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 9, Worship at 11:00am
- Lunch with Mark after Worship
- WHAT'S HAPPENING with OUTREACH??
- FROM the SESSION: BPC's PRIORITIES
- NEW BOOKS on the BOOKCART
- PASTOR MARK's GARAGE SALE: FREE T-SHIRTS
- BPC Photos
- Worship Photos
- MidSouth Parade
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DID YOU MISS THIS LAST WEEK? (Read it now - it's right after the photos!)
- BOOK CLUB June 11
- HOME COMMUNION
- SUMMER NEWSLETTER CHANGES
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ONGOING INFORMATION LINKS:
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
DONATIONS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
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Sunday Worship
June 9, 2024
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WORSHIP SERVICE 11:00am
Scriptures: Psalm 139:1-6,13-18
& Romans 3:21-26
Sermon: The Church as a Hospital
Rev. Mark Howland
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Sunday Studies have concluded for Spring and will return in the Fall. | |
LUNCH with MARK
12:30pm in Classroom A
Join Pastor Mark for lunch at 12:30 after worship. Bring a sack lunch for questions, comments and fellowship!
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Can't attend Worship in person? Join us on YouTube LIVE! | |
One of the criticisms of the institutional church is that it is full of hypocrites. This criticism comes from the idea that anyone who participates in worship and the life of a congregation should follow a set of criteria which shows them to be righteous in the eyes of others. Since people hear the church say one thing but see contradictory behaviors in the lives of those who are active in the church, they label all as hypocrites and therefore the value of church involvement seems to make no sense.
I totally agree with this criticism but would like to state that it is mainly based on a false understanding of what the church is in reality. Ideally, all who are followers of Christ would live a righteous life just as Jesus did while on earth. The Church should be a reflection of this righteous life since it should be a reflection of Jesus. This is a valid goal for the Church and for those who participate in the life of a church, in fact, it is the goal which Jesus placed before all who follow him. However, those who follow Jesus all "fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).
The church is not a place where righteous people gather but instead a place where sinners gather. If we view the church as a hospital where those who have been battered by the world and by their own sins come to be healed, renewed, and refocused, then the criticism falls short. When we admit that we are not the righteous people we are called to be but instead those who fall short and are in need of healing, then the criticism falls short. By acknowledging that our righteousness comes solely from the Lord, then we are on the road to truthfulness. The other key to defeating this criticism is that as we interact with other people, we strive to work toward righteous behavior but also acknowledge honestly that we are not righteous.
Come to worship this Sunday to hear more about this concept - The Church as a Hospital.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark
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BPC OUTREACH UPDATE
The Outreach Team has been busy! Here are some of our recent activities:
- MIFA meals on wheels: Our weekly service is going strong after getting reinvigorated with several new volunteers. Many thanks to “hearing the call”.
- Colonial Park mobile pantry: We can use a few more volunteers for this important work. Flexible times between 8 and noon on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.
- Food Cart: Collections have doubled or tripled recently. Thank you!! Keep up the good work. Great service to elderly in need.
- Soup Kitchen: We have 8 volunteers signed up for Sunday June 9th. Come join us for lunch and service at 1st Pres downtown.
- Special offerings. Fantastic response to our recent Pentecost offering. Close to doubling last years gift!
- Hospitality Bags: Keep Erich busy! Pick your bag up today to hand out to our neighbors in need.
Stay tuned for other opportunities to serve. If you have any questions, holler!
Scott Dawson, Outreach Team Leader
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As you recall from reading our earlier newsletters, the Session has set three overriding goals for 2024:
- Broadcast our story.
- Identify solutions to meet the needs of the underserved.
- Create a long-term buildings/grounds plan.
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A few weeks ago, Session met in a workshop to set priorities for smart use of our resources as the church tackles these goals. From many ideas three top priorities were identified:
- Improve physical plant appearance and safety.
- Improve visibility of Balmoral Presbyterian Church through exterior signage and upgrades of grounds
- Create and implement a comprehensive communications plan.
Our current teams, as well as special teams/task forces, will be working toward our goals, using our top priorities as a guide.
Look and listen for more information, coming soon!
You and everyone in the congregation are needed and welcomed to take part in this crucial work.
aaa
Look and listen for more information, coming soon!
Janice Hill, Clerk of Session
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NEW BOOKS on the Book Cart!
Looking for some Summer Reading? Fiction or Non-Fiction selections have been added to the Book Cart!
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FREE T-SHIRTS!
Pastor Mark is at it again - another "Garage Sale!" This time it's T-Shirts - Racism is Sin/CofF& BPC shirts & other Balmoral shirts are taking up space in the office area, so it's time to pick yours up from the table in the Narthex!
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Jack Orians (15);
William Warren (25);
Rose Lucas (26)
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Sunday, June 9, 2024
10:30am Choir rehearses in the Sanctuary
11:00 AM BPC Worship in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
12:30pm Lunch with Mark in Classroom A
After worship Soup Kitchen at 1st Pres
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
10:30am Operations Team in Classroom A
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
1:30pm Book Club at the home of Jane Schneider, 8487 Loften Cv., Cordova, TN 38018
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
6:00pm Welcoming Team in the Pastor's office
Sunday, June 16, 2024
10:30am Choir rehearses in the Sanctuary
11:00 AM BPC Worship in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
Sunday, June 23, 2024
10:30am Choir rehearses in the Sanctuary
11:00 AM BPC Worship in the Sanctuary & LiveStream on YouTube
12:30pm SESSION MEETING in Classroom A
Next Newsletter will be THURSDAY, JUNE 13,
and will include the Sunday Bulletin and YouTube link.
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Chiming the Hour
Kristen Gurlen with Hudson DeLoach
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Musical Offering Clinton Bailey, soloist, and
Leiza Collins, pianist
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Rev. Mark Howland
Children's Moment
with Hudson DeLoach
and Tyler Serino
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MidSouth Pride Parade
Saturday, June 1
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On 5:00 News WMC-TV 5. One third of the groups participating in the parade were faith communities, and a fourth of those were Presbyterian-related groups! | |
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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BOOK CLUB
Tuesday June 11
1:30 pm
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For our next meeting on Tuesday, June 11, we will be reading
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate Camillo
It is a heartwarming story about a 10-year-old girI who goes to buy groceries and comes home with a big, ugly dog. This awarding-winning, classic children's novel is appealing to all ages. Our meeting will be at Jane Schneider's house, 8487 Loften Cv., Cordova, TN 38018 and will be led by Jane.
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HOME COMMUNION
Parish Associate Rev Elizabeth Dick will be creating a team of volunteers to provide home communion on the weeks when we celebrate Holy Communion in worship.
If you are interested in being a part of that team or wish to learn more about this ministry, please contact Elizabeth or Pastor Mark.
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WE'LL CONTINUE SENDING WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS
THIS SUMMER!
With some changes, though...
This summer, the newsletter will continue to be sent to you weekly, but on THURSDAYS instead of Wednesday, beginning this week, June 6. And it now INCLUDES the upcoming Sunday's Bulletin and Worship link in the first section.
(There will not be a separate Worship email on Friday. The Prayer List will continue to be sent on Tuesdays as usual.)
There are some changes to the format:
- NEW information will always be at the top, beginning with Sunday Worship information, including the bulletin and Worship link.
- Pastor Mark's article follows the worship information
- NEW articles and announcements will come next
- Weekly features that change slightly each week will then appear: Birthdays, the Calendar, and Photos will be here.
- The CONTACTS list will follow the Photos
- REPEATED ARTICLES - ones that appeared earlier BUT may still be in the future (such as the picnic or Book Club)
- ONGOING RECURRING articles that you may need to refer to such as how to sign up for a Liturgist or items needed for the Food Cart or Johnson Auxiliary.
- You may have already noticed that Recurring Announcements for Outreach articles such as the Food Cart and Sign-ups for Liturgist have already been condensed in the main portion of the newsletter with a LINK BUTTON to get the full information, if needed.
- Most articles that are down at the bottom beyond the photos will also be accessible directly as a LINK from the menu list at the top of the newsletter for quick access!
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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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