A new year is right around the corner. Here are a few reminders:

• Year-End Giving: Churches, please remember to get your 2025 benevolences into the Presbytery office no later than January 9, 2026 to be counted for 2025. Please note if it's for 2025 or 2026 so we can credit accordingly.
• The Pentecost and Peacemaking offerings are going away this year. Any donations to those offerings received by us after December 31, 2025 will go to Christmas Joy or World Communion for 2026.
• 2026 prayer list for congregations can be found on presbyark.org under Resources/Presbytery Documents/Stated Clerk/2026 Prayer List for Congregations or by clicking here.
• New 2026 Clerks of Session: if you will have a new clerk in 2026, please let Kim or Julie know so they can keep our directory updated.
• 2026 Presbytery Meeting Dates - Mark Your Calendar! All three meetings will be in-person, March 13-14/U of O Clarksville, June 13/First Conway, October 2-3/First Springdale.

Insurance & Risk Management Roundtables: December 8 & 10 - Church insurance premiums are rising rapidly, creating real challenges for congregations across Arkansas. To help churches navigate this changing insurance environment, the Presbytery is hosting two Insurance & Risk Management Roundtables led by Preston Kelso, Insurance Board representative with James Greene & Associates.

Preston will offer practical guidance on risk management, trends affecting church insurance, and strategies congregations can use to better control costs. Lunch is included at both events.

Monday, December 8 • 11:30 a.m. • Presbytery Office, Little Rock

Registration Deadline: Thursday, December 4th!

Wednesday, December 10 • 11:30 a.m. • First Presbyterian Church, Rogers Registration Deadline: Sunday, December 7th!

These conversations are ideal for pastors, elders, treasurers, clerks, and anyone involved in budgeting or administrative decisions. All are welcome. Please plan to attend the location most convenient for you.

The Presbytery of Arkansas has a rich history of serving our neighbors and our youth and young adults are consistently involved in service and mission throughout our Presbytery.

The Youth A-Team is encouraging youth and those who support them in their congregations, to find a way to serve their local community during MLK Weekend, January 17-19, 2026. Though we are serving in separate locations, we are serving our local communities together.

What might this look like?

• Perhaps this looks like a few youth and adults from your congregation serving in your congregation's food pantry, your congregation's garden or at a local food bank.
• Perhaps you join with others in your community for an MLK weekend celebration, parade, or service opportunity (Central Arkansas folks can register for the MLK Challenge in Little Rock).
• Maybe you will make your own little free food pantry for your church with this guide from EngageAR.
• Maybe you and others from your church connect with a local organization from this list and find a way to serve during MLK weekend.

We suggest youth and adults from your congregation put their heads together and make a plan for serving over MLK weekend. Then send us a photo so we can promote how our youth are serving their local communities.

Want to brainstorm some ideas? Contact Sarah to chat: sarah@sarahleer.com

Providence Park, the new planned community in central Arkansas that will provide permanent housing, support, and dignity for our chronically homeless neighbors, has broken ground! Pictured in the forground is a medical clinic, the large building is Harmony Hall, behind which are the first tiny houses and a KBL (Kitchen, Bath, and Laundry). There will be a KBL for every group of 20 houses.

The Mission of The Church Committee has challenged our churches to help raise funds to build a Presby House in the new community and we are only $15,000 away. Let’s finish strong together. Imagine the witness it will be to have a Presby House standing as a sign of Christ’s love and our shared commitment to our most vulnerable neighbors.

We can do this, and we can do it together. For more information, or to invite a speaker for your congregation, contact David Gill at dgill@ferncliff.org.

APCE 2026 Annual Event - Registration is now open for APCE's Annual conference! This year's event, entitled Bridging the Gap: Love God, Love Self, Love Neighbors, will take place in Fred Roger's neighborhood, Pittsburgh, PA, on January 21-24, 2026. It will feature a number of well known names, such as Rev. Theresa Cho (conference preacher), Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana, and more.

Click here to learn more!

Luminosity Conference, March 9-11 in Orlando. The Presbyterian Foundation’s first-ever Church Leadership Conference is a transformative gathering designed to inspire and equip pastors and church leaders to meet the challenges of today’s world. Centered on innovation, inspiration, and illumination, the conference offers participants the opportunity to explore fresh perspectives, rekindle passion for ministry, and discover new strategies for purposeful leadership. Through dynamic sessions, compelling speakers, and meaningful connections, the Presbyterian Foundation seeks to spark growth and lasting impact that will extend well beyond the event itself.

When Did I See You Hungry? After making calls to our congregations, we noticed that the hunger crisis is reaching epidemic proportions and many of our congregations are taking new and innovative steps in reaching out to their neighbors.

To aid in the work you are doing, the Presbytery’s Disaster Preparedness & Response Subcommittee is requesting churches submit this simple two-part request form for grant funding to address hunger issues in your community.

On the form, request an amount not to exceed $1,000. Suggestions to briefly describe how you will use these funds to help those with food insecurity might be:

• Food pantry at church
• Food Bank
• Hot meals in collaboration with another church
• Food box outside church
• School backpack program or pantry
• Support for furloughed Federal employees
• Gift cards for those requesting assistance

We anticipate awards being made within the next two weeks. Blessings to you for the work that you are doing in your congregations and your communities.

Mount Comfort church in Fayetteville has a community Garden that donated a whopping 6,435 pounds of fresh produce to their community this year.

Click here to read a great Synod article about the wonderful work this small, but mighty congregation is doing!

A New Season of Partnership Among Conway County Churches - This year’s Community Thanksgiving Worship Service, held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morrilton, brought together congregations from across Conway County for an evening of shared gratitude and worship. Churches representing several Christian traditions filled the sanctuary—Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Catholic—each offering their voices, prayers, and presence. For many who attended, the service was more than a cherished annual tradition; it was a glimpse of what Christian unity can look like when we come together in humility and hope. Click to read the article.

Ferncliff’s Over the Hill Gang woodworking volunteers are building benches for the labyrinth being installed at Providence Park. They will build 5 benches out of red cedar donated by a local sawyer. The labyrinth will be located next to chapel in the 50 acre neighborhood.

The OTHG meets Monday mornings at the Disaster Assistance Center. Skilled and unskilled welcome: For more information, contact David Gill at dgill@ferncliff.org.

Exciting News from the Executive Presbyter Nominating Committee! The Executive Presbyter Nominating Committee has been busy over the past several months, including two in-person retreats filled with prayer, discernment, and lively conversation about the future of the Presbytery of Arkansas.

Now, an exciting milestone has been reached: the two new leadership positions—Executive Presbyter and Director of Operations and Congregational Vitality—are officially posted on the PC(USA)’s Church Leadership Connection (CLC), the denomination’s job matching service. Applications are open, and the Ministry Discernment Profiles (MDPs) can be found here:

·       Executive Presbyter

·       Director of Operations and Congregational Vitality

This is an important step forward for the Presbytery, and there is great anticipation for the leaders God will bring into these roles. Please help spread the word by sharing these opportunities with friends, colleagues, and networks who may be called to join in this next chapter of ministry in Arkansas!

First Presbyterian in Jonesboro is looking for a full-time pastor. Do you know of anyone who might be interested in a strong church with a mission of diversity without division in service to a university community of 80,000 that is a regional medical and industrial center with strong schools and recreation? Do you know of a pastor who might be enriched with a church that houses an exemplary preschool and whose worship is transformed by an exceptional choir & music program? And which offers a starting salary of $75,000?

Please spread the word of this church in meetings & regions wherever you connect!

Presbyterian Kirk in the Pines, located in the gated community of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, seeks a full-time solo pastor to serve a vibrant congregation of 170 members. Caring, nurturing, and welcoming, the Kirk is characterized by joyful worship, Christ-centered community outreach, loving fellowship, growthful educational opportunities of varying kinds, and an acclaimed music program.  

They seek a dynamic, outreach-oriented leader with strong pastoral skills. A commitment to engaging other faith leaders in the broader community is desired, as we believe there is ample opportunity to light the way for others in the Village.

For additional information about the church, click here, or contact Randy Toney, PNC Chair at 225-573-6493.

While By Their Flocks, a new children's book by Rosalee Koepp, is a Presbyterian story of creativity, calling, and Christmas. It is a beautifully written and illustrated retelling of the Nativity through the eyes of three young shepherds.



The book invites children and families to enter the Christmas story with wonder, curiosity and childlike faith. Its publication is a milestone worth celebrating in its own right, but it is also a testament to the rich web of Presbyterian connections that helped make it possible.

Online music accompaniments sites for churches without pianists/organists. A big thanks to Jennifer Paxton of the Mountainburg church, who shared the following sites and information:

• Small Church Music - Mostly free, but a few exceptions - A handful of songs are still copyrighted, and link to a site that usually charges 50 cents to download. That's when the other links come in handy. Click here and link to the Presbyterian Blue Hymnal!
• Hymns Without Words – Link to the A to Z list as some links on the main page don't go anywhere.
• Bob Sorem's Web Page - Many of these are available as midi files and mp3's both. Christmas Music
• Piano Accompaniment Recordings - UMC
• Hymnary - While there is an audio tab for most songs, it usually has a link to a file with just one verse, or a track with voices. But you can often use this to find out what tune a song follows and what other songs use the same tune to expand our library.

FREE Resources for Your Church! Who doesn’t love getting something for free—especially when the budget is stretched thin? We’ve rounded up a fantastic list of online programs and tools your church can use at no cost.



Some resources, like Canva Pro and Google Workspace, simply require proof of 501(c)(3) status. Others are completely free with no strings attached.

Take a look and discover new ways to boost your church’s online presence, streamline your work, and spark creativity—all without spending a dime. Dive in and level up your ministry’s digital game today!