“Do not be conformed to this world

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

that you may prove what is the will of God…”

(Romans 12:2).

This past weekend, the Presbytery of Arkansas gathered in Little Rock for a time of meaningful conversation, worship, and shared discernment at its 160^th Meeting.

On Friday evening at Trinity Presbyterian Church, the Presby Pub offered a rich opportunity for fellowship and thoughtful dialogue. Rev. Dr. Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary, led an engaging discussion titled “When Red and Blue Don’t Make Purple.” Around tables filled with good food and better conversation, people shared their stories, dreams, struggles, and hopes. In other words, they shared theology. Continue Reading...

Faith Formation Connections Zoom Meeting - Our first gatherings were in-person, but now, our cohort will gather together online to talk about everything ADVENT on Wednesday, October 29th at 12:00 noon!

These gatherings are for all volunteers and staff who are responsible for education with children, youth, and/or adults in their churches.

If you are not already on the list and receiving emails from Julie Price about these gatherings, email her at julietannerprice@gmail.com and ask to be added.

Bring your lunch and join us on October 29th!

REM (Ruling Elders in Ministry) returns November 7-8 at the University of the Ozarks. REM seeks to support ruling elder leadership in rural and small membership congregations through conversation and continuing education. REM begins with dinner on Friday, November 7 and concludes late afternoon on November 8. REM is a free program provided through the Town Square Collaborative at the University of the Ozarks. Our offerings for the gathering are as follows:

Friday Evening, November 7:

"Embodying prophetic courage -- cultivating resilience and renewal as good neighbors inside and outside the church."-The Rev. Jim Poinsett, Interim General Presbyter--Read more...

Clabaugh Lectures at First Bentonville - Everyone is welcome to attend the 2025 lecture series on October 19 and 20. This year's series, entitled Good News from a Bad Pastor for a Better Church, will feature the Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel. Dr. Daniel is a nationally recognized preacher, teacher, and author.

Worship and evening talks will be livestreamed. You must RSVP to the church to attend the Monday noon lunch and talk.

The Communicators Club from Digital Congregations meets monthly on the first Wednesdays at 11:30 AM. The next meeting is November 5.

The Communicators Club is a free monthly gathering for anyone handling church or nonprofit communications. Hosted by Digital Congregations, it’s an informal, welcoming space to share ideas, ask questions, and learn together, with a flexible theme guiding each month’s conversation. 

The 2026 Honduras Mission Trip of the Presbytery of Arkansas will take place March 21-28 during the springbreak week. Join the Zoom information meeting on October 19, 2025 at 5:00 to learn more and get your questions answered!

Contact Leigh Woodruff at leighwoodruff83@gmail.com to get the link to join the meeting.

The Final 2025 Faith Formation Resource Grants - The first round of grant requests yielded some great ideas from funding for a unique Advent event to providing some financial support to a mental health event. These grants to help kickstart a project in your worshipping community 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 October 30th deadline!

Youthquake 2025 - Over the weekend of Sept. 12-14, over 80 adults, youth, and young adults gathered to play games, worship, listen to a keynote by Rev. John Arnold, and dig deeper into scripture in small groups. Once again, Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center provided amazing leadership from Rev. Jocelyn Wildwright and Ruth Arnold, and our free afternoon on Saturday was filled with camp activities. We danced the night away on Saturday night at the Silent Disco! Folks from 14 congregations around the Presbytery of Arkansas came together to learn and grow in faith together. Thank you to Rev. Dr. Susan Arnold... Read article & see photos...

Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center has been awarded a $300,000 matching grant from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Division to support its Transform Capital Campaign Stream Restoration Project. 

The grant will help fund a portion of Ferncliff’s $1.9 million stream restoration effort, a key element of the organization’s larger $7.6 million Connect. Inspire. Transform. Capital Campaign. This funding comes through the NPS 319 Grant Program, which provides federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funds to states to address nonpoint source pollution (NPS), which is caused by runoff from rain or snowmelt that collects and carries pollutants into rivers, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater. 

Ferncliff’s stream restoration project will: 

● Remove a dam and restore connectivity to Ferndale Creek 

● Improve local water quality 

● Restore aquatic and riparian habitat 

● Enhance fish passage and natural nutrient distribution 

● Provide better flash flood control 

In addition, the project will include aquatic education components in partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and other agencies. Learn more...

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.

Did You Know that if your church has a full-time opening for a pastor, there are places you can advertise outside of the presbytery and just on the denomination's CLC site. Here are two great places to advertise and get your opening more exposure not just in Arkansas and not just here in the state:

• Synod of the Sun Job Board - Click Here, scroll to the bottom and email Thomas Riggs about adding your church's position opening.

• Presbyterian Outlook's Classified Ads - Click Here to learn how to make your submission.

Fallwebinars from PRC to check out:

• Practical AI for Churches Tuesday, October 28, 1:00 pm
• Full Day VBS - it's not that scary! Thursday, October 30, 1:00 PM
• Can We Talk? What the Bible Can Teach Us about Dialogue in a Divisive Time Thursday, November 6, 1:00 pm
• Creating Ministries for Neurodivergent Families Thursday, December 4, 6:00 pm

ShareChurch Conferences: Looking Ahead to 2026

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection offers all kinds of wonderful continuing educational opportunities each year. You will want to mark your calendars for the following 2026 events:

• April 20-22, 2026 | IN-PERSON ONLY

LeadHER: Empowering Female Clergy – Back by popular demand! Honest conversations, deep community, and practical leadership development for women in ministry.

• July 30, 2026 | ONLINE

Evangelism Training – Authentic strategies for reaching your community in meaningful ways.

• September 30 – October 2, 2026 | IN-PERSON & ONLINE

Leadership Institute 2026 – Three days of learning, inspiration, and connection with church leaders from across the country.

“Holy Shift: Young Parents are Rethinking Everything. So Should We,” was the first clue that the more than 500 people who signed up for the first of three installments were in for a time of learning and sharing ideas.

They weren’t disappointed.

Dr. Josh Packard, a sociologist and research director at TryTank Research Institute, an initiative of Virginia Theological Seminary, took the large crowd through key findings from the Young Adult Parents Research Project, “What Happens to Faith When ‘Nones’ Have Kids.” The research investigated the evolving role of religion and spirituality among parents in the United States aged 25-39, a group marked by increasing disaffiliation from organized religion. Read the entire article & watch the webinar.