God’s love is everlasting

O God, our Provider, you open your hand and lavish good gifts upon us. So we give you thanks. You create the beauty of the earth and stock it with abundance to sustain human life. You give us friends who share the journey of our lives; family who make us laugh with joy and dry our tears of sorrow; strangers who minister to our needs with generous kindness. You knit us into your larger family called church to encourage us in your Way. You have blessed us with the freedoms of a great nation. “Thank you” seems insufficient for all your blessings, yet we say it with all we are as an offering of gratitude for our many blessings that we name before you. {Enumerate all you’re thankful for; count your blessings}. Though we may have seen our fortunes fall this year, we praise you for hiding our treasure in Jesus Christ our Lord, whom not even death can destroy. Though we miss those whose places sit empty at this year’s table, we give you thanks for lending them to us for what time we had. For all your providence with the feast of life that you set before us, we give ourselves to you with all we are in thanks and praise. Amen.

Why kids belong in church

By Jill Fandrich

Westminster Presbyterian Church

​I’ve heard all the excuses why people don’t bring their children to church —“It’s boring”, “I don’t want them indoctrinated”, “We’re too busy”, “It’s just for old people”. I’d like to give you some of the reasons why children should be in church.

I’m speaking from first-hand experience here. I went to church as a kid, our three children came every Sunday, and now I bring my grandson with me. My church, Westminster Presbyterian, has a small but faithful core of young children who are there most Sundays. Families have a variety of options—the Children’s Worship Center, a “Prayground” in the sanctuary, and a nursery. My grandson loves church. If he were writing this article, his reasons would include “There are lots of cookies.”

Yes, cookies are important, but there are other good reasons for children to come to church. Here are a few.

Churches are intergenerational. There are few places these day where children can mingle with other kids (older and younger), teens, adults who aren’t their parents, and older folks. My grandson is greeted by name when he walks in the door, and has several good “friends” who are in their 70s and 80s. The children who come to Westminster are valued and loved members of the church family.

Churches are safe places for children to ask hard questions. In a recent Sunday School class I taught for older elementary children, the kids asked lots of questions about what happens when someone dies. It wasn’t the lesson we had planned, but several had lost grandparents in recent years, and once they started asking questions, they really wanted to talk! I didn’t have answers, but we wondered together. Their thoughts were beautiful and profound. There are few places where these kinds of conversations can happen.

Churches expose children to different kinds of music. Has your child ever heard a pipe organ? A bagpipe? A choir that sings in four-part harmony? Handbells? A chant? Besides music class in school, has your child ever sung with others? Churches are one of the few places where people sing together! It’s a beautiful thing when voices of all ages rise in song.

Churches introduce children to the concept of the divine. Even the youngest of children can begin to know God as an expression of unconditional love, awe, and mystery. They can understand at their own level. One of the things I love most about my church is that it welcomes questions more than it offers answers. No matter where any of us are in our faith journeys, we find something in church to help us along the way.

Churches help children respect others while also being themselves. I grew up in the “children should be seen but not heard” era. I’m glad to say that my church has moved beyond that. We welcome children in worship, and embrace their wiggles, whispers, dances, and loud amens. At the same time, children learn that church is a place where we walk slowly, speak softly, and respect that others need a quiet place to talk to God. In our fast-paced, screen-based world, church is a place where everyone, including children, can slow down and find peace and calm.

Churches teach, by word and example, about loving others. Westminster is a “Matthew 25 Church,” which means we actively embrace God’s command to care for the most vulnerable and hurting members of our society. Even the youngest members of our church learn to bring food for the food pantry, put coins in the offering plate or box, give away their outgrown coats, visit nursing homes, and help with service projects.

Churches let kids do very grown-up things. Our children participate in worship and service in meaningful ways. They read scripture, sing or play instruments, carry communion elements, and carry the light of Christ (a real candle!) into and out of worship.

Church sometimes gets a bad rap for being “boring” for kids. That couldn’t be further from the truth at Westminster. How can you not love a place with songs, stories, and endless cookies? A place where you’re valued and loved? A place where everybody knows your name and is happy to see you?

I can’t think of a better expression of God’s love than being in a place where you feel welcome, safe, and cherished. That’s what children, and hopefully everyone else, will find at church.

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 those who are struggling with the holiday season.
• 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: Amboy Belle Isle; First, Auburn; Westminster, Auburn; United Ministry of Aurora; First, Baldwinsville.

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. "

Monday was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. We join in to express heartfelt appreciation for those dedicated to ending violence against women. We thank God for Presbyterians across the U.S. who express their solidarity in word and deed, including Presbyterian Women in the PC(USA), staff of the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.

President Biden and his State Department have asked all refugee agencies to step up hard and fast from now until January 20th to get as many refugees as possible in safe places. This means that InterFaith Works (IFW) will be settling 440 people in the next 2 months. While they don’t know at this point how many children vs adults, etc. they do know that they will need home furnishings, kitchen set ups, household cleaning supplies and new linens and pillows.

Anything the churches in our Presbytery can do to help would be so deeply appreciated.

As to the Coat Drive, IFW is seeking 1,500 coats to serve the new refugees and many who are already here. This includes all sizes for men and women, babies, children and teens. It would be great to have churches in our Presbytery consider gathering

10-20 coats each and dropped off at: IFW Center 1010 James Street, Syracuse

If you have questions about the Coat Drive or household items you can contact  Rhonda Butler, IFW Community Engagement Manager, who can be reached at rbutler@ifwcny.org or 315-449-3552 ext. 127.

Or you can also contact Sharye Skinner, Social Justice Member: sharyecaz@gmail.com.

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.

'TIS THE SEASON: Greening of the Trees 2024 at Northminster Presbyterian Church

Amboy Belle Isle United Church

(6190-92 Airport Road, Syracuse, NY  13209)

will be having their annual

COOKIE WALK

Saturday, December 7^th

10am to 1pm

Cookies are $12.00 per pound

{everything will be individually wrapped}

Date: Saturday, December 7^th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

Place: Korean Church of Syracuse, 1800 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13210

Admission: General $15/ Students $10  

Contact: 315-474-8346 or info@kcsyr.org

This concert is the annual fundraising concert for New York Bible Conference (NYBC) which will be held on Jan. 9-11, 2025 at Camp of the Woods in Speculator, NY. This concert has been held since 2006. 

NYBC focuses on its mission for Christian students and adults to reestablish their faith in the Word of God through Jesus Christ. It is targeted for those in Upstate NY in areas like Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithaca, Rochester, and Syracuse to revive the Gospel in this area.

This concert is performed mainly by the HESED of Eastman music school (Rochester, NY) and recently other music schools have joined.

New York State Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars

You can take this training any time during the year

charlaine@prcli.org

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

7:00 – 8:30 pm EST

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

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.

Scipioville Presbyterian Church seeks Organist/Choir Director

Scipioville Presbyterian Church is a small, vibrant and welcoming congregation in search of an Organist/Choir Director.

Scipioville Presbyterian Church is located at 3428 State Route 34B in Scipio Center/

Interested candidates are asked to call or text Barbara Adams at 315-246-7955 or email resume or questions to baamoravia@aol.com.

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.

Discipleship and stewardship go hand in hand

Stewardship Kaleidoscope workshop leader asks: ‘What grows from your soil?’

By Jody Mask

Special to Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Dr. Andrew Kukla, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Boise, Idaho, showed a picture of a stained-glass window from a different church. In the middle of the window, a red plant dominated the scene.

“That’s the rose window,” members of the church would say to visitors. But the words in all caps that accompanied the image said, “I WILL BE WITH THEE.” Someone had to tell the church members that “the rose” in the window was actually the burning bush of the call story of Moses.

In the same way, our view of stewardship isn’t quite right, Kukla taught in his workshop “Stewardship is Belonging in Action” at the 2024 Stewardship Kaleidoscope Conference. If we want to grow faithful stewards of the church, we must grow faithful disciples. “If you have a giving problem in your congregation, what you really have is a belonging problem,” he said.

Continue reading...

Who needs Jesus?

During closing worship at the Moderators’ Conference, the Co-Moderators and those gathered answer emphatically, ‘Everyone needs Jesus’



By Mike Ferguson

Presbyterian News Service

On Saturday, the Moderators’ Conference closed just as it had opened on Friday — with worship led by the Co-Moderators of the 226th General Assembly, the Rev. CeCe Armstrong and the Rev. Tony Larson, with Armstrong offering up a sermon she titled, “Who Needs Jesus?”

Armstrong preached on Psalm 23 and Matthew 9:18-26, the latter an account of a girl restored to life and a woman healed from a flow of blood she’d been enduring for 12 years.

In the Matthew text, “We can determine who really needs Jesus,” Armstrong preached. “We find a crowd surrounding him because of his ability. It’s the churched and the unchurched, believers and skeptics, followers and naysayers.” In Luke’s account of the healing, Jesus is “surrounded by disciples who act as Jesus’ bodyguards. They shield Jesus from connecting with those who are truly in need. I hope you can say you’re not bodyguards of Jesus,” Armstrong told new moderators and vice-moderators of presbyteries and synods from across the country. “As moderators, you won’t have time for that.”

Continue reading...

Have a blessed week!