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

May 23, 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.
Mission Stories

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 Annette Bell, wife of retired pastor the Rev. Larry Bell and elder at Westminster-Auburn. Annette has been diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer and will be undergoing chemotherapy. Please pray that her treatments are effective.
  • Pray for Bill Coop, former pastor of South Presbyterian Church (West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse). Bill is in end-stage liver failure and he was given two to eight weeks to live. His address is 3375 Fish Creek Road, Estes Park, CO 80517. Bill's daughter-in-law Janelle shared the news with Al and Carol Sunderwirth who shared it with Earl Arnold who shared it with us. Contact Linda Russell for Bill's phone number.
In the cycle of prayer for our Presbytery, please pray for these congregations, faith communities, and individual: minister members of the Presbytery who are engaged in specialized ministries, who are at-large members, or who are retired.
  
If you'd like to share a particular joy or concern with the Presbytery, please contact: CaySyrNews@gmail.com.

Photo of the Week
Volunteers painted and repaired the fence at First Presbyterian Church of Cazenovia last Saturday. They also raked and cleaned up all the gardens.  
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
Host Families for Global Partners from Korea
 
Two girls and two boys are coming to Cayuga-Syracuse as Global Partners from Pyongyang Presbytery in South Korea to attend Triennium 2019 as part of our presbytery delegation. The girls, both 19, are Ju Eun IM and Eun Ji KIM ("Grace"). The boys are Mu Jin AN,18, and Myung Jun JANG ("Jimmy"), 23. Jimmy was also here for Triennium in 2016. They will arrive Thursday, July 11 and depart Wednesday, July 24.
 
Host families are needed for four nights prior to the Triennium trip (July 11-14) and three nights following the delegation's return (July 21-23). Our preferred practice is to house the students in pairs, but other options can be discussed.  If you are willing to offer the hospitality of a home-stay for these students, or would like more information on how this works and what to expect, contact Linda Russell at lsruss@aol.com or 315-730-6930.
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Learn more about Presbyterian Event and Retreat Center by visiting its website or clicking here to download the center's brochure. 
 
Around the Presbytery
  
Seeking pianist/accompanist
     
The First Pr esbyterian Church of Chittenango is looking for a pianist/accompanist and a choir direc tor to play, conduct and accompany choir rehearsals on Sundays.  
  
Service  starts at 9:00 am  and choir rehearsals take place after the service ends  until 11:00 am . The service includes a prelude, two hymns and two worship songs. The choir consists of only women that sing mostly SA music with simple accompaniment. We are looking for a pianist who is skilled in sight-reading and has experience singing in choirs. There is compensation. 
 
Please contact Mark Kasdorf for more information
Email: mkasdorf1@yahoo.com
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Last Call for  
Senior Funday at Vanderkamp  
 
Senior Funday will be held on June 4 starting with coffee and goodies at 9:30 a.m., and ending with vespers at 4 p.m., around the campfire.   
 
This years "counselors" come from several churches in our Presbytery and beyond and all are excited to share their expertise with the "campers."  Many different activities have been planned so there is sure to be something of interest for everyone to take part in. And of course there will be all the old camp favorites including music, games and s'mores!
 
  
   
Learn more:  Funday flier   
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What: Memorial Day Benefit for LaFayette Outreach hosted by Columbian Presbyterian Church
When: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Monday, May 27, 2019
Where: Columbian Presbyterian Church, which is located at Route 11 and Route 20 in LaFayette

The event features a silent auction, plant sale, bake sale,
free Kids' Krafts and "Red, White & Blue Sundaes"
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What: Quilters' Sale
When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, May 27, 2019
Where: Columbian Presbyterian Church, which is located at Route 11 and Route 20 in LaFayette
More information: Call 315-677-3293 or email cpresbyt@twcny.rr.com

New quilts, vintage quilts, antique quilts, quilt tops, fat squares, cotton fabric, mini quilts, embroidered quilt pieces, quilter's frame, crafter's quilts

Watch for pictures on the church's Facebook page
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What: Doug's Fish Fry to Go
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, June 3
Where: Memorial Hall at Sennett Federated Church
7777 Weedsport Senntt Road, Auburn

 

Call ahead to place orders until 4 p.m.: (607) 423-5996

Take out or eat in.

Baked goods also for sale!

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What: Calling all Women and Girls of the Church to join as Presbyterian Women Gather
When: 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2018  
Where: Harriet Tubman Home at 180-182 South Street in Auburn
   
Reservations:
   
Rita Hooper: twohoops2@gmail.com or 315-706-3564
Susan Silliman-Smith: august13sss@gmail.com or 315-591-4623 (text or leave message)
 
The day w ill s tart with a tour at the Harriet Tubman Home at 9:45 a.m. The cost of the tour is $3 fo r seniors and $5 for adults.  
 
Lunch will be served at Presbyterian Event and Retreat Center at 108 South Street. Lunch will be $8. Virginia Champlin will be presenting on her Global Exchange to Indonesia . Learn about  USA Mission Experience to CNY   , which is happening this summer.
 
After the program, you are on your own to visit the Seward Home (cost: $10-$12) or the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center
(cost: free) Both are on South Street in Auburn.  
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Around the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Leaders of color mentoring event concludes with renewed commitment to relationships
Attendees encouraged to 'listen with a purpose'  
as they engage in mentorship

By Gregg Brekke
Special to Presbyterian News Service
 
ZEPHYR POINT, Nevada - On a day that began with a snowstorm and ended with sunny skies, the 18 pastors gathered at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center on Lake Tahoe for the Mentoring Event for Leaders of Color in Pastoral Ministry found inspiration in training and continued relationship building during Tuesday's sessions.

Anisha Hackney, a member of the Human Resources staff at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, presented a session on Human Resources Management that focused attention on the unique needs of persons of color in the interview and candidacy process, and potential pitfalls introduced by systemic racism.

"People in the dominant culture are recruited on their potential performance and assessed on their progress toward stated goals," she said. "Marginalized persons are judged on proving their abilities and credentials."

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Reaching our  
forgotten veterans
A retired pastor creates ministries of hope

By Tammy Warren
Presbyterians Today

Why are 20 veterans a day taking their own lives? That's the question the Rev. Tom Davis has been asking since August 2015, when a magazine cover on veterans' suicides grabbed his attention. After all, he thought, aren't these the same men and women who fought so hard to stay alive during active duty, as Davis did during his combat service in Vietnam?

Davis is a retired Presbyterian pastor and commissioned interfaith peacemaker in New Castle Presbytery, which serves congregations in Delaware and eastern Maryland. He worships on half his Sundays with a congregation he used to pastor, Hanover Street Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, and the other half in a service of silence at the Wilmington Friends Meeting House. It was during a Quaker worship service there that he felt a strong prompting to do everything he could to stop the epidemic of veteran suicide.

"During the refreshments hour, I went around asking Friends if they would join me in seeing what we could do about this terrible problem," Davis said. They readily agreed to help. One thing led to another and later that year Davis founded the Interfaith Veterans' Workgroup (IVW), a nonprofit that helps returning veterans acclimate to civilian life. Startup funds for IVW were provided by New Castle Presbytery, Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Wilmington and individual donors.

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Visit the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) website for more information. 
 

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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