From the Rev. Dr. Greg Garis, Lead Presbyter for Transformation:

George Herbert was an English poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England once wrote:

“Thou hast given so much to me,

Give one thing more – a grateful heart.

Not thankful when it pleases me,

As if Thy blessings had spare days,

But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.”

I praise God and thank God for all those who have served the churches faithfully in Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery.

May you have a grateful heart this Thanksgiving day and every day.

Grace and Peace,

Greg

United Church to Host Family Holiday Brass and Bells Concert

To Benefit Programs in Haiti and F-M Food Pantry

Sunday, December 7 at 3 p.m.

Come and enjoy the music of the season as the United Church of Fayetteville Handbell Choir and the award-winning 35-piece Syracuse University Brass Ensemble present a concert for the entire family. 

UCF Director of Music Ministries, Jonathan Bergman, will lead the UCF Handbell Choir in renditions of Lo, How a Rose, Hymn for the Innocents and Joy to the World. The audience will hear handbells, tone chimes and interesting sounds made by hitting, shaking, plucking and waving the bells creating tremulous, vibrating effects with vibrato, echos and staccato sounds. 

SU Brass Co-directors Dr James Spencer and Mr Craig Elwood will conduct the ensemble in such pieces as: The Guiding Star, Northern Lights, Nabucco, Fire in the Blood, Advent Hymn, White Christmas (a sing-along), Let the Bells Ring and Stars and Stripes for Christmas among others. 

Guests are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for the F-M Food Pantry. A free-will offering will be also be taken to help fund pre-school books and supplies for two pre-schools in the village of Paulette in northeast Haiti.

The United Church of Fayetteville (village clock in the tower) is located at 310 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066 and is accessible. Visitors can enter the parking lot off E. Genesee Street or from Chapel or Warren Streets in the village of Fayetteville. For more information call 637-3186.

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 pray for pastors Steve and Saunda Thomas as Steve is undergoing cancer treatments. Please keep them in your prayers and cards can be mailed to 130 Wade Hampton Dr., Beaufort, SC 29907.
• Please pray Jerry Armstrong (Whitelaw Presbyterian) Jerry is 15 years old with recurrent bone cancer that has spread to his esophagus. Please continue to pray more than ever for both Jerry and his family. Cards can be sent to Jerry Armstrong at PO Box 414 Wampsville, NY 13163.
• Prayers for peace for the people and country of South Korea.
• Pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
• 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: Isaiah’s Table, Syracuse; Korean Church of Syracuse; Park Central, Syracuse; Robinson Elmwood United Church, Syracuse; First, Weedsport; Whitelaw

PREACH PALESTINE

Resources

Preach Palestine is a free resource developed by FOSNA. The group encourages worship and prayer group leaders who have registered to share with their community as you plan to Preach Palestine.

Please register here.

Download resources here.

Invitation to Creative Action & Stubborn Hope

"At [the Chicago Presbytery] assembly meeting on Tuesday, the presbytery unanimously approved this call to action. We speak with one voice against the violence and oppression our members, neighbors, and loved ones are experiencing at the hands of ICE agents, border patrol and law enforcement at the direction of the Federal Government. The connectional church is meant to be a place we build power and take risks for the sake of love and justice." Learn more here.

Kairos Palestine – The Palestinian Christian Initiative

A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide

Palestine Document in 2009 — “A word of faith, hope, and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering.” The Heads of Churches in Jerusalem heard this cry, welcomed it, and offered their support. Likewise, the document resonated widely, both locally and internationally. Then, as now, we gathered — women and men, clergy and laity — from across the different church families in Palestine. After prayer and reflection on the suffering of our people under occupation, we released that cry of hope in the absence of hope, affirming our faith in God and our love for our homeland, convinced that our struggle is ultimately about human life and dignity.

We live now in a time of genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement unfolding before the eyes of the world. This moment demands from us a new stand, one unlike any before it. It’s both a decisive moment and a moment of truth. Today, we renew our stand for truth and our commitment to fundamental religious, theological and moral principles. We look at our reality and take a renewed stand, responding to the voice of the Holy Spirit deep within us, listening to the call of faith in this time of genocide. We renew our message of faith, hope, and love — offering a faith-inspired vision for the time after genocide.

Palestinian Christians the forcible displacement and dispossession continue.

To commemorate 75 years of Nakba, BADIL Resource Center and Kairos Palestine have collaboratively produced a joint document addressing the situation of Palestinian Christians, focusing on their ongoing displacement, dispossession and denial of self-determination. This resource follows our initial joint study published in 2012; Palestinian Christians - Ongoing forcible displacement and dispossession which raised the question “until when?” Now, 11 years later, we find ourselves facing the same question under even more dire circumstances that demand immediate attention and action.

Download Full document

The US House of Representatives has passed two harmful bills: H.R. 5214, the District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act of 2025, and H.R. 5107, which would dismantle the District’s 2022 police accountability reforms. The bills now move to the Senate for further consideration by Congress. While presented as public safety measures, these proposals would in fact undermine D.C.’s right to self-govern, disproportionately harm Black, poor, and marginalized communities, and weaken democratic principles the Presbyterian Church (USA) has long upheld.

Restoring cash bail would place a price on human liberty, and rolling back the district’s transparency measures, such as body-worn camera requirements and limits on masked officers, would erode essential public accountability. Together, these bills represent yet another instance of federal interference that undermines D.C.’s autonomy and reverses local efforts to build a more just, equitable, and transparent community.

Learn more and act now.

The Presbytery of Genesee Valley cordially invites you to Congregational Learning Day. All are invited!! A variety of classes both morning and afternoon will be offered with inspiring worship in between.

The first Bible Study with Gail Banks, certified lay pastor, retired, was deemed a success by those attending, so Gail is willing to do a 3-week Advent Bible Study called Awaiting Love! 

The Bible Study will meet on Wednesday evenings for 3 weeks beginning on December 3rd and ending on December 17th from 7 to 8 p.m. 

The study will be done via Zoom. Everyone is welcome to attend but it is hoped that churches without pastors will take advantage of this opportunity. Contact Rita Hooper, text 315-706-3564 or email twohoops2@gmail.com, and let her know you would like to be included.

The First Presbyterian Church of Weedsport Celebrates 200 Years of Faith and Community

The First Presbyterian Church of Weedsport marked a remarkable milestone on November 16th, celebrating its 200th anniversary with a joyful gathering of worship, fellowship and remembrance.

The celebration began with a worship service at 12:15 p.m., bringing together a wide circle of past and present members. Attendees included former pastors, members of the Marcellus Presbyterian Church and community members from the local Baptist, Methodist and Catholic congregations. The sanctuary was filled with both familiar faces and new friends, reflecting the church’s longstanding place at the heart of the community.

Following worship, more than 100 guests gathered in the dining room for a catered luncheon. The warm atmosphere of conversation and shared stories highlighted the deep connections formed in and through the church over the years.

Founded in 1825 as an offshoot of the Sennett Church, which was likely due to the long travel distance for early congregants, the Weedsport Presbyterian Church has a rich history shaped by dedication and resilience. Earlier this year, a special presentation on the church’s stained glass windows offered a unique window into that history and served as part of the year-long bicentennial celebration.

Though membership has declined over time, the spirit of the congregation remains strong. Those who worship at Weedsport Presbyterian describe the church not just as a place of worship, but as family, which a true testament to two centuries of faith, fellowship and community.

The anniversary celebration honored the past while looking forward with hope and gratitude to the years still to come.

CNY Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition presents:

Welcoming the Stranger 

What Our Faith Traditions Teach and Call Us to Do

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

May Memorial Unitarian Society

3800 E. Genesee St.

Syracuse, NY 13214

Speakers from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions will present perspectives with brief time for comments and questions about how we respond, especially during this troubled time. Tabling by groups involved will present concrete opportunities for involvement. All are most welcome!

Creating Ministries for Neurogent Families

Thursday, December 4, 2025

7:00 – 8:00 PM EDT

Leader – Kim Pope-Seiberling

Mandatory New York State Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars

You can take this training any time during the year

charlaine@prcli.org

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 

2:00 – 3:30 PM EST

How to contact our Lead Presbyter, the Rev Greg Garis

Email: leadpresbyter@cayugasyracuse.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

Position Opening: Music Director

The Jamesville Community Church is seeking a part-time Music Director, who can play the organ, piano or guitar. The paid position is for an average of 7-9 hours a week. The

Director will assist the pastor with Sunday morning worship, special services, lead a

small choir and congregational singing and play both contemporary and traditional

worship music.

Competitive Salary.

Please prayerfully consider joining our faith community in worshiping God together.

Interested candidates can contact Church Office at 315-492-1465 or

admin@jamesvillecommunitychurch.org

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.

HANGING THE GREENS: Northminster Presbyterian Church Members and friends gathered this past Sunday to prepare the church for the Christmas season during the annual Hanging of the Greens. The church sent out a heartfelt thank you to all who participated and helped decorate the trees throughout the building.

Clean water and community partnership

Hope is flowing in Meyer, Haiti

In the heart of Meyer, Haiti, a rural community just 10 kilometers east of Jacmel, a new wave of hope is on the horizon.

Thanks to a transformative collaboration between Living Waters for the World Haiti and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Meyer has received a water purification system that promises to bring health, dignity and relief to families who have struggled far too long without reliable access to clean water.

Among the many voices celebrating this change is Father Guy Bellange, leader of the local parish, who has personally experienced the hardships caused by the lack of clean water.

"I don’t like purifying water with chemicals," he explains. Instead, Bellange had been traveling into the city of Jacmel to fill containers with what treated water he could find.

Continue reading...

Interactive workshop inspires a holistic approach to faith and money

Author and educator Grace Pomroy speaks at Stewardship Kaleidoscope

Grace Duddy Pomroy had never heard the word “stewardship” before coming to Luther Seminary. But as her mother dropped her off, she told her she was no longer paying Grace’s bills. Grace quickly sought work on the campus, and found her future at the Stewardship Leaders Program at Luther Seminary.

Pomroy, now the program’s director, conducted an interactive workshop at the Stewardship Kaleidoscope Conference in New Orleans in September. The workshop, titled “Faith & Money: Expanding the Conversation,” sought new insights from Bible stories that typically make pastors “itchy” when preaching on stewardship. She said that she intended the workshop, which was a hybrid of in-person and online participants, to “speak more to the heart than to the head.”



Pomroy’s approach was influenced by a six-month experiment called the Faith and Money Learning Lab. She worked with a group of lay leaders and pastors who were interested in using money faithfully in every area of life, not just the part set aside for the church. Together, they wondered, “Do we care about how our values influence all the ways we use money?” and “Does God care about how we use the percentage of money we don’t give to charity and/or church?”

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