May 2023 News and Information

Congregational Meeting and Other Congregational News

This is the second notice of a Stated Congregational Meeting of the First Presbyterian Church of Farmington.

The meeting will be held on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. (after the Sunday worship) in Knox Hall and via Zoom. The purpose of the meeting will be to elect Elders and Deacons for open positions and At-Large Members to serve on the Nominating Committee. The instructions for accessing the Zoom meeting follow the Nominating Committee Report in the emailed version of this newsletter.

Nominating Committee Report

The 2022-2023 Nominating Committee offers the following slate of candidates:
Board of Deacons:
Deb Anderson,
Pat Plamondon
Laurel Scott

Session:
Kari Gorman
Martha Countegan

We still have openings for two Deacons and two Elders. Please let us know if you are interested in serving at this significant time of our church history.

Nominee Biographies

Deb Anderson (Board of Deacons Nominee)

Deb Anderson resides in Whitmore Lake with her husband Tim and she began attending services at First Presbyterian Church of Farmington about a year ago. She became a member of FPCF in September after decades of spiritual searching and is active in both the ACTS Circle and JOY Bible Study. Deb is retired and enjoys writing, Classic movies, art appreciation, and cycling. She also volunteers for Youth for Understanding, a non-profit cultural exchange student program that her Grandmother founded in 1951 to promote world peace.

Pat Plamondon (Board of Deacons Nominee)

I have been a member of First Presbyterian Church of Farmington since July 1995. I had served on the Personnel Committee on and off since 1996, and currently I am a resource to the committee. I previously served as a Deacon during Pastor Sue Melrose’s tenure. And during Pastor Budge Gere’s tenure, I volunteered as a wedding coordinator for the church. I have been married to Mark for 41 years and have lived in Farmington Hills since 1987. I retired four years ago after 25+ years in the Human Resources field.

Laurel Scott (Board of Deacons Nominee)

I joined First Presbyterian in 2017 and I was very happy to discover such a welcoming church family. My husband Jim and I raised a blended family of seven children and we survived! I went back to school when I was 50 and received a Culinary degree; and I am now a retired chef. I am active in Presbyterian Women, Deacons, Nurture Ministry Team, Phoenix Circle, bell choir, and chancel choir. I love nature, camping, gardening, reading, and repurposing anything! Having three Presbyterian ministers in my family I can say that church is and always will be one of the best parts of my life.

Kari Gorman (Session Nominee)

I was ordained as a Deacon at Grandale and an Elder at Southfield and also served as an Elder at Riverside NCD. I have served as PWPD moderator, vice moderator studies, served on SOC PW, SOCPW gathering team, POD coordinating team, NCD committee and an AC for the Erin P.C. I am currently a member of the Worship Ministry Team and PW at First Pres as well as the church’s Presbyterian Players.

Martha Countegan (Session Nominee Serving a one-year term)

The Countegan Family have been members of the First Presbyterian Church of Farmington for more than 20 years. Martha and her husband, Dale, have a daughter, Carolyn. Martha, a MSU graduate, has had a varied career; working as a policy and budget analyst for Wayne County and the State of Michigan and as a consultant in a workforce development non-profit organization. In her retirement, she is employed at the Farmington Community Library. Martha has served as an Elder. In addition, she spent many years working with programs for our youth including LOGOS and Vacation Bible School. She is a member of ACTS Circle. Now, she is looking forward to helping Session contend with the challenges currently facing our congregation.

Participants should mute their phones when not speaking to reduce background noise. Dial-in participants may use *6 to mute and unmute.

To be recognized by the Moderator, dial-in participants may use *9 to raise a hand.

June 2023 FYI Deadline: Friday, May 19

News from the Transitional Pastor Search Committee (TPSC)

We are moving forward! Our paperwork was approved by the Presbytery of Detroit’s Committee on Ministry (COM) and we have begun to receive referrals from the Church Leadership Connection (CLC). Our next step is to begin reviewing the PIFs (Pastor Information Forms or resumes) and setting up interviews for those who may be a good match for our church. Please continue to pray that we will find the right person to lead us to our next step.

Session reviewed three proposals from consultants who are qualified to work with our congregation on healing and transformation. They are all experienced in working with churches that face challenges and conflict. We’ve selected one to attend the next Session meeting in May so we can ask more questions and solidify their proposal to best meet our needs. Proposals from all three consultants were passed on to the Deacons for review and Dorothy and Colleen will attend the next Deacons meeting to answer any questions they may have. The Deacons are also invited to the next Session meeting to meet the one consultant, via a Zoom call, that we are seriously considering.

If you have any questions, you can contact Colleen Tavor, Dorothy Tait, Sally Kirsten, or Marc Hemmye. We’ll also be attending the monthly town halls to provide updates and answer questions.

We are on this “journey with God” together. Let’s see where he leads!

April 2023 Session Highlights

The Nominating Committee reported that they are still looking for Elders and Deacons for the next session, which starts with the election to be held during the Sunday, May 7, 2023, Congregation Meeting. Filling these positions are key to the running of the church and helping the congregation. There are also other positions open such as Sunday Morning Greeters and Ushers as well as a Treasurer as posted on the “Help Wanted” board in the Narthex.

The Transitional Pastor Search Committee (TPSC) reported that the Transitional Pastor position has now been posted. The next step is to prepare for the interview process and research opportunities for training sessions for the congregation.

Session approved that communion be served as of May 7, 2023, using gluten-free bread in individual paper cups and plastic juice cups in trays spacing out the cups. Distribution could occur via the elements being passed in the rows or communicants coming forward to receive the elements.

Session approved leasing a portion of the parking lot to store materials for the Brittany Road construction from April through November 2023 for a fee of $3,000.

A Town Hall is scheduled for Sunday, April 23, 2023, after the Worship Service. Topics will be: an update from the TPSC, an introduction of a survey on the worship service elements, the US and PCUSA flags, and an open discussion/Q&A on any other topics with the congregation.

The next Session meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

Town Hall Summary

Session held a town hall on Sunday, April 23. Colleen Tavor provided an update on the Transitional Pastor Search Committee’s progress (see update in this FYI). She also added clarification to continuing questions about why Pastor Eddie left. Our consultant from Holy Cow Consulting interviewed many people and listened to many viewpoints. At the last training session on April 1, she shared with the attendees that Pastor Eddie left because what he understood was his calling to lead the church, per the 2015 self-study for this church, did not match with where the church actually was. In addition, not everyone was in agreement with where Pastor Eddie was leading us and that caused friction. He felt emotionally isolated and unsupported and, after six years, decided it was time to leave. We all wish him and Pam well the best at their new church in Delaware.

Sally Kirsten introduced an easy-to-use feedback form that the congregation can use to let Session know what they are looking for in a pastor as we listen to a variety of pulpit supply pastors every Sunday. The forms can be anonymous and placed in the suggestion box in the narthex.

Chris Davis provided an update on the purchase and planned placement of a U.S. flag and a PC(USA) flag in the sanctuary on May 21, which was approved by Session. A discussion followed and it was proposed and supported by a majority vote that the decision be returned to the next Session meeting to discuss placing both flags in the narthex or Knox Hall instead of the sanctuary.

Session will hold the next town hall on Sunday, May 21. We look forward to hearing your questions and concerns. The purpose of the town halls is to openly communicate and listen to each other as we move forward together.

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Welcoming vs. Belonging

The April issue of The Presbyterian Outlook is on Belonging. One person said belonging is “free to be surprised by the familiar.” Another said, “To be welcome is not the same as to experience belonging.”

We consider our church as welcoming. Hospitality is one of our greatest strengths. But as we think about who we are as a part of this community and our future, we may want to think about what it means “to belong.” We are a welcoming congregation, but when visitors come here, do they feel that they belong?

“If visitors don’t feel as if they can act or speak as their honest, authentic selves, if they don’t experience the desire to be known, understood, loved, then they won’t feel or know that they belong.”

People long to belong. People need to belong. We want people to say: When I’m here, I feel like I’m home.

At our Session meeting in April, we began our meeting with a short discussion on welcoming vs. belonging and a couple days later, our moderator, Pastor Ken Kaibel, shared the following moving reflection with Session members. May it be a blessing to you as it was for us.

I Peter 1:22: Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart.

“You will remember that we began our time together with a thought about “belonging”. We all need to feel a sense of belonging in church. Another elder emphasized that the church is an “emotional system”. We could say, “a family system”. Families are where we learn to belong, to “fit in”, so both “belonging and “emotional system” have to do with our feelings, our emotional connections with others.

Earlier in the chapter (verse 18), Peter tells these Christians that they were “ransomed from the futile conduct” they inherited from their ancestors. No doubt some had pagan ancestors who learned to belong to a community by holding certain beliefs and values while others had Jewish ancestors so that their sense of belonging came from obedience to the law of Moses. There is no doubt that these differences produced a lot of disagreement and even arguments in the early church. It comes up again and again in the epistles. When they disagreed about such basic things, how could they go on “belonging” to each other, to the same church? Peter says that, as Christians, they have been redeemed from both pagan and Jewish ways by the blood of Christ.

I am suggesting that the things I learned “from my ancestors” are the things that I learned growing up. I know I belong when people are doing the things I have learned to value, think, and believe. So, if the church I attend doesn’t agree with me, if it doesn’t do the things, I think are right, hold to the same values I do, how can I “belong” to it? If it doesn’t take me seriously, listen to me, I am an outsider. I don’t belong. People who feel they don’t belong might stay quiet and stop attending. Or move their membership. Or they might express their feelings by arguing over lots of different things. For two thousand years, we church people have argued about doctrinal things such as the Trinity, Speaking in Tongues, which writings are considered “Scripture”, whether we baptize by immersion or sprinkling, etc. We have also argued about when the Sunday School should meet, whether to serve communion in the pews or come forward, the color of the carpet, the kind of songs we sing and, yes, whether and how we place flags and other important symbols.

Could this arguing be an example of the kind of “futile conduct” that we were ransomed from? A high price was paid for this ransom: the blood of Christ. Peter says our trust in Jesus and our obedience to him have purified our souls, so we have a genuine mutual affection for one another. This love is not based on many points of agreement, but on just one. What unites us is faith in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for us … period. We belong to him and therefore to one another. What else matters? We can now love our fellow Christians with “genuine mutual affection”, that is, for who they are rather than whether they agree about certain practices or beliefs. That being the case, Peter says we should be able to “love one another deeply from the heart”.

Do you remember what the mark that identifies Jesus’ followers is? How it is that people will know we are Christians? By our love for one another.” Pastor Ken Kaibel

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Financial Update – First Quarter, 2023

The first quarter of 2023 has ended. It may seem “way after the fact” to read the Financial Report for the end of March, in the May FYI. It is all in the timing of bank and investment statements, committee meetings and FYI deadlines.

Q: How did this year’s first quarter go?
A: It was very positive, in that revenue exceeded expenses by almost $44,000. That is very good, but
we expect the first quarter of the year to be positive (in the black) because we have a portion of the
congregation who pre-pay their pledges for the whole year. Therefore, we have received 41% of our
expected giving already, with 75% of the year to go.

Q: What is the impact of this on our operations for the rest of the year?
A: First quarter expenses came in at 26% of what we have budgeted for 2023. That is right on target.

We have other sources of revenue that are integral to the budget, such as Detroit Chin Baptist Church.

Please also read the Property report on another new source of revenue. Our investments at Merrill Lynch and Vanguard saw an initial decline, but at the end of March they are recovering. With the added blessings of these rental incomes, we should end the year on budget.  ~ The Operations Committee

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Please pay your 2023 Per Capita Apportionment

The Presbyterian Church is a “connectional” church where we interact through the Presbytery of Detroit, the Synod of the Covenant and the General Assembly. These councils are funded by the “Per Capita” on each of our active members. For 2023, the Per Capita amount is $36.00. We ask that you contribute $36.00 for each member of your household confirmation age and above to help offset this amount. Checks may be made payable to the First Presbyterian Church of Farmington; please note “Per Capita” on the memo line.

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Candles Along The Way

By Victoria Day Najjar
“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”   Romans 15:13.

What exactly is our role as we met with a stranger who is troubled? Do we sidestep the person? Or, do we listen and try to empathize with the person? Listening is the key. As the person shares their sorrow, defeat, or confused state, by the very act of speaking aloud to a caring person helps that person regain control over their problem.

Jeff and I recently took a little vacation and travelled to see new things. While at the airport waiting for the outbound flight, we sat a few seats down into the row allowing room for others. By and by, a lovely woman of about 50 years of age took a seat near me. Her suitcase was a colorful Aztec print and I commented on it to her, how pretty it was. That began the dialog.

Life can be tough, and we never know as we look at people and what they have endured. She chatted at first, lightly, then, she explained that her mother had died, and she was returning from emptying the family home. Alone. She has no siblings. Her father had passed five years ago. She shared she was divorced and had only recently had to empty her own home and sell it. This brought tears to her eyes. I listened and really could feel her pain.

She switched gears and shared that she worked for a corporation that readied luxury cars for buyers. Her supervisor had assigned her the very uncomfortable task of plugging the electric vehicles in for their charge at night. Night work. Alone. She felt afraid. She said it terrified her.
Don’t do it!!” I heard my mouth say the words before my brain kicked in. “It’s not safe for you to be out alone in strange cities charging very expensive cars someone may want to steal!” I stopped talking, wondering if I had gone too far, too bossy, too personal. No. She leaned in, “Thank you! I was wishing I could talk to my mom about all of this but thank God you were here.”

I believe that I was meant to meet this woman. I was meant to be there exactly at that moment. I believe that my message to her was not mine. I believe I was the vehicle for her mother to speak out. Sometimes, we mother one another. It takes courage to speak up, doesn’t it? But, if we care, speak up, we must. A mother never hesitates to share her wisdom, does she?

Touched by an Angel

By Victoria Day Najjar with Nancy Cook

Have you ever had the feeling that someone you were dealing with was special? More caring? More intuitive? Powerful! Maybe you were Touched by an Angel . . . Read as Nancy Cook shares her amazing story of her experience:

I had an appointment to get a roll a ball cauterization at an out-patient facility on Orchard Lake. When I awakened from the procedure, the nurse told me to drink orange juice and eat the cracker and then get dressed to go home. When she pulled the sheet back, the table was covered with blood and before you know it, I was in an ambulance on the way to Mt. Sinai Hospital. It was 5:00 o’clock traffic and the siren wailed as the driver roared through traffic. The blood was dripping off of the table and the attendant wanted to clean me up and I told him not to touch me because I could feel the blood leaving my body.

When I got to the hospital, I went straight to the operating room. They kept asking me my name and birthdate. Then one of the nurses noticed my nails were blue and alerted the other people. When I woke up, I was in a cold recovery room and I asked the nurse if I was dead.

All of a sudden, a Black man approached my bed and told me that he was sent to help me and introduced himself as Ernie. He walked with a limp and I can still remember his aftershave. I told him that I was freezing cold. He put his hands on my body and the warmth from those hands — Wow. Then he went to get me warm blankets. I saw Dick enter the room and I told Ernie to comfort my husband. Ernie told me that he was here to take care of me not my husband-so I begged him and finally he went over and spoke to Dick. Ernie said he would take me up to my room and that it would be a smooth ride. 

The next morning I woke up and the hospital did not give me breakfast. I was mad so when Dick came I told him to get the wheelchair by the nurses station that we were going home. My boys greeted me at the door and asked what was going on because the hospital and doctors called because you are missing. I did not check out at the hospital. That day my friend Yoshiko came over with food. I shared my horrible experience and Dick told them that the only nice person was ERNIE.

I spent the next two days calling the hospital trying to track down ERNIE. I called the personnel department and they informed me that they did not have any personnel or volunteers to fit my description. I asked who wheeled me to my room and they gave me a nurse’s name. Finally, a friend at school told me that ERNIE was an angel sent by God. Now I believe that I was touched by an angel. I will never forget Ernie’s hands putting warmth in my cold body. 

Nancy Cook

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Upcoming Events, Mission and Outreach Opportunities

Spring Clean-Up on Saturday, May 6

The Property Committee will be having its Spring Clean-up on Saturday, May 6. A full list of projects and specifics will be announced soon, but please pencil this date onto your calendars for this annual opportunity to spruce up FPCF building and grounds. And if you would like to, please bring a box of cereal or two for the Cereal for Summer collection! Thank you! Questions? Call Chris Davis.

Cantata Academy Chorale’s spring program is May 6

Looking for a way to brighten your day, rest your soul, and lift your spirit? Cantata Academy Chorale’s spring program, Follow Your Star, is Thursday, May at 7:00 p.m. right here at First Pres. This free-will offering choral music event is filled with tunes of hope, inspiration and humor from stage and screen. Don’t miss this opportunity to join with them to Live-Laugh-Love-Inspire!!!!

2023 Crop Hunger Walk: Sunday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m.

Walk, Give, Help change the world.

The Farmington/Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield CROP WALK is almost here and is your chance to help end hunger one step at a time. The need is so great this year. One in four people globally is food insecure and too many of those are in our own community. Church World Services (CWS) works all over the globe to help people build sustainable water and food sources using the funds raised by the CROP Walks and our CROP Walk is one of the leading walks in the country for donations received.

Donations can be made online, given directly to one of the walkers or sent to the church office. Online donations are preferred, but cash is also accepted and checks should be made payable to CWS CROP Hunger Walk. The online link is https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2023/team/first-presbyterian-of-farmington. or use this QR Code to go to the church team’s page on the CROP Walk Website:

Please check out this short video to learn more about the CWS Crop Hunger Walk: Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_bCQj_zysM if the embedded video below does not work.

Our team name is “First Presbyterian of Farmington”. If donating online, you will need to register first before donating to the “First Presbyterian of Farmington” church team or to a specific walker. Please contact Dorothy Tait for more info. This year’s walk is back in downtown Farmington at the First United Methodist Church of Farmington, 33112 Grand River, Farmington.

A table will be set up for donations in the FPCF church narthex on May 7. We also would love to have more walkers this year! Please join us!

2nd Quarter (April, May, and June) Mission Collection

CEREAL FOR SUMMER!

During the 2nd quarter, Mission will be collecting cereal for the Presbytery of Detroit. During the summer they help feed kids who otherwise would be getting breakfast at school. Won’t you help out by bringing in a box of your favorite kind? There is no better way to bring the Snap! Crackle! And Pop! into a child’s life! Thanks for helping!

All Are Welcome to PW Spring Gathering, May 8

Spring is here (mostly) so it’s time for the Spring Gathering. Actually, this event, which has traditionally featured interesting speakers, has been a long time coming. Due to Covid, the last one was held in 2019. But we’re back!

This evening get-together, Monday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m., is hosted by PW and is open to all women, men, and youth, including guests from the community. The format will be coffee, dessert, and fellowship followed by presentations by two guest speakers from the Hawk. Tickets ($5.00) for the Spring Gathering will be on sale Sundays April 30 and May 7 before and after worship at the welcome table.

The Hawk, located at the former Harrison High School, is a state-of-the-art community center. While it does include sports and recreation, our focus will be on the other half of the Hawk’s offerings, Cultural Arts. The City of Farmington considers Cultural Arts to be an integral part of the community.

Our speakers will present a slideshow about classes for all ages in such areas as ceramics, tile making, mosaics, embroidery, collage, jewelry, and botanical watercolor. There will be examples of art for us to view. We will learn about the Hawk Makerspace, a large technical facility where community members can work with artisans to pursue hands-on practices such as woodworking, 3-D printing, quilting, textiles, and papermaking.

Hope you’ll join us on May 8 in Knox Fellowship Hall.

Sign Up to serve Lunch at Crossroads of Detroit on Sunday, May 21

Sunday, May 21 we are headed down to Crossroads of Detroit on Grand Avenue to prepare and serve lunch for people who are without housing or are in need. It is a busy morning but lots of fun and rewarding. You can sign up for half of the morning or the whole thing is about five hours. Tours of Crossroads are also offered.

In the photo below are your fellow Presbyterians from FPCF, Northville 1st Presbyterian and Faith Community in Novi at our last event in January.

Can’t go on Sunday? Cookie bakers and onion choppers needed for Friday, May 19 at the Northville church.

Please call or email Nancy Prieskorn to sign up or to receive the Sign-up Genius link.

Nutrition Project

The Mission Ministry Team is partnering with DCDI again (Danika Community Development Inc) for a Nutrition Class. We’ve partnered with DCDI for the Resume Writing and Practice Interview Workshop and during our last workshop, Danielle Ware, CEO of DCDI noticed our garden. Danielle was searching for a partner for a Nutrition Project and we are happy to partner with DCDI again!

The class will begin in May and meet for two hours on Saturdays for 14 weeks. The class will focus on healthy eating habits, introduction to herb-ology, introduction to growing your own fruits and vegetables, and healthy budget conscious shopping. The last few weeks will cover cooking and will be held at another location.

If you would like to volunteer to help with this class, watch for a sign-up sheet soon or contact Sharon Cressman or Colleen Tavor.

Save the Date: Art and Craft Show, October 28 and 29

On Saturday, October 28 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Sunday, October 29 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) the popular Craft/Art Show returns to First Presbyterian Church of Farmington. There will be new and previous crafters and some local artists. There will be food and sweet treats for sale as well.

This is a fundraiser with proceeds going to the Music/Worship Ministry. For an application or more information, contact Deborah Draper or MJ Floreno.

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Congregational Connections

ACTS Circle “Walking with Ellen” Along the Pacific Crest Trail

One of our circle sisters, Ellen Ely, is walking the Pacific Crest Trail so, of course, our circle decided to go with her! In a matter of speaking, that is. We are keeping track of our collective miles while walking to see if we can match her total mileage along the Pacific Crest Trail of 2,650 miles.

Please see the map of the Pacific Crest Trail on the Presbyterian Women’s bulletin board in Knox Hall to track our progress and Ellen’s. Ellen’s step-off date was March 16 and that is the day we began our mileage count as well. In the first month we recorded more than 750 miles!

Please keep Ellen and Jeff in your prayers as they make a journey of a lifetime. And watch us WALK WITH ELLEN!

Dave Loved This Car!

The First Pres men’s group really misses our beloved “Tuesday Morning Breakfast” member, Dave Carlson. He maintained his dignity and humor even as his health declined this last year. Sue cared for him superbly, but it was his time to join the Lord in heaven.

Dave often shared with us his love of cars, especially his first TR 3 sports car – 1960. He also reminded us that his college experience was Big 10, but not blue and gold or green and white. He was an “Illini” from the University of Illinois. So, we, his buddies got a picture of a young Dave and that car and contracted with a local artist, Marv Walters, to do a custom graphic art picture of the car, set in front of the University of Illinois columns. Sue says it makes her smile every time she walks by it. We hope Dave is pushing that car around the track in heaven and beating those noisy stock car guys.

FAIA Rouge River – Heritage Park FH Clean Up (May 20)

Spring is upon us! What a great opportunity for all of us to come together and treasure the environment we have been so blessed with! The Rouge River cleanup at Heritage Park is Saturday, May 20, 9:00 a.m.-12 noon. It is an opportunity to clean up the Rouge River, remove invasive species, and clean up hiking trails.

Heritage Park is located at 24915 Farmington Road in Farmington Hills. If you would like to join in the effort organized by the Farmington Area Interfaith Agency (FAIA), please contact Karen Linnell.

Construction Ahead!

Heads up! Roadwork is coming to Brittany Drive. Keep an eye open for potential street closures that may require entering the church property from Farmington Road. At the same time, First Pres has entered into a short-term lease agreement with the road contractor to lease a small portion of the southwest corner of the church parking lot and a bit of land at the base of the connector strip that connects the church parking lot to Brittany. Construction supplies and materials will be stored in those areas during the project, which should wrap up in late September.

Circle Meetings Set for May

All interested women are invited to visit or join a Presbyterian Women Circle. You need not be a church member to come. Drop in and see what our Circles are all about. You may very well make some new friends while strengthening your faith.

ACTS Circle: Tues. May 9, 9:30 a.m.
Deborah Circle: Thurs. May 11, 10 a.m.
Phoenix Circle: Tues. May 16, 10:30 a.m.

ACTS and Phoenix meet in the parlor/garden room. Deborah meets in room 207. ACTS and Phoenix have optional restaurant lunches after their meetings.

Check out the PW board in Knox Hall and contact Deborah Draper, Nancy Cook, Sally Kirsten or Sue Carlson to learn more about PW and how you fit in. We would love to have some new faces.

PW Birthday Offering

In 1922, women in the Presbyterian Church were asked to give a penny for each year they had lived in order to fund outreach projects in the U.S. and abroad. For the last 101 years, Presbyterian Women have donated to this Birthday Offering and helped to provide transformative grants throughout the world.

The 2023 recipients are the Making Miracles Group Home (a live-in program for mothers and children) in Tallahassee, Florida and a Kindergarten construction in Dembi Dollo, Ethiopia. If you would like to contribute to the 2023 Birthday Offering, please give a check made out to Presbyterian Women (or cash) to Colleen Tavor or Anne Fuller, or make an online gift at presbyterianwomen.org/give.

A New Church Partnership

First Presbyterian Church of Farmington is the new home of Detroit Chin Baptist Church. The congregation entered into a long-term agreement with First Pres and is using the sanctuary, Knox Fellowship Hall and various classrooms on Friday and Sunday evenings from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Detroit Chin was founded by several refugees from Myanmar. Please welcome our guests and partners to the Church of The Open Hands. Learn more about Detroit Chin on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/dcbc2021).

Room Reservations at First Pres

We are pleased that there is a lot of activity at FPCF, but that means if you need a room for your activity, it is important that you request a room reservation in plenty of time and not assume that it will be available.
If you would like to reserve a room at FPCF:

• Contact the office ([email protected])
• Provide the date, time, duration of meeting and which room you desire
• Copy Chris Ely on the message so he will know to adjust heating or AC.

We are thankful that our building is being put to good use!

The Wired Word

An Adult Curriculum – Join our Bible study Sundays at 9:00 a.m. An advance copy of the weekly lesson is sent to each of the class members and friends requesting a copy. The class meets in Room 208/210.  Every week there is a new topic selected by The Wired Word staff based on current events and ideas.  These meaningful discussions are a great way to share and get to know church members. Sign up by contacting Tom Neal.

Thank Yous

Jerrold Lee
“I’d like to thank the FPCF for taking a major role in my life. In a time when I lost all hope, and had nowhere to turn, you all stretched your arms out to Detroit and renewed my faith in God’s people. It is because of you and your faithfulness that I was able to return to a warm, safe, and functioning home. I am now employed and looking forward to the rest of my life! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!”

Emily Davis
“Thank you for the kind words and caring thoughts after my father’s passing. They brought me comfort and have energized me to move forward in life, just as my dad would have wanted.”

Alternatives for Girls
“Thanks to your generosity, girls experiencing homelessness and young women who have faced tremendous obstacles, finding themselves without a home or a family, learn to discover abilities and callings that lead them toward meaningful careers and productive lives. Today you made it possible for the girls and young women of Alternatives for Girls to redefine themselves and reshape their futures.” Handwritten: “Thank you for this generous support for AFG’s mission! We so appreciate your impactful gifts over the past 24 years. We will continue to use your gifts well.”

Thank you to Larry Gage
The Mission Ministry is very appreciative to Larry Gage for his generous and thoughtful donations to the Mission Ministry. We are grateful for his and the congregation’s trust placed in our hands to represent our congregation in the community and the world. We will continue to do our best to be mindful stewards of your trust and funds.