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:

• Pray for all those impacted by the wildfires in California. We pray that for the residents, first responders and all of God's creatures.
• Prayers for Westminster Presbyterian Church's former pastor Cyndie Crowell and her church Trinity Presbyterian of Pasadena, CA. Cyndie and Rob have had to evacuate their home because of the wildfires, as have many members of their congregation.
• Please keep the Rev. Debra Thomas in your prayers. She had surgery last month after suffering a painful shoulder dislocation and a severe broken arm from a fall. Deb thanks everyone for the continued prayers and support.
• Pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
• 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.
• 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.

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. "

Statistical Reports are due by February 10th

ATTENTION: Moderators and/or Clerks of Sessions:

Greetings & Happy New Year! I hope you all had blessed Nativity celebrations! It’s just about Epiphany, which means it is time for session clerks to do the Annual Statistical Report for the General Assembly.

While I know it can be a hassle, the stat report is one of the ways we stay connected to each other as a denomination; it gives an annual snapshot of of where we are, so we may better and more realistically move into the future together.

Congregations can begin filing their Session Annual Statistical Reports (SASRs):

• Go to https://www.pcusa.org/resources/statistics-lists/statistical-reporting-faq and click on "Access System".
• You will need to login using your church's username and password. If you do not know what that is, email me (paulrack@optonline.net) and I will send that information to you.
• The denomination has prepared a "Frequently Asked Questions" section to help: https://www.pcusa.org/resources/statistics-lists/statistical-reporting-faq (just scroll down the page a bit to see the FAQ list)
• I have attached a copy of the Guide for Statistical Reporting here.

Statistical Reports are due by February 10, 2025.

Please email me if you have any questions, need help, or can’t remember your log-in information. My personal email is best.

I look forward to working with you all throughout this Statistical Report Season.

In Christ,

Paul Rack

Stated Clerk, The Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse

SAVE THE DATE: Retreat for Ministers, Commissioned Pastors/CREs, and Lay Preachers

Friday May 9 – Saturday May 10 at Camp Whitman on Seneca Lake

This invitation is being extended to all seven presbyteries of the Upstate New York network: Albany, Cayuga-Syracuse, Genesee Valley, Geneva, Northern New York, Susquehanna Valley, and Utica.

We’re looking forward to this opportunity to get to know our colleagues in ministry as we enter into a time of greater collaboration across geographic boundaries. Stay tuned for more details to be announced in the coming weeks!

The joint Social Justice committee meetings of the Cayuga-Syracuse and Susquehanna Valley presbyteries have met several times since November. The groups are in the process of gathering information and attending webinar’s on various issues of concern.

IMMIGRANT FARMWORKERS

For example, several members attended the Cornell’s Farmworker Program called “Supporting Immigrant Families in our Community led by Mary Jo Dudley, Director Cornell Farmworker Program. If your congregation is interested in providing information to your members and/or immigrants please contact:

Mary Jo Dudley at 607-254-5194

Rev Bruce Gillette 607-744-0761

Rev. Monica Styron 978-8104028

KOREA PEACE JOURNEY

OCTOBER 14-23, 2005

REGISTER BETWEEN MARCH 1-MAY 1, 2005

This is a conference of the Presbyterian Peace Journey Network for Korea

CLIMATE REALITY

Elder Chris Burger (SV) is giving webinars on “Climate Reality’ to local and national groups.The Justice in Ministry & Mission of Susquehanna Valley, Rev. Bruce Gillette is a member of Presbyterian for Earth Care. They are sponsoring these webinars.

Here is the link to the webinar

Register and Learn More

Download Flyer PDF

Attention Churches: Do you need event graphics created for social media and online use? Communications Coordinator Sarah Buckshot can help create graphics for you to share online. Do you need a Word Document or PDF converted to an image file for better sharing online? Sarah can help. Please don't hesitate to reach out and request a graphic at anytime! Sarah can be reached at caysyrnews@gmail.com

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 next "Can We Talk?" gathering will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025 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 clergy, clps, and retired Christian Educators - those who have served churches and those who have labored in other venues. First-timers are always welcome!

ARE YOU HUNGRY?: LaFayette Columbian Presbyterian Church held its January Blahs Potluck Luncheon on Sunday. They thanked the amazing cooks on Facebook. You can take a look at the food, but be warned, it will make you hungry! We love to feed our souls, minds and tummies! Yum!

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

Funding Fresh Ministry Initiatives

Thursday, February 6, 2025

2:00 – 3:00 pm

Leader – Brett DeHart

God has put a big dream on your heart to reach new people in new ways. Sadly, that fire is quickly doused when you think about paying for it. This workshop will equip you with the tools and confidence to pursue your God-given vision without limitations. Rev. DeHart will guide you through proven methods to go beyond your operating budget to tap into alternative sources of funding. Never let money dictate the scope of your reach ever again!

You'll learn how to:

·        Identify and leverage diverse funding streams beyond the operating budget.

·        Cultivate a culture of generosity within your congregation year-round.

·        Change the way your congregation considers giving by way of the Generosity Pathway.

Help Wanted: Church Organist for Rural Country Church



Position: Church Organist/Pianist

Location: Whitelaw Presbyterian Church, Canastota NY

Job Type: Part time - 5 hours weekly

"Whitelaw Presbyterian Church is seeking a skilled and dedicated organist to enrich our worship services with music. This role involves accompanying weekly services, special ceremonies (such as weddings and funerals), and family choir rehearsals 6:30 pm on Thursday. We are looking for someone who is musically proficient, dependable, and passionate about enhancing the worship experience through music."

Key Responsibilities:

• Play organ for weekly services and special church events
• Select and arrange hymns and music pieces in coordination with church leadership
• Support choir rehearsals 6:30 pm on Thursday
• Perform basic maintenance of the organ and report any issues

Qualifications:

• Proficiency in organ performance, sight-reading, and music selection
• Previous experience in a church setting is preferred
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Commitment to regular attendance and participation in church services and events

Compensation: Depends on Experience

How to Apply: Interested candidates are asked to call Donna Chapman, CLP at (315) 447-9196. Auditions will be part of the selection process.

Northville United Presbyterian Church seeks pastor

Northville United Presbyterian Church (NUPC), nestled in the bucolic village of Northville, New York is searching for a vibrant, compassionate part-time to full-time Pastor to lead and accompany us on our quest to becoming better Disciples of Christ. Located on the Great Sacandaga lake in the beautiful Adirondack Park of Upstate New York, we are a small but active congregation serving the Lord and community in various outreach and inhouse programs who desire a forward-thinking pastor to preach the teachings of Christ and relate them to our daily lives. Our pastor will also shepherd our efforts in our music program, develop programs to attract youth and minister to the needs of the elderly in our midst. Read More...

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.

Advocacy Committee for LGBTQIA+ Equity lambasts a Trump executive order

The order identifying only two immutable biological sexes could mean an end to federal funds for trans health care

On President Trump’s first day back in office Monday, he issued an executive order identifying only two immutable biological sexes.

This means that the federal government will no longer recognize the legal identities of transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, agender, and intersex people on identification cards including passports and visas. This ends the limited federal funding for trans health care, including hormone treatment and gender affirming surgery; puts imprisoned trans women at further risk by moving them into men’s prisons; and excludes trans women from shelters designed for women who have experienced sexual assault.

This action not only goes against the recommended medical standards for transgender health care and the lived experience of trans people, but is also a denial of the diversity and beauty of God’s Creation.

Enforcing such ultimately ideological standards also harms cisgender people. Cis women’s autonomy is undermined via the same patriarchal norms and biological determinism supposedly being used to “protect” them in this executive order from transgender women, who are too often misrepresented as being innately dangerous when this is not statistically true. Children will be sexualized by policies scrutinizing their privacy, for example in the regulation of girls’ sports.

Continue reading...

How and why we trust one another

Synod of the Covenant hosts ‘The Psychology of Polarization’

Dr. Dom Packer, who teaches Psychology at Lehigh University and is Associate Vice President for Research, led an informative online discussion Tuesday on trust and distrust and the roles they play in the nation’s current polarized state.

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Packer, the co-author with Jay J. Van Bavel of “The Power of Us,” spoke during a Science for the Church workshop, “The Psychology of Polarization,” offered by the Synod of the Covenant. Watch the 85-minute presentation and discussion here.

We humans rely on three kinds of trust, Packer said: network- or relationship-based, group-based and institution-based.

The first is based on personalized trust and cooperation. Gossip is one example. “We learn who’s behaved well and who’s behaved badly,” he said. The science shows the groups we belong generally max out at 150. “Given the size of our brain, we should be able to handle this size of network,” he said. Pathologies with these groups include nepotism and formation of “the old boys club.”

But political polarization “degrades bonds between people who would not have great difficulty trusting or liking or collaborating with each other,” Packer said. Still, about 7 in 10 OKCupid users “do not think it’s a dealbreaker if their date is voting for a different political candidate,” Packer noted.

Continue reading...

Stay Warm & Safe!

Have a Blessed Week!