Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse
5811 Heritage Landing Dr., 2nd Floor
East Syracuse, NY  13057
(315) 632-5698

Feb. 14, 2019
Dear Friends of Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery,

Welcome to this week's edition of our e-letter, Presbytery Matters. Our goal is to highlight things going on throughout the Church: within our Presbytery, in our congregations, as well as in the Synod of the Northeast and across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We hope that these are things that will be helpful, informative, challenging, encouraging, supportive. In other words, we hope that these things will matter. Your input is valued, and your comments are always welcomed.
Happy Valentine's Day

Mission Stories

Women Leaders Rise

First United Church  
in Fulton elder honored for her service

Rita Hooper was recently honored during worship at First United Church in Fulton for her service to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Inc. Board of Directors Search Committee. She completed her term in August. Rita represented the Northeast/Boriquen Region.

Rick Casella, chair of the Fulton Council presented Rita with a certificate and read a letter from Carol Winkler, immediate past moderator of Presbyterian Women, and Susan Jackson Dowd, executive director of Presbyterian Women, Inc.

Presbyterian Women is the oldest and largest mission partner in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Women leaders rise up from the grassroots to serve at all levels of the church. The purpose of Presbyterian Women calls members to prayer, study, mission, advocacy and support the PC (USA).

"Purpose points of Presbyterian Women is to build an inclusive, caring community of women that will strengthen the Presbyterian church," Rita said.

Rita is happy to report half of the Presbyterian Women board is women of color or represent a particular ethnicity; half of those women are from the Synod of the Northeast and Boriquen (Puerto Rico.)  
 
The new moderator of Presbyterian Women is Jyung In Lee (Jenny Lee.) JoAnn Burrell is vice-moderator for mission relationships, Sophia Diaz-Corporan is the Hispanic-Latina member at large, Hanna Cho, is the Korean member at large, JoAnn Estella, is the Synod rep and Danielle C. Hilerio-Villanueva is the Synod rep for Boriquen.
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Sweetheart dinners return to Sennett Federated Church 
       
A long tradition of sweetheart dinners continued at Sennett Federated Church this week.  
 
Guests enjoyed a ziti dinner followed by crafts for all.   
 
First, to limit the use of Styrofoam cups, guests each painted their own mugs. These individualized mugs will hang in the church's kitchen for each to use.  
 
Next, guests made valentines and included them in the "Taste of Central New York" box that will be sent to Sennett's sister church in Puerto Rico. New Hope Mills Pancake mix, maple syrup and Dinosaur Barbecue sauce will be the food included in the box. The box will also include pictures of the church's snowy activities to show what winter means to Central New York. 
 
 

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We want to hear about the mission stories from our Presbytery's worshiping communities. What mission work are you involved in? How are your members working in the community? What story would you like to share with others in the Presbytery?
 
 Send any mission stories from your congregation that you would like to share to:  CaySyrNews@gmail.com.  
   
Deadline is 12 p.m. on Wednesdays for the current week's edition of
Presbytery Matters.  
 
We want to share your stories, missions, activities and more. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page by clicking the "Like us on Facebook" tab at the top of this letter.

Joys and Concerns around the Presbytery
   In our prayers together this week...
  • Pray for the Rev Craig Lindsey who has been recruited to serve as the Spiritual Director for the "Faith In Practice" Medical Mission Trip to Guatemala this week.
  • Please send healing prayers for Pat R., of Robinson Elmwood United Church, who had a stroke while she and Don R. were traveling in Australia.
In the cycle of prayer for our Presbytery, please pray for these congregations, faith communities, and individuals: Northminster, North Syracuse; Onondaga Hill; Faith United Church of Oswego; Presbyterian Church of Otisco; New Hope, Parish

If you'd like to share a particular joy or concern with the Presbytery, please contact: CaySyrNews@gmail.com.

Photo of the Week
The First United Church of East Syracuse celebrated the faith of the
disciples on Sunday. The congregation wore name tags labeled "disciple"  
and were given index cards with two heart stickers to remind them of Jesus' love  
and their love for Jesus. Ushers wore robes sewn by Roxanne Rossi.
See more photos on the church's Facebook page. 


To have your photo considered for "Photo of the Week" post it to your church's Facebook page and tag the Presbytery of Cayuga Syracuse's Facebook page.
From the Leadership Team
Triennium 2019
 
If you have students who are interested in attending this mountain-top experience for youth entering 9th grade through graduated 12th grade, please send the name of your church, the names and contact information for each student, and the name of a contact person in your church along with their cell phone and email to: laherd02@gmail.com.

Leigh Anne Herd and Tracie Folley from First Presbyterian Church in Liverpool will serve as co-chairs of the 2019 Triennium Presbyterian Youth Triennium team for Cayuga-Syracuse.
 
Basic Triennium information can be found here. For information on local arrangements, contact Leigh Anne at (315) 727-0178 or laherd02@gmail.com
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Note to Pastors from the Leadership Team:

 

The Nominating Committee reports that there is a noticeable imbalance between pastors and elders on the Leadership Team going forward and requests that ministers of the Word and Sacrament give prayerful consideration to serving a three-year term from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2022. If you feel you can serve your presbytery in this way, please contact elder Donna Hunt at dmhunt130@gmail.com.

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Thank you to the First Presbyterian Church of Chittenango for being an amazing host for our stated meeting and for providing a delicious lunch.



Stated Meeting in Photos
 
           
                      
Around the Presbytery
 
DEADLINE EXTENDED
 
Seeking participants for LAMP trip to Puerto Rico
 
Latin American Mission Partnership (LAMP) has planned a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico April 11-18, 2019 leaving from Syracuse.  
 
The group is still accepting applications for both youth and adults that would like to participate in this trip. The group will embark on this trip to assist with projects that involve clean up and rebuilding projects from destruction that still remains from the hurricane.
 
The deadline to submit an application is Feb. 20. 
 
The cost for the trip is $1,100 and payment due dates are included on the application, which can be found by clicking here.  
 
LAMP highly encourages youth (minimum of 14 years old) to participate in this trip as it is an experience of a lifetime and many amazing memories are made through experiencing a new culture. It is not necessary to know the Spanish language; there will be translators available.  
 
For questions, please contact Julianne Pease at (315) 430-4536 or by email to julianne.pease1@gmail. com. To see pictures of past LAMP trips, visit its Facebook page. 
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What: Slow Smoked Pulled Pork Dinner  
When: 4 to 7 p.m. March 2  
Where: Sennett Federated Church
              7777 Weedsport-Sennett Road, Sennett  
Cost: Adults: $10
          Youth (5 to 15 years old): $5
          Under 5: Free   
Menu: Pulled pork with roll, salt potatoes, coleslaw, homemade applesauce, dessert and beverage.  
Take-outs available.  
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Pastors Lunch
 
The next Pastors Lunch will be held at 12 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 in the Robinson/Elmwood Church. The group will be discussing the book "Canoeing the Mountains"
 
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What: Loren Barrigar in Concert 
When: 4 p.m. Sunday, March 10 
Where: Jamesville Community Church, 6300 E. Seneca Turnpike 
Cost: Adults are $12; Children 16 and under are free
 
Complimentary refreshments will be served during intermission.
   
 
Around the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Dancing about immigration

Columbia Seminary conference presents performance based on choreographer's immigration story

By Rich Copley
Presbyterian News Service
 
ECATUR, Georgia - You probably wouldn't expect to see people throwing mulch in a modern dance performance any more than you'd expect to see a modern dance performance at a migration conference.

But participants in the Migration and Border Crossings conference at Columbia Theological Seminary saw both Friday night when the Atlanta-based troupe Staibdance presented two performances of its original work "Moat."

The dance followed a day of talks and workshops focused on immigration and migration, including sessions with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the PC(USA) Office of Immigration Issues, putting into movement what speakers had been putting into words all day.

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A new suit and an act of contrition
 
Tom Long says a famous busboy can teach us about forgiveness

By Mike Ferguson
Presbyterian News Service

GALVESTON, Texas - The Rev. Dr. Tom Long proposes a different narrative to one of mainline church decline.

"The one I want us to hear is that I believe God is tearing down what we have in order to build up something new and more faithful," the Bandy Professor of Preaching Emeritus at Candler School of Theology at Emory University told about 700 people attending the annual event last week of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators. "We are experiencing right now as a church the judgment of God," a reality to which not every Presbyterian can cozy up.

"The reason we don't want to talk about it is we misunderstand it theologically," he said. "It's not punishment and shame. It's a righteous judge who comes to set things right."

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5811 Heritage Landing Dr., 2nd Floor
East Syracuse, NY  13057
(315) 632-5698
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them
bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
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