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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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:
- Please pray for those who are dealing with the impacts of the forest fires in Canada.
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Please pray for the Rev. Patrick Heery and his family as they make plans to move to Cincinnati this summer to be closer to family.
- Please pray for Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn as they make plans for an interim pastor and a search process.
- Please also pray for the Rev. Jenna Heery and First United Fulton where she is the bridge pastor.
- 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: our Presbytery (the Leadership Team, Work Groups, Committees, and Mission and Ministry Teams), the Synod of the Northeast, General Assembly staff
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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Welcome our new Interim Resource Presbyter |
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Dear Friends of Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery,
We are pleased to introduce our new Interim Resource Presbyter - the Rev. Kathleen (Kathy) Dain. A special presbytery meeting was held on Tuesday, June 6th at the Liverpool First Presbyterian Church and on Zoom.
The following motion was passed by meeting attendees:
The Interim Resource Presbyter Search Committee moves the appointment of Rev. Kathleen Dain as Interim Resource Presbyter for the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse for one year beginning June 12, 2023 further the committee moves the terms of calls for Rev. Dain. The Presbytery upon affirmation vote dismisses the IRSC with gratitude.
Kathy Dain is an ordained minister within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Church of Scotland. She was ordained by Cayuga-Syracuse in 2011 and is looking forward to rejoining the presbytery as your interim resource presbyter.
Read Kathy's biography HERE.
She will start on June 12th. After her start date, she can be reached at (315) 551–0413.
The search committee began meeting in September 2022 to fill this position. Fifteen inquires we’re received and five individuals were interviewed for the position. The committee recommended the Rev. Kathy Dain for the position as they believe she has the best qualifications and spiritual gifts to move our presbytery forward.
Thank you to the committee for your time and hard work and welcome Kathy!
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Book Release: N. Scott Cupp's "Come and See for Yourself" on sale now
N. Scott Cupp, a retired Cayuga-Syracuse pastor, has released his book "Come and See for Yourself The Gospel -- As if for the First Time." The book is on sale now.
About the Book:
People have been telling the story of Jesus ever since he was resurrected. In Come and See, author N. Scott Cupp offers a new perspective on this great story. Presenting a simplified narrative, it tells the gospel story from beginning to end in a chronological way unlike any other.
Answering a host of questions that arise throughout, Dr. Cupp shares the story as if meeting Jesus for the first time. Who was he, really? Did he really walk on water? Did he actually heal all those people? What was his message? Was he killed because he was proclaiming peace and love? Was he the message or the messenger? What is the message of the gospel for today, and how does it impact our world?
Presenting an understanding of Jesus’s life, Come and See for Yourself supplements what you’ve read and learned in your prior Christian studies. Dr. Cupp lets you decide what to think of the messenger.
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Office Closure Sale
Office closure sale on June 16 and 17, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 7145 BUCKLEY ROAD.
Many items available including metal storage cabinets, metal filing cabinets, 3 desks, 2 copiers, various file and drawer organizers, book cases, chairs, sofa, deacon benches, seasonal decorations.
For more information you may contact Lynn Jacques at lmjacques@verizon.net. Better yet, just come to the sale and see all the treasures that are calling your name!
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Practical Resources for Churches Webinars |
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Tuesday, June 13, 2023
2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT
Leaders: Patti Berner & Rev. Traci Smith
HR can be stressful and challenging, but it doesn’t have to be!
This webinar is best suited to small to medium size churches where HR is decentralized, and the pastor, along with a discreet, knowledgeable and professional team of volunteers handle these important tasks. Recruiting, hiring, and dealing with "sticky situations" are some of the areas we'll cover. You will learn our Top Five Best Practices, get some starter templates and feel more empowered to meet your next HR challenge with confidence.
Patti has a MBA in Organizational Leadership, had a successful career in the staffing and recruiting industry, and is owner of Johnston Solutions, founded in 2005, a HR consulting practice dedicated to small businesses and faith-based organizations. Currently, she is the Clerk of Session and has served for many years as the HR Team Chairperson at EPC (Elmhurst Presbyterian Church) in Elmhurst, Illinois. Left wanting more? Terrific! Call Patti at (312) 286-4606 or email, Patti.Berner@gmail.com.
Traci Smith is an ordained minister, mother of three, and author of the bestselling Faithful Families series of books. Traci’s passion is helping families find times for connection and spiritual nourishment amid the hustle and bustle of daily life. What began as a quest to help her own family has provided valuable insight for thousands of others. Traci believes faith practices should be fun, easy to fit into daily life, and accessible to all. Visit her at traci-smith.com. In this webinar Traci will be acting with her “pastor hat” on. Patti and Traci have worked together for years and both have a passion for helping to demystify HR challenges.
Patti and Traci are speaking out of their own professional experience working with a variety of different churches from their respective consulting work and experience. Their opinions do not represent the views of any particular church or denomination with which they are affiliated.
Thursday, June 15, 2023
2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT
Leader - Bonnie Ives Marden
This webinar will equip and empower ministry leaders to talk about money and raise funds for their ministries by cultivating donors and building relationships.
Bonnie Ives Marden's passion is strengthening the leadership and stewardship dimensions of organizations especially congregations, agencies and boards. Trained in organizational development, behavioral sciences, mediation and leadership skills, she learns best by doing and invites others to do the same! Every retreat, workshop or seminar, webinar or presentation she offers provides practical and experiential engagement. Her diverse experience and extensive knowledge about churches and people, plus group process skills, are woven into each customized offering created to fit your vision.
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New York State Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars
You can take this training any time during the year
1 - 2:30 PM EDT
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
2:00 - 3:30 PM EDT
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM EST
3:30 - 5:00 PM EST
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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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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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Westminster Presbyterian Church, Auburn seeking Temporary Pastor
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn, NY is seeking a full-time Temporary Pastor to work with the church while it seeks a new installed pastor. The church will consider a part-time position with responsibilities and compensation negotiated and adjusted accordingly.
Position tasks include worship leadership and preaching/sacraments, moderating the Session, pastoral care, serving as head of staff, administrative leadership, assisting boards, committees, and teams, and other duties as needed (funerals/weddings, representing the congregation with outside organizations, assisting with communications, occasional leadership of educational programs, assisting with mission, outreach, evangelism efforts, etc).
Effective Salary will be commensurate with experience, with benefits and mileage to be included as negotiated individually. Starting date will be on or before September 1, 2023. Please send a letter of introduction and resume by email to office@westminsterauburn.org or by mail to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 17 William St, Auburn, NY 13021 Attn: Temporary Pastor Search Team. For more information or questions, please call 315-253-3331 or email office@westminsterauburn.org. More information about the church can be found at www.westminsterauburn.org or facebook.com/westminsterauburn.
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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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Stated Meeting - Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom
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 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
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As summer approaches, a Presbyterian camp and conference program director describes the faith formation that can occur during a week away
The Rev. Colleen Earp of Massanetta Springs Camp & Conference Center is the guest on ‘A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast’
By Mike Ferguson
Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE — When children and those who are young at heart have the chance to step outside their regular experiences to enjoy a week or so at a Presbyterian camp or conference center or a sister organization, “it can open us up to so many possibilities for our faith and our spirituality, for connecting with God and one another in Creation around us.”
That’s how the Rev. Colleen Earp, program director at Massanetta Springs Camp & Conference Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, described her work during the most recent episode of “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast,” to hosts Simon Doong and the Rev. Lee Catoe. Listen to their conversation here. Earp enters at the 21:40 mark.
“People really do dig deep quickly” in a retreat, camp or conference setting, Earp said. “I’ve served on four different [camp and conference center] staffs now and I’ve seen campers who come for a week and just open up and tell you their whole world in ways they aren’t usually doing at home … There’s something about shedding your normal schedules and normal habits that I think frees us.
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Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries embraces its new mission statement
As it embarks on a season of change, the ministry area also welcomes its first non-binary director
By Layton Williams Berkes
Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE — When the Rev. Shanea D. Leonard was named the director of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries at the Presbyterian Mission Agency last October, they were well aware that big changes were on the horizon for the ministry area.
Leonard joined the PMA in 2018 as the associate for Gender and Racial Justice and was later promoted to coordinator of Gender and Racial Justice early in the pandemic. Their supervisor recommended them for their new role and charged them with bringing about change within RE&WIM.
“When I was asked to take this role on, I wasn’t looking for it,” Leonard said. “But obviously, my supervisor saw in me something that she thought was particularly perfect for this role — to reimagine how this ministry area would move forward. And so, not the pressure, but the task was set before I got into the role to shift the narrative and shake RE&WIM up.”
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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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