Headlines
Welcome New Members!
On Sunday, April 29, we received 11 new members. The following new members were added into our covenant: Lynette Breslin, Sue Cooper, Evelyn Dunn, Paul and Mary Jane Floreno, Juliana Fosi, Don Prieskorn, Don & Sue Schwartz, Laurel Scott and Colleen Tavor. We are so blessed to officially welcome them into the First Pres family! Watch for more information on them in next month’s FYI.
Spring Clean Up and Plant Sale is May 5
Come, bring a rake and help spruce up the church grounds on Saturday morning, May 5! It’s time to get out those garden tools, trimmers, saws, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows and gloves for the springtime church property clean-up! We will start at 9:00 a.m. and finish at noon. And while you’re here, buy a small plant for the yard or for a special mom. This is a great opportunity to make some new church friends! If you have questions, please see Rick Fuller. Hope to see you there.
Congregational Meeting May 6
Session has called a congregational meeting of members for the purpose of electing Elders to the Session, Deacons to the Board of Deacons, and at-large members for three committees: Nominating, Financial Review and Stewardship. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend on May 6, immediately following worship.
Farmington Presbyterian Preschool 1968-2018
Join us as we celebrate 50 years!Fun, games, food and memory sharing. Please stop by for this anniversary open house on Sunday, May 6 from 3-5 p.m.All are welcome!
Presbyterian Women’s May Gathering
Welcome to “Saturday life in a Michigan small town” with Walt Gajewski.
Make plans to gather with us. Tell a friend or better yet bring one on Monday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. to enjoy Walt Gajewski, market manager for the Farmington Farmers & Artisans Market. You will be delighted and surprised at the outreach programs serving the greater Farmington area through the Neighborhood House in affiliation with the Goodfellows. Also he has a list of fresh food Assistance Programs and Project Fresh through Michigan State Department of Human Services. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!
June FYI Deadline is Thursday, May 17
Nurture News and Events
Pastor’s Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10, April 24 – May 15
Join Pastor Eddie and friends in Room 207 for a discussion of God Sightings during the Easter Season. Bring an article you’ve read or a recent experience that you’ve had that you consider a Resurrection moment. We’ll share our God sightings and consider how they illuminate our understanding of Scripture.
Pentecost Sunday May 20
Mark your calendars and plan to be in worship for a special celebration of Pentecost including both confirmation of one of our youth and the installation and ordination of Elders and Deacons.
Graduate Recognition is June 3
We will celebration with our graduates during worship including those who are completing high school, college and graduate studies. Please send an email to [email protected] if you have a graduate in your family, so that we can include them in our recognition. Information to be provided: name, degree, high school or college from which s/he is graduating, and what s/he plans to do after graduation.
Stars in the Park: Thursdays at 7 pm, June 14 – August 16
Meet up with friends from our faith family and enjoy great music in the outdoor amphitheater at Heritage Park! Bring folding chairs or a blanket for seating and some snacks and beverages to share and enjoy. Meet at the top of the hill facing the amphitheater.
To kick of the season on June 14, we’ll meet at 6:00 for a picnic at the north pavilion. Hot dogs, beverages, plates, cups and silverware will be provided. You are welcome to bring additional food to share. Please contact Deb Jackson Lum if you have questions or need additional information.
Youth Connections: Summer 2018
Summer brings opportunities for our youth to participate in a mission trip, attend a youth conference and be part of a new local service initiative.
Detroit Youth Mission Blast, June 24-30
Junior and Senior High Youth are welcome to join friends from around metro Detroit for a week of service projects, fellowship, reflection and touring of historical sites in the city of Detroit. Options are available to stay overnight at the host site or to participate during each day.
Sandusky Mission Trip, July 16-21
Join youth from around metro Detroit for a week of service projects, with a bonus day at Cedar Point.
Faith in Action
Our church received a grant from the Detroit Presbytery to support a new interfaith middle school youth service project in support of C.A.R.E.S., or local food pantry and service center. We are in the early planning phase of this, with details including the date to be announced. High School Youth are welcome NOW to help plan and LATER to help lead the week. If you’re interested in attending or in learning more about these opportunities, please contact Deb Jackson Lum.
Vacation Bible School, August 20 – 24
Mark your calendars for this fun-filled experience of faith, to be held at our church this year in conjunction with partner churches Antioch Lutheran and North Congregational. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact Leslie Moyna or Pam Jusino.
Calendar
View a printable version of the May 2018 church calendar
Mission Report
Our church supported a number of causes in April — some old and some new. We continued to support Baldwin Center in Pontiac with a $500 gift, Ecumenical Theological Seminary with $500 and Neighborhood House with $1000. Welcome Inn (part of South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless) is the only “low-barrier” shelter and the only daytime winter warming center in the area. They provide meals, a clothing closet, case management and medical services, laundry/hygiene care, and transportation to overnight shelters.
Welcome Inn serves a different clientele than SOS. We donated $500. The other newly-funded organization is Paws with a Cause to whom we donated $100. PAWS enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities by providing custom-trained Assistance Dogs.
By the time you read this FYI, we will have helped someone in need to make repairs to their home through Rebuilding Together Oakland County and walked in the Crop Walk the first Sunday in May. We have been asking for your support each month to bring a product needed (cleaning supplies, paper products and undies). But in May, we want to give you something! The Great Tomato Give Away on Sunday, May 20 is your opportunity to care for a tomato plant all summer until it produces tomatoes which will be donated to CARES.
Did you know that Habitat for Humanity has a ReStore in Farmington Hills on Grand River? ReStores are their retail locations with new and donated home furnishings (think Home Depot meets Salvation Army). These stores are how Habitat funds their building projects in the community. They are looking for volunteers to organize and move merchandise, help drivers, and provide customer service. They have a very user-friendly way to volunteer at www.habitatoakland.org/volunteer/restore-opportunities. If you might be interested in volunteering as a group, please see Karen Linnell.
Finally, several of us on the Mission Team plan to attend the Hands-On Mission Workshop on June 2 at First Pres Birmingham. It’s an opportunity to learn about mission projects from other Presbyterian churches and to share our ideas. Would you like to join us? Please see Tom Neal or Karen for more info.
Congregational Concerns and Announcements
April Session Meeting Highlights
At its April 18, 2018 meeting, the Session:
- Approved two baptisms, scheduled for July 8, 2018.
- Approved the Commissioning of the Endowment Fund Committee on May 6, 2018.
- Prayed for the hospitalized of the congregation
We keep in our prayers
Names are withheld from the web-version of our newsletter.
We hold in our prayers:
Those who are ill, grieving, or are homebound, in nursing homes or in assisted living. We also pray for those serving in the military.
Congratulations and Thank You Messages
Thanks for your gift of $500 to the Welcome Inn. We are most grateful for your generous support of the homeless. Following the close of our winter season on March 16, we are not open on Tuesdays through October from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. where we serve breakfast, lunch, provide showers, clothing and many other services. Our Tuesdays location is in Berkley at the Berkley Community Church. In November we will again prepare for our winter season. Norma Regenold, Board Member, South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless,
Operators of the Welcome Inn
Samaritan Counseling Center News
Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeastern Michigan (SCC) is excited to announce the following addition to our staff: Andrew Fralick, M.A., TLPC – Clinician in Samaritan Counseling Center’s Nardin Park United Methodist Church (Farmington Hills) office.
Preparation for Marriage Workshop
This workshop, led by experienced leaders, provides opportunities for couples to identify and explore both strengths and areas of potential difficulties in their relationship. Couples will consider the complexity of marriage, recognize what each individual brings to this relationship, and clarify the expectations both have as they enter into this commitment.
DATE: Saturday, June 9, 2018
TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
LOCATION: First United Methodist Church of Northville, 777 W. Eight Mile Road, Northville
FEE: $225 per couple. A $125 deposit is required at registration
Please contact SCC’s main office at (248) 474-4701 to register. An additional workshop will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22. For further information, please visit SCC’s website, www.sccmich.org.
