Believe in Signs!

A mission story can be a simple as a message that fits on a sign!

In our prayers together this week:



• The Rev. Diane Monger and the Rev Tom Oak are asking you to keep them in your prayers because they are moving! Diane and Tom are moving back home to Wichita, Kansas. The sold their house outside of Cazenovia. They're hoping to be home by Thanksgiving!
• Prayers for Neil Rotach and family on the death of her brother.
• 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: United Church of Fayetteville; First United Church of Fulton; God’s Vision Christian Church, Hannibal; Jamesville Community Church; First, King Ferry

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.

A Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. (Please come early, 5:00-ish, for fellowship and snacks!)

THIS WILL BE A HYBRID MEETING

The physical meeting will take place at:

First United Church of East Syracuse

823 Franklin Park Drive

East Syracuse, NY 13057

The virtual meeting will take place via Zoom:

Registration is required to join via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuceqsqDwvGdWEyJrPmANIcDgJO9KilclU

Things to know:

• This gathering is in-person and on Zoom
• Meeting is recorded for minutes purposes and some video clips may be shared on social media

Things to anticipate:

• Our first official hybrid meeting! Patience is appreciated!
• Approval of the 2024 proposed budget
• Synod Update
• Update on Korean Peace Treaty Overture and Synod update

Papers for this meeting can be found below:

NOVEMBER 14 DOCKET AND MATERIALS

We are pleased to welcome the Rev. Amy E. Loving-Austin as our Acting Stated Clerk. Amy has several years experience as the part time clerk for the Presbytery of Geneva. 

Rev. Amy E. Loving-Austin is a member of the Presbytery of Geneva, where she serves as the Stated Clerk. She is also the pastor of the Seneca #9 and Bellona Memorial Presbyterian Churches. She lives in Seneca Falls, NY, with her husband (Paul) and two cats (Aurora and Alan). Amy enjoys reading, crafting, facilitating community and helping people better understand PCUSA polity.

The gathering will take place at First Presbyterian Church Baldwinsville at 64 Oswego Street in Baldwinsville.

Your Story

If a photo is worth a thousand words, than a video is worth a million!

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.

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.

The Rev. Kathleen Dain can be reached via email at KDain@cayugasyracuse.org or phone at (315) 551-0413.

There’s an oft-told story that goes something like this. While reading the headlines one day, a person was overwhelmed with story after story bringing news of violence, hatred, injustice and trouble in the world. With a voice filled with pain, they raised their hand to heaven and asked “God, why don’t you do something?” God answered, “I did. I created you.”

This story reminds us that when we are tempted to look for answers outside of ourselves, we might do better to look for them within, and ask ourselves what we might do to help. Instead of wishing for God, or for someone else to fix the problems we see, we might do better to wonder what we might do to be part of the solution. Instead of complaining that “nobody” does anything, we might do better to ask ourselves if we might be that “somebody” to take action. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can solve all the world’s problems by ourselves. None of us has all the answers. We might not have any answers at all. But we can ask ourselves how we might find a way to take even just one small step to make the world a better place. We can keep our eyes and ears open to discover opportunities to make a difference. Perhaps the small ripple we might make in the troubled waters around us, can join with others to make a great wave of change for the better.

So what does this have to do with presbytery’s Vision & Strategy committee? Well, have you ever asked “Why doesn’t the presbytery do ... this? ... Or that?” Have you ever said “I wish the presbytery would ... (fill in the blank)”??? Have you ever wondered “When is the presbytery going to do something to help the churches?” Guess what? YOU are the presbytery. The presbytery isn’t an entity living outside of the churches. The churches are the presbytery. Every person who is part of a congregation of a church within the presbytery IS an integral part of the presbytery itself. Your presence is needed. Your voice is important. Your willingness to serve is critical to the work that we do as God’s people in our small corner of the world, here in what is named the presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse.

When my kids were growing up and I asked them to do something together, they sometimes resisted because they wanted to watch TV, play video games, or read a book alone in their room. That’s when I’d say one of my famous “mom phrases” that they still tease me about. I would say, “Come on. Be a family.” They’d laugh and say, “But Mom, we already are a family.” So come on! Be a presbytery. We are the family of God. The body of Christ. The community of faith. Let’s do something good together.

As someone on our committee said recently, although we’re working on a concrete vision for the presbytery, and as we think of the goals, objectives, and strategies to follow, the one thing we all can agree on is that the vision for the presbytery is that it is to be “a place where the joy and love of Christ is shared.” She followed that statement with, “Who can argue with that?” Who, indeed?

And so, what will you do to share the joy and love of Christ in the work of the presbytery?

Here are a few ideas:

• Support the work of your own and other churches.
• Share what’s happening with others and invite them to be a part.
• Answer surveys.
• Come to presbytery meetings.
• Reach out in fellowship to one another.
• Read the newsletter.
• Encourage others to subscribe and read for themselves.
• “Like” the posts on Facebook.
• Encourage one another and celebrate the mission stories.
• Express your ideas and thoughts to leadership.
• Ask where you can serve.
• Say “yes” when asked.
• PRAY and listen for the voice of the Spirit leading you to actively participate.
• Look for opportunities to share the joy and peace of Christ.

Be a presbytery.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Deb Thomas

P.S. Speaking of opportunities ... here are two to consider: 

1. If you have a gift and desire to sing, you are invited to participate in the Presbytery Choir at the upcoming presbytery meeting on November 14. Please come early at 3:30 p.m. to rehearse an anthem to sing during worship. It all takes place at the First United Church in East Syracuse.
2. The Vision & Strategy Committee is looking for people to be part of a Communications Workgroup. Here’s your chance to be supportive of all things communication related, and make your voice heard. If interested, or to find out more info, please contact Rev. Deb Thomas at revrndeb@gmail.com or (315) 657-0147

Hope to see you there!

If you missed the previous announcements, the Worship Planning Workgroup is issuing a special invitation asking you to plan to join us in-person for what we hope to be the first of many worship services that are new and creative. All is offered to the glory of God’s Name as we gather to work and worship as the Body of Christ that is our Presbytery.

Ready for this week’s clues to see if you can guess what new thing that the Worship Planning Workgroup has planned? Here you go:

The song goes on

As the cup is raised

We’ll learn from trees

To sing in praise

We’ll go out with joy

And forth with peace

At meeting’s end

God’s praise will not cease

Worship Planning Workgroup:

Karen Wolff

Lynn Jacques

Mary Heather Harrington

Neil Rotach

Deb Thomas

We've extended our deadline:

Applications are still being accepted

for the Benevolent Care Grant Funds.

“The purpose of this fund shall be to provide benevolent grants to assist in the care of elderly persons within the bounds of Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery.”

Criteria:         

1. Applications must be submitted by churches/sessions/boards or institutions. If an institution, a worshiping community within the Presbytery must indicate concurrence with the request.
2. A financial need must be clearly stated. i.e., sample budget
3. Grants will be awarded for benevolent care of the elderly residing within the bounds of Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery.

Download Application HERE

Applications must be received by November 26, 2023.

Please email the completed Application Form to:

Lynn Jacques at lmjacques@verizon.net

Amboy Belle Isle United Church

(6190-92 Airport Road, Syracuse, NY  13209)

will be having their annual

Christmas Bazaar

{NO Luncheon this year}

Bake Sale, crafts, Basket Raffle and more

Saturday, November 18th

9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Mission Possible for the Small Church: Simplifying Leadership & Structure

Thursday, November 9, 2023

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Leader - Kay Kotan

Small churches also have what we refer to as a superpower that large churches can’t touch: the ability to be highly relational from the get-go. Too often, small churches concentrate on what they can’t do. We offer this resource to lift up what small churches can do! For example, smaller churches have greater percentages of participation, giving, and engaged members than larger churches, according to the 2020 FACT study. Unfortunately, many resources for churches and church leaders are created for larger churches.

This resource has been created specifically for the small church to learn how to leverage their superpowers and live into their callings as vital, healthy churches having God-sized impact in their communities.

The Gospel of Loneliness: For Clergy Working With Congregations

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

2:00 - 3:00 PM EST

Leader - Dwight Lee Wolter

Was it out of loneliness that God created humankind in God’s own image? Were Adam and Eve lonely for Eden after their abrupt eviction? Surely, they were lonely for their child, Abel. Is there a lonelier image than Jesus on the cross saying, “Why have you forsaken me?” Loneliness has been declared an epidemic in America. And yet, loneliness is still stigmatized and seldom mentioned in the pulpit and the pew. People suffer needlessly and alone.

Perhaps they fear that exploring loneliness will make them even lonelier. Clergy may feel that mentioning their own loneliness will make them appear needy and vulnerable. Loneliness did not begin with the pandemic. If rebuilding community was the solution to loneliness, why have we not resolved it after 2,000+ years? This webinar will offer clergy ways to explore loneliness as a portal to transformation.

We will, of course, explore loneliness within ourselves and our congregations; but we will also explore taking “Loneliness Field Trips” to museums, theaters, and restaurants. We provide a template for listening to “The Loneliest Songs in the World” together and discussing their source and beauty. Though sometimes a serious matter, exploring loneliness, ironically, can also be creative and a lot of fun.

This webinar will enable clergy to meet a vital and relevant need of their congregations in a way that may also attract people outside the church to enter the church and engage with kindred spirits. It offers specific ways of embracing loneliness as a destigmatized, creative, enjoyable path to self-actualization, social outreach, and community-creating.

SEE PART TWO below

Dwight Lee Wolter is the author of the newly-released, “The Gospel of Loneliness” (The Pilgrim Press). He is also pastor of the Congregational Church of Patchogue on Long Island, New York; and author of several other books.

Holy Work with Children: Children’s Spirituality

Thursday, November 16, 2023

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Leader - Rev. Dr. Tanya Campen

Children are theologians with the ability to recognize and respond to God’s presence in their lives. Listening to the stories of children helps us to understand how children make meaning out of God’s presence and reveals tools that children use as they claim their faith. With this knowledge, adults can then better promote and encourage children’s spiritual growth.

●     How does listening to children teach us about God and faith formation?

●     What wisdom and insight do children offer to all of us by how they seek understanding of God and God’s presence in their lives?

●     How can we guide and support the children in our communities in this work?

New York State Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars

You can take this training any time during the year

charlaine@prcli.org

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Restorative Conversations

Date: December 12th, 2023

Price:

• $139 if registering as an individual or a group up to 3
• $124 if registering as a group of 4 or more

Location: Online via Zoom

Workshop Description: 

This one-day workshop introduces church leaders to the key concepts of circle processes and ways in which circles can be used within their congregations. Restorative conversations are useful when working through difficult or polarizing topics, processing shared painful experiences, building community, and dealing with certain levels of conflict in the church setting.

Register Here

Journey Toward Healing

Date: December 18th, 2023

Price:

• $99 if registering as an individual or a group up to 3
• $84 if registering as a group of 4 or more

Location: Online via Zoom

Workshop Description: 

In this workshop you will gain a better understanding of your own conflict style, what the congregational mediation process looks like, how to find healing in mediation, and explore different conflicts.

Register Here

Do you live-stream your service on Sundays?

We are compiling a list of live-stream links to feature in Presbytery Matters. This will allow others to join in on your services.

Please send links to CaySyrNews@gmail.com

The Rev. Kathleen Dain, Interim Resource Presbyter, can be reached by emailing KDain@cayugasyracuse.org or by calling (315) 551-0413.

The Rev. Amy E. Loving-Austin, Acting Stated Clerk, can be reached by emailing statedclerk@cayugasyracuse.org

Sarah Buckshot, Communications Coordinator, can be reached by emailing caysyrnews@gmail.com or by calling (315) 877-8271.

Kristin Schierer, Bookkeeper, can be reached by emailing finance@cayugasyracuse.org

Our Address: PO Box 438, Syracuse, NY 13214

Seeking a Creative and Caring Pre-School Teacher

Friends in Faith Christian Preschool is seeking a compassionate, and creative individual to team teach three-year-olds. Individuals who love working with children and creating an educational experience that develops curiosity and kindness for others should apply. The position requires experience working with children, a commitment to modeling love and respect, knowledge in child development, and effective communication skills.

The position is 8 to 10 hours per week with a salary range of $15.50 to $16.00 per hour. Please submit resume to Tracie Folley, Director, Friends in Faith, 603 Tulip Street, Liverpool, NY 13088 or fifcps@gmail.com

First United Church Fulton seeks pastor

First United Church Fulton is a small Presbyterian and American Baptist congregation, 40 minutes north of Syracuse. They are seeking a pastor who is looking for a part-time, interim, bridge, tentmaker position. 

The church's last permanent pastor retired 8 years ago. Since then they have had two transitional pastors, Covid, one short time, installed pastor and a series of Sunday pulpit supply.

"Flexibility and change have become our middle name," according to a church spokesperson.

Please contact Rick Casella at rickccasella@gmail.com or (315) 440-9115 for more information. First United Church Fulton is located at 33 South Third St in Fulton.

ALL SAINTS: Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn held is All Saints Contemplative Hike last week at Fort Hill Cemetery. Participants honored the saints who came before us on this special hike.

Hybrid Stated Meeting - Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom at in-person at First United Church of East Syracuse.

The 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium will be here before you know it! Save the date for July 28-31, 2025.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Facebook page is releasing clues for the location!

New resource from the PC(USA)’s Peacemaking Program and World Mission encourages congregations toward solidarity with Ukraine

Project members hope Ukraine

resource is the first of many

By Layton Williams Berkes

Presbyterian News Service

The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program within the Presbyterian Mission Agency is collaborating with World Mission and global partners to develop a new resource focused on solidarity with Ukraine. The resource is called “A Sowing of Peace in Ukraine” and will feature multiple installments released individually.

The resource takes its name from scripture, specifically Zechariah 8:12, “For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.”

The first installment is already available online and was compiled by Shannon Beck. It includes a candle-lighting litany, a body prayer, suggested music and an educational icon to encourage reflection. The resource also offers suggestions for action in response to the situation in Ukraine, including supporting relocation efforts and Ukrainian artists, as well as banning the use of cluster munitions.

Continue reading...

Presbyterian Mission Agency ministries authorize funds to support relief efforts in Israel-Palestine

With the humanitarian aid, the mission agency affirms its commitment to a long-term response

By Scott O’Neal

Presbyterian News Service

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, in collaboration with World Mission and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, has awarded nearly $100,000 in grant funding to support relief efforts in Israel-Palestine. The now month-long conflict continues to escalate and exact a heavy toll on civilian casualties along with crippling home and property loss in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem.

“From day one, PC(USA) partners have reached out in a cry for help for their communities, sharing the urgency to provide immediate care to those trapped in the middle of this conflict. As we continue to see the immense urgency shared by our partners in the affected areas, it is imperative to provide a rapid and steered response to the multiple needs arising from this disaster,” said the Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, director of PDA.

Continue reading...