Leadership Update 

A leadership evening took place on August 24 in Little Rock with 17 of our presbytery leaders and Scott Pontier from Ministry Architects. Most of the Innovation & Incubation Committee along with committee chairs, staff and ministry partners discerned together the 2026-27 strategic plan for the presbytery. The Coordinating Team reviewed that summary on August 31 to be ready to present it to you for a vote at the October presbytery meeting in Springdale. Along with those goals, we are also working on a hiring plan for the needs of the presbytery.  

I & I had a great first workshop on website design and hospitality. Look for new offerings in the future including a pre-presbytery workshop on new innovative tools to use for your own congregation's discernment and missional engagement in your communities. 

PRESBYTERY WORKSHOPS:



Innovation Open House: You're Invited to attend the "Innovation Open House!" Come ready to dive into a variety of interactive tools to help you imagine a more robust Christian community Friday night before the presbytery meeting on Saturday. Do you feel the Spirit nudging you to try something new? Are you wondering about how your leadership can be more intentional and connected? Then make time to join Judi McMillan and Scott Pontier (Ministry Architects) to present on the Innovation Toolkit. If you cannot make the workshop, all of the materials will be located on our website (Under the I & I page). Scott will present on the Rooted Good offerings and Judi will present on tools she has written and adapted for the Presbytery of Arkansas. 

Questions and Tools Scott and Judi will explore during this workshop include: 

• Are you struggling to know what to do with a building that's too large, too old, and costs too much to maintain? 
• Would you like to know how your facility and property could be used to generate income and build community impact? 
• Are you tired of the same feedback? Learn how you can ask an expert and discover hidden potential in your communities. 
• Is your leadership feeling a bit tired and non-committal? Do they need a boost of creativity? Learn how Appreciative Inquiry can influence your teams. 
• Would you like to get more specific sermon feedback? Is your community expressing their heart's desires? Learn a few ways to generate positive dialogue. 

Neurodiversity and the Church: Grounded in Reformed theology and led by Rev. Dr. Jen Bluestein, this workshop equips church leaders to cultivate neuro-affirming congregations where neurodivergent individuals fully belong. Participants will gain practical strategies to adapt worship environments, deconstruct implicit behavioral norms, and celebrate neurological diversity across all ages. 

Rev. Dr. Jen Bluestein serves as the Coordinator of Generational Leadership Development at Grace Presbytery. She also is the Project Director for Renewed Grace, an initiative of Grace Presbytery working with cohorts of churches to become more inclusive of neurodivergent children. Renewed Grace is made possible by a grant from the Lilly Endowment. Prior to serving at Grace Presbytery, Jen served as a pediatric chaplain and in churches in Texas and Arkansas. 

Arkansas Presbyterian Pilgrimage weekend is just around the corner. ARPP Weekend #39 is scheduled for September 24 to 27, 2026, at the Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in Little Rock. The moderator for the weekend will be Patty Barnes from the Presbyterian Kirk of the Pines in Hot Springs Village. Patty has been actively involved in previous weekends and is working diligently in preparation for this event. 

The Arkansas Presbyterian Pilgrimage is an opportunity to examine your life experiences, consider how you can use them to draw closer to our Creator, learn useful information, and enjoy new friendships, worship, fellowship, and nature's beauty at Ferncliff. 

Registration for the weekend can be completed online at https://www.pilgrimage-arkansas.org/register.php or it can be downloaded, completed, and mailed. The deadline to register is Monday, September 13, 2026. Scholarships are available.

Rev. Sharon Rees Installed at First Presbyterian Jonesboro 

A joyful gathering of members of the Presbytery of Arkansas, family, friends, and the congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Jonesboro celebrated the installation of Rev. Sharon Rees as pastor on Sunday, August 23. 

Joining Rev. Rees for the occasion were back row: Patrick Reams, Craig Light, Ken Stuart, Rev. Blake Brinegar, and Rev. Jim Freeman. Front row: Sandy Puryear, Mary Ellen Sneed, Rev. Sharon Rees, Rev. Phillip Blackburn, Rev. LaWanda Harris, CRE Janet Benson, and Susan Anderson. 

The Presbytery celebrates with Rev. Rees and the congregation of First Presbyterian Jonesboro and offers prayers for a faithful and fruitful ministry together in the years ahead. 

Stewpot Celebrates 50 Years 

It was 50 years ago that Presbyterians started a soup kitchen in downtown Little Rock to offer a hot lunch "to all who enter." This ministry, now supported by multiple churches, has served over 1.2 million meals. Operated for 48 years out of the second floor of First Presbyterian Church in 2024 the ministry relocated to a first floor kitchen in a building it shares with the Salvation Army. Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year, meals are assembled by volunteer teams and shared with all who come by. Starting 2027, Stewpot will also serve a monthly meal at Providence Park, the tiny house community offering permanent housing for neighbors who have been chronically unhoused. The worship offering at the Presbytery of Arkansas Stated Meeting on October 2-3 will be donated in honor of Stewpot's 50th anniversary. 

Preparing to Apply for the World Communion Offering Grant 

The PC(USA)’s Grant Management System 

We are excited to share more details about the World Communion Offering Grants made possible by your faithful giving to the World Communion Offering. The PC(USA) utilizes an online grant management system to administer grants, and below are a few helpful tips and tricks to make the application process as easy as possible. 

If you haven’t used the PC(USA)’s grant management system, Akoya GO, before, you will need to set up an account in order to apply for a grant. 

The WCO Grant application is intentionally brief and focused on clarity. It should take about 15 minutes to fill out the grant application online once all required content and responses to questions have been collected. 

Required Documents and Other Grant Stipulations 

Gather all required documents in advance. You can find the list of required documents on our World Communion Offering Grant FAQs.  

Additionally, applicants will agree to: 

• Use funds as described in the application 
• Share brief stories, images and/or reflections about the project’s impact for reporting and interpretation purposes 

For all questions related to the World Communion Grant application, contact Marla Edwards at Marla.Edwards@pcusa.org.

Faith Formation Resource Grants - The second of two 2026 grants are now available from your Presbytery Resource Team! The purpose of these grants is to provide seed money to support Presbytery of Arkansas congregations and ministries in creatively engaging their faith community in practices of faith formation, Christian education, spiritual growth, and discipleship. These grants of up to $500 are to help you create a new Faith Formational program in your church or community that you otherwise would not have been able to afford to do. Look at the needs around you. Is there a need for a Grief-care or Divorce-care program in your community? Maybe you feel your church would rally around a new men's, women's, or intergenerational program or event. Maybe your church doesn't have children, but it has the man-power to sponsor a community VBS.



Pray, dream, then click below and apply for a Faith Formation Resource Grant by the  September 30th deadline!

From the Office of Christian Formation: Updated Resource Page 

Have you been looking for resources from the Office of Christian Formation? Click the button below to see the newly updated resource page listed by topic.

Robert Williamson has a great podcast on the narrative lectionary that would be worth checking out. He is a Bible scholar and member of our presbytery. 

BibleWorm: 

https://www.biblewormpodcast.com/ 

It can be found on all the major platforms, and there is a search feature so folks can find the podcast on the scripture they need even if they aren’t following the narrative lectionary. 

Save the date! Upcoming meeting for the Presbytery

• The Coordinating and Meeting Planning Teams and FPC Springdale are getting ready for our fall Presbytery of Arkansas Stated Meeting to be held on October 2-3, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church in Springdale.



Save the date on your calendars. Details will be on the website shortly and a special registration email blast will be out!