TABLE OF CONTENTS

Deepening our Discipleship 1

Letter from Charles ............. 2

Day School News .................. 3

Youth Fellowship ................. 4

Service Committee Report .. 5

Mellow Mushroom .............. 5

Pool Party ............................. 5

VBS ........................................ 6

Redbirds Game ..................... 7

Committee Meetings ............ 7

Session Report ...................... 8

Acolyte Schedule .................. 8

Birthdays .............................. 8

Rev. Rebecca Luter

Deepening our Discipleship

I recently read an article about scientific research on awe. Defined as "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder," awe is a feeling that is inspired rather than caused. Jordan Rosenfeld, the author of the article in New York Magazine, says awe is that experience when "you temporarily blur at the edges, feeling a connection to something greater than yourself....In 2003, researchers Jonathan Haidt and Dacher Keltner published a landmark study on the social and emotional functions of awe, reporting that it appeared to increase people's feelings of connectedness and willingness to help others."

What inspires feelings of awe in you? For many of us, awe is our response to the magnificent beauty of the natural world: the clear water pouring over the edge of Niagara Falls, the bright colors of layers of rock adjacent to dark shadows as the sun's rays play across the Grand Canyon, the power and expanse of the ocean as tidal waves crash on the beach, the mid-afternoon hoot of a nearby owl, the agility and speed of chasing squirrels, the trust of an infant drifting to sleep on your shoulder... What inspires feelings of awe in you?

Scientists are learning that experiences of awe alleviate the feeling of being rushed in our lives. People who experience awe are less impatient and feel that they have more available time. Groups who experience awe are more cohesive, cooperate better, and are more effective.

Why not seek to be awe-inspired? Keep an "awe journal" and write down one awe-inspiring moment each day. Or challenge your family to be awe-inspired and share your feelings of awe around the table at mealtime.

(Continued on page 2)

June 2016

Farmington Presbyterian Day School says thank you to Ed Patterson for 17 years of dedicated service

to the church and school. Ed retired from FPDS at the end of May.

W hen I began my "God Ordained Sabbatical"

back in January, I had no idea what was in

store. What was in store was a silent lesson

of God's amazing grace. There are not words, and this is

very rare for someone who talks all the time, to express

my humble thanks for all of the cards, the calls, the

visits, the continual meals, and the fervent prayers that

have been bestowed on me.

Now there are stories. One cannot stay seven weeks in

rehab and not have stories, but I will save those for

private conversations.

Also, to all involved in making my house a safer place

by adding new steps at the back door, I say thank you.

They are now called The Farmington Steps, and (you

know me) a plaque has been ordered.

Over and over again I have said to friends that I don't

understand what people do who do not have a church

family like mine at Farmington. May they somehow

experience a showing of the grace of God that does pass

all understanding.

Know that my heart is grateful, always.

-Charles Billings

Letter from Charles Billings

Dear Friends in Christ,

German cosmonaut Sigmund Jahn said this of the awe-inspiring view of earth from space:

"Before I flew I was already aware how small and vulnerable our planet is; but only when I saw it from space, in all its ineffable beauty and fragility, did I realize that humankind's most urgent task is to cherish and preserve it for future generations."

As you prepare for summer parties, keep the earth in mind.

Your waste will outlive you—plastic can take up to 600 years to break down in a landfill, and Styrofoam never breaks down. When planning parties and events, keep the environment in mind by using reusable dinnerware. Start small with reusable utensils, since they can be easily collected and washed, supplemented with recycled-content paper and/or biocompostable dinnerware: www.worldcentric.org .

Eco-tip provided by GreenFaith: www.greenfaith.org

End of the School Year

Day School News

F armington Families,

What a great school year we have had! A

special thanks to all the parents from the

FPDS staff. We greatly appreciate all of the

support and kindness that you have shown. We

would also like to thank our staff for an

incredible year of teaching, leading, and guiding

the children of FPDS.

Ryan and his Sports Team, the Missouri State Razorbacks. On the black top, Ryan teaches good sportsmanship.

FPDS congratulates our staff members graduating from the University of Memphis! Cortney Mills, Bachler of Art in Art History and Kelsey Whitaker, Bachler of Science in Exercise Science.

T he Fellowship Hall was covered in artwork and

the building reverberated with the sounds of

singing children at the Farmington Day School

Music and Art Show, May 23-24. But you may not be

aware that the art lining the hallway was a product of

Susan Ossario’s devotion to the children and the arts.

With the help of other teachers and staff, and supplies

furnished by Susan herself, children worked together

to create beautiful collaborative works to accompany

their individual pieces for the Art show.

Farmington Youth Fellowship (FYF)

A s crowds gathered on the shore, Jesus

stepped into a boat and asked his future

disciples to row out a ways. The people

stood on the shore and listened as he taught

about the Kingdom of Heaven. Suddenly, Jesus

turned to the men in the boat and said for them

to cast out the nets.

“Beg your pardon, Rabbi.” they must have said,

“We have not caught anything all day. You teach

well enough, but a fisherman you are not. Fish

do not like a noisy crowd and lots of yelling from

a boat. But, we will dirty our nets, waste our

time, and embarrass ourselves in front of this

group of onlookers, if you say so.”

The next moment, the disciples are participating

in a miracle they will not forget. The people on

the shore stood listening to the commotion but

only saw fishermen, being successful fishermen.

Next month, Elizabeth Demaree, Cydnee Young,

Camille Young, Madison Lewis, Michael Wann,

and Joanna Andrews will be heading to the

mountains of North Carolina for Montreat Youth

Conference. There, alongside hundreds of other

Presbyterian churches from around the United

States, we will hear from dynamic speakers,

participate in challenging conversations, and

witness God’s miracles and wonders. We invite

you to stand on the shore and listen in.

We are offering “shares” in this retreat. For $10

you can stand on the banks and hear what God is

doing while the youth experience the amazing

and miraculously unexpected work of God in

their lives. Each day on the retreat, I will be

writing an update to the parents and “share-

holders” about the day’s events. But the

witnesses have a roll to play as well. The youth

will be writing a post card to all those that helped

get them in the boat.

Be a part of this Retreat by purchasing your

share from the youth or in the church office.

Thanks for supporting and encouraging this

generation of young disciples.

Youth Will Try To Escape On June 8

The youth of Farmington will try to escape at a

new time, June 8 at 7:45pm. We will gather to

eat at Las Delicious at 6:15pm. The address is

5707 Quince Road. Space is limited so sign up

ASAP. Youth age 12 and up are invited and

admission is $13. We will have dinner afterward

at Las Delicious. If you would like to attend,

contact Doug Barr at doug@farmingtonpres.org.

Museum Heist

A new museum

exhibition is in town

showcasing a multi-

million dollar Faberge

Egg and you're planning

to steal it. You and your

group are sneaking in

after hours. You will

have to get the codes, solve the puzzles from the

art gallery, and not to mention having to

navigate through a laser trap to get to your prize.

Your task is to get to the egg and get the code to

escape the room in 60 minutes. Be careful, it

won't be easy!

The Luters are hosting their summer pool parties again!

Bring an appetizer or dessert, camp chairs, your family,

and invite friends. Burgers and hot dogs will be grilled at

noon.

*Kids need suits, towels, goggles, etc...

Great acts of service

Service Committee Report

We are an active, vibrant, and service-driven

church to the Germantown and Memphis

communities. The Service Committee would like

to share its year-end report, demonstrating our

efforts to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and

shelter the homeless in 2015-16.

Room in the Inn hosted 168 homeless guests

over the cold months of winter. Members

laundered bedsheets, served meals, stayed

over night, and transported our guests from

downtown on 12 separate nights.

62 children, youth, and adults packed 10,000

meals in one hour through Stop Hunger Now.

Our mission team installed 4 cisterns in

Xpujil, Mexico as part of the Clean Water Task

Force of the Presbytery of the Mid-South.

Through Fayette County Food Bank,

Samaritans Purse, and our Undie Sundays we

collected 1366 items.

A whopping $10,550 was collected for efforts

like Stop Hunger Now, the Mexico Cistern

Mission, Room in the Inn, Soup Kitchen, and

more.

The full report can be viewed from our website.

www.farmingtonpres.org/wp-content/

uploads/2016/05/SERVICE-COMMITTEE-END-OF-

YEAR-REPORT.pdf

D ine in at the Mellow Mushroom on

Forest Hill Irene and a percentage of

your food bill will come back to

Farmington for our Cistern Mission in Mexico.

This year’s trip is June 28th-July 5th.

Gives back!Gives back! June 6th

on Forest Hill Irene

Summer Swim

June 18, 11am—3pm

Upcoming Events

Vacation Bible School

June 13—17 from 9am—12pm.

W hen you arrive for church on June 12,

you may want to wear your flip flops

and swim trunks. We are converting

the church into a hot sunny beach for this year’s

Vacation Bible School. We have 120 children of all

ages registered for Vacation Bible School and they

will be deciending on the building June 13—17.

Each day, kids will rotate through stations of

crafts, music, science, recreation, bible story, and

snack. Each station has a lesson connected with

the story for that day. We are going to do

separate rotations for preschool and elementary

this year. It is going to be an exciting week so

please be in prayer for the volunteers and

students as we take part in Surf Shack VBS: Catch

the Wave of God’s Amazing Love.

Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser

The Service Committee will host a spaghetti supper during VBS on Thursday

night, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of raising funds for the Mexico

Cistern Ministry. Come enjoy a delicious meal and give what you can to the

Mexico Mission Trip.

T his year we have ordered our VBS shirst

from Agape North. For every three VBS

T-shirts we sell, Agape North will

purchase a school uniform for a local school!

Not only do students and volunteers get an

incredible shirt they can wear all summer long,

but they also provide for the needs of a student

next school year. If you would like a VBS t-

shirt for you or your child, visit the shirt shack

outside the sanctuary during the week of

Vacation Bible School.

Worship

12:30 pm Sunday, June 5

Christian Education

12:30 pm Sunday, June 5

Administration

6:00 pm Tuesday, June 7

Congregational Care

10:00 am Tuesday, June 7

Property and Grounds

7:30 am Friday, June 10

Service

6:30 pm Monday, June 11

Session

6:00 pm Monday, June 13

This year, with the help of Farmington Day School

families, we have collected 911 items for the food pantry.

Well done! Thank you all for helping feed those in need.

Throughout the month of June we will be collecting cans

of Tuna Fish for the Feed Fayette Food Pantry. Donation

bags are located in the hallway at either end of the

building.

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)

Youth gather in the youth room at 10 am for The Story:

Finding yourself in the narrative of the Bible.

Adults choose between Hosea in the Interpretation Bible

Study in the East Room and a study of John Ortberg’s

Faith and Doubt in the room closest to the West door.

FPC Men will meet on June 10 to continue their study of key

sermons by Billy Graham. Join them at 6:30am in the Youth

Room. Coffee and McDonalds breakfast are available.

Men’s Prayer Breakfast

Friday, June 10 @ 6:30am

Feed Fayette Food Pantry

The Farmington Family is invited to attend the

Redbirds game against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox

June 11 at 6:35pm. We will take our seats behind

3rd base under the awning. Tickets are $16 and

include a Hot Dog and Soda. To get this special rate

and to sit with the Farmington group, please order

tickets no later than

Memphis Red Birds Game

Saturday, June 11 @ 6:30pm

Committee Meetings

Farmington Presbyterian Church and Day School 8245 Farmington Blvd. Germantown, TN 38139

www.Farmingtonpres.org

If you have content for the June edition of New Vision, please email Doug Barr no later than June 27

at Doug@farmingtonpres.org

Acolyte Schedule

June 5 Jack Ritchey

June 12 Lorelei Phillips

June 19 Ethan Simpson

June 26 Elizabeth Luter

July 3 Olivia Mittag

Session Members

Administration – Kirsten King

Christian Education – Laurinda Ingram

Clerk – Melanie Oest

Congregational Care – John Hazen

Fellowship – Mary Shelley Ritchey

Property and Grounds – Jerry Hosier

School Board – Susan Bryant

Service – Bonnie Blair

Worship – Sandy Wann

Staff Extensions

Rev. Rebecca Luter, Pastor, Ext. 23

Doug Barr, Director of Christian Education, Ext. 29

Cyndi Bevington, Administrative Assistant, Ext. 21

Rhonda Pearsall, Bookkeeper, Ext. 22

Jenny Howell, Executive Director of Day School, Ext. 28

Linda Turner, Managing Director of Day School, Ext. 24

Gretchen Burch, Program Director of Day School, Ext. 32

Anthony Jones, Maintenance Technician

If your birthday is not listed, please contact

the church office to be added. We would

like to celebrate with you.

June Birthdays

Session Report

We welcome into the Farmington Family Bert and Susan Phillips

by Reaffirmation of Faith and their daughter Lorelei. Lorelei will

be a 4th grader at Farmington Elementary in the fall.

A Congregational Meeting was held on May 29th to hear the

report of the Elder Nominating Committee. Charlie Smithers was

elected to serve a one-year term in the Class of 2017. Susan

Bryant, Kirsten King, and Lance Palmer were elected to the Class

of 2019. Alicia Hoggan was elected as a parent representative to

the Farmington Day School Board in the Class of 2019.

6 Anthony Jones

6 Susan Ossario

10 Nathan Williams

12 Walker Ward

12 Mary Collins

13 Vesta Andrews

13 Kathy Doelling

14 Sandy Wann

18 Dawn Dia

21 Leah Douglas

22 Brandon Wann

23 Jerry Renfrow

23 Lorraine Howarth

24 Jean Wiseman

27 Rhonda Byrne

30 William Ingram

30 Shelley Wann

30 Simone Bourgeois