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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130 children from 12 countries attend
2023 Lodi Summer Camp
Lodi Summer Camp, the annual VBS camp hosted by the Korean Church of Syracuse for refugee children in the area, was held at Cornerstone Christian Church in Syracuse from June 26-30th.
"God poured out His great love, joy, and grace this year," said the Rev. Dr. Yong Ju Jee, senior pastor at the Korean Church of Syracuse.
This year, a total of 130 children participated in the camp. The children are from Burma, Congo, Eritrea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam and USA.
"And 70 children accepted the Lord as their Savior as we had 87 of them receive the Gospel through the wordless book during invitation time on the last day" Jee said.
Children learned God’s creation, sins, the blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, and growth in Christ through the camp by attending Bible class, art class and game class together.
All of the staff members who served the camp were able to deeply experience the grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. God gave love and joy to all. Especially many volunteers came from Atlanta, Buffalo, Denver, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and other countries (France and Korea) to attend the camp and serve refugee children.
Since 2007, Lodi Summer Camp has served more than 1,700 refugee friends and immigrants and reached out to a total of 40 countries.
"We invited children 6 to 13 as junior staff members, and they participated in all of the training and orientation, prayer and worship and planning class," Jee said. "They shared Gospel to their aged group friends. Also, we had special teachers who attended this camp as refugee children. Now they serve this ministry with us as assistant teachers or staff for another refugee friend. Even though they came to the United States as refugees, they who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior share the Gospel to their people.
We give all the glory to our God who has started and fulfilled it all. This is how we have worked for God’s Great Commission in this place. God invited us to His great work for salvation and gave us wonderful opportunities to serve Him."
As a missional church, Korean Church of Syracuse has served its community and neighbors who come from all nations.
"We thank God for providing everything that we need," Jee said. "We welcome the churches that want to join us for God’s Great Commission. Also, we welcome any individual or church who would like to support us financially. Please pray and support us to continue this ministry."
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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:
- 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: 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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Vision & Strategy committee |
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Part I: 'Let's start at the very beginning...'
“When you read you begin with A, B, C. When you sing you begin with Do, Re, Mi.”
As Julie Andrews sang, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” The Vision & Strategy Committee has a long way to go before we’re ready to present a new vision or strategic recommendations to the presbytery, but we’ve been hard at work in starting the process. In this time of new beginning, we have:
- Started to look at demographics.
- Talked about ways we might listen to the needs of the churches, including intentional listening at presbytery meetings.
- Validated our new Resource Presbyter’s proposal to create a new website to increase communication and presbytery presence.
- Pondered the difference between, and the effects of, a scarcity vs. abundance mindset.
- Realized that vision comes before resources.
- Recognized the need for radical openness to everybody, in similar fashion to the concept of radical hospitality
- Discussed the need to move on from grieving the loss of what was, so that we may look forward to the hope for what is yet to be.
These are just some of our discussion points, but perhaps most importantly, we’ve realized that before we can move on to writing a metaphorical concerto in vision and strategy, we must first learn to sing “Do, Re, Mi,” by discovering how God is leading us to answer the primary questions of:
- “Why are we here?” and
- “What is our purpose?”
Only then, will we be able to create a new vision and strategy for the presbytery so that we may lay a strong foundation for future generations.
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Part II: You're Invited!
One of the things that has become apparent is the importance of building relationships throughout the presbytery -- among its members, among the churches and within the community. To that end, the committee would like to present not one, but TWO invitations for you to join us in beginning this work of relationship building.
First, TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME! All members of the presbytery – this means YOU – are invited to sit together as a group and watch the Syracuse Mets play ball on August 4th at the NBT Bank Stadium. Rita Hooper has volunteered to get group tickets and organize the outing. If you are interested, please contact her ASAP at twohoops2@gmail.com or 315-706-3564.
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Second, LIFT UP YOUR VOICE AND SING! Every presbytery gathering includes a time of worship, with the sharing of all the usual things – Scripture, the Word, prayer, etc. But what do we lack? A choir! If you would like to be part of a presbytery choir and are willing to commit to singing regularly at presbytery meetings, the Vision and Strategy committee would like to know. If there is enough interest, whether it be singing, leading, organizing, providing accompaniment etc., our committee is ready to help facilitate next steps to make this small vision a reality.
If interested, contact Deb Thomas at revrndeb@gmail.com or 315-657-0147. The invitation is open to everyone – clergy, ruling elders, church members and friends -- to come join the long history of Presbyterians “singing a new song to the Lord” and nurture everyone’s spirits when we gather together in worship.
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Announcements from our Interim Resource Presbyter |
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Attention Pastors!
Pastors Pause is an invitation to join with other actively serving ministers in our presbytery for a time of worship and fellowship. Please join us Wednesday, August 9th at 10:30 a.m. at United Church of Fayetteville on East Genesee Street.
Following worship, we will walk to a nearby restaurant for a lunch hosted by the presbytery.
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Continuing Education Opportunity for Clergy
Montreat Conference Center is offering a continuing education opportunity to clergy on October 9-12, 2023 in North Carolina.
Here's more from the website:
"As we emerge from our homes and return to our places of worship, we’ve discovered a world that has fundamentally shifted. While some transitioned from the pew to the couch to engage and nurture their spiritual lives, others disappeared altogether. Longstanding trends of declining church membership accelerated during the pandemic and have found exhausted church staff working harder than ever to connect with their congregations. Habits changed, theology was challenged, and connections were severed, pointing to an unavoidable truth: The church we know is at a critical crossroads.
As we gaze upon the pews, what truths have been revealed about our Church? Who has returned to worship? Who has come, maybe for the first time? Who is missing? How will these new realities for our programs, finances, and mission be sustainable? Where does our faith lead to hope for what is to come? Is it possible to see these challenges as possibilities – as a “Holy Shift?” "
Holy Shift participants will explore the implications of this seismic ground shift and learn to navigate the possibilities in a church where God’s call on our lives grows louder and deeper. LEARN MORE HERE.
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Preaching Basics Course for Laity Coming This Fall
This previously postponed course for lay leaders is a series of classes designed to give tools for sermon preparation, writing and delivery, along with a foundation of basic Presbyterian/Reformed beliefs.
- Classes will be held from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays in October and November. Location is TBD.
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The cost is FREE to members of the presbytery. However, please purchase A Lay Preachers Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon, by Karoline M. Lewis, 2020. Available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
If interested, or for more info, please contact Rev. Deb Thomas at revrndeb@gmail.com or text/call 315-657-0147. Note: In order to participate, laity must have the recommendation of their pastor and/or session.
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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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DUNKED: Pastor Karen gets dunked at the end of the First Presbyterian Church of Mexico's SOS (Surprise of Summer), which is a one-day Vacation Bible School for students held in July.
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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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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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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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The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board’s Matthew 25 Team seeks an end to anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation
In the meantime, the team is working on tools mid councils and faith communities can use to minister to members and friends
By Mike Ferguson
Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE — The Matthew 25 Team, created by the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board to help do the work of the Matthew 25 movement, turned its attention Monday to giving mid councils and congregations tools to minister to people living in the growing number of states passing anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Mel Tubb, who supports the advocacy committees in the office of the president and executive director of the PMA, took the team through reports produced by organizations including The Trevor Project. Another resource many have found helpful is the PMA’s resource, Well-Chosen Words.
While 115 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures around the country in 2015, more than 500 were introduced this year. Beginning in 2020, the primary focus of these bills shifted from LGBTQ+ people in general to transgender and nonbinary youth in particular.
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The new Book of Order (2023-2025)
Access digital and for-print versions online,
order bound copies
By Fred Tangeman
Office of the General Assembly
The revised Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) [Part II], which took effect as a governing document July 9, can be accessed online in three formats from the Office of the General Assembly pages of pcusa.org. Bound copies can be ordered through the PC(USA) store.Korean- and Spanish-language versions of the Book of Order are receiving final edits and will be available later in the summer, including the first bound versions of both translations.
Laurie Griffith, Associate Director for Constitutional Interpretation in OGA, led the effort to compile the new publication, including more than 30 amendments presbyteries finished voting on at the end of March. She noted that all amendments proposed by the 225th General Assembly were approved.
The compiling work included incorporating each amended passage into the previous text, formatting all sections and editing the final document, with the new sections and appendices totaling more than 330 pages.
In describing the revised Book of Order, Griffith highlighted some amendments with special impact for congregations, including a requirement of 12 weeks of paid family leave for called and installed pastors. Another change directs presbyteries to establish “terms for dissolution” when a relationship between an installed pastor and a congregation ends, a process Griffith compared to severance packages used by secular human resource departments.
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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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