Welcome to this week's edition of our e-letter, Presbytery Matters. | |
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“Reverse Advent Calendar” collection a success! | |
During the month of December, Northminster Presbyterian Church and its Early Childhood Center jointly collected items for the “Reverse Advent Calendar” collection. The various food items as well as hats, mittens, gloves and socks that were collected will be donated to the Bridgeport Food Pantry and the Samaritan Center. The table was overflowing with all the donations that they received! | |
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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 grieving the loss of a loved one.
- 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: Amboy Belle Isle; First, Auburn; Westminster, Auburn; United Ministry of Aurora; First, Baldwinsville
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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Registration is required.
Click Here to Register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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From the Interim Resource Presbyter | |
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In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
[1 Samuel 3:1 NIV]
It was a time of transition. The vision of the elder priest, Eli, had grown dim. The boy, Samuel, too young to understand his calling. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, God’s wisdom speaks through the voice of a child.
Perhaps God spoke to Samuel (and not Eli) because of the natural curiosity related to youth. Samuel is just a boy, lacking the layers of ambiguity that come with age. We old folks know that those three simple words: “Here I am” are loaded with consequences of what saying “yes” might entail. They are the words that led Moses and the Israelites through the wilderness, or a band of disciples along the sea of Galilee to Calvary.
Saying “yes” gets messy. It stretches us beyond our comfort zone or can challenge set doctrines and long cherished beliefs. “Here I am”, opens the darkened doorway to a strange and uncharted path that is illuminated with something (someone) beyond our own physical and mental natures.
Yet, the beauty of this story is that it takes both the elder and the younger to realize God’s vision. Samuel needed the priest, to tell him what he was hearing and how to respond. Just as Eli needed to hear the raw, honest, words of God spoken by a child. Martin Luther King Jr., called these moments: “prayerful listening that leads to prophetic proclaiming.”
Our walls of worship can be one of the most diverse environments we will ever know. We are a multitude of generations, colors, and languages, each seeing and hearing the world around us through a different lens. Yet, as Christians our call is to actively listen and follow.
As the presbytery continues to discern its future path, we are offering a special Leader’s Summit on February 3rd to help encourage and equip our members to envision how God is still at work in Central New York. The event is free and open to all church leaders (or those discerning a call to leadership). To learn more, please follow the link below or contact me at kdain@cayugasyracuse.org.
In Christ’s Peace,
Kathy
Rev. Kathleen Dain
Interim Resource Presbyter
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Topic: Clergy Network
Time: Feb 6, 2024 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/93988157544
Meeting ID: 939 8815 7544
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Interested in joining a Bible Study Group? Here are few available now!
In 2024, PW Churchwide’s Justice and Peace Committee is hosting book discussion groups again. Consider participating in one or all of the book discussions! The discussions will be held on Zoom, bimonthly, on the second Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It’s free to participate, but registration is required. You will receive questions for reflection/discussion and a Zoom link 24 hours before each session. Learn more.
Scipioville Bible Study - "Beverages and Bibles" meets at 7 p.m. on Thursdays in December. Register Here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing needed information.
Isaiah’s Table meets Wednesdays at 7 p.m. It is part of their adult education program and concentrates on Spiritual Nurture and Social Justice. During Advent they have been reading The First Advent in Palestine by Kelley Nikondheha. Join Zoom.
Meeting ID: 838 0808 2621
Passcode: 203109
A Presbyterian Women’s Group (that sometimes has men join them) began during COVID to keep PW of C-S together … The group includes members from New Jersey, Connecticut and Iowa, and about half are Presbyterian. (God does have a sense of humor!) The group focuses on books that tend to deal with discrimination. Sometimes they even read novels! Contact Rita at twohoops2@gmail after the first of the year if you would like to check this out! They meet Thursdays at 7 p.m.
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Does your church have a Bible Study, book clup or topic study group and are willing to have others? You are asked to send your information to:
Rita Hooper
210 Meadowbrook Circle
Fulton, NY 13069
or
twohoops2@gmail.com
For questions, text or call her at 315-706-3564.
Information Needed:
Book of Bible you are studying
Bible Study you are using (Title, Author, Publisher) if you are using one.
Topic you are studying eg: the border, Palestine-Israeli situation, Ukraine, Christian Nationalism, literacy,homelessness, refugees, aging, discrimination of any and all kinds etc
When the group meets eg. third monday at 10am, weekly on Tuesdays at 7 pm etc.
Where they meet - church name and location
Zoom information
Contact information (name, phone, email) of person who is responsible for this group
We are family and we are better together … help us share the good things happening in Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery.
Don’t wait for someone else to do it … if you know the info, please let Rita know, she would rather get it 5 times than not at all!
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Interim Resource Presbyter Announcements | |
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Under the new guidelines from the Book of Order, boundary training is required every three years for: Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Certified Christian Educators (CCE), Certified Christian Ruling Elders (CRE) and Inquirers before moving to candidacy.
The presbytery has contracted with SafeGatherings https://safegatherings.com for the online boundary training course. To learn more, or to register for the course, please contact your committee chair or the interim resource presbyter.
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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.
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Fellowship Hall Rental
The Collamer United Church fellowship hall is available for rent for special occasions, meetings, and other activities. Maximum capacity is 140. We have seating for 122 people. We also have a very nice commercial kitchen which is available for an extra charge.
Please contact the church office for information.
Collamer United Church
6865 Collamer Road
East Syracuse, New York 13057
(315) 463-4939
collamerunitedchurch@verizon.net
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Practical Resources for Churches Webinars | |
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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
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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.
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LET IT SNOW: The First Presbyterian Church of Chittenango embraces the first snow storm of 2024 for its beauty! | |
Around the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | |
The PC(USA)’s Matthew 25 Summit aims for intention and impact
The first-ever Summit will be held Jan. 16-18 at New Life Presbyterian Church in College Park, Georgia
By Shani E. McIlwain
Presbyterian News Service
With less than a week to go, the conveners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s first Matthew 25 Summit are excited about its intention and impact.
They note that registration is closed. Those not able to attend in person can still engage via livestream here and follow along with news coverage here.
As the Summit lives into its subtitle, “An Invitation to Innovation,” the location of the gathering was intentional. New Life Presbyterian Church in College Park, Georgia, was chosen for several reasons that attendees and observers will find out about next week. Most importantly, the setting is intimate to focus on building relationships and connections. As you make your plans to join us, remember your travel checklists, and run last- minute errands, you are invited to pray. Pray that there will be something shared that is transformative in the way ministry is done.
Continue reading...
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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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