Thursday,

December 5, 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 8: 2nd Sunday of Advent
• Advent Sunday Studies at 9:30am
• Worship at 11:00am

• MESSAGE from the PASTOR

• SPECIAL OFFERINGS for the CHRISTMAS SEASON:
• JOY GIFT OFFERING
• FILL the ADVENT TREE
• MIFA PLUS1 GIVING IN MEMORY & IN HONOR
• "UNDIES" TREE

• LITURGISTS & COMMUNION PREPARERS NEEDED

• BRING CHRISTMAS GOODIES for the COFFEE-TIME SNACKS!

• SHARE PICTURES of YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

• CUP of JAZZ Fri 12/6

• PW CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON Sat. 12/7

• BOOK CLUB CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON Tues 12/10

• EARTH CARE TIP of the MONTH

• NEWS from the PC(USA)
• Studying history while making it happen

• BIRTHDAYS

• CALENDAR of EVENTS

• BPC Photos
• Worship Photos

ONGOING INFORMATION LINKS:

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?

• ADVENT DEVOTIONAL (online) from the Presbyterian Mission Agency available

Sunday

2nd Sunday of Advent

December 8, 2024

ADVENT

SUNDAY STUDIES

Our Advent Sunday Studies have begun with the class "History of Christmas Hymns". The class will continue on 12/8, led by Scott Hill and Jane Schneider.

(There will be no Sunday Studies for December 15, 22, and 29. Winter Studies will resume on January 5.)

WORSHIP

at 11:00am

Scriptures: Malachi 3:1-4

& Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon: "A Curious People"

Rev. Mark Howland

Can't attend Worship in person? Join us on YouTube LIVE!

Link to Sunday's Bulletin

Link to Sunday's Worship on YouTube

Previous Worship Services at Balmoral are also still available on the 

Balmoral YouTube channel 

Have you ever observed an infant or toddler encountering something new? It's fascinating to watch their curiosity in action as they eagerly explore the unfamiliar. They often engage most of their senses to understand what they've discovered. To them, the world is a fresh, exciting place, and their curiosity drives them to uncover all it has to offer. We are born curious, and ideally, that sense of wonder stays with us throughout our lives.

Jesus sparked an extraordinary level of curiosity in his time. From the moment of his birth, people were eager to understand who he was. The magi traveled great distances to find this special child, crowds gathered during his ministry to witness and hear him, and even Pilate at his trial sought to understand his identity. That same curiosity about Jesus persists even today.

The church should be a welcoming space for those seeking answers about the child born long ago and the man he became. It should encourage and embrace questions, creating an environment where curiosity thrives. Whether we have walked with the Lord for years or are just beginning to explore, the curiosity God instills in us deserves to be nurtured and celebrated. We should invite the curious to join us on this journey of discovery, guiding them to encounter Jesus through our words, actions, and presence. When they ask where to find him, we should help them see and experience his love and truth in us.



Join us this Sunday for worship as we journey with the magi in seeking the newborn child. Together, let’s embrace our curiosity and wonder.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark

Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we lift up past, present, and our future leaders of the church. God has blessed the Church with incredible leadership in every time and place, but those leaders often need to be supported by their communities as well. This Offering addresses the support needed by some of our leaders, including supporting leadership development for communities of color, and providing support for Presbyterian church workers in their time of need.

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

FILL the ADVENT TREE!

It's time to fill up our Advent Tree with our donations. This year we have 2 projects to fill the tree:

• Gently used clothing for the Clothes Closet at 1st Pres: Especially needed are men’s pants, belts, shoes, jackets and sweatshirts. 
• 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.

IN MEMORY & IN HONOR:

MIFA PLUS1 GIVING

DONATIONS to MIFA-Plus1 in Memory or in Honor of someone will continue again this year. A donation of $12 per person in memory or in honor will help those in need to receive assistance for their utility bills. The list of names honored or memorialized will be listed in the bulletins on Christmas Eve and the Sunday after Christmas. Make checks made out to Balmoral and attach a note of the names of those to be in memory or in honor! Place them in the offering plates or mail to the church’s PO box. All checks must be received by Sunday, December 15 in order to be listed in the bulletin for Christmas Eve. 

"Undie" Tree

Instead of having a mitten tree, we are having an “undie” tree this year. 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.

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.

MAKING

CHRISTMAS GOODIES?

Bring some for the Coffee-time snacks!

Sign up in the Narthex.

SHARE PICTURES

of YOUR

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

It's time to bring out all of the Christmas decorations! Take a minute after they're all up to think about the memories each brings.

Now, take a picture of your favorite(s) and text them to ksingle2@bellsouth.net. (Add a comment on why you cherish it, if you want.)

We'll add a section this month to share yours!

CUP of JAZZ

Friday, December 6

6:15 in the BPC parking lot to carpool

Great music...

Great food..,.

An evening of fellowship with our friends at Liberation Community Church

Won't you join us this week?

(Contact Kristen Gurlen for details)

Presbyterian Women

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

We are having our Christmas luncheon Saturday, December 7 at 12:00 at Fratellis, located in the Botanic Gardens.

(Bible Study will meet again in classroom A on January 8.)

BOOK CLUB

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

December 10, 11:30am

at the home of Cathy Bailey, 1419 Glen Oaks Drive, 38119

December's Book Club will meet December 10th for a potluck lunch: Ted Pearson will lead us in a poem or two by Donald Hall, a poet, writer and literary critic living in New England who died in 2018. More will follow about how you can access the poem(s).

The potluck will begin at 11:30 a.m. Janice Hill will provide the chicken casserole we've shared the last couple of years. We will need side dishes and desserts.

DECEMBER Earth Care tip:

Use cloth napkins and towels instead of paper.

NEWS from the PC(USA)



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

FOR DECEMBER:

Cliff Gurlen (6);

Ted Pearson (7);

Richard Vosburg (9);

Jerry Francisco (18);

Kay Dawson (21);

Carol Mitchell (23);

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

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

Hudson & Becky DeLoach, Karen Pilkington

Lighting the Advent Wreath

Rev. William Warren, Liturgist

Musical Offering

Hudson DeLoach with Rev. Mark Howland for the Children's Moment

Communion

DID YOU MISS THIS

PREVIOUS ARTICLE?

The 2024 Advent Devotional from the Presbyterian Mission Agency is available ONLINE. This year, these weekly devotionals reflect the four themes of the Advent Season: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

Link:

https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/2024-advent-devotionals/

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.