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 and 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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Spreading kindness to all God's children |
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First Presbyterian Church of Chittenango members donated about 250 items to the Esperanza Dominican orphanage! The church also collected $130 to cover the shipping costs. |
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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 "Facebook" icon at the top of this newsletter.
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Joys and Concerns around the Presbytery |
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In our prayers together this week:
- Communications Coordinator Sarah Buckshot delivered two healthy babies on February 14, 2023. Elizabeth Gail and Jonathan Raymond joined their twin sisters - Ruthie & Hazel. Everyone is home and doing well. Sarah returned this week from maternity leave. She thanks everyone for the prayers and support.
- Please pray for everyone who is struggling with their mental health and mental illnesses.
- Keep all those who battling cancer 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: Columbian, LaFayette; First, Liverpool; First, Marcellus; First, Mexico; Morrisville Community Church
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.
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You're Invited...
First Presbyterian Church of Baldwinsville would like to invite you to join them at the Installation of the Rev. Kirsty Dickson-Maret on Sunday, March 5 at 3:00 p.m.
The First Presbyterian Church of Baldwinsville is located at 64 Oswego St., in Baldwinsville.
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The purpose of this note is to let you know that each church will be receiving a check for $468.68 from the Presbytery soon. The Presbytery has a Permanent Endowment Fund account at the Presbyterian Foundation with the income from the fund being used for missions within the Presbytery. The Presbytery has voted to distribute the income from the Permanent Endowment Fund Mission Initiatives account equally among member churches and worshiping communities each year.
The check churches will be getting soon is the distribution of last year's earnings and is intended to be used for missions. You may notice that this check is substantially less than what was distributed last year. This is because last year's distribution was for earning accumulated in the account since its inception.
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In the absence of a Resource Presbyter, please contact the following individuals:
And, as always, questions regarding church polity, minutes, parlimentary procedure should be directed to our Stated Clerk, Rev. Ben Fitzgerald-Fye (statedclerk@cayugasyracuse.org)
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Practical Resources for Churches Webinars |
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Thursday, March 2
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Leader - Rev. Chris Dela Cruz
Practices that have been used in community organizing, such as one-to-one-relational meetings, house meetings, “running actions,” and power mapping, aren’t just useful for broad based organizing in the “outside.” These practices and principles can help congregations thrive through building relationships.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Leader - Debbie Bronkema
We all want wholeness, to feed our souls and connect with the life-giving power of God.But there are parts of our stories that are opaque to us. We often lack the words to access those parts of ourselves that need healing; the stories are too difficult to tell straight on. Writing Toward Wholeness guides you on a journey at the intersection of creative and spiritual formation.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Leader - Rev. Jennifer Butler
Remembering our history is a spiritual practice. We will examine how white Christian nationalism has shown up throughout history and how people of faith have organized to push back. These historic movements are models of how people of faith can respond to the current resurgence of white Christian nationalism. We must reclaim our faith to counter white Christian nationalism and cast a clear moral vision of a country where everyone can thrive.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
2:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Leader - Caroline Hamilton-Arnold
Wonder Awaits encourages children of all ages to use those senses and everyday activities to see the miracles of creation. Kids are encouraged to get close, get dirty, look carefully, look up, make art, make friends, be brave, be curious, be present, and be amazed — all activities we adults should do too, right? Learn how you might use the book with the children in your congregation.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Leader - Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart
What difference does our worship make? How is Christian liturgy a political task? We'll explore these questions and more in this interactive session about what it means to engage in a worship that turns the world right-side-up.
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Do you live-stream your service on Sundays?
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We are compiling a list of live-stream links to feature in Presbytery Matters. This will allow others to join in on your services.
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Join in on these services virtually on Sundays:
Faith United Oswego - Live on Zoom (Meeting ID: 207 196 571)
Isaiah's Table will send a link for people to join our hybrid worship at 10 a.m. on Saturdays. Send email to isaiahtable@gmail.com by Friday evening.
Scipioville Presbyterian Church - Live on Zoom (Meeting ID: 836 3163 8403
Passcode: SPC13147)
More to come...
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Please Note: Our new address change -- PO Box 438, Syracuse, NY 13214 -- also applies to mail sent to the Bookkeeper.
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Solo Pastor at Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church in DeWitt
Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church is currently seeking a solo pastor who is spiritually grounded, intellectually curious, compassionate, and forward-thinking. PHPC has a history of community engagement and a commitment to social justice. Our congregation thrives on preaching that enriches and propels us to expand our thinking and motivates action. We are nourished through inspiring music and the loving nature of our faith community. We seek someone who is flexible, has a sense of humor, and flourishes in contexts where collaboration in leadership is the norm.
Position tasks include worship leadership & preaching, pastoral care, oversight of Christian education, moderating the Session, representing the congregation to outside groups that use our facility, assisting committees with guidance and insights as needed, participating and motivating members to become more active in social justice and mission projects.
PHPC was formed in 1956 in a suburb of Syracuse, NY. The church is located less than five miles from Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University, along with other institutions of higher education, multiple hospitals, and successful manufacturing facilities. The church is also situated within a very strong K-12 school system. We enjoy the benefits of a city with close proximity to the Finger Lakes, a pleasant drive to the Adirondacks, and a multitude of hiking and biking options in the immediate area, including those associated with the Erie Canal corridor. Onondaga County is on the cusp of major growth due to its selection as the site for an investment of $100 billion over ten years by Micron computer chip company. Finally, Syracuse was recently identified by FEMA as the safest city in the U.S. from natural disasters.
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Are you hiring?
If your church is hiring in 2022 or still looking to fill a position from 2021, please send a new or updated announcement and job description to Communication Coordinator Sarah Buckshot at caysyrnews@gmail.com
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Annual Meeting - Saturday, May 6, 2023. Time and Location TBA
Stated Meeting - Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 7 p.m. Time and Location TBA
Stated Meeting - Saturday, September 16, 2023. Time and Location TBA
Stated Meeting -Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
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Around the Synod of the Northeast |
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Reflections on Black History Month By Transitional Synod Leader Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley
The old saying goes, you never know someone else's story until you walk in their shoes. In many ways, Black History Month is the opportunity for non-Blacks to walk in the shoes of another culture. Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be Black? On a Sunday morning, this space would include the pregnant pause giving the hearer time to consider the question truly. I invite you to pause. How would you answer this inquiry?
First, if you were Black, you would live with a mixed history of dehumanization. While at the same time, basking in the knowledge that your ancestors were kings and queens with resiliency flowing like blood in their veins. We walk the fine line between always living multi-culturally and mastering the societal norm of code-switching. We live fully aware that showing up in a space often means that uninformed assumptions are usually made about who we are.
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Around the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
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Presbyterian pastor: Don’t fear the ‘E’ word
The Rev. Dr. Cheni Khonje leads a webinar for ruling elders and deacons on the joy and responsibility of evangelism
By Mike Ferguson
Presbyterian News Service
Along with easing any tension over their task as evangelists, on Thursday Dr. Cheni Khonje taught a crowd of nearly 200 ruling elders and deacons some new language around the concepts of “welcome” and “relationship.”
Khonje spoke for more than an hour as part of the most recent Leader Formation webinar offered by the Office of the General Assembly. Martha Miller, manager of ruling elder resources and educator certification in OGA’s Mid Council Ministries, hosted the webinar, “Breaking the Myth of the Presbyterian Fear of the ‘E’ Word,” which can be viewed here once it’s ready.
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Presbyterian Women grows its Justice & Peace Book Discussion Group
PW is looking for even more people to join the productive online discussions
By Kathleen Keefer
Special to Presbyterian News Service
Among the titles members of Presbyterian Women are discussing as part of the 2023 Justice & Peace Book Discussion Group being held online.
The Synod of Lakes and Prairies has had a Native American Book Discussion Group for several years. It has been very successful under the leadership of Marilyn Stone, from Milwaukee Presbytery. Presbyterian Women in this synod has developed a strong relationship with the Presbyterian Women in the Dakota Presbytery — the non-geographic Native American presbytery. Through this group, women strive to understand how to best walk alongside our Native siblings.
After the murder of George Floyd, Marilyn and I discussed the possibility of having a discussion around the issues of race and white supremacy. We chose to use “Facing Racism: A Vision of the Intercultural Committee Antiracism Study Guide,” the churchwide antiracism policy approved by the 222nd General Assembly (2016) to lead discussion. We team taught from this guide over several months and it was very successful, both in the numbers of people who attended and in the depth of conversations. The participants talked about how valuable this experience was for them as Christian women and they expressed the desire to learn more.
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P.O. Box 438, Syracuse 13214
(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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