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.

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 Camille Bach (Whitelaw Presbyterian) in your prayers. She has breast cancer and will be starting treatments soon. 
• Please pray for Jerry Armstrong (Whitelaw Presbyterian) Jerry is 15 years old with recurrent bone cancer. He is now at Sloan Kettering in New York City and they are doing very aggressive treatments. His leg was recently amputated. Donations can be made online here. Cards can be sent to: Jerry Armstrong, 245 E. 63rd St. # 35G, New York, NY 10065
• Jamesville Community Church is asking for prayers for Robert Anderson.
• Let us pray together for justice, peace and unity, especially during these times of turmoil and uncertainty.
• Prayers for peace for the people and country of South Korea.
• Pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
• Pray for all those who are struggling with current events in our community, in our country and around the world.
• The voiceless.
• All those who have been separated from their families.
• All those in America.
• Our brothers & sisters in Haiti.
• All those in Sudan.
• All those in Ukraine.
• All those in Lebanon.
• All those in Israel and Gaza.
• All displaced people.
• All those who are homebound.
• All those who battling addiction and their loved ones.
• Keep all those who battling cancer and other chronic illnesses in your prayers. Please ask God to be by their side and to be with their doctors and families.
• Please pray for all those who are dealing with the painful grief of losing a beloved family pet.

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

From Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): We join countless individuals around the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. His life was a testament to humility and compassion, embodying the spirit of service and love for our neighbors. Pope Francis' commitment to social justice and environmental stewardship inspired millions, reminding us all of the profound impact one life can have on the world. May he rest in eternal peace.

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. "

Easter 2025

Our Annual Stated Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Northminster Presbyterian Church, which is located at 7444 Buckley Road in North Syracuse. The gathering will start at 9 a.m. for registration and the meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. The Rev. Paul Huh will be providing the message during worship. Lunch will be provided. More details to come.

Korea Peace Journey: Have You Heard Our Cries?

The Presbyterian Peace Network for Korea (PPNK) invites you to join the Korea Peace Journey: Have You Heard Our Cries, October 21-30, 2025, led by Rev. Kurt Esslinger and Rev. Unzu Lee, former PCUSA mission co-workers. Participants will travel through South Korea from Jeju Island off the southern coast, north to cities, military bases and the Border Peace School along the DMZ. Participants will learn about the origins of the conflict and the effects of war on the country 70 years post armistice, will hear personal stories and connect with families affected by the war, will learn about ongoing peacebuilding efforts and barriers to peace, and will connect with U.S. and Korean peacemakers in our partner Presbyterian denominations in Korea. The trip is expensive, but programs and leadership are of the highest quality. Cost (not including round trip airfare to Korea) covers all programs, ground travel, hotels, meals, and in-country flights in Korea. A brochure, additional information, and registration can be found here. Registration deadline is May 1, 2025. For more information visit PPNK.net or contact Linda Russell at 315-730-6930.

Peace Journey Brochure

Peace Journey Description

Registration Form

In July 2025, the Presbyterian Church (USA) will welcome thousands of its high school age youth and their adult youth workers to Louisville, Kentucky for four days of worship, recreation, bible study, outreach, and faith formation all around the theme of “As If We Were Dreaming”. New this year are two tracks for young adults.  Young Adults (YA) who are 19-23 years old can participate as part of the “Service Track,” (formerly known as Work Crew) working behind the scenes of the event, or “Leader Lens Track,” focused on developing leadership skills, theological exploration and experiences for a new kind of church leader.

The Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse is currently coordinating a delegation alongside other presbyteries in Central and Upstate NY. It is the expectation of this delegation to do a 2-day bus trip going to and from the event, departing on Sunday, 7/27 and returning home on Friday, 8/1. 

The Rev. Courtney Steininger has created an interest form for individuals to fill out if they have a youth or young adult interested in attending Triennium. This is not a commitment, but is necessary for coordinating with the other presbyteries.

Here is that form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pHaHWbelyMFtxassjzg2Yft84RbdIof0IfrOr7Op4G8/edit

The next "Can We Talk?" gathering will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 25, 2025 in the Chapel at Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church, 5299 Jamesville Road in Syracuse.

Coffee and goodies will be served.

The gathering is for retired clergy, clps, and retired Christian Educators - those who have served churches and those who have labored in other venues. First-timers are always welcome!

Questions? Westminster Presbyterian Chuch office number is 315-253-3331.

Imagining Good Futures on Church Property

Tuesday May 6, 2025

2:00 – 3:00 pm EST

Leader - Mark Elsdon

The closure and repurposing of 100,000 church properties this decade presents both a crisis and an opportunity. What happens next is up to us. Churches often wonder how to better serve their neighbors and use buildings and land that is empty much of the week. Drawing upon stories from around the country and insights from his two books, Rev. Mark Elsdon, will help expand our imagination for what is possible using church buildings, land, and investment assets for housing and social enterprise projects that transform neighborhoods.

Rev. Mark Elsdon lives and works at the intersection of money and meaning as a serial social entrepreneur, strategic executive, and author. He is a national thought leader and speaker on subjects of faith-based impact investing, social enterprise, and property development. Mark is the author of We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry. and editor of the book, Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition. Mark holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley; Princeton Theological Seminary; and the University of Wisconsin School of Business. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA and serves as co-founder of RootedGood and principal at Threshold Sacred Development. Mark lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his family.

Legacy Giving 101

Thursday May 8, 2025

2:00 – 3:00 pm EDT

Leader – Cesie Scheuermann

Legacy giving is often called “low-hanging fruit.” People usually want to leave a gift to an organization they love – once they have gone to their great reward – but they don’t know how. Or worse, they aren’t asked. Universities, hospitals, and animal shelters do a great job of reminding and asking people to leave a gift in a will. But what about the church? In this one-hour webinar, you’ll learn how to start a basic legacy program for your congregation. It’s easier than you think..

Cesie Delve Schuermann - As a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing, Cesie has helped raise more than three million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. For more than 20 years, she’s been working with churches and non-profits to increase and celebrate generosity.  She is a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship and her Inspiring Generosity blog helps clergy and lay people learn about fundraising and overcome their fear of asking for money, and she loves thanking donors

Mandatory New York State Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars

You can take this training any time during the year

charlaine@prcli.org

How to contact our Stated Clerk, the Rev Ben Fitzgerald-Fye

Office Phone: 315-291-0360 (call or text)

Email: statedclerk@cayugasyracuse.org

Mail received at:

Scipioville Presbyterian Church

Attn: Pastor Ben

3428 State Route 34B

Scipio Center NY 13147

More staff contact information is linked below.

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

Click Here for a list of Past Editions of Presbytery Matters

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.

‘When we defile the Earth, we defile ourselves’

Multifaith service stresses the need to protect the planet

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness helped to lead a multifaith Earth Day celebration Tuesday in Washington, D.C., filled with prayers, reflections and calls to stand against actions that harm God’s Creation.

The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, director of advocacy for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), prayed to God, “Please help us understand that to have dominion over Creation does not mean domination, but it means stewardship, as we are called to follow your example and value the sacredness of Creation, for when we defile the Earth, we defile ourselves.” 

The event, emceed by OPW’s the Rev. Christina Cosby, brought together leaders from various faith traditions, activists and others to recommit to caring for the planet, where the effects of climate change have become more and more apparent.

“Today, millions of people and the very planet are suffering and dying from hunger, from drought, from floods, disease, from suffering and violence caused by climate change,” said keynote speaker Laura Peralta-Schulte, senior director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Network, a Catholic social justice lobby group.

But there is hope, Cosby said, that “by being together, by praying together, by acting faithfully together, our collective voice and actions will make this Earth a place where this generation, and all generations, will come to find hospitality and the necessities to live with dignity for all.”



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Faith groups mourn the death of Pope Francis

World Communion of Reformed Churches, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA honor the transformative pontiff

The World Communion of Reformed Churches and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA joined the global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88. His death marks the end of a transformative papacy that touched the lives of countless people across faiths and continents.

Pope Francis, who became the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to hold the office in 2013, spent more than a decade reshaping the global Roman Catholic Church with a focus on humility, justice, care for Creation and a deep commitment to the marginalized.

For the WCRC — a global body representing more than 100 million Reformed Christians across more than 230 denominations, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — the pope’s death is not just the loss of a religious leader but of a fellow pilgrim in the journey toward a more just and compassionate world.



“Pope Francis was more than a leader — he was a witness,” said the Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the WCRC, “a witness to God’s inclusive love, to ecological justice and to walking with the poor and the forgotten. He lived the Gospel in a way that resonated deeply with people of all traditions. His loss is felt around the world.”

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Have a Blessed Week!