Welcome to Gardenview Church
Farmer
Greenrake
Stories from the Gardenview Church
Small garden adventures with big-hearted lessons about kindness, faith, courage, and growing well together.
Pick a garden friend
Stories growing in the garden
Choose a character and settle in for an original Farmer Greenrake story.
Meet the keeper of the garden
Pastor, farmer, storyteller
“Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such of these. I assure you, anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.’” Luke 18:16
Dr. Swinton D. Futch was a retired Baptist minister as well as an organic gardener. In the 1970s he realized that there was a chance to teach children biblical principles through “characters” he created from his garden during a special time set aside for children during the morning worship service.
Each week he would choose a vegetable that was in his garden and create a Farmer Greenrake story around that particular vegetable. On Sunday mornings, Dr. Futch would head out to the garden, pick the vegetable and turn it into the character he had created by adding human features such as a face, arms and legs and sometimes clothes. The dressed up vegetable would ride along to church with the rest of our family and show up each Sunday morning in the worship service.
At the end of each Farmer Greenrake story he would give the “character” away to the child that had brought a visitor, remembered to say their prayers each day that week, or had shared a story where they remembered to be kind to someone else. Whenever possible and when the crop was abundant, Dr. Futch would bring a basket full of Charlie McCool Cucumbers or Oscar Okras and hand them out to all the children that attended the morning worship service that Sunday.
Continue the introduction
The Farmer Greenrake series was very popular and the children’s participation in children’s church grew to almost more than the front of the church could hold.
These are just a few of the Farmer Greenrake characters that our father, Dr. Swinton D. Futch, created over several years time. We hope that you have enjoyed meeting some of the “members” of the Gardenview Church and have taken the time to talk to your child about the principles in each story.
Children belong in worship. The truths shared with them can speak to the whole congregation.
A family legacy
Stories written with children at the center
Dr. Swinton D. Futch earned his Doctor of Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His doctoral work focused on including children in worship.
During children’s time, he brought the Gardenview congregation to life through vegetables, fruit, gentle humor, and biblical truth. His children, Cathy Simmons and David Futch, are preserving these stories so a new generation can enjoy them. Perhaps one day, families will hold them in a storybook.
With love and admiration
This website was created in honor of Dr. Swinton D. Futch, father and “Granddaddy” to Catherine “Cathy” Futch Simmons, daughter; Swinton David Futch, son; Benjamin and Sarah Simmons, grandson and wife; and Sarah Simmons-Timm and Christopher Timm, granddaughter and husband. The Rev. John Hill was consulted and assisted in the selection of scripture references.