New Transitional General Presbyter Named - The Coordinating Team met on Wednesday, September 11 to approve the recommendations of the Transitional General Presbyter Search Committee and the Committee on Ministry to hire Rev. Jim Poinsett to be our Transitional General Presbyter. 

Jim is an ordained PCUSA minister with a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and is currently serving as a Parish Associate at the Webster Groves Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO. 

Jim will move to Little Rock the first week of October and will officially begin his work on October 7.  You will have the opportunity to meet Jim at the presbytery meeting at Trinity in Little Rock on October 25-26. 

We had a wonderful weekend at YouthQuake 2024. Almost 100 youth, young adults, and adults from 13 different faith communities around our Presbytery spent time together this weekend at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center. Our theme was "Stay Awake!" and our theme scripture was 1 Cor 16:13-14. We listened to keynote messages from the amazing Rev. Claudia Aguilar Rubalcava. She talked to us about staying awake to what is happening in the world around us, following God's call through action, and doing all things rooted in love. Rev. Elizabeth Brinegar served as Chaplain and along with Ceci Allen (our music leader) we enjoyed vespers each night and worship on Sunday. Click here to see more!

The 157th meeting of the Presbytery of Arkansas will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Little Rock. For the first time, Arkansas is hosting a PGA level golf tournament at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock on October 25-27. This was going to cause several logistical challenges at Second Presbyterian Church with traffic issues, and a possibility that Second Presbyterian’s parking lot would be needed as a parking site for the tournament. Rather than change the date, the Coordinating Team accepted Trinity Presbyterian’s invitation to host. 

As of today (Sept. 19) hotel availability and prices have not been adversely affected by this. However, we would suggest making your reservations now – on the travel website of your choice with any of the hotels listed in West Little Rock being closest to Trinity Presbyterian Church. The church is located at 4501 Rahling Road.  

Special Zoom meeting with Kevin Keaton on BoP changes on Thursday, September 19^th at 3:00 PM - Rev. Kevin Keaton will host a Zoom Meeting for Pastors and Congregational Decision-Makers of the Presbytery of Arkansas to prepare them to make informed decisions regarding Benefits. The Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church is changing, so during the Employer Reporting Season (August 29 – October 31), congregations need accurate information to determine the benefits package that will best serve their pastoral leadership in 2025.

Please share this Zoom link with those in your church who will be making benefits and budgetary decisions for 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87888248903?pwd=BIzIxbn7MWTsihUkWPEZKwzavBGMol.1

Meeting ID: 878 8824 8903

Passcode: 550787

Other documents that might be helpful on this topic:

• August 2024 Update from Board of Pensions, Kevin Keaton
• A New Benefits Plan to Serve the Changing Church 
• Congregational Guide to Benefits for the Changing Church 

Strategic Planning Leadership Team Update - Your SPLT team wants to keep you informed. We are grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit throughout our Presbytery. Your prayers and your input have been valuable in our labor to oversee the presbytery’s strategic renovation. Following are progress notes as we prepare to present at the October Presbytery meeting. 

• Repurposing Presbytery Office Property: A task force is exploring the feasibility of alternate uses for the current presbytery Little Rock office property. 
• Repurposing Church Property: A presbytery-wide survey will determine what churches are interested in working with the presbytery on repurposing property. Please watch for the survey and share your voice. 
• Diversity: A team is preparing listening sessions for under-represented groups in the presbytery and reaching out with notes for bulletins to invite more voices into the conversation.
• Young Adult Mission and Ministry: Efforts are underway to develop young adult ministry throughout the presbytery, and listening sessions will be taking place in October. 
• Creative Leadership Deployment: Efforts to enhance utilization of the Thriving in Ministry program at University of the Ozarks are in process. 
• Preparation for October Presbytery Meeting: We look forward to sharing dreams and proposals for organizing presbytery ministry at the October meeting. We’ll be sending the Mission Statement, Vision, and Values to the body prior to the meeting for adoption in October. Stay tuned for more information.

In Christ,

The SPLT Team: Mark DeVries (Ministry Architects), Ted Belden, Beth Bradshaw, Lesleigh Carmichael (MA), Gail Murdoch, Jeff Roper, Alisa Secrest, Stewart Smith as GP, Jocelyn Wildwright.

Visioning Survey - The Strategic Planning Leadership Team and the presbytery staff needs one person in each church to complete this survey ASAP. Only one person, the pastor/CRE, Clerk of Session, or church administrator needs to fill it out.

If you have any questions, contact Julie Price, Presbytery Connector. If any of the information listed here changes after you complete the survey, please contact Julie and she can update your responses.

We really appreciate the time you take to do this. Please know that this information will help the Presbytery serve you better. Thank you!

It's Time To Sign Up!!! The Presbytery's Social Media 101 workshop is getting close now. It takes place in just one week - Thursday, September 26 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.

It's time to stop thinking about signing up and JUST DO IT! It's time to talk to those other people in your congregation you've been thinking might be interested in learning the basics of doing social media and get them to sign up with you. Start a team for doing social media and outreach for your church. Click here and register today!

Presbytery Advent Webinar scheduled for Wednesday, October 16 at 11:00 AM. Julie Price, Presbytery Connector, will share resources and ideas. She also wants people who attend to share resources, ideas, and evaluations of resources they have used in the past. 

The webinar will take place on the Presbytery's Zoom account, but Click Here to register and you will receive email reminders with the link.

Ruling Elders Save the Date! The next edition of the Elders’ Retreat (now Ruling Elders in Ministry) will be held at the University of the Ozarks November 15-17. We will host Beth McCaw from Dubuque seminary, and explore pastoral care and worship planning. Stay tuned for more details!  

APCE 2025 Registration Now Open - This year's annual event entitled Wrestling with God and Church Toward A More Beloved Community, will take place January 29 - February 1 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN.

Click here to learn more and register.

Adultquake '24 - Are you looking for a weekend of rest and renewal with other adults at camp? Are you a church leader who needs a Thursday - Saturday Sabbath event? Are you a grown-up Arkansas Presby kid who is missing your YouthQuake days?? Then we have a retreat for you!

Join us November 8-11 for a restful weekend. Thursday evening will be an optional add-on for anyone who needs to be back for their Sunday gigs. Our leadership is packed with amazing familiar faces in the Presbytery of Arkansas. We will hear keynotes from Rev. Anne Russ, be led in worship by Rev. Julianna and Rev. Alice Whitson, and Rev. Jeremy Wilhelmi will lead us in camp songs and singing of all sorts. 



Registration is open now! Click here to register. Coupon codes available (including young adults), if you need financial assistance. Please contact Sarah Leer for a code. 

Presbytery of Arkansas Honduras Mission Trip, March 15-22, 2025 - Well-behaved children/youth age 10+ with a parent or adult, college students, and adults are invited. (Yes, adults must be well-behaved too) High physical ability and Spanish-speaking skills are NOT required. Attending Orientation meetings is required to prepare participants. 18 people or less will be selected. The estimated participant cost is $1,400-$1,700, and many churches offer scholarships.



• Apply for a Passport now, if needed.
• An informational meeting will be on Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov 7, 2024.
• Applications are due on Dec. 1, 2024.
• Funds are due Feb. 1, 2025.
• Applications are available online or within this Honduras Mission Trip Application packet which is also packed with additional info.

Leigh Woodruff, of First United Presbyterian Church, has been directing AR Presbytery mission trips for the past 10 years. Contact Leigh at (479) 601-1437 or by e-mail, leighwoodruff83@gmail.com, if you have any questions.

Click here to watch the video of the 2024 mission trip.

Please share this information with your church. Post on your website, social media, bulletin inserts, newsletters - any way your members engage. We want everyone informed and invited. Use whatever is best for your church.

Ron Gilmer installed at Holiday Island - On Sunday, September 15, a service was held at Holiday Island Presbyterian to recognize and celebrate the common calling of Ron Gilmar as their part-time pastor. Ron is a bi-vocational pastor who works full time as a teacher in the Pea Ridge public schools.

Those assisting in the service included (from left to right) The Rev. Dr. Judi McMillan/TE Bella Vista, RE Colleen Shogren/HI PNC moderator The Rev. Dr. Ron Gilmer/TE HI, The Rev. Stewart Smith/acting General Presbyter, RE Lona Noonan/HI, RE Carla Taylor/1st Huntsville, RE Jean Nichols/Bella Vista, Kristi Button/CCE at FUPC & Co-Director of UCM at U of A, Doug Miller/retired Disciples of Christ pastor, and RE Mary Diehl/HI.

New Series from Worship Design Studio - Jesus taught that we should treat others as we want them to treat us – including those with whom we disagree. Known as The Golden Rule, a version of this teaching can be found in almost every religion in the world. This holds the power to bring people together again. And this is one of the most important things we can proclaim right now.

This worship series is created in collaboration with the “Do Unto Others” Campaign for Kindness by Resurrection, a United Methodist Church. Our worship scripts, alongside their media and educational resources, give you everything you need to spread the message of kindness, compassion, humility, respect, and love in this time of division. Click here to learn more and order.

Sharing Spaces - Tim Pollock, commissioned ruling elders and commissioned pastors coordinator for the Synod of the Covenant, recently offered a webinar full of ideas on extending ministry networks to municipal and nonprofit agencies. People on the call shared innovative ideas for how their churches are partnering with schools, local government, food pantries, service organizations and other entities to better serve their communities.

Watch the hour-long broadcast here.