More Than Just A Meeting, An Event!

The 159th meeting of the Presbytery of Arkansas will be held in-person, at Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center on May 31st in their newly completed Evergreen Hall. But there are so many opportunities for you to connect with others around this meeting, including a Friday night Travelers game! Click on this page to discover all of the opportunities!

By the way, if you have one, Ferncliff would love for you to bring one of your church's mugs to the meeting to hang on one of their "mug walls"!



Travelers Game Registration Deadline: Friday, May 16 at NOON

Meeting Registration Deadline with LUNCH: Wednesday, May 21st

The Docket will be posted at presbyark.org on Monday, May 19

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



The PRC (Practical Resources for Churches) has created a series of free and short (no more than 15 minutes) video modules on a variety of topics that, together, fulfill a session's Boundary Training requirement and open the door to discussion.

Our Presbytery's COM has approved these videos as

fulfilling this requirement of the Book of Order.

A survey concerning the Care and Nurture of Church Professionals was sent to the email inbox of every church professional in our database. Please take a few moments to fill it out and help the Committee on Ministry respond to needs in our presbytery. If you did not receive this survey and believe you should have, please reach out to COM chair Leslie Roper at revroper@gmail.com

Presbytery of Arkansas/Travelers Baseball Night!

Friday, May 30th, is Presbyterian night at the ballpark when the Arkansas Travelers play the San Antonio Missions at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. Tickets are $20 per person for all ages. This includes dinner, the game, and fireworks afterwards.

As long as the temperature is above 75 degrees, the splash pad will be available at no additional cost for children in the 5th grade and younger.

Registration Deadline: Friday, May 16 at NOON

Presbytery of Arkansas/Naturals Baseball Night! Wednesday, June 4, is Presbyterian night at the ballpark when the NW AR Naturals play the Wichita Wind Surge at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.

Tickets are $9 per person for all ages. It's $1 hotdog night. If you like to make a joyful noise, join the choir on the field to sing the National Anthem. Parking is $5 per car at the ballpark. Don't miss the fun!

Registration Deadline: Sunday, May 18

Ministry Architect’s collaborative youth ministry cohort - Is your youth ministry missing that "secret sauce" that keeps the youth coming back for more? Remember, youth ministry isn’t about competing for numbers–it’s about reaching and discipling young people in meaningful ways. What if, instead of working alone, you could partner with other churches to expand your impact?

In this free, 4-month online cohort, you’ll gain tools, training, and hands-on guidance to launch and sustain a collaborative youth ministry in your community. Learn practical strategies to foster partnerships, share resources, and create a lasting, effective ministry–without burnout.

The next REM (Ruling Elders in Ministry) Retreat will take place June 6-7 at the University of the Ozarks and will have 2 separate tracks. For newcomers or those who wish to refresh, we will offer our annual introduction to preaching and officiating at the Lord’s Table. Participants who complete this track will be eligible for approval by the Committee on Ministry to officiate at the table in their church of membership. 

For those who attend REM regularly, our second track will focus on modernizing your church’s decision making structure, and preaching 2.0. 

REM is offered completely free of charge and is offered through the Thriving in Rural Ministry program at the University of the Ozarks. If you have questions contact the Rev. Phillip Blackburn at pblackburn@ozarks.edu. 

The Enneagram With Suzanne Stabile - First, Fort Smith is hosting the "Enneagram Godmother" for a two-day workshop weekend event and everyone is invited! Tickets are $50 with an optional $10 lunch add-on June 6, 2025 6pm-9pm and June 7, 2025 9am-5pm.

The workshop is part of their King Speaker Series, where they gather authors, ministers, and other interesting people to speak about their lives, experiences, and faith journeys.

Rural Ideas Conference at the University of the Ozarks - This summer, Town Square Collaborative will launch the first annual Rural Ideas Conference. This inaugural 3-day event from July 16-18, 2025 is offered free of charge through the generosity of the Lilly Endowment for Religion. It will create a space which focuses exclusively on rural congregations and offers opportunities for leaders and congregants to share opportunities and challenges in a place designed uniquely for them. This ecumenical conference will remind us of our calling to be the Church of Jesus Christ and contextualize that identity in our small towns and rural areas. It will give congregations tools to better engage their communities. It will bring together leaders in rural church thought from around the country.

Pastoring Through Political Turbulence - This roundtable conversation from Nextchurch will explore the role of ministry leaders in piloting congregations through political turbulence. We’ll talk about the challenges and opportunities that come with rough headwinds, and how to set the tone and lay the theological and biblical foundation for faithful political engagement.

We’ve invited Miranda Zapor Cruz to help lead this conversation. Dr. Cruz is the author of Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters (IVP Academic, 2024) and professor of historical theology at Indiana Wesleyan University.

The Synod of the Sun Presbyterian Women's (PW) Gathering is now accepting registrations!

When: July 24 - 26

Where: First United Presbyterian Church, Fayetteville.

Click below for the schedule and registration.

Free, In-Person 1001 NWC accelerator is a training for leaders in the initial stages of starting a new worshiping community.

This program, held August 18-21 in Federal Way, WA, is facilitated by seasoned leaders who have a depth and breadth of wisdom and experience. Topics include creating and communicating your vision, sustainability, theological themes, measuring impact, building teams, developing leaders, and more.

One of the best outcomes of this program is becoming a part of a network of like-minded, creative leaders. Please contact the 1001 Associate for Training, Rev. Jeya So jeya.so@pcusa.org with any questions and concerns.

Faith Formation Resource 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 to learn more and apply for a Faith Formation Resource Grant by the June 30th deadline!

Mission of The Church Grants - The deadline for this year's second round of MOC grants is Tuesday, July 15. 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 July 15 deadline!

The Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions seeks to help members when they need it - so that together we, and our communities, can thrive. This is part of the BOP's holistic commitment to supporting those who serve the Church, so that every member is empowered to bring their fullest, most vibrant gifts to the ministries they serve. 

Your congregations’ ministers and staff may be eligible for a number of grants, each designed to support members’ holistic well-being. Grants for things like adoptions, housing suppliments, minister debt relief, and more are described in the link below.

The Arkansas Presbytery Mission Team has returned safely from its 9th mission trip to Honduras, full of gratitude, stories, and strengthened friendships.

From March 22–29, 2025, twenty dedicated participants representing churches across Arkansas and students from three colleges joined hands with our Honduran partners to continue our shared ministry grounded in faith, service, and love.

Click here to read the full trip report.

The Pentecost Offering, which supports children at risk, ministries with children and youth (including the Youth Triennium, which happens this July in Louisville), and the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program, is a way Presbyterians encourage and support our young people. Receiving this offering will help to ensure that our younger siblings in Christ begin life with a solid foundation of faith.

Online resources include minutes for mission, worship resources, children’s curriculum with activities, PowerPoint slides and social media/newsletter images for your use. There is also a short video titled “I Will Pour Out My Spirit” for use as a minute for mission in worship and other gatherings.

Intergenerational Pentecost Ideas:

• Pentecost Family Gathering: the plans you need to hold a family gathering, all centered around Pentecost. Projects include birthday cake kits, candle making, rocket balloon challenges, and breath prayer bracelets. Purchase here.

• Pentecost Lantern Liturgy: the plans you need to create simple lanterns to use at home, coupled with a liturgy to use in church and at home. Purchase here.

• Pentecost Paper Rockets: Watch the video here.

PC(USA) Quarterly Resources - Ministry Engagement and Support is now offering their Quarterly Resource Preview. You are invited to share these resources with appropriate committees and with your congregations.

If you have questions, please contact Lemuel Garcia, at Lemuel.Garcia@pcusa.org.