Thursday,

December 26, 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

THIS WEEK:

• SUNDAY, December 29
• Worship Service at 11:00am

• BPC OFFICE CLOSING for NEW YEAR'S DAY

• EXCITING CHANGES COMING TO OUR CHURCH NEWSLETTER!

• MESSAGE from the PASTOR



• PASTOR ON VACATION Jan 8-13

• FINAL SUNDAY for SPECIAL OFFERINGS for the CHRISTMAS SEASON:
• JOY GIFT OFFERING
• FILL the ADVENT TREE
• "UNDIES" TREE

• WINTER STUDIES BEGIN Sunday, Jan 5

• VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO TAKE DOWN CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS after Worship on Sunday, January 5

• PW BIBLE STUDY Jan. 8, 10:30am

• BOOK CLUB Jan. 14, 1:30pm

• EARTH CARE TIP of the MONTH

• NEWS from the PC(USA)
• Historic photos depict Christmas scenes from the 1950s

• BIRTHDAYS

• CALENDAR of EVENTS

• BPC Photos
• Worship Photos
• CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT



Links to ONGOING Information

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

DONATIONS

• BRING FOOD for the FOOD CART
• JOHNSON AUXILIARY ITEMS NEEDED
• RECYCLE YOUR TOOTHBRUSHES

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

• SIGN UP to be a WORSHIP LITURGIST!
• SIGN-UP to BRING COFFEE HOUR SNACKS!
• GIVE OUT HOSPITALITY BAGS
• MAKE SANDWICHES and/or SERVE LUNCH at the SOUP KITCHEN @ 1st PRES
• DISTRIBUTE FOOD at COLONIAL PARK

Did you miss these previous articles?

• LITURGISTS & COMMUNION PREPARERS NEEDED
• 2025 BOOK CLUB PLANS

Sunday

December 29, 2024

at 11:00am

Scriptures: Psalm 148 & Luke 2:41-52

Reflection: "Having to Be Here"

Rev. Mark Howland

(NO SUNDAY STUDIES: Winter Studies will resume January 5th.)

Sorry - NO LiveStream on YouTube available this Sunday.

Link to Sunday's Bulletin

Previous Worship Services at Balmoral are also still available on the 

Balmoral YouTube channel 

HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSING



The church office will be closed on New Year's Day, January 1, but if there is an emergency, please contact Pastor Mark.

This week, we celebrated the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God among us. On Sunday, we fast-forward twelve years to a significant moment in his life. As described in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus and his family visited the temple in Jerusalem. While his family began their journey home, Jesus chose to remain behind. He had a profound reason for staying in the temple, one that revealed his deep connection to his purpose and to God.

This story invites us to reflect not only on Jesus’s choice but also on the choices people make today regarding the church. Why do some feel compelled to stay, while others drift away? Are we creating spaces where questions, searching, and growth are encouraged? Are we inspiring people with a sense of purpose and belonging, or are we unintentionally allowing distractions and other priorities to take their place?

Join us this Sunday as we explore Jesus’s response to his parents and its implications for our own faith communities. Together, we’ll seek to understand how we can better embody God’s call to create a church that nurtures faith, fosters connection, and invites others into a transformative relationship with Christ.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark

 PASTOR on VACATION

January 8 through 13

Pastor Mark will be on vacation January 8-13. If you are in need of pastoral care, please contact

Pastor Elizabeth at 314-330-0506.

EXCITING CHANGES COMING TO OUR CHURCH NEWSLETTER!

Starting January 6, we’re introducing a fresh approach to staying connected with our church family. Instead of a single weekly newsletter, we will now be sending daily weekday emails, each focusing on a specific area of church life. These themed emails will provide timely updates, inspiration, and insights tailored to our congregation’s diverse interests and needs.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Monday: Upcoming Events at Balmoral PC – Stay informed about what’s happening at our church in the week ahead.

• Tuesday: Prayer – A space for reflection, scripture, and sharing prayer requests.

• Wednesday: Serving Beyond Our Walls – Updates on mission work and opportunities to make a difference in our community and beyond.

• Thursday: News from Balmoral PC – Stories, updates, and announcements from within our church family.

• Friday: Pastor’s Article – Thoughtful insights and messages from our pastor to inspire and guide us.

We’re excited about this change and believe it will help us stay more engaged and informed throughout the week.

As part of this transition, the church office will now be handling all newsletter articles and information submissions. This change comes as we bid farewell to Kathy Singleton in her role as newsletter coordinator. Kathy has been a cornerstone of our communication efforts for many years, and we’re immensely grateful for her dedication and service. Please join us in thanking Kathy for her faithful work and wishing her all the best in this new chapter of her life.

If you have announcements, articles, or other information to share, please send them to the church office at balmoral@balmoralpc.com.



Thank you for your support as we step into this new format. We’re looking forward to connecting with you every weekday!

THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29,

is the last opportunity to bring your Christmas Donations

When we all give a little, we help a lot!

THE ADVENT TREE

This year we have 2 projects to fill the tree:

• Gently used clothing for the Clothes Closet at 1st Pres
• For the food pantry, there is a special need for evaporated milk, saltines, soup and spaghetti sauce. Always needed are corn, green beans, canned beans and peanut butter.

"Undie" Tree

The First Presbyterian’s Clothes Closet is in GREAT NEED for NEW, UNUSED underwear (eg packages of undershirts, socks, briefs, boxers for men and panties and sports bras for women). Large is the most desirable size.

Winter Sunday Studies

will start Jan.5 and go until April 13. Mark, John 1,2,3 are the chapters that will be studied. The leaders are Clinton Bailey, Glenda Ellis, William Warren.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

 to TAKE DOWN DECORATIONS!

Volunteers are needed to stay after church on Sunday, January 5, 2025 to help take down the Christmas decorations. Please stay right after worship for a few minutes to help!

PW BIBLE STUDY

Wednesday, January 8

10:30am in Classroom A

Bible Study will continue our study of Let Justice Roll Down: God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation on Wednesday, January 8, at 10:30am in Classroom A.

Join us!

BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, January 14

1:30 pm

The Story of Arthur Truluv, 

by Elizabeth Berg. A beautiful and moving novel of compassion in the face of loss, of the small acts that turn friends into family, and of the possibilities to achieve happiness at any age.

Led by Beverly Hooker.



Did you miss last week's list of the books for the 1st half of the year? See the article under Previous Articles after the photos!

JANUARY Earth Care tip:

Use reusable water bottles - avoid plastic ones.

NEWS from the PC(USA)



USE the BUTTON HERE FOR MORE NEWS from PC(USA) :

Mary Nell Easum (29); Janice Carney (30) 

Lorie Blackwelder (1);

Frank Carney (7);

Mona Kernan (11);

Elizabeth Dick (13); Kathrine Getske (19);

Janie Pearson (21);

Janice Hill (23);

Glenda Ellis (29) 

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 picture here -->

UPCOMING EVENTS

Choir and Musicians

Rev. Elizabeth Dick, Ron, Michael and Tyler Serino

Lighting the Advent Wreath

Mary Schmitz

Liturgist

Rev. Mark Howland & Hudson DeLoach Children's Moment

The Dawson family light the Advent Candles

Children's Moment

Communion

Lighting the candles

DID YOU MISS THIS

PREVIOUS ARTICLE?

LITURGISTS &

COMMUNION PREPARERS NEEDED

The Worship Team invites you to participate in the worship services of our congregation in two ways. The first is to sign up to be a liturgist. The second is to sign up to set up the communion elements for a Sunday when we are celebrating Holy Communion. Both sign-ups are available by going to the church website at balmoral@balmoralpc.com.

If your New Year's Resolutions include reading more good books, the Book Club is here to help! Here are the books and leaders Book Club has selected for the next five months. Typically, we meet the second Tuesday of each month beginning at 1:30 p.m. Locations vary, but we will keep you informed. What happens at Book Club? We discuss the books, have lots of fun and enjoy refreshments. If any of these titles interest you, please join us!

Tuesday, Jan. 14: The Story of Arthur Truluv, by Elizabeth Berg, a beautiful and moving novel of compassion in the face of loss, of the small acts that turn friends into family, and of the possibilities to achieve happiness at any age. Led by Beverly Hooker.

Tuesday, Feb. 11: Horse by Geraldine Brooks. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking Civil War-era thoroughbred Lexington, the people who cared for him, the artists who painted him, and the scientists who study his bones. Moving from the southern racing world of the 1850s to the New York art scene in the 1950s and into the labs of the present-day Smithsonian, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism. Led by Janice Hill.

Tuesday, March 11: The Comfort of Crows, A Backyard Year, by Margaret Renkl. Renkl who lives in Nashville, chronicles the activities of birds and other wildlife in and around her own backyard over a year. Ann Patchett called it “A howling love song to the world,” and NPR described it as “fuel to restore spirits in dealing with ecological grief.” Led by Jane Schneider.

Tuesday, April 1 (note one week earlier than usual date): These Precious Days, by Ann Patchett. These Precious Days is a book of essays in which the best selling author, who lives in Nashville, reflects on home, family, friendships and writing.  Good Reads calls the essays “engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. . . providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew.” Led by Fran Addicott.

Tuesday, May 13: James, by Purcival Everet. Recent winner of the 2024 National Book Award, the Kirkus Award and the Booker Prize, James is a retelling of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn by none other than Jim, the escaped slave. Most of the story’s adventures are the same as in the original, but with an entirely fresh perspective that is both haunting and humorous. Led by Robin Ashworth.

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)    

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES!

FOOD CART

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

JOHNSON AUXILIARY

Items needed at Region One for patients and their families.

RECYCLING

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

SUNDAY LITURGIST

Sign up to join Mark at the podium as a Liturgist

SIGN-UP to BRING COFFEE_TIME SNACKS

For goodies with your coffee.

SUPPORT the HOSPITALITY BAGS PROGRAM

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

VOLUNTEER for the SOUP KITCHEN

Make sandwiches and/or serve lunch at 1st Presbyterian

PASS OUT FOOD at COLONIAL PARK

Food from the MidSouth Food Bank distribution location

• 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.