Year-end Giving - We ask that the final checks for 2023 and the first checks for 2024 are clearly marked (either on the check or the remittance form) for which calendar year they should be applied. Some congregations send checks at the beginning of the month and some send at the end of the month. In the office during this time of the year, we typically receive checks for both calendar years at the same time. Thank you for your contributions and helping us with our year-end reports!

Annual Statistical Reports - As the end of the year approaches, so does the request for Annual Statistical Reports. Churches will be able to submit the Church Statistics on Dec 1^st, 2023. The last day for churches to submit Statistical reports will be Feb 8^th, 2024. If you do not remember your username or your password, you may contact Kim Palmer or Blake Brinegar who can assist you with the needed information. When you are ready to submit your statistics, you can do so by going to Church Statistics Login.



Lent Workshop on Zoom - On Thursday, 1/11 from 10:00 to 11:00 am, Julie Price, Presbytery Connector, will host a Lent Workshop on the Presbytery's Zoom account. If you attended one of her Advent workshops and found it helpful, you won't want to miss this. The format will be much the same with Julie sharing resources and ideas. Participants will be encouraged to share resources, thoughts, and ideas as well.

Pastors, church professionals, and elders are all encouraged to attend. Resources and ideas will be shared for worship, education, fellowship, and mission. Click here if you would like to register to receive email reminders with the link to join.

GO WITH THE FLOW! At our last Presbytery meeting, we were pleased to welcome Dr. Lester Ruth from Duke University as he talked about worship. A small group of pastors and elders have continued that discussion. We are hoping that others of you might join in as we consider how to strengthen and create more inspiring worship. If you are interested, grab (on Amazon) a copy of the book FLOW by Lester Ruth.  We'll gather by zoom on Wednesday, January 31st at 12:30pm for a discussion about the book and/or other worship ideas. In February, prior to our March Presbytery meeting, we're planning a zoom meeting with Dr. Jonathan Ottoway, one of Dr. Ruth's doctoral students who wrote the chapter called "Musical Flow: Important Techniques." He brings a lot of knowledge and information with him. If your musicians are interested, please talk with them about joining in!  

Our March 1,2 Presbytery meeting will be at the University of the Ozarks. At that meeting, we hope to include elements of the book FLOW in the conduct of our worship service. We hope elders, ministers and musicians will consider joining in the reading and the zooming. Keep an eye out for more information.  If you have questions or want more information, contact Carol Clark at cbclark05@aol.com or 501-563-6279.

Westover Hills in Little Rock would like to extend an invitation to all pastors and CREs to join us on Monday December 11 for lunch with our 2023 Cotham Lecturer Dr. Rebecca Glazier. Dr. Glazier is a professor at UALR and leads the Little Rock Congregational Study. The lunch is by invitation only for our colleagues in the presbytery to have a chance to visit with the lecturer in an informal setting. There is no cost for the lunch. We ask only that reservations be made by emailing Robert Lowry at robertwilliamlowry@gmail.com by Friday December 8.

Volunteers Needed: Post-Tornado Assessment of Emotional & Spiritual Health - Volunteers, under the auspices of the Pulaski County Long Term Recovery Committee, are needed to do door-to-door assessment of emotional and spiritual health of people impacted by the March 31, 2023 tornado in Pulaski County. The date will be Saturday, December 9, 2023. Compassion and active listening skills are required; professional training and/or disaster response experience are extremely helpful.

Volunteers will gather at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church (640 Kavanaugh, Little Rock) for training from 10am-12noon. After that, they will enjoy a pizza lunch before heading out to their assigned neighborhoods from 12:30-3:00pm. 



Please share this request with your congregation/organization. For information, contact Liz Branch at erbranch@comcast.net.

Administrative Assistant Needed - First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville is seeking an administrative assistant with experience in Microsoft Word and Publisher and who is able to work in a cooperative team environment. The job is 13 hours per week and the salary is negotiable. Paid training will be provided. Please mail or email your résumé to First Presbyterian Church, 1208 W. Main St., Jacksonville, AR 72076 or firstpcjax@gmail.com.

Claim Your Free Resources Today Before They Are Gone! The remaining resources from the Resource Center will stay on the shelves until after the first of the year for you to come peruse and claim for your own. At that time, what is left will be disposed of. Click here to see pictures from several weeks ago. Many of these books are still on the shelves, but be aware that some have been claimed. Contact Julie Price with questions.

In Memoriam - Hartley Jones, CRE at Barr Memorial Presbyterian Church in Norman, died on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Hartley was the son of a minister and was ordained as a deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Hartley was a graduate of the Lay Academy program of the presbytery and was commissioned to serve Barr Memorial in Norman as a co-pastor with CRE Carolyn Beane. Hartley enjoyed a long career in the insurance industry and served for over 60 years as a volunteer/leader in the Boy Scouts of America. Click here to read more.

Presbytery Baptism - on Sunday, November 26, Martin Denne' was baptized at First Presbyterian church in Clarksville. Martin is the infant son of Doug and Krista Denne'. Rev. Rebecca Spooner performed the baptism. Krista is the pastor of the church.

Congratulations Doug and Krista!

Arkansas Presbytery Stories - "Before arriving at the University of Arkansas, you could have convinced me that ‘Presbyterian’ was a type of dog breed. I grew up attending church in a theologically-adjacent denomination. But ‘church’ was never really my thing. While I loved my church family back home, my faith or religious experience didn’t escape a two-hour window on Sunday mornings. That changed when I arrived in Fayetteville. At the United Campus Ministry (UCM), I stumbled upon something I had never expected. I found a group of my peers interested in the growth and sharing of their own experiences with their faith journeys. I had found another faith family and a home away from home. What was created, nurtured, and sustained at UCM is the undeniable reason I’m where I am. Campus ministry is critical, not because it’s a training ground for future ministers, but because it can offer students a home away from home. And who knows? Those who stumble into these communities might find themselves in a ministry-oriented career."  - Rev. Andy Spaulding

Want to support the work and offset the costs for events of current youth in the Presbytery? Click here and donate to "Montreat," "Jr. High Summer Trip," or "Youth Retreat-Quake, YAP, A-Team, etc."

PCCCA Arkansas Day! Here are just a few of the Presbytery of Arkansas folks who participated in the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA) Annual Conference held at Ferncliff last week. (L to R, Becky Purcell, Sarah Leer, Ruth Amensen, Susan Arnold, Jocelyn Wildwright, Robert Lowry, and Leslie Roper.)

Shoutout to the Office of Christian Formation PCUSA who offered a day long Christian Formation event for local clergy, church leaders, youth workers, and educators. Way to represent, Arkansas Presbys!