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: 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.

• A Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse was held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
• The meeting was a hybrid meeting.
• Thank you to First United Church of East Syracuse for hosting the meeting.
• Thank you to the technology crew for helping us conduct our first official hybrid meeting with voting and participants on Zoom.
• The meeting included sharing of Good News, which we strongly encourage all year long! Share your good news with us!
• A beautiful worship service was held. Thank you to the worship team and the choir for providing a memorable, beautiful service. Thank you to Elder Lynn Jacques for delivering the message.
• MOTION approved for the formation of a Church Transformation Commission, appointed by the Moderator, to oversee, manage, and utilize PCUSA, and other, grant funds designated for church transformation and related development activities.
• Interim Resource Presbytery, the Rev. Kathy Dain, introduced a survey and asked for participation. The survey can be found in the papers below.
• Thank you, Rev. Ben Fitzgerald-Fye for your service as our Stated Clerk! We appreciate your time, commitment, dedication, support and beautiful words!
• We welcomed 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. See her information in the next part of this newsletter.
• The final 2024 budget was approved!
• See more photos by Kathy Dain on our Facebook page.

Updates from Linda Russell:

Synod News

Commissioner RE Linda Russell reported the following items at this week’s presbytery meeting:

Emerging Gospel Communities grants were awarded to the Sudanese Presbyterian Fellowship (presbytery of Northern New England, $5,000) and to Hope Church (Queens/NYC Presbytery, $20,000 for outreach to Korean immigrants). Four presbyteries received Presbytery Support Grants ranging from $20,000-$40,000. A Synod sponsored PJC training event in the newly revised Church Discipline section of the Book of Order, held in October at First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles, was led by the Manager of Judicial Process from GA and was well attended. The Immigration Advocacy Fund has been updated to address emergency situations emerging from the unprecedented influx of immigrants. And Cayuga-Syracuse received $6,500 in Wurffel-Sills scholarship funding. The complete report can be found here.

Korea Peace

The Korea Peace Appeal campaign generated over 200,000 signatures which were delivered by a KPA delegation to the United Nations Secretary-General’s office, and ambassadors to the UN from the U.S., South Korea, North Korea, and China. The delegation included mission co-worker Rev. Kurt Esslinger and representatives from the National Council of Churches in Korea. They participated in a peace rally/march in NYC, a workshop, and meetings with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs as well as several permanent missions to the U.S. including South Korea, Sweden and Switzerland.

Next Step

Overture Advocate RE Linda Russell urges all members of Cayuga-Syracuse to contact your congressional representative to support H.R. 1369: “Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act.” The overture from Cayuga-Syracuse approved by the 225^th General Assembly directs all Presbyterians to draw the attention of our representatives to the bills currently before Congress which address Korea Peace, and to advocate with our representatives to actively pursue a peace process on the Korean Peninsula. The report to this week’s presbytery meeting can be found here.

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.

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.

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

The next "Can We Talk?" gathering will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 17th (due to the holiday) in the Lounge behind the Sanctuary at Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church, 5299 Jamesville Road in Syracuse.

Coffee and goodies will be served.



The gathering is for retired pastors and CLP's or for folks who are about to retire. First-timers are always welcome!

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.

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

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 Nursery School Director in Baldwinsville

The First Presbyterian Nursery School of Baldwinsville is beginning a search for a nursery school director for the Fall 2024. The position is part-time from 8:30am-12:30pm on Tuesday through Friday. A qualified candidate will ideally have a Bachelor’s degree in the field of education and experience working with 3,4 and 5 year old children.

Some of the responsibilities performed by the director are as follows:

• Organize and maintain all student files
• Oversee the preschool program and offer support and guidance to classroom teachers
• Collect and keep tuition records & expense records for the school
• Assemble and mail all summer communications to families
• Day to day operations of program and building

Email resume to Baldwinsville Presbyterian office: admin@presbville.com

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.

THANK YOU: Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn honored its veterans last Sunday. "We are grateful for the service of this fine group of Westminster members who were recognized this morning in worship. In this photo, Ernie Decaro, Kurt Lavin, Gary Coon, Richard Tuxill, Bill MacKay, George Fay, Robyn Warn, Ed Plum, George Hiza."

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance teaching a humble approach to volunteerism

Training helps people avoid bringing a colonialistic attitude into communities

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is helping the church to understand healthy volunteerism through training that it also calls “decolonizing volunteerism.”The training, which is provided to designated groups, speaks to the importance of not going into an area with a colonialistic mindset — the idea that someone is superior because of the color of their skin or the fact that they have wealth or perceived power.

Sometimes, there is “this idea that I’m going to a place to ‘save’ the people” or “I’m going to a place to do amazing work ‘for’ the people,” the Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, director of PDA, noted during a presentation earlier this year.

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PC(USA) launches new Israel-Palestine resource page

Page aggregates worship, action, advocacy and church policy resources for easy access

By Scott O’Neal

Presbyterian News Service

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a new online landing page that will allow users to engage with the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict more easily using digital resources.

The single page aggregates worship resources for congregations, advocacy, and action links for those wishing to have their voices heard, and a secure way to donate online for those wishing to ease the humanitarian tragedy unfolding daily. The page, which can be accessed here, also highlights and gives voice to our PC(USA) partners in the region.

“The landing page will offer multiple perspectives and resources for Presbyterians to understand the complexities surrounding the war in the Middle East,” said Luciano Kovacs, area coordinator, Middle East and Europe for the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s World Mission ministry. “We will lift up the voices of our partners in Palestine and Israel, refer to PC(USA)’s policies, highlight facts that are not covered by mainstream media and emphasize the work PC(USA) has done to promote peace with justice in the region.”

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