We are asking our churches to share this newsletter with your members each week. Click the button below to forward the email or to obtain the newsletter link.

Thank you! 

In our prayers together this week:

• Please keep Karen Chamis in your prayers. Our former Resource Presbyter fell last month and broke her leg, which required surgery. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as she recovers from complications.
• 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: Our Presbytery, 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.

Maundy Thursday: Thursday, March 28, 2024

7 p.m. Service at Onondaga Hill Presbyterian Church, 4797 Makyes Road, Syracuse

7 p.m. Service at Park Central Presbyterian Church, 504 E Fayette St, Syracuse

7 p.m. Service at Whitelaw Presbyterian Church, 3085 Whitelaw Road West, Canastota

7 p.m. Service at Otisco Presbyterian Church, 1873 NY-80, Tully

7 p.m. Service at United Church of Fayetteville, 310 East Genesee St., Fayetteville

TBD Service at LaFayette Columbian Presbyterian Church, Corner of Route 11 And Route 20, LaFayette

Good Friday: Friday, March 29, 2024

12 p.m. Service at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 17 William Street, Auburn

12 p.m. Pre-recorded virtual service available on YouTube from the United Church of Fayetteville. You can watch that service via our website: https://theucf.org or on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUCF

7 p.m. Service at Onondaga Hill Presbyterian Church, 4797 Makyes Road, Syracuse

7 p.m. Community Tenebrae Service at LaFayette Columbian Presbyterian Church, Corner of Route 11 And Route 20, LaFayette

Attention churches, please send your Holy Week and/or special

Lent service schedules to caysyrnews@gmail.com

Last Sunday, the Rev. Lorrie Day Anson laid down her robe, symbolically setting aside the office of minister of Word and Sacrament, to take up her new citizenship of retirement. 

Lorrie is perhaps one of our longest serving pastors, having served the Otisco Presbyterian Church for 30 years. In addition, Lorrie has contributed greatly to our presbytery. Undoubtedly, she will be missed, but she helped prepare the way for this time of transition before her departure. Next week, the Rev. Shawn Reyburn will begin serving this beloved community in addition to continuing his ministry at Columbian Presbyterian Church in Lafayette. One example of how God is at work among us.

A little over a month after the formation of the presbytery of Cayuga Syracuse in 1956, Margaret Towner became the first woman in the Presbyterian Church to be ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Back then some of our present-day progressive congregations were some of the most conservative. In other words, times and circumstances may change, but God’s work among us goes on. 

In 1956, the presbyteries of Cayuga and Syracuse were discerning how they might work together as one body. Today, conversations continue with our neighboring presbyteries to discern how our collective efforts may continue to support the ministries of Central New York. This journey of discovery continues, trusting that God remains at work among us. I hope you will join in those conversations and actions to help move the presbytery forward to reveal the transforming body of Christ today and for years to come.

In Christ’s Peace,

Kathy

Rev. Kathleen Dain

Interim Resource Presbyter

Celebrating Margaret Towner



On March 19th, the Rev. Dr. Margaret Towner will be celebrating her 99th birthday. If you would like to send her a card, her address is:

7377 Scotland Way, Apt. 6203

Sarasota, FL 34238-8542

The Moderator called a Meeting of the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse, which took place on Thursday, February 29, 2024, via Zoom. The purpose of acting on motions brought by the COM regarding the call of a candidate to serve the First United Church of East Syracuse and the United Church of Collamer. All motions were passed.

Congratulations, Eric Adamcik.

See papers below:

Presbytery Docket 02-29-24

EA Speaker Bio

Statement of Faith for Eric Adamcik

As the Vision and Strategy Committee meets in churches around the presbytery, we have been talking to leaders about how we might help equip and resource congregations. One of the most often repeated need that has emerged is the desire for training and education on various topics. In order to prioritize these topics, we’d like to hear from you. We value your input. Your voice is important. As we remind ourselves often, the presbytery is not the leaders, staff, officers or any one individual—it is all of us. Together, we are “the presbytery.”

If any of the topics listed below are of interest to your congregation, please let us know. Likewise, if you have a specific need or other suggestions for topics to educate, equip and resource your congregation, please share your ideas with Rev. Deb Thomas (chair,) Interim Resource Presbyter Rev. Kathy Dain, Moderator Rev. Garrett Anderson, Vice Moderator Elder Lynn Jacques or any member of the Vision & Strategy Committee. Thanks for your help.

In faith and service,

Rev. Deb Thomas revrndeb@gmail.com.

Some topics of interest to equip the congregations

What does it mean to be a Matthew 25 presbytery/church?

• Mission and Social Justice Concerns (inc. racism, gender equality, respect for all people, etc.)

Elder/Deacon training

• Specific to the constitutional questions & vows church officers make.
• What does the Book of Order say about the role of officers, session and boards?

What does it mean to be a “Confessional Church?” 

• What is the Book of Confessions and why is it important?
• Presbyterian beliefs, Reformed Theology, and essential tenets.

Older Adult Ministries

Sunday School Superintendent, Teacher, and Youth Group Leader Training

Responding to Christian Nationalism

Church and clergy financial concerns

• Insurance, audits, per capita, budgets...
• Clergy taxes, Board of Pensions...
• Annual reports, grant writing...
• Presbyterian Foundation and other opportunities to give.
• Stewardship: encouraging an abundance mindset (as opposed to scarcity.)

At the November Presbytery meeting, Interim Resource Presbyter Kathy Dain, presented information on a grant that she had obtained through the Synod to use for church transformation. At that meeting, she requested a Commission to be formed to oversee the application process and distribution of the money. A Commission was appointed by our Moderator, Garrett Anderson. The members of the Commission are Marissa Saunders (RE Park Central) chairperson, Lynn Jacques (RE East Syracuse), secretary, Ben Fitzgerald-Fye (TE Scipioville), Shavonn Lynch (RE Auburn Westminister and Minister Candidate) and Jessica Gorman (RE LiverpooL).

The purpose of the fund shall be to provide grants to assist congregations in the transformational work within the bounds of the Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery. The Commission has been meeting to establish criteria and provide application form for distribution of the funds. The application will be available soon. Any application received by the 15th of the month will be reviewed at our monthly meeting and applications received after the 15th will be reviewed at the next monthly meeting.

Keep reading Presbytery Matters for further information on how to obtain an application. Criteria for the grant will be included on the application form.

Let us keep our churches working to improve our communities and the world!

csptransformation@gmail.com

Lynn Jacques

Secretary

Church Transformation Commission

Greetings from the Nominating Committee,

The Nominating Committee greatly appreciates the work and dedication of all who serve on committees and commissions of the Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery. We recognize that we cannot hope to live into God’s mission for us as a collective body without those who feel called to serve.

The Nominating Committee needs to establish a broader pool of names for consideration as we seek to populate committees and commissions. We are asking that pastors/churches provide the committee with a list of elders, especially those who are willing to serve on a committee on the presbytery level.

Currently, we are seeking people to serve on the following: Commission on Ministry, Committee on Representation, Social Justice, Human Resources, Finance and Property, Nominating Committee. Suggestions can be emailed to the Nominating Committee at lynchshavonn@yahoo.com.

Shavonn Lynch

Nominating Committee Chair

In an effort to enhance communication and

provide resources to aid congregations, please

take a moment to complete this survey.

Click Here to fill out the survey

Greg Garis offered a presentation on small/rural church stewardship.

View/Download his presentation HERE

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.

If you are involved with a church book club and are open to having new folks join your group, please contact Rita Hooper at twohoops2@gmail.com with your information. Please include Zoom info, time, place and contact person and anything else you find useful.

Nancy Wind and Isiah’s Table are inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting, on Tuesdays at 7 pm. Feb 14th, Isiah’s Table will begin their new Lenten study - Pause:Spending Lent with the Psalms by Elizabeth F. Caldwell. They will discuss the chapter "Reflection for Ash Wednesday."

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83276947441?pwd=dElVL2c3UTducVlIUmdPYXRJdUVIZz09

Meeting ID: 832 7694 7441

Passcode: 065105

Rita Hooper and Presbyterian Women invite you to check out their book club, unfortunately meeting at the same time as Isaiah’s Table: Tuesdays at 7 pm. Their current selection is Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. Missing Hearts is a suspenseful and heartrending novel about the unbreakable love between a mother and child in a society consumed by fear. They began last week but feel free to join them anyway! You don’t have to be a woman, a Presbyterian or even live in CNY to join. This club focuses on peace and justice issues and began during covid. We have read both fiction and non-fiction selections. We aim to support each other on our journey’s so sometimes we get a little off track!

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87193947627?pwd=SDZkanB0ZFVDZFoybmczU0F4QWpNQT09

Meeting ID: 871 9394 7627

Passcode: 748784

Pebble Hill partners with The United Church of Fayetteville and the Global Mission of the Episcopal Church Diocese of CNY, along with student language clubs, Ken deLaski & the deLaski Family Foundation and other generous individuals to support the Haiti Education Mission. As a part of this mission Pebble Hill will be hosting A Concert For Haiti to support an annual Medical Clinic in Paulette, Haiti.

Click Here for More Information

Click Here to Download Poster

Leading Faithful Innovation

Thursday, March 7, 2024

2:00 - 3:00 PM EST

Leader - Dwight Zscheile

Managing Investments and Endowments for Churches

Thursday, April 18, 2024

2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT

Leader - Charlie Kuchenbrod

Raising Kids Beyond the Binary in Church

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

2:00 - 3:00 PM EST

Leader - Jamie Bruesehoff

New York State Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars

You can take this training any time during the year

charlaine@prcli.org



Wednesday, April 17, 2024

2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

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

Children Worship Center and Nursery Care positions at Westminster, Auburn



Westminster Presbyterian Church of Auburn currently has an opening for a Children Worship Center Leader. Successful candidate would lead and effectively interpret our Children & Worship program for children ages 3 - 2nd grade. This position will also assist our Children & Youth Ministry Coordinator in planning and coordinating extracurricular programming, outings & community service projects. This is a year round, every Sunday position, normally 5 hours/week. Rate of pay is $20./hour. Westminster is also seeking applicants for Nursery Care provider to provide attentive and compassionate care to infants and toddlers on Sunday mornings. Rate of pay is $15/hour. Interested applicants are asked to respond to our posting on Indeed.

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.

Innovation Grant Application Webinar with Q&A - March 11th 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Are you interested in applying for the Synod's 2024 Innovation Grant funds due April 8, 2024? Whether you have already started a draft application or are just curious about this funding opportunity, we invite you to register for the March 11^th webinar to learn more and ask questions. Sarah Henkel, Grants Coordinator for the Synod, will:

• offer pointers concerning the most important information to include to make your application as strong as possible.
• give a tour of our new grant portal.
• review the Innovation Grant application; and  
• share a brief synopsis of other Synod funding opportunities.

There will be ample time for attendees to ask questions about draft applications or concepts for future applications.  While this webinar will focus most specifically on the Innovation Grant, you are welcome to attend if you are interested in another Synod funding opportunity and would like a general orientation to the Synod's application process.

Please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtcOGvrzovHNcRY3_tdTzZqio_8qCXwz0U

If you are not able to attend this webinar, we will place the recording on our website for you to see at your convenience.

We are looking forward to meeting with you.

Faithfully,

Rev. Nancy Talbot

Synod Stated Clerk

Embodying kindness on the streets of Las Vegas

One Great Hour of Sharing gifts helps Caridad Gardens restore houseless veterans and neighbors back into community

By Emily Enders Odom

Special to Presbyterian News Service

For Shawn Duncan, it’s the little things — like getting a birthday card — that mean a lot.

Perhaps it’s because Duncan, a military veteran living in Las Vegas, hadn’t had a mailbox in years.

Or a home.

A native of Michigan with no strong family ties, Duncan had been struggling for years with homelessness and mental health issues — including PTSD — when a chance encounter on Facebook with his former youth pastor changed the direction of his life.

“I hadn’t talked to him in years, but after my old pastor and I got up on Facebook, he called me later that night and said, ‘Hey, let’s talk,’” Duncan recalled. “And we prayed. That’s when he introduced me to Caridad and Merideth.”

Continue reading...

That’s a RAP

A Union Presbyterian Seminary webinar explains Charlotte’s Reimagining America Project

By Mike Ferguson

Presbyterian News Service

The Reimaging America Project, a grassroots effort of clergy, activists, and local leaders in and around Charlotte, North Carolina who are working to reduce the unjust impacts race has on the systems of our society, was the subject of an illuminating webinar offered last week by Union Presbyterian Seminary and two of its institutions, the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation and the Katie Geneva Center for Womanist Leadership.

RAP co-founders Jennifer Roberts, a former mayor of Charlotte, and the Rev. Dr. Rodney S. Sadler Jr., Associate Professor of Bible at the seminary and the director of the CJR, were participants in the “Demonstrating Intersectional Justice” webinar, which can be seen here. Joining them were fellow RAP members Joanne Stevenson Jenkins, Kevin Woodson and Dr. Jim Beard, a retired chemistry professor who’s now a lay pastor.

“I smiled when you called me one of the co-founders, because you are the other co-founder,” Roberts told Sadler. “We have been in marches and protests for the last 20 years, recognizing injustices we see all the time.” During a protest and march on the day George Floyd was murdered, “You and I walked together and looked at the crowd,” she recalled. “What was interesting was the diversity of the crowd.” She and Sadler asked each other, “Why does this keep happening over and over? We have got to end this cycle of oppression, violence and injustice,” the former mayor said. “We know violence disproportionately impacts communities of color … Storytelling is so powerful. How can we bring these voices forward? That’s how we started RAP.”

Continue reading...