Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2013 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the question of Jesus to his disciples, “How many loaves have you?” from Mark 6:38. The book is filled with stories of God’s abundance in the face of overwhelming needs and a scarcity of resources.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 4, 2013

PRESBYTERY OF CAYUGA AND SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - For most of its 188 years, First Presbyterian Church United (FPCU) would have been considered one of the Protestant churches in the city of Syracuse. FPCU had many resources—a large and committed membership, a significant endowment, and a legacy of innovation.

Over the last third of the 20th century, however, changes in American culture and the geography of Syracuse hit FPCU hard. When Interstate 690 was built right through the heart of the city, it literally cut FPCU off from its neighbors to the north; when the West Street Bypass went in, it did the same to its neighbors to the east. FPCU was left with three large buildings in a commercial district hemmed in by highways; its membership declined from over 1,000 to, by 2012, less than 100.

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