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:
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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 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: Port Byron Federated; First, Scipioville; Sennett Federated Church; First, Skaneateles
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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Every year Sennett Federated Church celebrates “Beverly’s Tea” in memory of Cheryl Potter who started it about 15 years ago. Cheryl loved and actually sold stuffed animals. She made sure all the children had a stuffed animal to love. |
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Please share the above PNG file and share on social media, and download the PDF file, print and share at your church.
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Zoom information will be available soon. |
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Linda Russell, Overture Advocate
The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness recently released a letter [“Support Peace in the Korean Peninsula”] urging Presbyterians to take actions in support of a peaceful resolution of the divisions on the Korean Peninsula, the lifting of sanctions threatening the lives of North Koreans, and an expansion of people-to-people exchanges across the divide. Two action steps are suggested:
1) Sign the Korea Peace Appeal, as Presbyterians are called to do by action of the 2022 General Assembly. During the May 6 Presbytery Meeting, Cayuga-Syracuse churches were challenged to collect 10 signatures each and send them to the PC(USA) Peacemaking Program, Presbyterian Church (USA), 100 Witherspoon Street Room 3615, Louisville, KY 40202 or scan to peacemaking@pcusa.org by July 2023. Information and signature sheet can be found here.
2) Urge your member of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 1369 “The Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act.” Click Here
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Heery Farewell Dinner Invitation
Westminster Church-Auburn is hosting a farewell dinner for Patrick and Jenna Heery on Friday, June 9, at 5 p.m. in the church’s Great Hall. Your invitation and reservation form can be found here. Join us as we say goodbye to Patrick, Jenna, Emerson, and Josephine. Reservations are due May 31st.
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Synod Mission and Ministries Commission
The Synod of the Northeast Mission and Ministries Commission met in Albany on April 28-29, 2023. Cayuga-Syracuse commissioner, elder Linda Russell, serves as a member of the Commission’s Mission Working Group. Linda shared highlights of her report during the Annual Presbytery Meeting on May 6, 2023. The complete report, which is attached here, includes descriptions of the 19 grants (Innovation, Campus Ministry, and Youth Leadership Development) considered by the working group and the dollar amounts awarded.
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Practical Resources for Churches Webinars |
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Tuesday, May 30, 2023
2:00 - 3:00 PM ED
Leader - Paul Palumbo
It seems the whole world is experiencing loss, much of it un-grieved. While Peace at the Last was developed for ministry with the dying, it is becoming much more as it is used in wider settings. Peace at the Last will guide you, with renewed hope, through the fear of death into extravagant love as you embrace the journey toward death with, or in remembrance of, a loved one. Alone or with friends, family and yes, even young children, share Peace at the Last and find comfort, closure and release.
We will begin with a short discussion on ways to use the Peace at the Last book / Liturgy, and then will do the liturgy together (all of this will take 30-45 minutes). Those who can stay and wish to process the liturgy together will move to an unrecorded zoom meeting.
Peace at the Last emerged out of congregational need and experience at Lake Chelan Lutheran Church in Chelan, Washington. The creative team includes Pastor Paul Palumbo, composer and musician Rolf Vegdahl, artist Wendy Schramm, and the Lake Chelan Lutheran congregation.
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
3 - 4:30 PM
10 - 11:30 AM
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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 - 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 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
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Presbyterians are seeing good results planting native species on sacred grounds
A Presbyterians for Earth Care webinar put on by the National Wildlife Federation looks at how to get started
By Mike Ferguson
Presbyterian News Service
Presbyterians and other people of faith are becoming more intentional about planting their church grounds with the thriving of God’s creatures in mind, and a webinar offered last week by Presbyterians for Earth Care explained how and where that’s happening.
Natalie Cohen, manager of community conservation in the National Wildlife Federation’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Center, and Danielle Wendt, a member of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps and an environmental storyteller, teamed up for an hour-long webinar they called “Presbyterians Planting for Wildlife: An Introduction to the National Wildlife Federation’s Sacred Grounds Program.”
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The fight for 12
Grassroots campaign to standardize 12 weeks of paid family leave goes back years
By Fred Tangeman
Office of the General Assembly
In 2014, the General Assembly approved an overture “encouraging” six weeks of paid family leave across the denomination. That left it up to councils to decide what amount to provide, if any.
Voices against requiring a standardized minimum claimed that FMLA (the Family Medical Leave Act) already supported young families and that an outsized financial burden would be placed on small churches. Some at national agencies argued church assets shouldn’t support paid family leave because of fiduciary responsibilities to preexisting church programs, investors and pensioners.
While serving a church call in Colorado, Benz-Whittington was a member of Young Clergy Women International, a group already discussing the terms of pastor contracts. Many young women pastors felt pressure to trade family leave guarantees for a higher salary. In Benz-Whittington’s case, she didn't feel like she could ask for more money from the church because she had asked for 12 weeks paid leave.
“I was grateful the congregation gave me 12 weeks,” she said. “Most pastors didn’t get that.”
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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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