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:

• Pray for Rita Hooper who fell and broke her femur not far above her replaced knee. Please send healing prayers to Rita for a speedy and pain-free recovery.
• Please keep Camille Bach (Whitelaw Presbyterian) in your prayers during her breast cancer treatment.
• Please pray for Jerry Armstrong (Whitelaw Presbyterian) Jerry is 15 years old with recurrent bone cancer.
• 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: our Presbytery, the Synod of the Northeast, General Assembly staff.

The Installation Service of Pastor Adam Demetros on

June 1st was a wonderful celebration of God at work

at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Auburn.

The Annual Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse was held on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Northminster Presbyterian Church and on Zoom. The Presbytery voted to Endorse the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF) statement "We Call Out Genocide."

Read here...

SUMMER EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS

Sponsored by the Joint Justice in Ministry and Mission Teams of two Presbyteries

Cayuga-Syracuse and Susquehanna Valley

Being Transgender: Medical History, Church, Society, and Families

June 30, 2025, 6:30pm

Via ZOOM

Presenters:

Dr Carolyn Wolf-Gould, is the founder of Bassett's Gender Wellness Center, a rural-based interdisciplinary center for transgender healthcare, clinical training, advocacy, and research in upstate New York. She is co-editor of the book “A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States: From Margins to Mainstream,” published by SUNY Press in February of this year–– a critical moment in the struggle for transgender rights. Sweeping in scope and deeply personal in nature, this groundbreaking volume traces the development of transgender medicine across three centuries, centering the voices of transgender individuals, debunking myths about gender-affirming care, and empowering readers to grasp the complexities of this evolving field.

Stephanie Nawyn is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Michigan State University (MSU). Her research and teaching expertise are in migration, gender and refugees. She is the former director of MSU’s Center for Gender in Global Context, where she oversaw the Women’s and Gender Studies program and supported research and activities related to sex, gender, sexuality, and feminist studies. She is also the mother of two wonderful young men, Henry (age 20) and Zach (age 16).

Zach Nawyn-Hellinga is a high school junior who aspires to study engineering in college. He enjoys robotics and building electronic devices, biking, and theatre. He has participated in a community children’s theatre program since he was very young, performing on stage and working on the crew (especially building sets).

Please REGISTER

Join Zoom Meeting for June 30, 2025, 6:30pm

Meeting ID: 872 1730 2511

Passcode: 691603

We Are In this Together: Opportunities for Growth 

 The Rev Ashley DeTar Birt, Presbyterian Minister from The Center for Jubilee Practice that works with churches, mid-councils, and Christian organizations seeking to consider their legacy of liberation and develop and implement restorative communal practices. We will explore our history and present day, identify harms we as a church have caused and foster healing of our communities through concrete practices of full inclusion, reparations, and care for creation.

Following our informative meeting on many mission and ministry opportunities and the presentation by Dr. Osamah Kahlil of SU & Maxwell School our Social Justice Committee is recommending this educational article on Israel, Palestine and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Download and read article here.

"Hunger Plan is Empty"

Last week, the Israeli army announced its plan to “deal with the issue of hunger” in Gaza.

Palestinian Christian Leader Jonathan Kuttab says: "The plan was so evil and dystopic, I have not been able to sleep thinking about its implications. I have been haunted by it every night."

Read more and learn how to help... 

Call to Action

Tell Congress: Vote NO on the House Agriculture Committee’s Budget Reconciliation Proposal

As members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we are called by Christ to care for the most vulnerable among us. From the Hebrew prophets to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Scripture consistently commands us to feed the hungry, protect the poor, and uphold justice for those on the margins. This moral imperative is central to our Reformed tradition and affirmed in PC(USA) social witness policy, which urges the church to support systems that nurture human dignity and economic fairness. Read More...

A GIFT FOR THE KIDS: On behalf of Robinson Elmwood United Church's Mission Committee, Charlie Brown delivered a check for $2,000 to support Syracuse's Blessings in a Backpack program at the Dash for Delaware. The donation was made possible by the congregations at Robinson Elmwoord and Fairmount Community Church UCC.

Journaling in Ordinary Time: A Simple, Meaningful Spiritual Practice

Ordinary Time is expansive. This year it lasts from June 8 to November 30. This makes Ordinary Time a perfect season to dig out a journal bought for a New Year’s resolution or open a journaling app that a friend recommended, and try journaling.

Read More...

The Psychology of Polarization – Science in Church Series 

Thursday, June 5, 2025 

2:00 – 3:00 pm EDT 

Leader – Dr. Kurt Gray 

In the first of a three part series with Science for the Church on how the psychology of polarization can help our congregations navigate division, Ohio State University psychologist, Dr. Kurt Gray, will describe how we form our deepest beliefs and values. His research identifies the place of fear and harm, especially our desire to protect both ourselves and vulnerable others, in our contemporary divisions. It is in understanding the roots of our outrage and polarization, common to both sides of any divide, that he offers ways to find common ground. Science for the Church’s executive director, Drew Rick-Miller, will then suggest how Dr. Gray’s research can inform ministry and congregational practices.

Our Whole Lives - 25 Years of Faith Based Sexuality Education with the UCC and UUA

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

2:00 – 3:00 EDT

Leaders - Rev. Amy Johnson, Dr. Melanie Davis

Join Rev. Amy Johnson, UCC Minister for Sexuality Education & Justice and Dr. Melanie Davis, UUA Our Whole Lives Program Manager, for an engaging webinar about Our Whole Lives sexuality education in faith communities. Benefit from their wisdom about lessons learned after 25 years of this interfaith partnership doing this sacred work. Now, more than ever, this ministry is vital!

Rev. Amy Johnson (she/her) serves as the Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice in the National Ministries of the United Church of Christ. She is the co-author of Our Whole Lives for Grades 4-6, 2nd Edition. Amy is a trainer for all levels of Our Whole Lives/Sexuality and Our Faith nationwide and internationally, where she has been a partner in interfaith efforts to bring faith-based sexuality education to both Christian and Muslim communities. She is passionate about supporting people in organizations and faith communities to create healthier, braver spaces in which people can thrive as their authentic selves.

Dr. Melanie Davis (she/her) is the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Our Whole Lives Program Manager. She is the author of Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Older Adults and Sexuality and Our Faith: A Companion to Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Grades 7-9, 2nd edition. Her masters and doctoral degrees are from the Widener University Center for Human Sexuality Studies and she is a certified sexuality counselor and educator through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. She has been a UU lay preacher across the US and Canada for 20 years.

Dissolution of a Religious Corporation: How to Secure your Legacy

Thursday June 12, 2025 2:00 – 3:00 EDT

Leader – William McManus

In this webinar, an overview of the process for dissolutions of religious corporations in New York, specifically the considerations and information necessary for Plans of Dissolution, will be provided. Other topics include: reviewing dissolution provisions in a religious corporation’s corporate document, dispositions of assets in connection with a dissolution, and legacy planning.

William McManus’ practice focuses on advising not-for-profit, religious, and tax-exempt entities on matters of corporate governance, compliance with state and federal not-for-profit regulations, internal investigations and regulatory enforcement actions. William is experienced in guiding New York not-for-profit and religious corporations in their formation and governance, and regularly advises clients on tax-exemptions and regulations of tax-exempt organizations. Before joining Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld, William worked as a Special Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Economic Development Division of the New York City Law Department. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Auburn University and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Know Your Rights – ICE 

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 

2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT 

Leader - Rev. Dr. Ellen Clark Clémot 

More information to come

JOIN PRC's ONLINE BOOK CLUB

THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon

July 12, 2025 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

Click here to register

Mandatory New York State Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars

You can take this training any time during the year

charlaine@prcli.org

Thursday, June 5, 2025

10:30 AM – 12 PM - EST

Wednesday, August 20, 2024

7 – 8:30 PM EST

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

2:30 – 4 PM EST

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.

Decades of discourse: Friday is National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Snapshots from the 1970s and 1980s highlight the continued conversation around individual gun rights

June 6 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, a day created to bolster and demonstrate the collective power of the gun violence prevention movement.

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The Friday observance, a special emphasis day on the Presbyterian Planning Calendar, provides an opportunity to recommit to working for a world free of gun violence. June 6 also marks the beginning of Wear Orange Weekend, June 6-8, when people are encouraged to wear orange to honor the survivors of gun violence. 



Each year for the past 11 years, hundreds of influencers, corporate partners, non-profit partners, landmarks, and elected officials participate in the conversation of the day, wear orange to honor survivors, and build community with those working to end gun violence.

The color-choice might seem peculiar to readers — why orange? For one thing, it’s the shade that hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others while chasing game. But there’s more to the story, and it starts with the loss of a young life.

Continue reading...

Three-part series explores the PC(USA)’s journey to LGBTQIA+ inclusion

Pride Month video series with corresponding resource pages are rolling out

On June 28, 1969, an uprising at New York’s Stonewall Inn brought the LGBTQIA+ community together and lit the spark for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.  

Just five years later, David Sindt held up a sign at the 186th General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. in Louisville, Kentucky, that simply asked: “Is anyone else out there gay?”

Watch the first video in a three-part series to learn how Sindt and other LGBTQIA+ Presbyterians' calls to ministry during the 1970s led the General Assembly to question and take action on its stance on gay ordination.

Continue reading...