TABLE OF CONTENTS Deepening our Discipleship 1 Lenten Focus ........................ 2 Gifts of Women Sunday ...... 4 Presbytery Events ................ 5 Missions ................................ 6 Men’s Prayer Breakfast ....... 6 Elementary ........................... 8 Youth..................................... 9 Day School News .................. 10 Teacher Feature ................... 10 Upcoming Events ................. 11 Triennial Gathering ............. 11 Committee Meetings ............ 11 Session Report ...................... 12 Acolyte Schedule .................. 12 Birthdays .............................. 12 March 2016 Rev. Rebecca Luter Deepening our Discipleship As we continue our Lenten Focus and prepare for Holy Week and Easter, I hope that having a word each day to contemplate has been helpful to you. If you have not been participating, I encourage you to join the journey by sending a text to 81010 that says @farmfam Each day when you receive your word consider not only what picture you can take to text back but also what that word brings up in your life. How does it relate to your relationship with God.? Today is Tuesday, February 23rd, and the word is “light.” I would love to take a picture of the sun shining, but it is grey and cold outside today as I write to you. The grass is brown and rain is falling. Just last weekend I noticed that my daffodils were budding. This morning I looked and saw their yellow blooms, doubled over and limp. I long for spring. I knew the foolishness of the daffodils when I saw their buds, but I understood their compulsion to emerge from the darkness of their earthen bed and dress in bright yellow. Spring is coming. It may not fully be here yet, but it is coming. Isn’t that the message of Easter? New life is coming. A world where God’s will is done every time is coming. It may not fully be here yet, but it is coming. So we can not be content to lie in darkness. We have felt the warmth of the Son. We will grow and stretch toward the light, and dress in the bright colors of joy and hope. You must go through the suffering to experience the light of Christ. Holy week is March 20-27
Transcript
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Deepening our Discipleship 1
Lenten Focus ........................ 2
Gifts of Women Sunday ...... 4
Presbytery Events ................ 5
Missions ................................ 6
Men’s Prayer Breakfast ....... 6
Elementary ........................... 8
Youth ..................................... 9
Day School News .................. 10
Teacher Feature ................... 10
Upcoming Events ................. 11
Triennial Gathering ............. 11
Committee Meetings ............ 11
Session Report ...................... 12
Acolyte Schedule .................. 12
Birthdays .............................. 12
March 2016
Rev. Rebecca Luter
Deepening our Discipleship
As we continue our Lenten Focus and prepare for Holy Week and
Easter, I hope that having a word each day to contemplate has been
helpful to you. If you have not been participating, I encourage you
to join the journey by sending a text to 81010 that says
@farmfam Each day when you receive your word consider not only
what picture you can take to text back but also what that word
brings up in your life. How does it relate to your relationship with
God.?
Today is Tuesday, February 23rd, and the word is “light.” I would
love to take a picture of the sun shining, but it is grey and cold
outside today as I write to you. The grass is brown and rain is
falling. Just last weekend I noticed that my daffodils were
budding. This morning I looked and saw their yellow blooms,
doubled over and limp. I long for spring. I knew the foolishness of
the daffodils when I saw their buds, but I understood their
compulsion to emerge from the darkness of their earthen bed and
dress in bright yellow. Spring is coming. It may not fully be here
yet, but it is coming.
Isn’t that the message of Easter? New life is coming. A world where
God’s will is done every time is coming. It may not fully be here yet,
but it is coming. So we can not be content to lie in darkness. We
have felt the warmth of the Son. We will grow and stretch toward
the light, and dress in the bright colors of joy and hope.
You must go through the suffering to experience the light of Christ. Holy week is March 20-27
Manager took them on a guided tour of the facility.
It was a fantastic time of fellowship for the men
and their significant other.
A special thanks to all the
servants who have
helped with Room in
the Inn during the Winter
season. The last 2 Farmington
nights this season are March 5
and 19th. The program
provides shelter, an evening
meal and a continental
breakfast, plus transportation from and to
downtown Memphis. Farmington partnered with
other churches to provide much needed shelter
from November through March to those made
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Recently, we moved into a new house. We love it,
but a new place means a new floor plan,
unfamiliar noises, and really just unfamiliar
everything. One night after we’d just moved in,
the girls were upstairs in their rooms, the boys
were in the basement, and my wife and I in the
living room. And outside, there was quite a storm
brewing. And suddenly there was a flash out the
wind, loud booming thunder, and then …
Then the lights went out … we heard squeals and
screams coming from all over the house. I
scrambled through boxes and drawers to find a
flashlight, a candle, anything that could help us
find each other in this new unfamiliar space we
found ourselves.
Finally, I found my phone and turned on the
small LED flashlight on the back. And in a
moment, everything was ok. Sure, we still were
without power. We still didn’t quite know where
everything was. But we had light. And everything
seems better when you have a little light.
The kids just needed to know we were still there.
That we’d be able to find them. They’d be able to
get to us. That small light gave them hope that
everything would be ok.
That’s hope. The belief that although it was dark
and difficult to see, everything is going to be ok.
All it took was a light, a small light that pierced
through the darkness of that night.
Sometimes, it’s going to feel like our life just
doesn’t make sense. Our world will be dark and
confusing … and down right scary. For our kids,
this will be difficult to understand.
But here’s thing, just like that light pierced
through the darkness of my home, we get to
speak into the hearts of these kids and remind
them that even in the dark, God is still in control.
God still loves them. And God will faithfully carry
them through the darkness into His marvelous
light.
Unfortunately, this happens more than we’d like.
Maybe someone they care about dies.
They get bad news from a doctor.
A parent loses a job.
They get bullied at school.
Someone gets divorced.
Kids find themselves trying to make their way
through the dark, when all they might need is a
little light. That’s why we’re taking the whole
month to talk about hope.
We define hope like this: believing that
something good can come out of something
bad. It’s important to help kids know what to do
when life throws them a curveball—when their
picture doesn’t pan out the way they think it
will—to let them know that life will get messy at
some point. But no matter how confusing, God
still has a plan. He is powerful enough to make
something good come out of something bad.
Elementary
Farmington Youth Fellowship (FYF)
Winter Jam 2016 Saturday, March 5 @ FedEx Forum Cost:$10 $10 for an incredible concert of Christian bands, dynamic speakers and fun for all at the FedEx Forum.
Montreat Youth Conference.
“A World of Difference”
July 10 – 16 @Montreat, NC Cost: $255
This year, Farmington will be attending Montreat Youth
Conference in Black Mountain, NC. Because this is our
first time back in 10 years we are only requiring the youth
to pay the registration for the trip! Don’t miss this incred-
ible retreat with the Farmington Youth Group.
A t the end of February , Michael Wann,
Camille Young, and Madison Lewis joined
155 other Presbyterian youth for the
annual PYC retreat at Pinecrest. They did a
number of prayer practices, participated in
worship, square danced, made s’mores and much
more. It is often on retreat that a youth group
gels into a trusting and supportive communion
and the weekend did just that. We planned
future projects together, expressed our
individual interests in ministry, and got excited
about upcoming events. This group is still small
but we are bigger on the inside as our youth
shirts express.
Upcoming Youth Events
155 young people gathered in the chapel at
Pinecrest for games and the opening of the 2016
Farmington youth took a walk through the
Pinecrest prayer labyrinth.
Preschool and Before & After Registration
Day School News
Teacher Feature Natalee Holmes
How long have you been teaching? This is my second year at Farmington and my first year to be a lead teacher.
What do you enjoy most about teaching at FPDS? Knowing I am making a difference in a child’s life for the better and my co-workers!
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy painting and drawing.
What’s your favorite vacation spot? Beach!
Rachel Doelling
How long have you been teaching? I have been working at Farmington since 2011.
What do you enjoy most about teaching at FPDS? I enjoy watching the kids grow and learn and I love my co-workers.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Playing soccer and working out
What’s your favorite vacation spot? Anywhere with a beach.
FPDS honors Alex and Brady for being
role models in outstanding leadership.
Alex Cleveland and Brady Weatherly, 6th
graders in the After Care Program, were
awarded our first FPDS Leadership awards.
These students were recognized for their
leadership skills in a sports presentation to
the 1st through 5th graders.
They accepted our Super Bowl challenge of
teaching the younger students about football.
Alex and Brady demonstrated their speaking
abilities, while presenting their knowledge
and expressing their enthusiasm for the
game. Positive attitude, being team players,
respect for teachers, and initiative were
attributes shown as they planned a display
and conducted their sports discussion.
Congregational Care 10:00 am Tuesday, Mar. 1
School Board 5:30 pm Monday, Mar. 7
Service 6:30 pm Monday, Mar. 7
Christian Education 6:00 pm Tuesday, Mar. 8
Property and Grounds 7:30am Friday, Mar. 11
Session 6:00 pm Monday, Mar. 14
Administration 6:00 pm Monday, Mar. 28
Committee Meetings
Sundays at Farmington
Sunday School is at 9:30 am and
Worship is at 11:00 am. Join us!
Children gather in the Sanctuary with music
and then proceed to their classroom (A6)
Adults choose between Hosea in the
Interpretation Bible Study in the East Room and a
study of the Book of Luke in the room closest to
the West door.
Mar. 2- Breakfast for Dinner Programs for Adults and Children
Mar. 9- Pizza Night Programs for Adults and Children
Mar. 16 - Pasta Night (red and white sauce) Program for Adults and Children
Mar. 23 - No Mid Week Meal on Wednesday, Maundy Thursday meal and service at 6 pm
Mar. 30- Chicken Tenders Program for Adults and Children
Upcoming Events
Feed Fayette Food Pantry
We are collecting cans of Green
Vegetables for the food pantry.
If you would like to help
distribute food, call Bonnie
Blair at 901-493-2344. Thanks
to Jon, Charlene and Melissa
Still for their work with the
Fayette County Food Bank each
month.
2016 TRIENNIAL GATHERING
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN SYNOD OF LIVING
WATERS
June 8-11
A time to share joys and concerns, successes,
challenges with other Presbyterian Women. A time for
