November 2025 Community Connections

Community Connections contains news and information about First Presbyterian Church of Farmington. This newsletter was formerly known as The FYI.

  What's New

Consecration Sunday and All Saints Day – Nov. 2

On Consecration Sunday we’ll celebrate stewardship of our time, talent, and pledges. It is also All Saints Day as we celebrate the lives of those members who passed to More Life this year. We will hear the bell toll as their names are read during the service. We’ll also enjoy a delicious meal together. Please join us as we thank God together for our multiple blessings and consecrate ourselves to another year of “Welcoming All, Sharing Christ, Serving Others.”

Serving Others
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (I Peter 4:10)

Please bring in your pledges on November 2, if you haven’t already mailed them in, and we’ll pile up all the pledges as we give thanks and praises to God!

Please turn in your pledges by November 10 to help with planning our 2026 budget. It is going to be an exciting year!

Remember the time change on Sunday, November 2 – “Fall Back”
… or you’ll be extra early for worship. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

Town Hall Meeting on November 23

The next Town Hall Meeting will be on Sunday, November 23 after church service in Knox Hall.

Mellissa Allison from the Detroit Presbytery will be here to answer any questions we may have. We will also be discussing the church’s Third Quarter Financials, Organ update, and updates from the CommTech Committee and the Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC).

If any ministry wants to be added to the agenda, please contact Ron Prieskorn or Dorothy Tait.

December “Community  Connections”
Deadline:

Nov. 21, 2025

 Upcoming Events and Mission Opportunities

JOY! Advent Study (Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, 9, 16)

The JOY! Book Study group invites all of you to join us! Beginning November 18, the JOY! Book Study will be reading An Unlikely Advent by Rachal Billups. This four-week Advent study focuses on the experiences of four sets of often overlooked characters in the Nativity story. During this Advent season, Rachel Billups guides readers through the themes of hope, love, joy, and peace by sharing the stories of Elizabeth and Zechariah, Herod, the Magi, and the shepherds. Each set of unexpected characters has something to teach about living faithfully on the journey to Christmas. Contact Sharon Cressman if you would like Zoom details (and Zoom coaching if needed). She will also order a book for you but needs to know by November 4. The book costs about $10.50.

Fall Arts & Craft Show This Month!!

We are getting excited to have our 10th annual craft show on Nov. 8-9. We have many return crafters and some new ones. A great way to support our Worship/Music Ministry as well as getting a head start on Christmas shopping. We welcome any bakers and volunteers to work two-hour shifts. To volunteer and to sign up to bake, please see Deborah Draper or Leslie Moyna.

Gift Bags for Second Mile Children

Presbyterian Women is once again organizing an outreach project to provide Christmas gift bags for the children who are participants at the Second Mile Center in Detroit. These are large bags which include several items including a shirt and pants, socks and underwear, hat and gloves, a toy from the child’s wish list, and a book.  The cost per child is usually about $100, so sometimes a couple of people or a small group go together to put together the gift bag.

The names of the children and their requests are usually received from Ruth Azar, the director of SMC, around Thanksgiving, and the bags are due the second week of December. So there is a fairly short turnaround time for this project.

If you would like to sponsor a Second Mile child by providing a gift bag or help by donating money in any amount or a $25 gift card to Target or Amazon to be included in a bag, please contact Sue Carlson.

Coming Again This Season: Adopt-A-Teen for the Holidays

The Mission Ministry is once again hosting an Adopt-A-Teen gift buy for Christmas for teens from families in Farmington Public Schools. On November 16 and 23 we’ll have a small “tree” set up in the narthex with suggested gifts written on “bulbs” that are on the tree for you to select what you will buy for a teen. You can select as many “bulbs” as you wish, from a variety of price points. All the gifts must be delivered to the church by early December (stay tuned for exact date). You may wrap the gift, if you wish, and please attach the bulb tag. It is always rewarding to be a part of this Christmas giving for the youth in our community. We hope you’ll join us once again!

PW Program and Play Is Wed., Dec. 10

The Presbyterian Women Christmas Gathering is planned for Wednesday, December 10 at 1:00 p.m. (Note new time!) All are welcome. Tickets ($5.00) will be on sale at the welcome table beginning Nov. 16.

The Gathering begins with a musical program in the sanctuary, followed by a play, “Operation: Whispering Pines” by Karen Jones, presented by Presbyterian Players. Refreshments will follow in Knox Hall.

The play is about a group of feisty retirement home residents who outsmart the devious owner who has plans to evict them right before Christmas and turn their longtime residence into a golf course. The theme of the play is “don’t mess with old people.”

Calling All Euchre Players for A Fun Afternoon!

Formerly known as “Women’s Euchre”, we’re including men and women. We’ll meet on the first Friday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Church Library. If you are new to the game, we can teach you. Depending on the number of players, we may play a different game. Mark these upcoming dates on your calendar: Nov. 7, and Dec. 5. Please see the sign-up sheet on the kiosk in the foyer!

Scouts Wreath Sale

Scouts BSA Troop 179 are selling wreaths for the holidays. They will be for sale Sunday, November 23, before and after Church. If you would like one, but cannot be at Church on that Sunday, please contact Katie Malisow. We will happily deliver! We take checks, cash, Venmo or Cash App.

Day of Prayer on Thursday, November 13

We’re having another Day of Prayer on Thursday, November 13, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. As before, we’re asking that you sign up to come to the sanctuary to pray for half an hour (or more, if you wish) for the PNC, the future of our church, a new pastor, and anything else you would like to pray about. The sanctuary will have soft lighting and prayerful music to set the mood. Everyone who has participated has talked about what a special blessing it is.

Watch for Sharon and Colleen as they walk around with their clipboards for sign ups! Or sign up using Sign-up Genius: https://tinyurl.com/FPCFNov13Pray

Congregational News

Candles Along the Way – Sharing Our God Moments

Faith
By Dan McKinnon

I grew up in an environment that was religiously oriented. My mother’s father was a Methodist Minister, and my dad was an ordained Methodist Minister. I participated in church activities including the schooling process. I know I didn’t enjoy the learning aspect very much, but I do believe I obtained an understanding of concepts. I didn’t feel a deep connection to my faith at that young age despite being exposed to it frequently.

The first incident I recall that made me take particular notice of the concept of Faith occurred while I was in the Army. I remember today where I was when I realized I had made a decision that I hadn’t thought through the possible consequences. I was laying on the rifle range during basic training at Fort Léonard Wood and had just gotten the message from the pit that my score was “adequate.” I realized that I had signed up for a job that might require me to shoot at people and be shot at, and that I was at best only an adequate marksman. Maybe not too smart. Over the next few weeks, I realized what Faith meant: that through Jesus, God would take care of me however he determined it would be. It’s an understanding I have had since.

In 2012 my wife Ruth and I went to Raleigh, NC, to take care of our two grandkids while our daughter Heather and her husband Tim had a few days relaxation in the islands. On the way from the airport Heather mentioned that she hadn’t been feeling too good and had gone to the doctor that morning. He had checked her out and considered it minor and to go ahead. They left the next morning. The second day I received a phone call from Tim telling me that Heather was very sick and a visit to a local doctor brought no real help except the insistence that they get home as soon as possible.

Tim changed their flights and made arrangements for an ambulance to meet the plane. They took her to a satellite facility and after a short time the doctor told us that he had another ambulance on the way to take her to the main hospital for admittance directly into intensive care. Things got hectic and complicated. They induced a coma, and Heather was in that state for almost three months. We told Tim we were there for the duration to do whatever needed to be done. We stayed three months taking care of the kids and house while he took care of Heather.

Ruth and I began to pray for Heather and we enlisted the neighbors and anybody that we met. We started taking the kids to church in Raleigh and enlisted First Presbyterian of Farmington to join the chain. I even had one of the soccer moms tell me at practice that she had been talking to her family in Italy and that they had agreed to pray for her. Tim had doctors involved from three hospitals and they never put a name to what Heather had. Most of them agreed that prayer played an important part in her recovery. Slowly she recovered and is today, almost as good as new.

Ruth and I believed that our Faith and the prayers of family and friends were what gave her back to us. Faith has played a part in many instances of my life, especially with Ruth’s fight with cancer and eventual passing.

It calms and comforts me to remember that through Jesus, God would take care of me however he determined it would be.

Youth United 2025: Finding Unity and Hope at CARES of Farmington Hills

On June 23, 2025, at 7:30 a.m., it was already hot, and the CARES campus was quiet. A few stalwart Youth United volunteers set up registration tables and spread vinyl sheets over tables that the city had set up under a giant tent. However, by 8:30 a.m., (somewhat) organized chaos reigned as teens from Adat Shalom
Synagogue, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Dawoodi Bohra Al Masjid Al Burhani Anjuman-e-Najmi, Detroit, First Presbyterian Church of Farmington, Muslim Community Mosque, Orchard Methodist, St. Gerald’s Catholic Church, and the Tawheed Center gathered along with kids with no faith affiliation. For two days, 79 teens worked on projects for local nonprofits. Although the temperatures drove many indoors, it was an incredibly productive two days.

They helped CARES with landscaping; cleaning shelves and checking for expiration dates in the pantry and SNAP store; trimmed and labeled luxury soap; prepped supplies for the Duck Race fundraiser; made reusable bags out of T-shirts; painted a Little Library for CARES’ campus; touched up the Peace Poles they’d made in 2019 for the Reflection Garden, and assembled 48 “Birthday Party in a Pan” for children served by CARES. In addition, they made 10 fleece blankets for Children’s Hospital; sorted books for Making Spirits Bright; made large, colorful tissue paper flowers to cheer up FH Manor’s clients; and up-cycled four dilapidated chairs for Habitat’s Restore (or other). They tackled multiple food assembly projects including 100 lunches for Another Day Resource’s street ministry, 204 “snack pax” for Song and Spirit Institute, and 500 bags of dry ingredients for soup for Metro Food Rescue.

Faith Discussions
Equally importantly, in faith discussions kicked off by visiting clergy and lay-leaders, teens discussed how they can bring unity and hope to their community—as well as to themselves. Here are some of the teens’ takeaways:

HOPE:

• Providing assistance and resources for those in need.
• Teaching new skills and sharing opportunities.
• Working alongside others toward a common goal.
• Helping when you see someone needs you.

UNITY:

• Learning about different backgrounds and cultures.
• Building interpersonal relationships with different people.
• Being good & kind humans.
• Working together and learning about common interests.
• Seeing the value of others.

And as adults and organizers, we found hope and unity as we realized how much our interfaith and nonprofit partners appreciate Youth United.

Stay tuned for news of Youth United’s pop-up volunteer experience on MLK day in January and a wonderful repeat grant from the Xemplar Club. It’s amazing how much teens can accomplish, and they are a wonderful witness to the community of the meaning of unity.

Laura Hedgecock and Karen Linnell, Youth United Co-Leaders

Hunger Warriors Pack Meals

Saturday, October 4 was a day of “many hands making light work”!

Fourteen members of our congregation met at Faith Community Presbyterian Church in Novi joining with some of their members and others from First Presbyterian Church of Northville to help package 10,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger. In 2024, this organization sent 54 million meals around the world to help combat hunger! We scooped, measured, weighed, sealed, labeled, and boxed up the meals all in about two hours of time. It was a beautiful day outside, but equally beautiful seeing nearly 50 individuals enjoying themselves while participating in a good cause.

Thanks to: Mary Carson, Karl and Sharon Cressman, Charlene Diehl, Rick Fuller, Ginny Hubble, Nancy Newell, Dan Piontek, Ron Prieskorn, Lorrie McVey, Dorothy Tait, and Bob and Marcia Van Hamme.

Nancy Prieskorn, Mission

  

Living Our Vision: Welcoming All, Sharing Christ, Serving Others Retreat

On October 11. 2025, 28 people gathered at the Holy Cross Church in Livonia for an all-day retreat on the new FPCF Vision.

The day began with fellowship time, a prayer and a sing-along. Pastor Craig Aue kicked off the “Welcoming All” portion with a skit about a person who felt they were broken and that their pieces were falling off. “God” listened and convinced the person that they were not broken, but they were being transformed into a better version of themselves. He then talked about the meaning of hospitality and how it means accepting all of God’s people, no matter who they are or what they look like. The groups discussed at their tables ideas for how to improve hospitality and be more welcoming in our church.

Pastor Katy Doyle-Hohf talked about “Sharing Christ” and asked us what that means to us. She talked about how we are called to live our faith with words and actions and how understanding our faith journeys help plant seeds for the future. She suggested we learn to trust that the right words will come as we share Christ with others. She then shared a personal story about a time when she was down and how helpful it was when a stranger shared their journey with Christ. She ended with the “Three Simple Rules of Christian Living” by John Wesley: “Do no harm,” which means refraining from actions that cause destruction to others or God’s creations; “Do good,” which involves acts of kindness, charity and justice, and; “Stay in love with God” by nurturing a relationship with God through worship, prayer and reading scripture.

The group had a delicious lunch prepared and served by Kari Gorman and then returned for another sing-along and inspirational message from Kari.

Lynda Ashbay from Holy Cross took the group outside for an overview of the Labyrinth & Prayer Park. She explained the history of their labyrinth and its purpose, which is to touch God and let God touch us. She suggested that walking through it is an opportunity to be silent, listen, wonder and receive a message or peace. All are welcome to visit the labryrinth at any time.

Pastor Adam Grosch talked about “Serving Others” and the importance of maintaining a culture of serving and inviting others. If people feel welcome, they may stay. He suggested that “announcements are good for informing, but inviting is a better way to seek the involvement of others”. He said that everyone who enters the church belongs there and he reinforced the spiritual journey model “belong, serve, believe” that Pastor Craig also talked about, which suggests that acceptance and community precede and lead to action and faith. Pastor Adam encouraged us to look for unexpected relationships and gave a personal example of one that grew over time. At the end, he challenged the group to prayerfully ask God “What one person do you want me to serve?” The results could grow exponentially in the community.

The retreat was quite a full day of fellowship and reflection. It ended with a prayer and a thank you to all leaders involved: From FPCF Pastor Craig Aue, Sue Carlson, Mary Carson, Alvine Cooper, Kari Gorman, Laurel Scott, Dorothy Tait, Colleen Tavor. Special guests Lynda Ashbay (Holy Cross Church), Pastor Katy Doyle-Hohf (Capernaum Health & South Lyon First United Methodist Church), and Pastor Adam Grosch (Lakeshore Presbyterian Church, St. Clair Shores).

FPCF Vision Retreat attendees walking the Labyrinth & Prayer Park at Holy Cross Church in Livonia

Fall Cleanup and Landscaping

A huge thanks to the two dozen scouts and scouters from Troop 179 as well as members of our Property Committee (Alvine Cooper, Jeff Ely, Ron Prieskorn and Don Schwartz)!
On October 18 the teamwork of scouts and church members transformed the East side of the church, removing the overgrown trees and bushes using both hand tools and heavy equipment. The view from Farmington Road is now clean and fresh and we hope you agree it is more attractive and inviting to the community!

October Means Apple-Picking Time!

The Cressmans and friends made their annual visit to Hy’s Cider Mill, Sunday afternoon, October 12.

From the look on Sharon’s face, they had a great time!
Apples, donuts and cider – the best of the Fall season!

Congregational Concerns

Session Meeting Highlights – October 15, 2025

The FPCF Session was held on October 15, 2025, and reports the following highlights.

The new organ is working wonderfully, but there is still some work in process. Donations to the New Organ Fund have started coming in, which is great as the donations will offset the total expense already paid by the church.san>

Motions approved by Session:

• A Town Hall is scheduled after the November 23, 2025 Worship Service, to report on the 2026 pledging results and provide an update on the overall financial status of the church.
• The exterior doors will be locked about 10 minutes after the weekly worship service starts with an assigned person to remain in the Narthex to let in any latecomers. The Usher Procedures will be updated accordingly.
• The Christmas Eve Service on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, will begin at 4:30 p.m.
• The Comm/Tech and Property Committees gave a presentation on two quotes received to upgrade the audio/visual equipment in Room 208/210 and Knox Hall. Session approved the recommendation to move forward with the quote for Room 208/210 and to hold off on the Knox Hall for now.
• The Stewardship Letter #2 was mailed out this past week and included: 1) A request for 2026 Operating Pledge, 2) A 2026 Operating Pledge Sign-up Card, 3) An RSVP for the 11/2/25 Consecration Sunday Luncheon, and 4) A 2026 New Organ Campaign Pledge.
• The Consecration Luncheon RSVP is due back by October 26, 2025, and the 2026 Pledges are due back by November 10, 2025. If you do not receive a copy of this letter by October 25, 2025, there will be extra copies of the letter at the Welcome Center in the Narthex or you can contact the church office.

Help Wanted:

• Personnel is looking for a part-time Office Administrator. Contact Bob Van Hamme for more info.
• Session is looking for a new Church Treasurer, please contact the church office if you are interested in learning about this position.

The next Session meeting is Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

Dorothy Tait, Clerk of Session

Room 208/210 to Get an Audio-Visual Upgrade

Last spring, our Revitalization Committee (formerly Membership Committee) approached CommTech and Property Committees, asking for audio-visual upgrades for Room 208/210 and Knox Hall. (That’s a lot of committees involved, right?) At the same time, Chris Ely was troubleshooting issues that made hybrid Zoom meetings in 208/210 problematic.

Everyone agreed that improved video conferencing equipment in 208/210 and enhanced visual technology in Knox Hall would not only address current problems and help FPCF become more technically inclusive but would enable new programs for Nurture and other ministries. However, we needed solutions tailored to the size of our spaces, our usage, and demographics. Chris Ely developed requests for quotations and worked with vendors for quotes on user-friendly specs for Knox Hall and 208/210.

Due to Knox Hall’s extremely large size, a full video conferencing system would be very challenging and extremely expensive. Vendors suggested adding an installed display to the existing audio system to provide improved experiences in town halls, special events and programs.

During the October Session meeting, CommTech, Property, and Operations jointly recommended to Session that FPCF move forward first with BlueWater Audio/Visual’s quote for approximately $25,000 to install new equipment in 208/210, including:

• 98” 4K UHD LCD “Prosumer” display (TV)
• Barco ClickShare wireless input for users to wirelessly share content from laptops
• Central ceiling-mounted microphone
• Eight-inch ceiling speakers
• A fixed camera with auto digital zoom/tracking
• Automatic on/off and input switching between devices

(Because the least expensive quoted package for Knox Hall was $16K, that part of the project was tabled.)

The motion was approved by Session. We thank everyone for their collaborative work!

Chris Ely, Jeff Ely, Laura Hedgecock and Ron Prieskorn

Stewardship

Please turn in your pledges by no later than Monday, November 10, if possible, so we can work on our 2026 budget. Your timely pledges help us to allocate funds more realistically and confidently. We appreciate your generosity and servant heart as we move into 2026 and our next chapter as the “First Pres” family of God!

Church Safety and Security

If you have a key fob that you forgot to turn in, or are no longer using, please return it to the church office. If you have lost one, we need to know just so we can deactivate it. This information will help to ensure our church is more secure.

Thank you from the Property Team

Job Opportunity

If you, or someone you know, is looking for a part-time position, 20 hours per week, First Presbyterian Church Farmington is looking for a part-time Office Administrative Assistant.

Mondays – Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; $20.00 Per Hour; Microsoft Office knowledge is required.

Contact Bob Van Hamme for more info.

Universal Church Directory (UCD) App

If you want a complete list of congregation members, consider getting this application installed on your smart phone. Go to the app store and download the free UCD app. When you try to use the app, it will ask for your unique identifier. To get your family’s unique identifier, email a note to Tom Neal at [email protected] and he will send it to you.

If you are not in the UCD, send Tom an email so he can arrange for you to be included.

The app is update regularly so is great for showing photos of members, current phone numbers, addresses and emails and also gives you the ability to call, text and see address location on a GPS map.

Sunday Flowers

Please remember to take your beautiful flowers home with you immediately following the church service, if that is your intention: Otherwise, they will be donated to homebound church members on your behalf. Thank you!

Join us for Coffee and Treats after In-Person Worship

Please join us after worship each Sunday for our fellowship time in Knox hall. Take a moment to enjoy fresh coffee, delicious treats, and most importantly, the company of your church family. Whether you’re a longtime member or first-time visitor, these informal gatherings provide a wonderful opportunity to connect, share stories, and strengthen our community bonds. Stay for five minutes or fifty — all are welcome at the table!

If you can’t join us in person, watch our livestream.

You can watch our services live at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5DRjYOmh4Y.

You can always access it from the front page of our website, https://Farmington-Pres.org, as well. Leave us a note in the YouTube chat and don’t forget to like the video. This helps us reach new people who might enjoy our services.

Don’t forget to check out of our Facebook page

Your comments and shares on Facebook (FB) help us share the Good News of Jesus AND all the good that is happening at First Pres. Please take the time to leave a short comment on our FB posts, then share to your FB feed.

We Keep In Our Prayers

We pray for members and friends who are sick, homebound, in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, those who are grieving or heavy at heart, and those serving in the military or as first responders.

To protect individuals’ privacy, we do not list them on the online version of our newsletter.

Please contact the church office to report changes to your listing in the church directory.:

If you haven’t yet added the church pictorial directory app from Universal Church Directory (UCD) to your smart phone, you’re missing a great resource. Contact Tom Neal to receive your family’s unique identifier and simple installation instructions for convenient access to entries for new First Pres  members as well as up-to-date names, photos, addresses, emails, and phone numbers of your church family and staff.

QR Code for Donations!

 If you ever forget to go to the ATM, or simply don’t carry cash on you, we’ve decided to include the church QR code for a more streamlined donation process. To donate, just scan the QR code and follow the prompts!

2025 Church Holiday Schedule

The church office will be closed on these dates in observance of the designated holidays.

Regularly Scheduled Committees and Activities at FPCF

Church Calendar

You can access the up-to-date church calendar on the FPCF website at:
https://farmington-pres.org/.