The gift of warmth with a message of love

LaFayette Columbian Presbyterian Church members are spreading the gift of warmth to those in need.

The church's dynamic team of Catherine Grass, Robin Sandwick and Joan Riffinacht were busy this week sewing quilts and putting together care packages to those who need it the most in our community.

The tag on the bundle reads: "Lord take the work of our hands and bless it and in thy name, let the person that receives this gift know that they are loved. Amen"

We are asking our churches to share this newsletter with your members each week. Click the button below to forward the email or to obtain the newsletter link.

Thank you! 

In our prayers together this week:

• Please pray for the Myers family in Pompey, members of the Fabius Pompey School District and everyone who knew and loved Gia and Gavin. The teen siblings lost their lives in a car accident.
• Please keep the family of Patricia White in your prayers. She passed away on Monday. Patricia was the longtime organist and music director at the Scipioville Church, and the mother of Rev Pam Masten, who was Westminster’s temporary pastor in 2024
• Please pray for Jerry Armstrong, 14, who is fighting cancer again. Jerry, who worships at Whitelaw, had bone cancer in his leg and completed treatments in November. Unfortunately, the cancer has already returned. He is hospitalized waiting to meet with the team of healthcare providers for the next steps. Please keep Jerry and his loved ones in your prayers.
• Pray for all those impacted by the devastating fires in Upstate New York. Pray for all those who lost loved ones, who lost their pets and who lost their homes and all their belongings.
• Please pray for those involved in and impacted by the devastating plane/helicopter crash near Washington, D.C. that occurred last month. Please send prayers to the loved ones of the victims of this unbearable tragedy.
• Pray for our country and all those who are scared and worried about their (or the people they love) freedoms, rights and livelihood due to changes in policies within our federal government. General Assembly Committee on Representation's Statement.
• Please keep the Rev. Debra Thomas in your prayers. She had surgery last month after suffering a painful shoulder dislocation and a severe broken arm from a fall. Deb thanks everyone for the continued prayers and support.
• Prayers for peace for the people and country of South Korea.
• Pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
• Pray for all those who are struggling with current events in our community, in our country and around the world.
• All those who have been separated from their families.
• All those in Sudan.
• All those in Ukraine.
• All those in Lebanon.
• All those in Israel and Gaza.
• All displaced people.
• All those who are homebound.
• All those who battling addiction and their loved ones.
• Keep all those who battling cancer and other chronic illnesses in your prayers. Please ask God to be by their side and to be with their doctors and families.

In the cycle of prayer our Presbytery, please pray for these congregations, faith communities, and individuals: First, Cazenovia; First, Chittenango; United Church of Collamer; Pebble Hill, DeWitt; First United Church of East Syracuse.

If you'd like to share a particular joy or concern with the Presbytery, please contact: CaySyrNews@gmail.com. Please note, prayers will be featured for three weeks, unless a specific time frame is requested. "

February is Black History Month!

During Black History Month, please join us as we reflect on the stories of those who have shaped our communities, churches, and nation. May we learn, listen, and grow in the love of Christ together as we celebrate the faith and contributions of Black individuals throughout our history.

Reminder: The Presbyterian Historical Society has created an online tool providing chronological information about the Black Presbyterian experience reaching back to the 1800s. Learn more about the work and witness of African American Presbyterians here:

https://ow.ly/KFqU50Qwllf

FOR REVIEW: Book of Order Amendments

At the upcoming Stated Meeting of March 15, 2025, we will be voting on the proposed Amendments to the Book of Order, and the Ecumenical Agreement with the Episcopal Church, from the 226th General Assembly.

Here is a link to the book of amendments.

Stated Clerk Paul Rack invites presbyters and clerks of sessions to read and study them. 

LAST CALL:

Statistical Reports are due by February 10th

ATTENTION: Moderators and/or Clerks of Sessions:

Greetings & Happy New Year! I hope you all had blessed Nativity celebrations! It’s just about Epiphany, which means it is time for session clerks to do the Annual Statistical Report for the General Assembly.

While I know it can be a hassle, the stat report is one of the ways we stay connected to each other as a denomination; it gives an annual snapshot of of where we are, so we may better and more realistically move into the future together.

Congregations can begin filing their Session Annual Statistical Reports (SASRs):

• Go to https://www.pcusa.org/resources/statistics-lists/statistical-reporting-faq and click on "Access System".
• You will need to login using your church's username and password. If you do not know what that is, email me (paulrack@optonline.net) and I will send that information to you.
• The denomination has prepared a "Frequently Asked Questions" section to help: https://www.pcusa.org/resources/statistics-lists/statistical-reporting-faq (just scroll down the page a bit to see the FAQ list)
• I have attached a copy of the Guide for Statistical Reporting here.

Statistical Reports are due by February 10, 2025.

Please email me if you have any questions, need help, or can’t remember your log-in information. My personal email is best.

I look forward to working with you all throughout this Statistical Report Season.

In Christ,

Paul Rack

Stated Clerk, The Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse

SAVE THE DATE: Retreat for Ministers, Commissioned Pastors/CREs, and Lay Preachers

Friday May 9 – Saturday May 10 at Camp Whitman on Seneca Lake

This invitation is being extended to all seven presbyteries of the Upstate New York network: Albany, Cayuga-Syracuse, Genesee Valley, Geneva, Northern New York, Susquehanna Valley, and Utica.

We’re looking forward to this opportunity to get to know our colleagues in ministry as we enter into a time of greater collaboration across geographic boundaries. Stay tuned for more details to be announced in the coming weeks!

The Social Justice Committee of Cayuga-Syracuse is now meeting with the Justice in Ministry & Mission Team of the Susquehanna Valley Presbytery (now Joint Justice Team). They’ve had three meetings. 

"We believe we all need more education on the areas of change and chaos being created by the new Administration and those partnering with it," said the Rev. Monica Styron. "We know that as brothers and sisters in Christ we need to be in constant prayer, seeking the Spirit’s guidance and staying faithful to God’s calling to love our neighbor as ourselves and care for others in need."

The Joint Justice Team is inviting our readers to share the following information with your congregations:

PALESTINE & ISRAEL

In December the PCUSA News posted a 2-page resource on Israel, Palestine and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) We are asking that congregations share this posting with their members in their newsletter (as a link) and with their Elders and session.

Click here for link. Click here for download.

Please Note: The team heard of the plan to give GAZA to the US to rebuild as a beach front settlement. There will be more from the Joint Justice Team on that in upcoming newsletter.

NEED RESOURCES TO SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES….

 The Joint Justice Team attended the workshop by Cornell Farmworkers Program on “Supporting Immigrant Families in our Community.” For more information contact:

Rev. Bruce Gillette at 607-744-0761 or email: pastorbrucegilletter@gmail.com or Mary Jo Dudley, Director, Cornell Farmworker Program at 607-254-5195 or email farmworkers@cornell.edu

The recent ICE raids in our area are of great concern to families and friends, farmers and businesses throughout NY state. Here are some resources were shared, including:

• A statement from the PCUSA available.
• A study guide Denouncing Antisemitism and Islamophobia, which can help you maintain your interfaith relations while speaking out against injustice.
• The PCUSA has a recent educational resource on the situation in Palestine

LGBTQ+

The recent suicide of a Trans-Veteran in Syracuse last week has shaken the larger community. Many understood her suicide as a response to the threat of the new Administration to reverse (de-transition) members to their original gender. There is a lot of fear among millions of people who have family and friends that are affected and may be affected if this policy is taken even further. The Joint Justice Team is seeking to provide educational opportunities for congregations, elders and pastors to hear from those affected by such a policy.

CHILD POVERTY IN NY STATE

The Kairos Center for Religion, Rights, and Social Justice encourages calls to NYS Legislature to fund the recommendations of the state's Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council. Information about this is available at Statement on Gov. Hochul’s Proposal Regarding New York’s Child Tax Credit - Kairos Center 

KOREA PEACE JOURNEY

OCTOBER 14-23, 2005

REGISTER BETWEEN MARCH 1-MAY 1, 2005

This is a conference of the Presbyterian Peace Network for Korea (PPNK),

a mission network of PCUSA

Learn More

CONNECTING THE DOTS BETWEEN THE WASTE CRISIS & THE CLIMATE CRISIS

The Program explores the ways addressing the waste crisis helps in addressing the climate crisis. It covers implications for individuals and families. Learn More

Elder Chris Burger BIO: Having worked in both the energy field as well as the field of recycling and zero waste, Chris is well positioned to talk about the interconnections between the two. He established a Community Recycling Center in 1973. In 1977, he developed the first Weatherization program in the Country. In 1985, he developed a County-wide recycling program. He has co-founded and/or led a number of organizations focused on sustainability; including a Cornell University think-tank on sustainability (Eco-Justice Project) and the New York Sustainable Business Council. He is a member of Rotary International’s Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG). He also walks the talk, achieving zero waste along with his family since 1992 and designed and built a home that has been fossil free since 1998. Known worldwide, he gives talks and workshops on both zero waste and how to wean ourselves off fossil fuels. Chris currently serves as Co-Stated Clerk for the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley.

Dear Sheriff Shelley,

The First Presbyterian Church of Scipioville endorses your stand against improper cooperation with ICE. As a Christian congregation, we believe that all humans and all human rights deserve protection.

Further, as a church located in a farming community, we recognize the importance of our immigrant population to our immediate economy and to the regional economy as a whole.

We encourage you to stand fast in the light of the inevitable political pressure to use your position to participate in the current wave of ICE over-reach, which terrifies families throughout Central New York. In times such as these, it is essential for those in positions of authority to hold the line against abuses that harm both the immigrant community and the community of longer-term residents of our area.

We thank you for your stated position and wish you the very best.



Sincerely On Behalf of Myself and Church Leadership,

Rev. Ben Fitzgerald-Fye

Pastor

First Presbyterian Church of Scipioville, A Matthew 25 Church

Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Learn more in the November/December 2024 issue of Horizons

Officer training for new Ruling Elders & Deacons

Officer training for new Ruling Elders & Deacons will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in-person "watch parties" at Walton United PC and at Union PC (Endicott), or remotely on Zoom.

The Rev. Pat Raube and theRev. Greg Garis will lead a training that is geared toward folks who are preparing for ordination as a Deacon or Ruling Elder, or those who were recently ordained. This training will also be a great refresher for anyone returning to active service as an officer in their congregation.

This training will be offered in hybrid format, with in-person “watch parties” at Union PC (Endicott) and Walton United PC as well as the option to join online via Zoom.

Please register at susvalpresby.org/register.

If your church would like to host another hybrid watch location, please contact Scott Kindig at cclefchair@susvalpresby.org or call the presbytery at 607-323-4477.

To join the meeting on Zoom, use this link: https://bit.ly/3Ve5mtR or call 1-646-558-8656. Zoom Meeting ID: 880 3204 2470, passcode: PSV

We would like to shine a spotlight on the amazing volunteers who answer the call at our Cayuga-Syracuse churches. If you would like to nominate a volunteer, please email caysyrnews@gmail.com and include the following information:

• Your Name
• Your Church
• Volunteer's full name
• Volunteer's email address
• Volunteer's duties
• Why you think this person should be spotlighted?

Nominated volunteers will be contacted via email to fill out a form and provide a photo. Spotlights will run in Presbytery Matters as they are received for the remainder of 2025.

If you have questions, please reach out to Communications Coordinator Sarah Buckshot at caysyrnews@gmail.com.

Register and Learn More

Download Flyer PDF

Attention Churches: Do you need event graphics created for social media and online use? Communications Coordinator Sarah Buckshot can help create graphics for you to share online. Do you need a Word Document or PDF converted to an image file for better sharing online? Sarah can help. Please don't hesitate to reach out and request a graphic at anytime! Sarah can be reached at caysyrnews@gmail.com

Background checks for incoming Ministers of the Word & Sacrament are now conducted through Praesidium.

https://www.praesidiuminc.com

To request a background check, please contact your COM liaison.

From Beth A. Broadway, President/CEO, InterFaith Works:

First, our sincere thanks to the many churches and church members who have been working on behalf of refugees and resettlement programs at InterFaith Works. The new Executive Order that suspends refugee resettlement for 90 days took effect on January 20^th and has begun to frighten and impact our refugee families here and across the nation. In one case, for example, where the adult children were on one plane, and their parents were on another. The children got here, but the parents were put on hold. Can you imagine how hard this is? Alas.

You are so active in this great humanitarian work and have been since the program started 45 years ago under Ronald Reagan’s presidency. We want you to know that we are not stopping our work! In the last 4 years, 7,265 people have been resettled in CNY and 400 of them were settled in just the last 4 months by our agency. We have called this “The Push” as we have pushed our staff to the limits to make sure that all these families could get a home, clothing, food, registration at school, and the first steps towards jobs and stability. Whether you have brought food to our staff who are working double shifts, participated in our massive coat drive, carried the year-end gift baskets to people’s homes, or volunteered directly with our families, everything you have done has made a difference.

InterFaith Works will be here for all these people in the next years as they start their lives over, and with your help, we will be able to give them the hope and new start that they seek here in the U.S.

Thank you, Presbyterians! We appreciate you and we need you!

Pastor Adam's first Sunday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Auburn is this Sunday, February 9 at 9:30 a.m. Welcome, Pastor Adam!

Baby/Bridal shower? Organizational meeting? Yoga class?

Collamer United Church has a beautiful space for rent for your event!

The space's maximum occupancy is 140 with seating for 122 people. They also have a very nice commercial kitchen that is available for an extra charge. Please contact the church office for information at 315-463-4939.

New Breath Spirituality Center is pleased to offer a Spiritual Retreat to all who need

Space, Sabbath, Love, Retreat. For about $375 for food, lodging and Programming, join New Breath for "Loved By God' Spiritual Direction Retreat, to deepen your spiritual journey. Registrations due the end of February. https://www.newbreath.org

DO A GOOD TURN DAILY: Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn holds its annual Scout Sunday!

Our Address: PO Box 438, Syracuse, NY 13214

Click Here for Staff Contact Information

Click Here for a list of Live Streams from our churches

Click Here for a list of Past Editions of Presbytery Matters

Funding Fresh Ministry Initiatives

Thursday, February 6, 2025

2:00 – 3:00 pm

Leader – Brett DeHart

God has put a big dream on your heart to reach new people in new ways. Sadly, that fire is quickly doused when you think about paying for it. This workshop will equip you with the tools and confidence to pursue your God-given vision without limitations. Rev. DeHart will guide you through proven methods to go beyond your operating budget to tap into alternative sources of funding. Never let money dictate the scope of your reach ever again!

You'll learn how to:

·        Identify and leverage diverse funding streams beyond the operating budget.

·        Cultivate a culture of generosity within your congregation year-round.

·        Change the way your congregation considers giving by way of the Generosity Pathway.

Help Wanted: Church Organist for Rural Country Church



Position: Church Organist/Pianist

Location: Whitelaw Presbyterian Church, Canastota NY

Job Type: Part time - 5 hours weekly

"Whitelaw Presbyterian Church is seeking a skilled and dedicated organist to enrich our worship services with music. This role involves accompanying weekly services, special ceremonies (such as weddings and funerals), and family choir rehearsals 6:30 pm on Thursday. We are looking for someone who is musically proficient, dependable, and passionate about enhancing the worship experience through music."

Key Responsibilities:

• Play organ for weekly services and special church events
• Select and arrange hymns and music pieces in coordination with church leadership
• Support choir rehearsals 6:30 pm on Thursday
• Perform basic maintenance of the organ and report any issues

Qualifications:

• Proficiency in organ performance, sight-reading, and music selection
• Previous experience in a church setting is preferred
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Commitment to regular attendance and participation in church services and events

Compensation: Depends on Experience

How to Apply: Interested candidates are asked to call Donna Chapman, CLP at (315) 447-9196. Auditions will be part of the selection process.

Are you hiring?

If your church is hiring, please send an announcement and job description to Communication Coordinator Sarah Buckshot at caysyrnews@gmail.com

Please Note: Hiring announcements will run in Presbytery Matters for 3 weeks and then moved to our website. If you have a hiring announcement from 2023 and are still looking to fill it in 2024, please send a new announcement.

Thank you, Sarah Buckshot, Communications Coordinator.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office has issued an Action Alert regarding Project 2025. The implementation of Project 2025 presents dangerous measures that harm the nation’s well-being. Its proposals align with several executive orders on numerous issues. Presbyterians, and all people of faith, must respond with an onslaught of pushback to ensure our voices are heard in Congress, the administration, and among the members of the President’s cabinet and staff. Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q035jWFf0

Interim Unified Agency of the PC(USA) announces shift in approach to global ministry engagement

New plan further integrates missional and ecumenical partnerships within the US and around the world

Leaders in the Interim Unified Agency have taken the next step in reimagining Christ’s global ministry work through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). This week, IUA staff were notified of the changes that will move global ministry to a new approach designed to build stronger connections with faith communities around the world.

“For years, we have been hearing from our global and ecumenical partners and diaspora communities that the world and the church are changing and the ways we engage with one another need to keep shifting,” said the Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of the IUA. “This approach continues our commitment to partnership and takes the next step of moving from sending missionaries to being more equal ministry partners in the world. We have been shifting in that direction for decades and are taking another significant step this year. We do this as part of the global Church participating in God’s ongoing mission in the world, in us, and in our partners. The hope is that this approach will help us be more nimble in responding to the ongoing shifts in the world and in the church while continuing to foster deeper and broader relationships with faith communities worldwide.”

Under the new plan, a select group of staff who are currently serving as mission co-workers and in administrative roles within World Mission will transition into a new role as Global Ecumenical Liaisons. The Liaisons will be deployed internationally and across the United States to serve as a connecting and ambassadorial resource with PC(USA) partners around the world. The new role will require working closely with congregations, mid councils and new worshiping communities that are partnered with worldwide ministries. They will also serve as facilitator support for partner programs, relationships, and activities, and will implement local, regional and/or global strategies.

Continue reading...

Daring to say - and play - the ‘G’ word

Team building with adults through ‘game’ play is focus of APCE workshop

As attendees at the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE) 2025 Annual Event entered the meeting room and observed with mounting curiosity the unusual props that surrounded them — decks of cards, mini drinking cups, LEGO® bricks and even a nickel or two — many wondered what on earth they had signed up for.

Joel Winchip, executive director of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA)/Campfire Collective, quickly explained.

Winchip’s Jan. 30 workshop, titled “There is No ‘I’ in Team,” was centered on activities designed to help adult groups develop effective communication and problem-solving skills.

“We’re going to talk and play games,” he said, "but when introducing team building-activities to adults, don’t ever call them 'games.'”

“Don’t use the ‘G’ word,” he cautioned. “You might as well just yell, ‘Fire,’ or say, ‘We’re playing name games,’ and everyone will be gone. Just launch into the instructions for what you want to do with your adult group.”

Winchip, who also serves on the adjunct faculty of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, where he teaches camp/conference ministry and recreation courses, said that in his experience, games using tangible things help adults wrap their heads around what they are doing.

“I’m a big fan of props,” he said.

Continue reading...

Have a Blessed Week!