Nov 13
- INTER-FAITH FOOD AND FUNDS DRIVE for Memphis Food Bank Sat. Nov 20
- INTER-FAITH THANKSGIVING WORSHIP CANCELLED
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Donald Davis Storytelling Festival
Fri-Sat, Nov 12 & 13, 7:00pm
Story in Worship,
Sun, Nov 14, 11:00am
The reservation deadline for In-Person attendance Friday and Saturday has passed ,
BUT we will be on YouTube!
Links:
Because of COVID concerns, everyone attending in person for Friday & Saturday must present a copy of their reservation confirmation, must provide proof of vaccination, and is required to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth. Social distancing of 3 feet will be observed.
For the safety of all, Balmoral Presbyterian Church’s COVID Taskforce has developed certain restrictions that will be required at the storytelling events:
- Masks (covering both nose and mouth) must be worn at all times in the building.
- Attendees must provide proof of COVID vaccination to be admitted to the event.
- Attendees must maintain social distancing (3 feet for this event). Seats will be arranged to accommodate social distancing. Attendees may not move chairs.
- Attendees must have made reservations for the event [see instructions below]. Because of the social distancing required, there may be limited seating.
- There will be no intermission during the event.
There will be no sales of CDs, DVDs, etc.
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SUNDAY
WORSHIP
Balmoral Presbyterian Church
Sunday, November 14, 2021
BALMORAL WORSHIP 11:00am
IN BPC's SANCTUARY
Scriptures: Psalm 78:1-4a
& Matthew 13:1-3,10-16
Story by Donald Davis
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IN-PERSON WORSHIP
Due to the new CDC Recommendations EVERYONE WILL BE REQUIRED to WEAR MASKS, whether vaccinated or not.
We will also NOT be coming to the Lord's Table for Communion at this time, but instead will be having a Communion Meditation time one the 1st Sunday of each month.
SEE BELOW for POLICIES and PROCEDURES.
You will also receive our regular worship email, with the bulletin and link for livestream worship, if you plan to worship at home.
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CIRCLE of FAITH WORSHIP at 8:30am
IN BPC's Fellowship Hall
Everyone is also invited to join the Circle of Faith's return to In-Person worship service! To enter the building, use Office door to the Fellowship Hall.
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CLASSROOMS A & B NOW OPEN! |
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The Session of Balmoral Presbyterian Church has approved the following motion from the BPC COVID-19 Task Force to:
- Make Classrooms A and B available for meetings. Maximum occupancy will be determined and posted at the classroom entrances. Masks and 4 feet social distancing required.
- Allow AA and Al-Anon to meet in a classroom, provided that all who attend are fully vaccinated, wear masks and observe social distancing of at least 4 feet. Group leaders must certify that all attendees are fully vaccinated.
- Permit Memphis Men of Harmony to rehearse in the Fellowship Area on Tuesdays, no earlier than 6:30 p.m. for the safety of the SEED children. Masks required.
- Permit a choir of 12 masked singers, plus director, through the end of 2021, provided they are 4 feet socially distanced.
- Permits the Session to meet in person in Classroom A or the Sanctuary, masked and socially distanced, on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Classroom A now has 15 chairs along the walls and 8 chairs at the table. The chairs at the table are socially distanced from the wall chairs, so we could fit 23 people in that classroom, although that might not be conducive to most meetings.
Classroom B has 15 chairs along the walls, with no table(s).
Please note that the chairs are NOT TO BE MOVED in order to preserve adequate social distancing.
Task Force leaders, Committee Chairs, Committee Teams and Small Groups may now contact Barry Dotson, our Building Use Coordinator, at barry.dotson@yahoo.com to schedule events in the building.
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SUNDAY STUDIES BIBLE STUDY will begin using Classroom A on Sunday mornings at 9:30am.
TROUBLE I'VE SEEN small group will begin meeting in person again! We'll meet, masked & socially distanced, in Classroom A on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7pm.
SESSION MEETING will be in person November 21 in Classroom A from 2:30 to 4:30pm.
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FALL SUNDAY STUDIES
9:30-10:30 am
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Fall Studies will run 10 weeks through Nov. 21
2 classes are offered:
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Bible Study—
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
1st & 2nd Thessalonians
Leaders: Clinton Bailey, Stanley Gates,
Cliff Stockton and William Warren
Bible Study will meet in the CLASSROOM A
Please use the BPC Sanctuary doors to enter and exit from the Bible Study Class this week.
The group will be led this week by William Warren
and cover 1 Thessalonians chapters 3:6-5.
Bring your Bible and be sure to wear a mask!
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"Love is the Way"
by Bishop Michael Curry
and Sara Grace
Walk the path of love and learn how to put faith into action. The way of love is essential for addressing the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the world today: poverty, racism, selfishness, deep ideological divisions, competing claims to speak for God.
Leaders: Kristen Gurlen and Sherry Wilkins
"Love is the Way" book discussion will meet in the Fellowship Hall
Please use the Church Office door to enter and exit the building for the "Love is the Way" book discussion class.
Books are available online from several book sellers, including Amazon, and is available on Kindle and Audiobooks.
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Classes will meet in person.
REMINDERS: All participants must be masked at all times!
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LIVE STREAM ONLINE WORSHIP |
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Balmoral's service will ALSO be LiveStreamed online for those who want to "be there" but still need to be able to worship remotely. |
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You will still receive an email on FRIDAY with links to the Worship service online access link & a downloadable Sunday Worship Guide.
If you are planning to attend on LiveStream, instead of in person, keep Friday's email handy!
Previous Worship Services at Balmoral are still available on the
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SAYING “GOOD BYE” TO CARLA
... a NOTE from the HR TEAM
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Incredibly, time has passed very quickly and we will soon be saying "Good Bye" to our pastor of 18 years. Due to Covid-19 restrictions on the use of our church building, we are not going to be able to hold a reception on November 21, following Carla's last service.
We are suggesting that anyone who wants to deliver her a special message bring a card or a personal note. We will have a basket on the table in the narthex on Sunday Nov. 7, 14, and 21. You can drop in your message to Carla, and she can take these home and read them following her last day. We did this for Rev. Anne Hagler and the result was a bundle of meaningful keepsakes that Anne loved. As we do this again for Carla, each of us will be able to craft our own farewell message for her to keep.
Thank you!
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Join in for #GivingTuesday when the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has planned an eight-hour live stream, spanning from Eastern to Western timezones, designed to entertain, inform and encourage greater giving on Tuesday, November 30. The virtual event will include worship and reflection, ministry area highlights, visits from familiar faces, and in-depth conversations around the work of Matthew 25.
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Advent/Christmas Devotional from Presbyterians Today
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Come to Bethlehem and Be Nourished: Advent’s Hunger Gives Way to Christmas Fulfillment
By Donna Frischknecht Jackson | Editor of Presbyterians Today
The 2021 Advent and Christmas Devotional from Presbyterians Today
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I was hopeful at the start of 2021. Vaccines for a global pandemic were available. COVID-19 cases were declining. Businesses began reopening. Weddings that were put on hold resumed. Babies were born. Yes, I was hopeful. Perhaps you were, too.
Hope, though, began waning as the months passed. Virus variants emerged. Debates on mask-wearing escalated. Those tirelessly working for justice grew weary. Churches reopening for in-person worship wondered if people would return. Small businesses wondered the same with their employees, only to discover crippling staffing shortages. I found myself searching for certainty in a still-uncertain world. Perhaps you were, too.
As the year ends and we come to the season of Advent, I find myself with an intimate understanding of the desperate cry for help from our biblical forebears. Like them, I feel I am walking in the darkness. Perhaps you are walking with me, too.
If so, then this is the season, now more than ever, to hold on to the Advent truth Isaiah proclaimed, that “those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.” And we hold onto that promise together — in a community rooted in prayer and marked with compassion and forgiveness. We cannot, nor should we, walk alone. Yet the hope of emerging from a global crisis as a kinder and more loving society seems to be waning as well. Tempers are shorter, fears are stronger, and self-preservation still guides decisions in churches and government.
What if this Advent we seek to be the builders of that peaceable kingdom foretold, boldly committing to build a community that cares for the unloved, the unseen and the unheard? What if we learned once again the value of truly being there for one another?
A VIDEO PREVIEW:
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For more preview information, read more in the Presbyterians Today article HERE
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HR TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT:
BPC TRANSITIONAL PASTOR
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Welcome Mary Gale!
Balmoral Presbyterian Church
Transitional Pastor
The Reverend Mary Newburg Gale
The HR Team -Mary Schmitz, Becky DeLoach, and Cliff Gurlen - announced their selection, and the Session has approved, to begin serving as Balmoral's Transitional Pastor beginning Monday, November 22, 2021. Rev. Gale will serve as Minister of the Word and Sacrament as well as Moderator of the Session as our congregation begins the process of selecting a new pastor after Rev. Carla Meisterman's retirement at the end of this month. She will also be working with and supporting Rev. Elizabeth Dick, Pastoral Care Resident.
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Reverend Mary Newberg Gale is a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA) and most recently served as Temporary Stated Supply Associate Pastor at Idlewild Presbyterian Church. A native Texan, she graduated from Austin College before pursuing her Masters of Divinity at Columbia Theological Seminary. She has served churches in North Carolina and Kansas, as well as the national church and local communities in a variety of ways during her 15 years of ordained ministry. Her husband, James, is the Executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of the Mid-South in Memphis, Tennessee, where they currently reside with their two daughters, Ainsley and Fiona. |
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November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and this week, Action News 5 caught up with Terry Balton to talk about her experience as a caregiver & advocate. Here is the link to the interview:
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On November 13th, the Memphis “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” will be held at Memphis Botanic Gardens. It is a 1-mile walk & will be held rain or shine. If you’d like to join Terry’s team of walkers, or to show support in other ways, find Walk info on Terry’s fundraising page through this link:
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INTER-FAITH FOOD AND FUNDS DRIVE
TO BENEFIT THE MID-SOUTH FOOD BANK
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Saturday, November 20
from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Gather at Second Baptist Church,
4680 Walnut Grove Rd
Make plans today to take part in an interfaith initiative to benefit neighbors being served through the Mid-South Food Bank. Due to COVID-19, nearly 1 in 4 people in the Mid-South face food insecurity. Working together with a diverse group of members from other congregations, we can make a difference in people’s lives during the season of thanksgiving.
On Saturday, November 20 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. we will join volunteers from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim congregations who have been coming together for worship for more than 30 years. Everyone is asked to volunteer for a 90-minute shift alongside other people of goodwill from across our beloved community. We will meet 15 minutes prior to each shift in the east parking lot of Second Baptist Church for a time of prayer and instructions for collecting donations. The food bank needs shelf-stable, non-perishable food items as well as funds to support its work. Just $10 will purchase 30 meals.
Sign up here and work alongside others who share a common commitment to serve, even if we express our faiths in different ways.
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The Food Bank is providing all of the collection bins, stickers and signs
- Please bring any banner/sign that could be a tangible visual of your involvement and we will set those up for donors to see
- Encourage your participants to wear “swag” or any other identifying clothing from your faith community that could help show off our many houses of worship
NOTE: Due to the pandemic considerations, we will NOT be celebrating our traditional Inter-Faith Thanksgiving Worship Service this year.
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CURRENT WORSHIP PROCEDURES |
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Due to New CDC Recommendations regarding the Delta Variant the following will be observed:
- Masks will be worn in the building at all times
- Social Distancing of 6 feet will be observed at all times; please avoid close contact with others, such as hugging or shaking hands.
- Passing of the Peace is eliminated from the worship service
- Pastor will be masked at all times except at the pulpit when she is preaching and leading worship
- Choral leaders will be masked at all times except when they sing or lead liturgy
- Musicians will be masked at all times, except those who play brass or wind instruments
- The congregation will not sing
IN CASE of a SERIOUS EXPOSURE of COVID-19 THAT MAY HAVE AFFECTED Worship Leaders or the Congregation, Sunday Worship may have to be cancelled at the last minute.
IF SO, the CONGREGATION WILL RECEIVE an EMAIL as soon as the DECISION to CLOSE is made, and again the SUNDAY MORNING EMAIL WILL SO INDICATE.
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PLEASE, FOR THE SAFETY OF YOURSELF,
ALL THOSE YOU LOVE AND CARE FOR,
UNVACCINATED CHILDREN,
AND PEOPLE WHO WILL COME INTO CONTACT
WITH PEOPLE YOU COME INTO CONTACT WITH:
Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of illness (EG: sinus infection; flu like symptoms; sore throat; fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea) should consider contacting your Healthcare Provider and let them know you may have been exposed to a breakthrough case of COVID-19 to a fully vaccinated person.
PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE CHURCH
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS
Thank you for continuing to observe
the ever-changing policies
as we navigate the pandemic together.
BPC COVID-19 Task Force
Scott Hill - Chair
Mary Schmitz, Clerk
Kathy Singleton, Barry Dotson, Beverly Hooker,
Scott Dawson, Frank Carney
To contact the Chair of the BPC COVID-19 Task Force:
Scott Hill - signed text: 901.277.9794
email: hill8910@bellsouth.net
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WHAT TO DO 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 and/or the Health Department's advice.
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Brucene Harrison (12); Mary Denike (12);
Sharon Blackwelder (14); Eli Gurlen (16);
Kristen Gurlen (17); Amy Berthouex (19);
Amelia Lucas (21)
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Every Monday
2:00pm Writer's Group CLASSROOM A and/or on Zoom
1st Wednesday of the Month
BIBLE STUDY 10:30am
in the BPC Sanctuary
1st & 3rd Thursday of the Month
Ellis Small Group 10:15 am
2nd Tuesday of the Month
1:30pm BOOK CLUB (location to be announced each month)
2nd Thursday Evening of the Month
7:00 pm Trouble I've Seen Small Group
in-person in Classroom A
1st & 3rd Thursday of the Month
COLONIAL PARK FOOD DRIVE
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Friday and Saturday, Nov 12-13, 2021
Donald Davis Storytelling Festival
7:00pm in the sanctuary
Sunday, November 14, 2021
8:30 AM Circle of Faith Worship in the Fellowship Hall
9:30am SUNDAY STUDIES:
- Bible Study (in the BPC Sanctuary)
- "Love is the Way" (in the Fellowship Hall)
11:00 AM BPC Worship Service with Storyteller DONALD DAVIS
in the Sanctuary & on LiveStream
Sunday, November 21, 2021
8:30 AM Circle of Faith Worship in the Fellowship Hall
9:30am SUNDAY STUDIES:
- Bible Study: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians (in the BPC Sanctuary)
- "Love is the Way" (in the Fellowship Hall)
11:00 AM BPC Worship Service in the Sanctuary & on LiveStream
REMINDER: This will be Carla's last Sunday in the pulpit. Please bring "Best Wishes" cards and place them in the basket on the table as you enter the Sanctuary
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PLEASE NOTE: The Church Office will NOT be staffed. Please continue to use your contact lists to reach us! |
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REMINDERS: We must help to keep the SEED children safe!
Please do not enter the SEED area of the building without authorization and be sure to wear masks around the children.
Small Group Meetings in Classrooms A & B must be scheduled with Barry Dotson, barry.dotson@yahoo.com or signed text/cell: 901. 277.1596
Requests for other uses of the property (including the parking lot) MUST prepare a proposal to the BPC COVID-19 Task Force (Scott Hill, chairperson) for review; the task force will review the proposal, then make a recommendation to the Session for consideration.
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WORSHIP, October 31, 2021 |
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Choral Leaders
John Gilmer, Ted Pearson, Karen Pilkington, Robin Ashworth, Carla Meisterman, Fran Addicott, Clinton Bailey, Erich Shultz, Leiza Collins on piano
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Click the link below to get current locations for VACCINES:
For COVID-19 TESTING information, go to this link:
NOTE: Several CVS and Walgreen's locations are now currently on the updated list at the link above.
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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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THE JOHNSON AUXILIARY CLOTHES CLOSET IS NOW BACK in ACTION!
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ALWAYS in NEED:
SUMMER-WEIGHT CLOTHING!
Men's casual shoes - all sizes
(new or gently used)
Men's new underwear - large and XL
Women's shoes (casual) sizes 9 and up
Women's plus size clothing
New women's underwear - all sizes
Toiletry items - new, unopened (trial size are fine)
ALSO - New adult coloring or puzzle books are needed for people waiting at the hospital while their loves ones are being treated.
Your contributions really help and are greatly appreciated!
Place items in the baskets in the narthex hallway.
VOLUNTEERS are also needed!
Contact Beverley Hooker for more information!
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Pastoral Care this week will be supplied by
Rev. Carla Meisterman at 901.235.1014
or email carlam@balmoralpc.com
You may also reach out to our Pastoral Care Intern at
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
Becky DeLoach ...... (901) 489-3369 ............. BeckyMD2905@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
Erich Shultz .............(901) 268-4951 ...................emshultz@bellsouth.net
John Van Nortwick (901) 605-2907 ............ jvnortwick@cornerstone-
systems.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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We have been keeping reference articles in the Newsletter each week throughout the summer. It's time to take them out, BUT some of these may still be helpful, so we will store them and give you links to them, but eliminate them from the body of the newsletter itself. |
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To access a document, simply click on the link name. The document will then open in your browser as a PDF file!
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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 Rev. Carla Meisterman, with a copy 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 continue to be submitted via email to Rev. Carla Meisterman (carlam@balmoralpc.com)
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NOVEMBER 2021
online church 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 calendar is available to you.
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