Synod of the Northeast

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Celebrating the Success of EMI 2025: Engaging Conflict

This year’s Early Ministry Institute (EMI) proved once again to be a transformative experience for our emerging pastors across the Synod of the Northeast. Held over the course of a dynamic week, the 2025 EMI gathered leaders from across the region under the theme: Engaging Conflict, equipping participants with tools to navigate difficult conversations and divisive moments—including those touching on sensitive political issues—with compassion, wisdom, and integrity.

2025 Innovation Grant Recommendations

INV-25-01-04New York City                               Cook and Eat: Building Community Through African and African Diaspora Culinary Heritage Bethel Presbyterian Reformed Church Year 1Awarded: $12,000 Cook and Eat: “Building Community Through African and African Diaspora Culinary Heritage” celebrates African and African Diaspora culinary traditions through intergenerational learning. Ghanaian elders will partner with Caribbean, Soul Food, and Afro-Latin cooks to teach youth and young adults in their congregation and interested neighbors in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn, NY, how to prepare nutritious, affordable meals. These hands-on workshops will build cooking skills while preserving cultural heritage, sharing stories, and addressing food insecurity in their community. INV-25-02-04                       Utica                                                      Utica Presbytery Participation in Plentiful GiftsChurches of the Presbytery of Utica Year 1Awarded: $9,600 Plentiful Gifts is a two-year process led by Dubuque Seminary and funded by a Lilly Grant. It provides discernment, gift identification, and leader training for persons in small congregations without pastors or with part-time leadership. Utica Presbytery is participating.  They selected seven congregations. The grant has funding for mentors for only five congregations. Mentors are paid $400 a month for two years. We need an extra $9,600 per year to pay for two extra mentors. They are serving small congregations with vital ministries. Still, these churches cannot afford installed pastoral leadership, and they need the cultivation of gifts within the congregation to continue to be vital communities of faith. The goal is to strengthen unique ministries and encourage small groups of people to continue their presence as a witness to the realm of God. It trusts the promise that God provides gifts for the people to fulfill their ministries in partnership with Jesus (see Ephesians 4). It is an extension of the seminary into the presbytery to provide theological education and leadership training in local contexts rather than requiring people to come to the seminary INV-25-05-04Hudson River  Well-Being Trauma-Informed, Personal Empowerment Workshop for Formerly Incarcerated Women Interfaith Prison Partnership Year 1Awarded:  $7,700 The Well-Being Workshop empowers formerly incarcerated women by providing a trauma-informed space for healing, personal growth, and reintegration. Through peer-led sessions and skill-building activities, the program fosters resilience, self-care, and a sense of belonging. By training women as facilitators, they create a sustainable, community-driven model that extends its impact. Their vision is to transform lives, reduce recidivism, and build a supportive network of justice-impacted women advocating for change and healing within their communities. This project intends to bring the WellBeing Workshop to as many formerly incarcerated individuals as possible and then to get this profoundly healing approach into the prisons to address the unhealed trauma that is nearly universal for women in the criminal justice system. The Well-Being Workshop is innovative because it offers a holistic, trauma-informed approach to healing and reintegration, specifically designed for formerly incarcerated women. Traditional programs often fail to address the deep emotional and psychological wounds that many of these women carry, which can impede their ability to re-integrate successfully into society.  INV-25-07-04Northeast New Jersey                                               Glo Girls Empowerment ClubInstitute of Music for Children  Year 1Awarded:  $5,000 Guided by the Institute’s vision of HARMONY – Helping Achieve Responsible, Motivated, Optimistic Neighborhood Youth – they are building a community of young arts lovers through instruction, mentorship, and family engagement. Glo Girls, a 24-week empowerment program for middle school girls, aims to cultivate confidence, leadership, and community. Students explore topics like communication, self-care, body image, and professional etiquette and take part in discussions, events, dance, and team-building activities. Glo Girls emerge as leaders, representing the Institute and their broader community. Glo Girls is more than just a class; it’s a long-term vision that continues to grow. Today, it stands as a class with one of the highest enrollment numbers at the Institute with consistent attendance, with previous students coming back semester after semester. As long as there is a need for safe, creative spaces for our young girls, Glo Girls will continue to grow, ensuring that no girl feels alone in her journey into womanhood. This funding will enable the Institute to build on this incredible curriculum; provide additional oversight, training, and professional development for our Teaching Artist, Meli DeJesus; and provide supplies for weekly programming, events hosted by the Glo Girls, and travel for the Glo Girls to take advantage of leadership and performance opportunities. INV-25-08-04New York City                                     Firelight CommunityFirst Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn Year 1Awarded: $12,000  Firelight Community is an experimental collective of mystics grounded in a liberating gospel. It is an apocalyptic interruption of “homelessness” — a term we understand to encompass all of the ways we have been cut off from place and people, unmoored from the relationality that constitutes our being. We join together to keep the flame of hope alive in one another, ministering to spiritual and material needs through community building, street care, theological education, and sacred space. The flame we keep is the Spirit that will inspire a revolution toward a new heaven and a new earth. This is a long-term project meant to exist as a parallel formation to the institutional church. While conversational with the church’s wisdom, history, and traditions, it is vestibular to the four walls which have so often convoluted a core gospel message of God’s love for all people, and the call to return that love to God and neighbor and self. Yet as the church heals, on its way toward a better articulation and realization of its mission, a wash of humanity does not have the time to be convinced of the church’s repentance; they march forward into the false hope of a secular humanism that leaves religion behind with nothing meaningful to replace it, or they alchemize an individualized spirituality, so often shorn of the deepest truths that our traditions have carefully mediated into the present. Firelight Community is an alternative and a bridge. It maintains the Christian tradition as an influence and constant conversation partner, but it does not require the adoption of these thought forms for the community to make sense. While based

April Synod Mission and Ministries Commission Summary

Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley reported. The synod is bringing people together to serve in public ministry — how we live in the world and spread the gospel as partners with others.  During the conference at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, NY in March, eighty-five people came, with presenters from across the denomination, to talk about what it means to be a partner. 

Urgent Action Alert: Oppose House Reconciliation Budget Proposal

Oppose Devastating Cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and Clean Energy  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 is affirmed in PC’s (USA) social witness policy, which urges the church to support systems that nurture human dignity and economic fairness. Right now, Congress is considering a budget reconciliation package that deeply contradicts these values. The House Agriculture Committee’s proposal includes historic cuts to federal food and healthcare programs, totaling nearly $1 trillion in reductions over ten years. If passed, this bill would: Slash $296 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the largest cut in the program’s history, Eliminate the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which protects families and seniors from extreme weather, Impose new barriers that would deny food assistance to older adults aged 54–64, Shift significant costs and administrative burdens to already under-resourced state governments, End federal support for states that offer healthcare to immigrants with legal standing in the United States—and remove federal eligibility for food and health programs for these individuals. Expand oil and gas drilling while eliminating investments in clean energy, threatening public lands and environmental justice. These changes will harm children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, low-wage workers, and immigrants—those already struggling to make ends meet. Our faith compels us to resist this injustice. The PC(USA) affirms that access to food, healthcare, and essential services is a human right and a reflection of God’s justice and compassion. In our 1997 policy, A Call to Restore the Public Purpose of Welfare, we affirmed that balancing the budget through cuts to critical social programs, while preserving tax breaks for the wealthy, is morally indefensible. As Isaiah proclaimed: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to lose the bonds of injustice… to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house?” (Isaiah 58:6-7) Now is the time for Presbyterians to raise their voices to defend our neighbors. Contact your Representative and urge them to vote no on the House Agriculture Committee’s Budget Reconciliation Proposal. Tell Congress Today: We will not stand silent while the most vulnerable among us are made to bear the burden of budget cuts. Let us act in faith and solidarity, remembering Jesus’ words: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Presbyterian Foundation Day of Learning

The Presbyterian Foundation is bringing back our popular Day of Learning program to offer support for churches, ministries, and mid councils on financial sustainability.

Join us on Thursday, June 26, for a series of workshops on Storytelling, Stewardship, and Generosity, all online, and offered free of charge.

Synod Discernment Team Hosts First Town Hall: A Collective Journey Toward Vision

On April 22, the Synod Discernment Team hosted its first Town Hall, welcoming 42 participants from across our community. The gathering featured presentations from each of the Synod’s missional pillars, followed by a rich time of dialogue as attendees asked thoughtful questions and reflected on the work ahead. These Town Halls are part of our shared journey toward a renewed Synod vision. At the heart of this process are members of the Discernment Team, staff, Leadership Team, and conveners of the Mission and Ministries Commission—working diligently within their ministry areas to shape the future we are discerning together. As we continue through Eastertide, we are mindful that we live and lead amid chaos and uncertainty. And yet, the resurrection of Christ calls us to abundant hope. Our new vision is grounded in the deep belief that the Church is not dead—it is alive. This resurrection truth reorients us. It challenges us to ask: How does this reality change how we see the future? What if we dared to believe that new life is not only possible—but already breaking forth among us? We invite you to join this holy work. Upcoming Town Halls will be held on May 22 and June 2—registration information is provided below. Your presence and your voice matter. Together, we are listening for God’s call. We are discerning not only where we’ve been, but where the Spirit is leading us now. What future is God inviting the Church to embody? And how can we, as a Synod, help bring that vision to life? This work is especially meaningful as we live into our identity as a Matthew 25 Synod, rooted in justice, compassion, and bold faith. With Easter Hope,Rev. Ashley

Supporting Emerging Gospel Communities: A Synod Grant for Growth and Mission

The Synod of the Northeast has always been committed to fostering vibrant faith communities that share the love and message of Christ in new and transformative ways. Through the Emerging Gospel Community Grant, we seek to support innovative and mission-driven gatherings that bring people together in fresh expressions of faith. In a time when so many churches are asking big questions about the future, how to reach new people, how to reimagine ministry, and how to faithfully respond to the Spirit’s movement in their community—there’s good news: you don’t have to do it alone. The Emerging Gospel Community Grant exists to support exactly these kinds of bold, Spirit-led initiatives. It is designed for emerging churches and leaders who are ready to take risks for the sake of the Gospel—who are listening closely to their neighborhoods, imagining new ways to gather and grow in faith, and building communities where Jesus is truly good news. If you’re nurturing a fresh expression of church or dreaming about one, this grant is for you. What is an Emerging Gospel Community? An emerging gospel community is a new or developing group of people who share a commitment to Christian faith and the teachings of Jesus while seeking to embody the gospel in unique and contextual ways. This new worshipping community might not look like traditional church—and that’s the point. It could be a house church gathering around a shared meal and Scripture. A network of spiritual seekers meeting in a coffee shop. A bilingual Bible study bringing together neighbors across cultures. A youth-led ministry in a city park. A rural cohort committed to hospitality and discipleship. If it’s rooted in the gospel and growing in community, it’s worth exploring—and worth investing in. Whether led by pastors, church planters, or lay leaders, these initiatives are grounded in Presbyterian theology and a commitment to engaging people who may not connect with traditional church settings. We believe innovative approaches to living out God’s call to justice and love help to promote diversity and lift up previously marginalized communities — two of the Synod’s core values!  Recent Grantees   La Iglesia del Pueblo La Iglesia del Pueblo established a gospel-centered community rooted in the transformative teachings of Jesus Christ and the theological principle of God’s preferential option for the poor. They are committed to meeting the physical, material, and spiritual needs of the Latino community around them and within New York City. La Iglesia del Pueblo also provides a much-needed ministry of hope for new immigrants. Through their ministry they have also become community organizers where they seek to challenge and educate the community by encouraging them to organize and act collectively, thereby becoming agents of their own liberation.     Hope Church of New York   Hope Church of New York is a multilingual, culturally diverse community, primarily composed of Korean American  immigrants and their 2nd and 3rd-generation descendants. Each week, around 40 people gather in person for bilingual worship, fellowship, and Bible study. Additionally, they hold  a monthly online gathering for about 20 college students and young adults, many of whom have a church background but are not currently attending church regularly. They also organize occasional joint special events to strengthen their community connections.       The Share Alliance The S.H.A.R.E. Alliance – (Sowing Hope And Reaping Equity) is a consortium of congregations and other interested parties in Springfield, NJ, dedicated to addressing food justice in their communities. They believe that no one should involuntarily go to sleep hungry or wonder where their next meal will come from. The SHARE Alliance seeks to approach the issue with a three-prong tactic: Create availability of healthier food, via collection and donations. Coordinate their distribution, via a community pantry and kitchen. Promote their right use, via cross-cultural cooking classes.    Start Now, Get Your Team Together to Dream and Act You too can be the among the next Synod of the Northeast Emerging Gospel Community Grant recipients! DREAM BIG and be inspired by the moving of the Holy Spirit as your community envisions fresh approaches to being community as Christians. The 2025 Emerging Gospel Community Grant process opens in June. You can access the grant application process through the Synod’s website: www.synodne.org.  Click “Grants” at the top menu, then Emerging Gospel Community Grant. As we get closer to the application launch, look for videos and webinar announcements to help navigate our grant application system and provide tips on effective grant writing in our monthly newsletter, emails, and our social media connections. Questions? Contact Mike Yeoman, Grants Coordinator @ michael.yeoman@synodne.org.

Come Lend a Hand: Synod Mission Day with the Seneca Nation Churches!

Date: June 14, 2025 Locations: Jimersontown Presbyterian Church: 3602 Center Rd, Salamanca, NY 14779 Wright Memorial Presbyterian Church: 12672 Route 438, Irving, NY 14801 2672 Route The Synod of the Northeast invites YOU to join a powerful day of service, fellowship, and faith as we partner with Jimersontown and Wright Memorial Presbyterian Churches—two congregations located within the Seneca Nation of Indians. This is more than a mission day—it’s a movement of love and solidarity. Jimersontown Church Needs Your Helping Hands! This sacred space is ready for a deep refresh—and your presence can make it happen. We’re looking for volunteers, skilled craftsmen, & landscapers or those who love to plant and garden to: Deep clean 5 Sunday School rooms Organize and clean 3 small storage rooms Assemble 6 steel shelving units Repair the front portico by replacing 4’x8′ wind-blocking plastic panels Scrub and sanitize the kitchen, including shelves, cupboards, and drawers Transport debris to the city dump Patch mouse holes and entryways Clean windows and 8 stunning stained-glass panels Wright Memorial Church is Calling, Too! Be part of refreshing this historic site with tasks such as: Clean and polish the Dining Hall floors Repair the handicap ramp and add treads to both entrances Plant one or more trees to enhance beauty and honor growth Landscape the sides and front of the church Install a new kitchen window above the sink Why Join Us? This Mission Day isn’t just about fixing buildings—it’s about strengthening our covenantal ties with the Seneca Nation, honoring the sacred land and stories of our Indigenous siblings, and answering God’s call to be builders of unity and care. Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or new to mission service, your time, skills, and spirit are deeply needed and appreciated. Register today and be part of this sacred moment of repair, renewal, and relationship. Let’s serve together—heart, hands, and hope. Registration link: https://synodofthenortheast.wufoo.com/forms/mnnxruw07cxme1/ For questions or to coordinate group participation, please contact the Synod’s Administrative Coordinator, Rev. Dr. Nichol Burris at nichol.burris@synodne.org or via phone (315) 460-5282.

Gratitude for Your Generosity: EMI Contributions Update

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the following Presbyteries for their faithful and generous contributions in support of the Early Ministry Institute (EMI): Albany, Cayuga-Syracuse, Coastlands, Genesee Valley, Geneva, Highlands of NJ, Hudson River, Northeast NJ, Southern NJ, Susquehanna Valley, Utica, and Western NY. Your support helps equip and empower new ministers in their early years of service, fostering spiritual growth, leadership development, and connectional ministry across the Synod of the Northeast. Your partnership is vital to sustaining this transformative ministry, and we are deeply grateful. If your Presbytery has not yet submitted its EMI contribution, there is still time to join in this shared commitment. Please contact the Synod’s Administrative Coordinator, Rev. Dr. Nichol Burris, at nichol.burris@synodne.org for more information or to arrange your contribution. Thank you for being part of the journey that nurtures and supports the next generation of church leaders.