Headlines

Fall Fest is Sunday, Sept. 9

Join in the fun and games at Fall Festival on Sept. 9 immediately following worship. We will start with a delicious barbecue provided and prepared by Boy Scout Troop #179 as a thank you to First Pres for hosting this group of over 100 scouts on Tuesday evenings. We hope you can stay after lunch to enjoy activities for all ages. We are bringing back some favorite activities and adding a new one. Spend a Sunday afternoon in fellowship with your church family eating lunch, relaxing, and having fun. There are many ways you can help make the day better. Sign-up sheets are posted on the door narthex door. Everything is better when you are a part of it.

Celebrate our Church’s history on Arts & Archives Sunday, Sept. 16

Perhaps you have seen the Archives Team Members Shirley Kinsey, Ev and Sandi Randlett, Joanne Curtis, Jerry Scheel, Marcia Van Hamme, Dan McKinnon and I rummaging through the church, top to bottom, inside and outside.  You might have wondered what we were doing.  They have been asking questions of former COOS members and Farmington First long-time church members about gifts to the church by members over the years.

We have already discovered nearly 50 items.  Each item is researched and checked to see if it is in good repair.  We are asking Who? What? Why? Where? And When?  Our goal is to complete the work soon and to prepare Docents to lead the congregation on tours throughout the church, showing and describing each item. On  Sunday September 16, after the Extended Coffee Hour, you will be invited to tour the church and gardens with a docent at our “Arts and Archives” tour.  Save the day. ~Ruth McKinnon, Team Leader

Deacon’s Wellness Program on Healthy Eating is Sept. 30

Each year, the Deacons of First Pres present a Wellness Program with seminar topic of interest for all ages, focusing on Mind, Body, and Spirit.  We are pleased to have new members Dave and Emily Schwartz giving a presentation about healthy eating after worship on Sunday, Sept. 30.  Eating healthfully in today’s world can be challenging; the internet, television and social media are full of misinformation about nutrition. Every week there seems to be a new miracle food or diet that claims to solve your health problems or help you to lose weight. The truth is that eating nutritiously can be simple and fun.

Emily and Dave will talk about what’s true and not true, how to  eat to feel your best, and most importantly, how to enjoy eating well and living healthfully.  Emily and Dave share a love of eating healthy, being active and hope to continue promoting these values to help others learn to love healthy lifestyles, too.  This free program begins with a light lunch. There will also be a flu shot clinic offered between 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (See flu clinic details and costs in the next article.)

Dave Schwartz has been a registered dietitian at Henry Ford West Bloomfield for the past eight years. He specializes in the coordination and perioperative nutritional management for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. He also sees patients in the inpatient hospital setting for a variety of other nutritional needs, including malnutrition and nutrition education. Dave has a passion for teaching others about nutrition and healthy lifestyles and living these values himself; he has completed full and half marathons, multiple triathlons (including a half-Ironman triathlon), and has competed in and been featured on the TV show “Ninja Warrior.”

Emily Schwartz has been a registered dietitian at Providence Park Hospital for nearly ten years. She specializes in nutrition support via feeding tubes and IV nutrition for those patients who are unable to eat due to various medical conditions. Emily also teaches online graduate courses in nutrition through Cedar Crest College. She is currently working on her doctorate in clinical nutrition through Rutgers University and hopes to graduate in 2019.

Deadline for articles for the October FYI is Thursday, Sept. 20!

Flu Shot Clinic on Sept. 30

The Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) will be providing trivalent high dose and quadrivalent flu shots and pneumonia shots for our church this fall for people over age 65 or those with a chronic illness. The clinic will be held on Sunday, Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in Knox Fellowship Hall.

The VNA will bill traditional Medicare Part B, HAP (except Cigna HAP), BCBS, BCN and Priority Health. Otherwise the cost is $50 for the trivalent high dose flu shot, $33 for the quadrivalent flu shot and $95 for pneumonia shots. The nurses are required to see your Medicare card and your driver’s license or state ID card in order to bill Medicare or your insurance. Payment options: insurance, cash or check.

Youth United:  Planted Seeds Grow to Fruition

When our Mission Ministry Team first applied for a Presbytery of Detroit Faith in Action Grant, nine other faith communities quickly joined us in our vision. An intergenerational, interfaith work team planned a five-day experience for interfaith teens to learn about each other as they served our community. On August 13 – 17, 50-some youth worked to make improvements to C.A.R.E.S. of Farmington Hills, painting a mural, making room for a new grocery store, improving the children’s play area, fixing up the ball field, adding benches to the gazebo — and that’s just scratching the surface.

You can view more before and after photos as well as quite a few “work in process” photos at http://bit.ly/YU2018-Photos.  We look forward to sharing a full report soon.

A personal reflection on Youth United from Karen Linnell

I was at C.A.R.E.S. for the Youth United camp when many guests came in for food. When they saw all the fresh produce, they broke out in smiles. One little boy reached for a tomato until his mother gave him “the look” and he put it back. Delores Watters, the new pantry manager, had asked Greta Gidley and her friend Brooke to arrange the produce and they created such an attractive display. Greta (and 50+ other kids) were at C.A.R.E.S. all week as part of the Youth United camp which grew out of our Faith in Action grant. It was fun to see the produce come full circle — from all the volunteers who planted our church garden,  watered it and picked it to watching Greta arrange the produce for people who need it. Special thanks to Sharon Cressman, Cathy & Tom Neal, Nancy Prieskorn, Mimi Cramer, Pres Happel, Robin Nall, Nancy Cook, Eddie Matteson, Irwin & Leslie Moyna, and Bill Vincent.

C.A.R.E.S. is also the beneficiary of Manny Sharpe’s good idea. Manny volunteers at Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield where one of his duties is to help in the Farmers Market every Wednesday. Manny spoke to Farmer Trevor who arranged to deliver any unsold produce to C.A.R.E.S. every Thursday.

From the Mission Ministry Team

Our church donated $500 to Habitat Oakland County in August. Habitat for Humanity is an international NGO founded in 1976 with the goal of bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. As part of Habitat’s Global partnership, when a home is built in Oakland County, Habitat Oakland County tithes a portion of the funds raised to build a house in a developing country. That was new information to me!  Habitat Oakland County also operates a ReStore on Grand River in Farmington Hills. It’s a home improvement outlet and donation center that sells new and gently used furniture, appliances, cabinets, paint and all other items for renovations and do-it-yourself projects to the public at a fraction of the retail price. You can shop, donate and volunteer at the ReStore.

We also donated $500 to Crossroads of Michigan in August. Founded in 1971, Crossroads exists to support the community at large by providing emergency assistance, advocacy, and counseling to anyone in need. Linda Clew, who volunteers at Crossroads, introduced us to this key Detroit agency.

The month of September brings more produce from the Garden Gatherers to C.A.R.E.S. The lack of rain this summer hasn’t stopped them from growing a variety of vegetables (thank you, once again, Chris Ely for creating a watering system for our volunteers). The major mission activity for this month will be the installation of our peace symbols on the front lawn in recognition of the United Nations International Day of Peace. A tradition begun at COOS by Jim Faile and Sandi & Ev Randlett,  the symbols represent Christianity, Judaism, Islam and one that represents Hinduism, Buddhism and Janism plus the peace symbol. Join us on the front lawn after church on September 16 to place (er, pound) them in the ground.

Coming attractions:

• Peacemaking offering on October 7, along with Worldwide Communion
• Special service on October 7 featuring a Freedom House volunteer and several former asylum seekers who will share their stories. We will enjoy a light meal catered by Hatch Detroit winners from Burundi, former residents of Freedom House who will be opening their Baobab restaurant later in the fall.
• South Oakland Shelter (SOS) provides sheets, blankets and towels for their guests. We will collect new and gently used sheets, pillow cases, blankets and towels in October to replenish SOS’s supply.
• Information will soon be available about a trip to the National Equal Justice Memorial and the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL. It will also feature a quick trip to Selma including the Edmund Pettus bridge.

Produce needed for C.A.R.E.S Food Pantry

How does your garden grow?  Or your local Farmer’s Market?  Or even your neighborhood supermarket?  Any of these  are great places to find fresh produce to bring  to church on Sunday mornings all fall.  We will combine what you bring with the produce grown in the church garden and bring it to C.A.R.E.S. (formerly known as St. Al’s).  Fresh fruits and vegetables are a real treat for the community at C.A.R.E.S.

S.O.S. Needs Help Sept. 9-16!

S.O.S. is in dire need of volunteer support for its emergency shelter program! These weeks where there is no designated host church, S.O.S. relies on people like you to help keep the shelter running smoothly for its guests. Volunteer opportunities include setting up beds, cooking and serving meals, providing transportation and overnight support. This is a great way to help S.O.S. until we host them again in January. For more information, call the S.O.S. office at 248-809-3773.

Congregational News and Concerns

3rd Annual Craft Show & Bake Sale

Our 3rd  annual craft show and bake sale will be Saturday, Nov. 10 from 10 :00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in Knox Hall. Spaces will be 8’ X 8’ and are open to all members and to the community who wish to display their handiwork at the show. We are known for being a welcoming church — what better way to reach out to the community than by inviting them to share their talents. There’s still plenty of time  to create  crafts, so please join us. Crafter registration deadline is Oct. 1, 2018.

And add Saturday, Nov. 10 to your calendar as a date to do some early Christmas shopping and see the creative items that will be on display for sale. Contact Deborah Dunn Draper for more information.

2018 Directories have arrived

Our new pictorial directory arrived earlier this summer and in August we received the shipment of our annual directory. Copies of the annual directory are available in the Narthex or contact the church office if you aren’t able to stop by to pick up one. A limited number of pictorial directories are available for purchase for $20. We are also finalizing creation of an app so that you may have the pictorial directory accessible on your smart phone (details will be coming soon). We also have a PDF version of the pictorial directory available that can be emailed to you. Please contact the church office with directory updates or corrections or to receive a PDF of the pictorial directory.

Writers Needed!

Advent is always a busy time: trees to trim, greens to hang, stockings to stuff, presents to buy and wrap, concerts and parties, and family letters and Christmas cards list and on and on and …

Whew! It’s enough to try the patience of a saint.

All the more reason to find time to pray a little more as Christ draws near. This year, we want to pray together as a church family by using Daily Devotions for Busy Christians, a booklet of short meditations based on the bible readings for each day of the Advent season.

But we need your help to make it happen. We want this booklet to be our very own home-grown product, written by us — written by you. You don’t have to be a professional writer to take part. We’re not looking for polished essays, just brief personal reflections — 200 words, tops — written from the heart. If you can write a postcard, you can be one of our authors.

To get started, choose a date between Dec. 2 (the first Sunday of Advent) and Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve). We’ll post a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for your convenience. Once you’ve made your choice, we’ll send you a packet of instructions with some basic guidelines and a few samples to review. After that, we’ll stay in touch with you until your page is done.

If you just can’t wait until the sign-up sheet goes up, contact Dr. Jerry Custer (email: [email protected])  to let him know what date you want to reserve.  ~The Worship Ministry Team

Two Youths Baptized on July 8

Ethan and Connor received the Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, July 8, 2018. Pastor Eddie Jusino officiated. Both boys were surrounded and supported by family and friends as well as the congregation at First Pres.

Caregiving Ministry

Cluster Leaders – Mark your calendars!!  Please plan to attend a meeting of the Cluster Leaders on Sunday, Sept. 23 after worship in Knox Fellowship Hall.  We will discuss our caregiving ministry as well as plans for the Church-Wide Meet & Greet on Sunday, Oct. 14. Thank you for being part of this important ministry at First Pres.

Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry is a Christian lay caring ministry for those in need.  It is a vital part of our congregation’s mission.  On Sunday, Sept. 23, we will commission Joshua Archey and Pam Jusino to begin service to our congregation as Stephen Ministers. We will also recommission Carolee Caylor, Charlene Diehl, Barb Howe and Jim Hubble as Stephen Ministers as well as Lois Caito and Helen Thomas as Stephen Leaders. Please join us for the worship service on September 23.  Come pray for and show your support for this caring ministry and these wonderful people whom God has called and equipped for this important role in our congregation.

We keep in our prayers

 Names are withheld from the webversion of our FYI.

We hold in our prayers:  Those who are ill or are suffering or grieving. We also remember members who are homebound, in nursing homes, and assisted living, and those serving in the military.

Kudos and Thanks

Congratulations to Susan and Ken Cooper on the marriage of their son David to Natalie Pinard on July 28.

During the past three months of recovery time for me, I have been overcome with the love, blessings, messages and support from all of you – my beloved Church Family. My cup runneth over as I read the many beautiful cards of encouragement and love. I thank all of you — over and over from my grateful and “repaired” heart! God is good all the time!     ~ With love and hugs from Shirley Kinsey

Thank you, First Presbyterian Church. Gene and I would like to thank the many members of First Presbyterian Church for their messages of sympathy and promises of prayers following the death of our 22-year-old grandson, Erik. A special note of gratitude to Pastor Eddie and Josh Archery for their phone calls and to members of Phoenix Circle who traveled to Adrian College for a memorial service. Erik had just graduated magna cum laude from Gonzaga University in Spokane. We know his legacy of concern for the environment and all living creatures will continue even though he is no longer with us.   ~   Gene & Mary Buchan

Hello to all of my friends at First Presbyterian Church. I enjoy the newsletter and am glad to learn about the opportunity to still participate in my church[s ongoing giving where a need is shown. My love and best wishes to all my friends there.  Love and best wishes to all, Phyllis Bothwell

A Meditation for Pentecost

Too often we seem to hear the sounds of cynical, self-serving, and self-righteous lies, so reverberant in the halls of power; and in the streets, the menace of un-mollified anger. And each of us needs to ask, “What part did I play in all of this?”

We should fear the hour when justice shall roll down with the thunder of great waters.

Oh Holy Spirit, guide and sustain us. You were before the creation of the world and moved upon the face of the waters. You were promised to us by our Lord at the Last Supper, and will be with us until the last hours of the earth. Open our hearts, oh voice of reason and Spirit of Truth, our consoler and great counselor. Open our hearts. Let love live in us and in us the wisdom of Jesus, who is the Word of God.

Amen.

by Richard Spurgeon © 2018

From our Partners

Samaritan Counseling Center Offers Preparation for Marriage Workshop on September 22

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, Sept. 22, 2018    TIME:  9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

LOCATION:   First United Methodist Church of Birmingham, 1589 West Maple Road, Birmingham

FEE:  $225 per couple.  A $125 deposit is required at registration.

Please contact SCC’s main office at (248) 474-4701 to register or for further information. For further information, please visit SCC’s website, www.sccmich.org