This is Julie Price's Final Update. She is now offically retired and until her replacement is hired, Other staff will be creating and publishing the Update twice each month. Therefore, a new email has been created for submitting all future articles for the Update. We have tried to make this as easy as possible, it's update@presbyark.org.

Have all information in to this new email by the Tuesday before the Updates are published on the first and third Thursdays. Article suggestions: The shorter, the better and square graphics work best.

The Board of Pensions, at their March meeting of the Board of Directors, approved several things which are noteworthy. The Board approved a 7.2% good experience apportionment for the retirement accounts of members. This is the largest increase since 1999, and the 14^th consecutive year good experience apportionments have been granted. That is a 64.4% cumulative increase since 2013. This applies to both those still working and retirees.

If you are enrolled in the Congregational Pastors Package, effective January 1, 2027, a new subsidy will help alleviate the cost of dependent child medical care coverage. The subsidy will cover 50% of the national community-rated medical care coverage cost of dependent children and will reduce the flat rates for both the 2027 Child(ren) and Family coverage rates. The 2027 rates have not been released, but using the 2026 rates, that would be a savings of about $414.50

If you are enrolled in the Transitional Pastor’s Participation, the program was scheduled to sunset at the end of 2027. The Board of directors have approved extending it through 2029. This will allow those ministers already enrolled into the Transitional Pastor’s Participation to transition to the Congregational Pastos Package.

The Board approved Child Care Support subsidies. The initial pilot phase will provide $500 a month per child, up to $1,500 per month per family. The eligibility requirements are having a child 0-6 years of age. Be a PCUSA minister or CRE, be employed by a PCUSA congregation, have an effective salary at or below 80% of the median effective salary ($56,880 or less for 2026), be employed at least 20 hours a week and enrolled in the Medical and /or Defined Benefit Pension Plan. Children do not need to be enrolled in the Medical Plan but must meet IRS rules for dependents. This program begins April 1, 2026.

If you have further questions about these programs, feel free to reach out to Kevin Keaton (kkeaton@pensions.org), our Board of Pensions representative to see how these programs might benefit you. 

The Book of Order requires Leadership Training for elders every three years. More important than the requirement, however, is that Leadership Training provides an opportunity for meaningful conversations within sessions about how churches can create safe, welcoming, and transparent communities.



Our presbytery has been recommending the PRC (Practical Resources for Churches) video series of short video modules on a variety of topics. This year's list includes four new videos as well as suggestions for a number of online webinars. You can find a link to the videos on the bottom of the homepage at presbyark.org.

Innovation & Incubation Committee Updates

If you were at the latest Presbytery meeting you heard about the ways this committee wants to serve your church.  In particular we’d love to invite you to step into two areas:

• New Worshipping Communities: If you have a vision for a new expression of ministry, we have the processes and resources to support you with matching grants

• Property Repurposing: The I&I committee will help you explore how your church properties can be repurposed for sustainable and revenue-generating ministry. We will guide you through a 7-step process to think differently about your assets.



If you’d like more to learn more contact scott.pontier@ministryarchitects.com to take the next steps.

Top 5 Insurance Questions For Churches, a Video. Recently, our GP, Jim Poinsett, sat down with Preston Kelso of James Greene Insurance and had a conversation about the rising cost of church insurance, and ways to address it. Basically, the discussion surrounded ways to mitigate risk, make a congregation look more attractive to an insurance company, and how to prepare for the rising cost of insurance.

This video and a helpful handout are now available for your viewing on the homepage at presbyark.org.

New Policy for Using the Presbytery Zoom Account Recent Zoom updates now place all participants in a waiting room until the account’s designated host logs in and admits them. As you can imagine, this creates significant challenges for committees and other groups using the Presbytery's account.

To address this issue, all Zoom meetings must now be scheduled through the Presbytery office.

If you need to schedule a meeting, please contact Kim at kim@presbyark.org, or ask your committee’s staff representative to schedule the meeting for you. A Zoom invitation will then be provided for you to share with your committee.

Presbytery of Arkansas Women are invited to gather for the PW Spring 2026 Gathering, April 17–18, 2026, in Hot Springs. Centered on the theme “Living Waters,” this two-day event will offer worship, fellowship, learning, and renewal at First Presbyterian Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Participants may also register for optional Friday afternoon outings. Registration is $25 and includes four meals. Scholarships are available.



Come be refreshed in faith, strengthened in friendship, and renewed for service as we share Christ’s living waters together.

Register for Lead(HER) 2026: Empowering Female Clergy, happening April 20-22, 2026, at Resurrection, a United Methodist Church in Leawood, Kansas.

Lead(HER) brings together female clergy from across denominations for two and a half days of worship, practical skill-building, and authentic community. The expanded 2026 format includes Monday evening through Wednesday afternoon programming, responding to attendee feedback emphasizing the importance of connecting and networking among clergywomen.



"For women, by women. Celebrating women. Healing women. Strengthening and encouraging women in their leadership, their ministry, and their lives,” organizers said of Lead(HER).

2026 Older Adult Ministry Conference sponsored by POAMN (Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network) will take place September 16-17 in Knoxville, TN. This annual conference will be an inspiring gathering focused on spiritual depth, resilience, and continued fruitfulness—themes that matter deeply for leaders walking alongside older adults through seasons of transition.

Mission Initiative Grants - The deadline for this year's first of three rounds of MOC grants is April15. Dream big about the mission work your church/Presbyterian organization might undertake this year and let the MOC help you realize your dream by awarding you a grant of up to $1,500.

Click below for information about registering. Direct questions to committee moderator, Peg Falls-Corbitt and click below to learn more and apply for the grant by the April 15 deadline!

Mission Trip Scholarships are available from the Mission of the Church committee. These scholarships are available to applicants who are affiliated with a church or ministry of AR Presbytery/PCUSA. 

Grants for NWCs - Eligible new worshiping communities in our network are encouraged to apply for available grant funding from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which has invested funds for innovative new ministry projects for generations. Our grants team reviews applications on a rolling basis, typically four times per year.

1001 New Worshiping Communities offers several different training and support mechanisms to support current and emerging new worshiping community leaders. One of these programs is the 1001 NWC Apprenticeship, which, over the years, has welcomed over 200 leaders into the program. Apprentices receive a stipend for five hours per week of study totaling $3600 over the nine-month program (Sept - May), an ICF-certified coach in the network, a leadership retreat, and weekly, expert-led cohorts with other apprentices. Priority submission deadline is April 1, 2026.

Presbyterian Village is seeking a dynamic, mission-driven Director of Development to lead and grow our fundraising efforts in support of the seniors and families we serve. This key leadership role is responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive development strategy to strengthen donor relationships, increase philanthropic support, and advance our long-term sustainability. We are looking for a proven fundraising professional who is strategic, organized, relational, and passionate about making a difference. 

Up Your Hospitality Game! All over the world, we see amazing worship experiences with helpful preaching and inspirational music. And yet, more often than not, these excellent worship services are not growing!

I have worked across five different decades helping churches to respond effectively to worship guests. The times have shifted, but great hospitality has not changed much. About twenty years ago, workshops proliferated across North America training churches to welcome newcomers. Yet many of the leaders who attended those workshops are no longer in active ministry. A new generation of pastors is (as a group) remarkably clueless about how to welcome guests. It isn’t their fault: we largely stopped talking about it. They came along and missed the memos.

Here are the core components in building a hospitality system which may double a church’s retention of guests. Lay persons are perfectly capable of customizing all these components into a system appropriate to each context. Read more...

Around The Table Podcast & Discussion Guides

These discussion guides were written to help small groups review and discuss the content of each episode of Season 1 of the Around the Table Podcast. There is an introduction to the entire season and a guide for each episode. Each episode guide includes: a summary of the episode’s topic, a brief introduction to the guests, an icebreaker opening question and opening prayer, a summary of topics discussed, questions to help respond to the content, a response activity, and links to resources.

Upcoming PRC webinars you don't want to miss! Remember, PRC webinars are always available on demand once they have taken place.

• The Generosity Journey: From Financial Fatigue to Spiritual Momentum, Apr 14, 2026 01:00 PM

• When your church experiences deep hurt: practical steps toward healing, Apr 21, 2026 01:00 PM

• When Bylaws Become Barriers, April 23, 2026, 1:00 PM