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Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse
5811 Heritage Landing Dr., 2nd Floor
East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315) 632-5698
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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!
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 'No human being is illegal': Immigration panel discussion held at
Sennett church
The Sennett Federated Church held an immigration panel discussion on Sunday with the presence of the New York Immigration Coalition, Workers' Center of Central New York and two immigrants who shared their stories of struggle.
Pastor George Huffsmith said he put the event together because he realized there was a lot more to the immigration discussion than he understood, and he wanted to create a space for people to come together to learn, discuss, and hear from those who have lived and experienced it.
Continue reading the story in the Auburn Citizen...
This is one of the mission stories from our Presbytery's worshiping communities. Is this
something that you'd like to explore as a partnership with another faith community? Is this
something that you'd like you church to begin or be involved with? What story would you like
to share with others in the Presbytery?
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Joys and Concerns around the Presbytery
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 In our prayers together this week...
- Pray for infant Collin, nephew to Roberta and Joe Palmiotto, members of Sennett Federated Church, who had a successful surgery on March 6 to put in a tracheotomy and feeding tube. Please keep Collin and his medical team in your prayers and please pray for his parents Rebecca Swartzentruber and Brad Bond.We all hope that mom and dad will be able to take Collin home soon.
- Pray for Bob and Karen Green. Bob recently broke his ankle in two places after falling on black ice in his driveway and is recuperating from surgery, which left him with tendon damage. He is midway through 4 weeks of non weight bearing restrictions. His wife Karen is pastor of the Mexico church, a member of the Leadership Team, and Bob's devoted caretaker during his recovery.
- Pray for the family of Rev. Stanley Larsen, a former pastor in our presbytery who died peacefully on March 3rd, at 6:28 am. You can read his obituary here.
In the cycle of prayer for our Presbytery, please pray for these congregations, faith communities, and individuals:
United Church of Fayetteville; First United Church of Fulton; God's Vision Christian Church, Hannibal; Jamesville Community Church; First, King Ferry.
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From your e-letter author
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 A message for Lent: the time is now!
From Rev. Patrick D. Heery
This year, I made a New Year's resolution to go to the gym at least three times every week. It seemed like a positive, but still not overly ambitious, goal. Do you want to know how many times I have been to the gym since New Year's Day? Zero. I haven't stepped foot in a gym. I have, on the other hand, eaten an inordinate amount of ice cream.
Apparently, 80 percent of New Year's resolutions fail by February.
It's not that we don't desire change. Most of us want to live more faithfully, more purposefully, more joyfully. Most of us want to spend more time with our families, community, and God. And yet, it always seems to be an aspiration for the future. We say we'll change---when we're not so busy, when we don't need to worry about bosses or paychecks or the losses that come with living.
The problem is that these changes seem to belong to a different world that's just not here yet.
Continue reading this article in the Auburn Citizen...
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Other Voices from the Presbytery
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 Never too young to help!
From Lorrie Cooney
The youngest member of the New Hope Parish/Hastings Church, Lexi Ramsey, decided that, instead of gifts for her 7th birthday, she would ask for only donations to two of her favorite charities.
All of Lexi's friends delivered in a "big" way. Lexi chose the local food bank, which is housed in the church, as well as "Helping Hounds" in Fayetteville.
 The pictures show Lexi with a portion of the food collected for the local food bank which she delivered to the church last Sunday and show her donation to "Helping Hounds", an animal rescue shelter on Saturday.
Lexi is truly embodying a spirit of hospitality spoken of so frequently by Jesus Christ. We are proud of her and her "good work."
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 New Ministry Post!
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn is hiring for a new, part-time position: Children's and Youth Ministry Coordinator.
Building on the Montessori approach of our Children's Worship Center, this position will help the church activate curiosity, passion, and leadership through multiple styles of learning that serve all children, including our many children and youth with special needs. By embracing wonder and ambiguity, we will learn to appreciate "the big, important, mysterious, and complex questions that come with being a Christian" (Gina Yeager-Buckley, Associate for Youth Ministry, Presbyterian Mission Agency). We will express those questions through the arts; we will pray them in nature; we will put them to work through service and social justice; and we will seek guidance in Scripture.
Download or view the job description here.
The deadline for applying is July 15, 2018. Interested persons may send their resumes to:
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Last year when we got hit with 3 hurricanes in a row, Church World Service warehouses were almost empty. Thankfully, congregations all across the United States stepped up and helped provided CWS kits in the aftermath of the hurricanes. CWS doesn't want to be in that position again, so they are asking for your help. Park Central is serving as a depot again.
CWS will be picking up the
CWS Kit in New York on April 30th. Recently, Church World Service has filled requests from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for 505 CWS School Kits, 195 CWS Hygiene Kits and 208 CWS Cleanup Buckets and have shipped them to Texas, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri. Because of your commitment to assembling CWS Kits, Church World Service will be able to continue to provide kits when requested by PDA and other organizations.
Last year, 180,766 hygiene kits, 51,129 school kits, 6,470 blankets and 4,612 clean-up buckets were shipped. This is not possible without the support of caring, compassionate congregations.
Stock the Pantry
Local Farmers and Artisan from Oswego County will be holding a Farmers Market entitled "Stock the Pantry". Lunch will also be available. This event will be held on Sat. Mar. 10, 9 am -10 pm, at The First Presbyterian Church, 4361 Church St., Mexico, NY, to benefit the church's Open Pantry Program which provides food for those in need in Mexico, NY and surrounding communities. For additional information, 315-963-7902.
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Around the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
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 Practicing resurrection
Cancer diagnosis teaching Farm Church co-founder about the preciousness of life
by Paul Seebeck Presbyterian News Service
The questions come in the darkness, usually around 3 a.m.
"What will my children's lives be like without me?" wonders Farm Church co-founder Ben Johnston-Krase.
Three years ago, at about the same time of night, he received a dream that he was going to start a church in a place where there was nothing but a farm. His main concern at the time was where Farm Church would be. "Where will my three daughters (then ages 6, 8 and 11) go to school?" he wondered.
But now Johnston-Krase is facing a new reality. Four months ago he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer.
Continue reading...
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5811 Heritage Landing Dr., 2nd Floor
East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315) 632-5698
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"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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