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:
- God of peace, guide our hands to make tools for peace instead of weapons of war. Let us learn war no more. Guide our hearts to break down walls of division, not with pressure sanctions and threats, but with love, humility and understanding. God, in solidarity with our siblings in Korea, help us to make a way where there is no way. Amen. (June 25th to August 15th is the “Season of Prayer and Reflection in the Korean Peninsula”)
- Please pray for everyone who is struggling with their mental health, mental illnesses and addiction.
- 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: 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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From the Vision and Strategy Committee |
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In 1983 the PCUS and the UPCUSA merged into one entity following over 100 years of separation brought about by the Civil War. There was considerable excitement because, at last, we could work together, as one body, to build our version of the body of Christ.
At the time of the merger, we counted about 3.2 million members. Twenty years later, membership had fallen to 2.45 million people. Now, forty years later, we have about 1.14 million members.
In 2002, according to the last statistical report I have, the membership of the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse, spread across 45 churches, was a little over 7,000 people. According to our latest count, we have a little over 2,600 members in 33 churches.
This is all part of an ever-growing trend for people to drop out and do something else: sleep in, go out for brunch, go fishing, play golf, work in the yard – whatever. The reasons are as varied as are the people who respond to the question “Why?”.
Typically, churches respond to a problem by asking “What are we going to do?” And then they concoct some sort of plan to fix the problem. That is all well and good, except we have seen that it does not, generally, bear fruit. This is especially true when it comes to membership decline.
The thing is, if you ask the wrong question(s), you get the wrong answer which leads to doing the wrong thing. Now even if we are doing what we think is correct for the wrong reason, it is still the wrong thing. And as a consequence, we get results that are not what we wanted.
For years we have been asking the wrong question: how do we turn the membership loss around? In the process, we have tried Risk Evangelism, Congregational Revitalization, Congregational Redevelopment, Congregational Transformation, and the 1001 New Worshipping Communities combined with Matthew 25 movement. These were and are worthy efforts. They have and will fail because we have started and proceeded from the wrong point.
The proper point of re-imagining comes from asking the question: “Why?” Why are we here? What is our purpose for being?” Someone recently posed it as “What is your elevator speech?” A clue here is, ‘not to grow the church or to increase membership in our congregations.’
The primary task of the Vision and Strategy Committee is to begin by addressing that most important question. Why are we here? What is our reason for being? It has been defined in a variety of ways but that is it in a nutshell. From there we will be able to move forward into “What are we going to do?” And then, one more step, “How are we going to do it?”
It has taken us forty years to get where we are and so, understand, there will be no quick fixes. There is no magic bullet to this state we are in and there will be a lot of work involved. Please pray for the members of this committee and if you have any questions or insights, feel free to contact one of us who are listed below. We welcome your insights and whatever help you can offer.
Grace and peace,
Rev. N. Scott Cupp (HR)
Vision & Strategy Committee
28 June 2023
Committee Members:
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From the Interim Resource Presbyter |
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The Rev. Kathleen Dain, our Interim Resource Presbyter, has some suggestions for summer reading! Check them out!
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The headlines are clear: religion is on the decline in America as many people leave behind traditional religious practices. Diana Butler Bass, leading commentator on religion, politics, and culture, follows up her acclaimed book Christianity After Religion by arguing that what appears to be a decline actually signals a major transformation in how people understand and experience God. The distant God of conventional religion has given way to a more intimate sense of the sacred that is with us in the world. This shift, from a vertical understanding of God to a God found on the horizons of nature and human community, is at the heart of a spiritual revolution that surrounds us — and that is challenging not only religious institutions but political and social ones as well. Read more...
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'Gospel medicine' is Barbara Brown Taylor's metaphor for the power of God's word to heal and mend a broken world. In this collection, she practices the old-fashioned art of gospel home remedies, drawing strength and insight from biblical stories that can help us confront our weaknesses, revive our spirits and restore us to lasting wholeness. Read more...
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Jesus once said, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty." So why are Christians still thirsty? We throw ourselves into church work, Bible studies, prayer, missions, fellowship. Yet still we search restlessly for something more. What are we missing?Perhaps the answer is, more of Jesus. Church meetings and programs, ministry, Christian counseling, and home groups are all good, but they are not him. It doesn't matter how devoted we are to these wonderful activities; they are not the same thing as communion with Jesus. Our souls crave him alone.In Sacred Thirst, author and pastor Craig Barnes brings us face-to-face with our desperate longing for God. Read more...
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Announcements from our Interim Resource Presbyter |
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Preaching Basics Course for Laity Coming This Fall
If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, this may be just what you’re looking for!
Ruling elders/lay leaders:
- Do you have a message of faith, a Scriptural insight, or inspirational word that you’d like to share with your church family?
- Is there a sermon inside you that you feel led to preach, but aren’t sure how to go about it?
- Have you ever wanted to give your pastor a much-needed break by offering to preach the sermon on a Sunday morning (with or without their presence), but lack the tools or confidence to volunteer?
Pastors:
- Are you experiencing the added stress and responsibilities in this unusual time of ministry?
- Have you experienced the shortage of pulpit supply substitutes that has caused you to delay or change your vacation plans?
- Would you love to have someone from within your congregation that you could call on to fill in to help preach from time to time—even if it’s just to relieve you of the time needed for sermon preparation during a busy week so that someone else can preach on Sunday morning while you lead the rest of the worship service?
This previously postponed course is a series of classes designed for lay leaders to give tools for sermon preparation, writing and delivery, along with a foundation of basic Presbyterian/Reformed beliefs. Watch for details to come soon! Note: In order to participate, laity must have the recommendation of their pastor and/or session.
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Season of Prayer and Reflection |
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Season of Prayer and Reflection in the Korean Peninsula
June 25th to August 15th is the “Season of Prayer and Reflection in the Korean Peninsula” in Presbyterian churches across the U.S. Seventy-three years ago, on June 25, 1950, war broke out on the Korean Peninsula. Although a ceasefire was signed in 1953, this war has never ended.
The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness urges Presbyterians to answer the call of our General Assembly to support peace in Korea and suggests two actions: 1) ask our members of Congress to support a bill in the House of Representatives: "The Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act, H.R. 1369;" and 2) participate in the Korea Peace Appeal signature campaign, a global effort which began last year and which Cayuga-Syracuse voted to support when we submitted our overture to General Assembly.
Signatures should be submitted by September 3, in time for KPA organizers to deliver them to the United Nations General Assembly this fall.
Please prayerfully consider how you will join the many voices around the world praying and acting for peace in Korea. For more information, contact Linda Russell, Overture Advocate and Co-convener, Presbyterian Peace Network for Korea (PPNK) (315.730.6930).
-- Submitted by Linda Russell
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Don’t miss your chance!!! The PCUSA 2024 Planning Calendars will be available in September.
To order through the presbytery and receive the bulk rate, please contact Lisa Bricault at Liverpool First Presbyterian: lfirstpr@twcny.rr.com or 315-457-3161.
Please let Lisa know:
- what congregation you represent
- how many calendars you are ordering (each PCUSA pastor receives a free calendar so don’t over order)
- email and phone number
You will receive a bill in the late summer or fall with payment instructions. We are hoping that the calendars will be available for pick up at the September presbytery meeting.
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The First Presbyterian Church of Baldwinsville is pleased to announce that the Syracuse Lions Club will be hosting a FREE visual screening for adults and children at the Baldwinsville church on Monday, July 17th in its Christian Education Building. The event will be held from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Lions Club utilizes a RetinaVue 700 camera that allows them to detect different pathologies of the eye, including diabetic retinopathy and amblyopia. The Club will also assist with optometry consultations and the acquisition of glasses, if required. The screening takes only five to ten minutes. This is a wonderful opportunity for preventative care for the community, and a way to assist those who might not otherwise be able to take care of their eye health.
For questions, please contact Lion Doug Russell at (315) 9522136 or dgr899@aol.com.
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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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Gifts of Children Sunday: On Sunday, June 25, 2023, First Presbyterian Mexico celebrated its Children. The children took part in worship as well. They each have their own unique gifts and surprise us each time with their individualism and creativity.
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Practical Resources for Churches Webinars |
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Thursday, July 27, 2023
4:00 - 5:00 PM EDT
Leader - Jon Anderson
God continues to create in our lives, our congregations and our communities every day. Faithful innovation is part of God's creating work. Small Town and Rural Ministry requires both sustaining and disruptive leadership to serve the Gospel and fuel the love of all our neighbors.
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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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Church Streamingdroppable-1688610888565 |
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Do you live-stream your service on Sundays?
droppable-1673496502490
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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The Rev. Kathleen Dain, Interim Resource Presbyter, can be reached by emailing KDain@cayugasyracuse.org or by calling (315) 551-0413.
Sarah Buckshot, Communications Coordinator, can be reached by emailing caysyrnews@gmail.com or by calling (315) 877-8271.
Our Address: PO Box 438, Syracuse, NY 13214
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Two East Syracuse churches seek to share Presbyterian pastor
The Collamer United Church and the First United Church of East Syracuse are two separate churches seeking to share a full-time solo Presbyterian pastor. Our churches are both located in East Syracuse, New York, only 2.3 miles apart. We are both united Presbyterian and Methodist denominations. We are blessed to have a hard-working core of active participants in both churches who manage the church business, coordinate the worship services (one at each church building), and hold mission events. We are working together and sharing some staff and resources. We believe this to be a very supportive environment. In addition, we believe that Central NY can provide an attractive quality of life, with our parks, culture, and quality schools.
The pastor’s duties would include worship leadership and preaching, pastoral care, oversight of Christian education, moderating the Sessions, guidance with mission projects, and representing the congregation to outside groups. We are mindful that we are two churches and do not expect a pastor to provide full-time services to each church.
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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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This month's needs include:
- Tall kitchen garbage cans
- Dish strainers
- Twin sheet sets
- Twin and double blankets/comforters
- Toiletries (shaving cream, razors, deodorant, shampoo, soap, bathroom tissue, women's hygiene products)
- Cleaning supplies (laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, dish soap)
- Laundry baskets
Contact Rhonda Butler for drop off locations and times. Rhonda can be reached at
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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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Why the Fourth of July matters to Presbyterians
The rights of people matter. Following recent Supreme Court decisions, the PC(USA)’s advocacy director reminds us why
By Jimmie Hawkins
Special to Presbyterian News Service
For many Americans, the Fourth of July is important as it helps to define our national identity. For Presbyterians, Independence Day holds a special place in our collective consciousness.
Presbyterians played a pivotal role in the founding and formation of this nation. In “Presbyterians: Their History and Beliefs,” Dr. Walter L. Lingle wrote, “Presbyterians had a large share in the movements which lead up to the Declaration of Independence and a large share in the actual conduct of the Revolutionary War which followed. They also had a large part, directly and indirectly, in shaping the Constitution of United States.”
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Stated Clerk blasts US Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action
J. Herbert Nelson says racial equity in the US just took several major steps backward
The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) used his last day in office to weigh in on the recent U.S. Supreme Court affirmative action ruling. The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II says the high court’s decision announced Thursday to bar colleges and universities from considering race as a specific bias for admission “has set racial equity in the U.S. back by decades.”
The decision grew out of a lawsuit filed against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill over their use of race-conscious admissions, arguing that equal standards and merits should be the main considerations.
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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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