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: United Church of Fayetteville; First United Church of Fulton; Jamesville Community Church; First, King Ferry

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. "

Hosanna! Palm Sunday 2025

By Jill Fandrich

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Auburn

Printed in the The Auburn Citizen

April 13 marks the beginning of Holy Week, a week of great significance to Christians, commemorating the final days of Jesus’ life, his death, and his resurrection. My church, and most Christian churches, will hold special services this week leading up to the celebration of Easter next Sunday.

Holy Week is hard. I struggle with Lent, Holy Week, and the Easter story. Easter is the highest holy day in the Christian tradition, but I personally find it the hardest to grasp and even harder to explain to others. Holy Week is a complex, painful sequence of events leading up to a miraculous ending. 

Christmas is easy. God came to earth as a human child to live among us and show us how to live and love. Pentecost is inspiring. God came to us as a spirit whose power is invisible. Jesus’ teachings, challenging and counter cultural as they are, are powerful lessons that we should love everyone, especially those who are hard to love. I can understand, appreciate, and celebrate these parts of the Christian story. 

But Holy Week? This week relives the story of Jesus’ final days. It begins with Palm Sunday, which recounts Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus, who for most of his life was a wandering teacher and prophet, arrived in Jerusalem for Passover. The city was teaming with people there for this holy time. 

According to plan, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. People shouted “Hosanna” (rough translation “save us”) and waved branches. Today we pass out palm fronds in remembrance of this procession. Theologians and historians interpret this story in several ways. Some, like Marcus Borg, suggest that Jesus’ mini-parade was a counter-procession to the Roman authorities who were entering the city through a different gate, riding grand horses and waving swords and banners. Borg opined that this was a political demonstration, drawing a distinction between Jesus and the Romans. Some think that the palm processional was a mockery, and that the crowds were jeering rather than cheering. Still others believe the crowds were sincere in their praise and enthusiasm. 

The next few days bring more disturbing moments in Jesus’ final days. He entered the temples and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, raling at the religious authorities and demonstrating a level of anger and violence that we don’t usually associate with the “Prince of Peace.” 

On “Maundy Thursday,” many churches, including Westminster, remember Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word “mandamus”, meaning “commandment.” At the Last Supper, Jesus gave his disciples the commandment to “Love one another as I have loved you,” distilling Jesus’ teachings into one very simple, and very hard to follow, directive. 

Also on this night, Jesus pointed to Judas as the disciple who would betray him, then spent the night praying alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, pleading to God to “take this cup from me.” He was then arrested, and brought before the civil and religious authorities. 

On “Good Friday”, Jesus was tried and sentenced to death. He was crucified on a cross between two criminals. Many churches hold Good Friday services in darkness on this somber day. Catholic churches walk worshipers through the Stations of the Cross to remember the events of Jesus’ final hours. Saturday is a day for vigil; to mourn and observe Jesus’ time in the tomb. 

Easter Sunday tells of the women arriving at Jesus’ tomb and finding it empty. An angel tells them, “He is not here; he has risen.” Death had no power over Jesus; he was still alive! His followers responded with joy, but also with confusion, fright, wonder, and disbelief, all things I feel too. But over time, they and I have come to understand that death is not final for us either, that God’s love endures forever, and that love triumphs. As the writer Ann Lamott puts it, “You can bury the truth, but you can’t keep it there.”  

So, that’s what I’ve got--  an attempt by a simple Christian like me to explain the wondrous complexities of the Easter message. With all the egg hunts, chocolate rabbits, and new spring clothes, it’s easy to ignore the hard story—the strange sequence of events  in which an itinerate carpenter was considered a threat to the political and religious leaders of his time and put to death.  But God doesn’t die. Easter itself, the Day of Resurrection, brings hope to those who believe that God’s love is eternal and for everyone. For that that we say “Hallelujah!”

CHILDREN GOING HUNGRY in our communities…

It is likely that more children in our communities will be hungry this summer with no summer child feeding programs available. In the past, schools and other community organizations have offered summer programs to feed children who eat at school during the rest of the year. Because of funding cuts for families receiving SNAP and for schools, food banks, and other community organizations that have fed children in the past, child hunger will be more common this summer in our communities.

The JOINT JUSTICE TEAM urges CHURCHES to begin making plans now, themselves or in partnership with other churches and groups, to offer a feeding program for children in their community this summer.

ACTIONS:

1. The New York State Budget is officially late. That means that the fight for a just budget continues - and it’s critical that Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders hear from us! Call on Gov. Hochul and the Senate and Assembly leaders to demand they include the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council's recommendations and pay for them by fairly taxing the ultra-wealthy! Learn More
2. Send Mission Funds to the Central NY Food Pantry and support your local Food Pantry. For donations to Children assistance foodbankcny.org

The Social Justice Committee of Cayuga-Syracuse is now meeting with the Justice in Ministry & Mission Team of the Susquehanna Valley Presbytery (now Joint Justice Team).

Jewish Voice for Peace Syracuse and the Syracuse Peace Council are pleased to offer a local screening of the Academy Award-winning documentary "No Other Land" on Thursday, April 3rd  at The Palace Theater 2384 James Street in Syracuse. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the film will start promptly at 7 p.m. Brief discussion to follow. Seating is first come, first served. The first floor seating of the theater is wheelchair accessible.

This extraordinary film has won several international awards and tells the story of residents of Masafer Yatta, a region in the Palestinian West Bank that has been a target of the Israeli military for decades. Residents in these villages are constantly evicted, terrorized, and have their homes destroyed by the Israeli military and Israeli settlers.

Please note: Online tickets are sold out so one must go early to see what is available at the door (no shows etc). 

In light of the current events in Palestine, a large number of filmmakers have made their films about Palestine available online for free. See the list on our website.

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

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

TEENS TEACH: Onondaga Hill Presbyterian Church confirmation students taught the church's youngest Sunday School students on Sunday in the Worship Center.

Legal and Tax Considerations for Space Sharing Agreements

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

2:00 – 3:00 pm EDT

Leader – Renato Matos & Alexandra Columbo

This webinar will explore important legal provisions to consider when negotiating Lease Agreements and Use and Occupancy Agreements. Special attention will be given to understanding potential tax consequences when churches share their space with third parties. 

Alexandra Columbo practices in the area of Real Estate, Corporate and Commercial Transactions, and Religious and Charitable Organizations. Alexandra represents religious and not-for-profit clients in various types of real estate transactions including sales and acquisitions of properties, long-term leases and other types of use agreements.

Alexandra regularly advises religious corporations and not-for-profit corporations on navigating the statutory approval process for the sale and other disposition of real property assets, including the submission of applications to the Office of the New York State Attorney General and the Supreme Court of the State of New York, pursuant to Not-For-Profit Corporation Law Sections 510, 511 and 511-a, and Religious Corporations Law Sections 12 and 18.

Renato Matos is the Managing Partner of the firm. Since joining the firm in 2009, Renato has primarily focused on the Real Estate and Religious and Charitable Organizations areas of our practice. Renato routinely represents religious and not-for-profit corporations on complex real estate transactions including purchases and sales, long-term ground leases, air rights transfers, joint ventures and affordable housing development projects.

Renato earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the Hofstra University School of Law. In 2015, Renato was selected by the New York Law Journal as a Rising Star—one of 50 lawyers under the age of 40 who have established a record of accomplishments and demonstrated that they are top contributors to the practice of law and their communities. Renato is active in the community and regularly donates his time and expertise to numerous charitable organizations. He is president of the board of directors for the Council of Church Advisors.

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

        Thursday, April 10, 2025

2 – 3:30 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.

‘Burnout is a deficit of self-love,’ says New Way guest the Rev. Rola Ashkar

Podcast explores burnout, boundaries and embodiment

“Are you really loving others? Are you really loving God when you're doing it at the expense of your own well-being?” asked the Rev. Rola Ashkar during a recent podcast exploring the need for ministry leaders to set boundaries, practice self-care and attune to their bodies in the midst of their calling to serve God and others.

“Are you really loving others? Are you really loving God when you're doing it at the expense of your own well-being?” asked the Rev. Rola Ashkar during a recent podcast exploring the need for ministry leaders to set boundaries, practice self-care and attune to their bodies in the midst of their calling to serve God and others. 

“Because burnout is a clear sign of a deficit in self-love,” Ashkar posed to her “beloved colleagues” before admitting that “this is the sobering and the hardest lesson I had to learn: Your worth does not come from what you give to the church. Your worth is assigned to by your Creator. How would your ministry be different if you operate from that understanding?”



Ashkar is the latest guest on the New Way podcast, a production of 1001 New Worshiping Communties. In its 12th season, New Way’s host, the Rev. Sara Hayden, and its producer, the Rev. Marthame Sanders, are focusing on spiritual practices that deepen what Dr. Howard Thurman called “the sound of the genuine.”

Continue reading...

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance aids response to Myanmar earthquakes

Grant recipients helping survivors following massive destruction and the loss of thousands of lives

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has issued grants to Community World Service Asia and the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar to help people in earthquake-stricken Myanmar, where at least 3,600 people have lost their lives since disaster struck in late March. 

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Community World Service Asia, a PDA partner and member of ACT Alliance, will use the grant to address acute needs, including food, first-aid supplies and hygiene kits, in the area, which was rocked by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28 and a subsequent 6.6 magnitude-tremor.

“For decades, the peace-loving people of Myanmar have been suffering from natural disasters, poverty and conflict,” said Marvin Parvez, regional director of Community World Service Asia, in a statement to PDA. “The recent powerful earthquake took away what little they had to survive on the margins. Infrastructure is destroyed and fields have been devastated; this will cause food security challenges for years to come. Thousands of families are still sleeping in the open, without clean drinking water, food and shelter.”

The disaster was felt nationwide and in other areas, such as Bangkok, Thailand, where a skyscraper collapsed. In addition to the fatalities, almost 5,000 people have been injured and more than 140 remain missing, according to an April 14 report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

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Have a Blessed Week!