Volume 104/October 17, 2024

The Presbyark Update

Connecting & Informing the Presbytery of Arkansas

October 17, 2024

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Presbytery Reminders

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11


It is such an honor to serve as your Transitional General Presbyter, I’m excited to begin this new journey with you. As I get settled into my new home here in Arkansas, I’ve enjoyed exploring the area and finding my way around. More importantly, I’ve been deeply touched by the warm welcome I’ve received from everyone I’ve met so far. It’s been a joy to experience the kindness and hospitality that are clearly hallmarks of this Presbytery – and to learn about the unique ministries of our congregations, and to hear your hopes for the future of the Presbytery. I look forward to meeting even more of you in person at our upcoming Presbytery meeting on October 25-26.


Together, we are embarking on a season of growth and renewal for the Presbytery of Arkansas. I’m excited to work alongside the Strategic Planning Leadership Team and Ministry Architects to shape the future of our ministry. We will also be enhancing leadership development opportunities through the Thriving Ministry programs, which will be instrumental in empowering our congregational leaders.


Strengthening the connections among our churches is another priority, and I will work diligently to maintain continuity in the Presbytery’s work, supporting our staff and committees as we move toward the selection of a permanent General Presbyter.


As we prepare for the upcoming Presbytery meeting, I encourage you to read and prayerfully consider the visioning documents that have been shared. These will be the foundation of the important work ahead of us in the coming year or so, and your thoughtful engagement is crucial to this process.


I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in this season of ministry!


With Gratitude and Hope,

Jim

Register for the October 25-26 Meeting! Registration is now open for the 157th meeting that will take place at Trinity in Little Rock. Please note:

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  • Register soon! October 23 is the deadline for lunch & childcare.
  • There is a PGA tournament in Little Rock that weekend, so make your hotel reservations now!
  • There is a pre-presbytery mission project, read the article below.


Click here today and register!


In early 2025 we will be voting on the proposed amendments to the Book of Order. Click here to view those amendments.

Pre-Presbytery Workshop Planned - Please join us for an optional pre-presbytery bed building event with Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) from 4:00-6:00 pm on Trinity's porch!


Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national volunteer-led organization dedicated to building beds for children who do not have beds of their own. Ferncliff is the home base for the newly-formed Little Rock chapter of SHP. Our Friday evening worship offering will go to support this organization.


Spaces are limited to the first 20 volunteers, so don't wait to sign up! Volunteers will also need to fill out the organization's volunteer registration form.

Strategic Planning Leadership Team Update - Friends across the Presbytery, the Strategic Planning Leadership Team is looking forward to seeing you at the October 25/26 Presbytery meeting. Please review the essential visioning information which has led to a proposed new Mission Statement and eight core values for the Presbytery of Arkansas. We also have a starter list of goals, some of which we’re already celebrating progress toward. These tools were developed in conversation with you through listening sessions, a Visioning Summit, and input gathered at our June Presbytery meeting. Please read these documents before we gather as a presbytery, so that we’ll be prepared to consider their adoption at the October Presbytery meeting. 


Proposed goals seek to provide a Church Revitalization Process, a Presbytery Fundraising Plan, a process for Creative Church Property Use, Small Church Support, a New Worshipping Community Incubation Process, and more. We will report on progress to date when we gather in Little Rock.

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Please prayerfully review these materials for the October Presbytery meeting. 

Your Strategic Planning Leadership Team for the Presbytery of Arkansas

Don't Forget To Complete Your Church's 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 you list changes after you complete the survey, just 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!

January 1 Deadline to Get Boundaries Training -


You are required to participate in this training if: 

  • You are a Minister, Commissioned Ruling Elder, or Certified Christian Educator currently serving a congregation, 
  • You are an At-large or Retired Member of the Presbytery,
  • You are serving in a validated ministry, supplying a congregation, or are on the Pulpit Supply list, or
  • You are an Inquirer or Candidate.


Click here to register through Synod of the Sun. The next training is October 30-31. (no cost/only 40 per class).


Click here to register for the Safe Gatherings training (your cost, $29).

Opportunities

ADULTQUAKE '24 - Need a retreat where you can enjoy camp activities, singing by the campfire and more? Well, come and be a part of the very first ADULTQUAKE, November 8-10 at Ferncliff ... a Sabbath retreat just for adults! Sample Schedule can be found here! 


  • What can you expect? You will enjoy camp activities, games, s'mores, small group discussions, energizers, songs, time by the fire, Sabbath time, and meeting new folks from around our Presbytery. Our theme is Sabbath, Rest, and Renewal, so there will be plenty of hang out time too. 
  • Who will lead us? We have wonderful leadership lined up: keynote speaker, Rev. Anne Russ, music led by Rev. Jeremy Wilhelmi, and worship led by Rev. Julianna Whitson.
  • What if I work for a church? For our clergy, CREs and church workers who can't stay through Sunday morning, we have an optional Thursday night start (Nov. 7).
  • Coupon codes: We have coupon codes if finances are a barrier. We also specifically have coupon codes for Young Adults. 
  • Commuter Rate: Aren't able to make it for the whole weekend? Thanks to the awesome Ferncliff staff, we have a commuter rate!
  • Register by November 1stClick here
  • Questions? Email Sarah Leer

Are you a Ruling Elder (and remember, once an elder, always an elder) who does a little extra around your church? Is your congregation piecing things together between pastors, or supporting someone who is part-time? Are you a Ruling Elder who simply wants to learn as much as you can about church and faith? If any of these descriptions fit, then R.E.M. is for you. R.E.M. (aka Ruling Elders in Ministry), is a weekend offering from the Thriving in Rural Ministry at the University of the Ozarks. Formerly known as the Elders’ Retreat, R.E.M. will support Ruling Elders in better understanding some of the basic tasks of ministry. Offered three times/year, these weekends will help you consider how to write a sermon, officiate at the Lord’s Table, better care for your congregations, plan and lead worship, and much more. Our next gathering is at the University of the Ozarks November 15-17. We will begin with dinner on the 15th and wrap up with lunch on the 17th. At this gathering we will talk about pastoral care and worship planning. We will also be joined by Dr. Beth McCaw, Dean at the University of Dubuque seminary. Dr. McCaw will talk to us about helping congregations be less pastor-centric. She will also have information about Dubuque’s excellent Commissioned Ruling Elder courses. 


This event is completely free, and all expenses including meals and lodging will be paid by the Thriving in Rural Ministry program at the University of the Ozarks. Attendance will be capped at 40 participants. Participants will receive a detailed schedule for the weekend prior to arrival. If you have questions, please contact program director Phillip Blackburn at pblackburn@ozarks.eduTo register, simply click the link. Thanks for all that you do and we look forward to seeing you in November.  

APCE 2025 Registration Early Bird Savings - 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. Register by November 14 and save up to $50!


Click here to learn more and register.

Hurricane Helene Update - The Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery (SPDR) holds in our prayers our colleagues across the Synod of South Atlantic, the Synod of Mid-Atlantic, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, who are tirelessly coordinating response efforts, checking in on Presbyterians and impacted communities, and providing steady support during such an unsettling time in our collective lives. Click here to read the SDPR blog.


ï»żIf your congregation is looking for ways to help, supplies for Cleanup buckets and hygene kits are running low.


Click here to support PDA’s urgent efforts to aid the victims and survivors of Hurricane Helene.

IMAGINE: Life in the Margins - Join the Synod of the Sun, November 6-8 in New Orleans and explore, listen, and learn from ministry partners and communities operating at the intersection of systemic poverty, structural racism, and congregational vitality.


Click here for more information and to register.

The PC(USA)’s Christian Zionism working group, which consists of the Presbyterian World Mission’s Middle East and Europe office, the Office of Public Witness, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and members of the Israel Palestine Mission Network (IPMN), is holding an online book study series that begins October 24 at noon Eastern Time and will run on successive Thursdays through November 14. The book to be studied is the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb’s “Decolonizing Palestine: The Land, the People, the Bible.”


Click here to read more and register.

Jobs

Grace Presbyterian Church in Little Rock is looking for a part-time pastor.


ï»żClick here for more information.

Resources

Ministry Outside The Box Class from APCE - You know the way we’ve always done it isn’t working anymore, but how do we dream new dreams that actually work? How do we get the committee and congregation to see this too? In this 3-session workshop on how to assess your current offerings, consider what God might be calling you to do (that will work in your context), and implement new formation opportunities. This is a hands-on class with practical tools, and you will leave with concrete written next steps. Classes start October 29. Click here to register.

Did you know that APCE has a Children's Ministry Network Connection group that meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM EST via Zoom and you don't have to be an APCE member to attend. This meeting is an excellent opportunity to share ideas, learn from others, and grow in your ministry. You can sign up for events on the APCE website or click here.

New video series on ‘Copyrights in Worship’ now available from PC(USA) - “Our use of language, symbols and cultural forms in Christian worship is founded on the gift of Jesus’ incarnation,” said the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, quoting the Book of Order (W-1.0301), in his opening for a video addressing copyright issues in worship. The same passage in the Book of Order later states, “Through Jesus Christ, we may speak truthfully to God and lift up our hearts with gratitude.” The video, â€œCopyrights in Worship: Words,” is the second in a series of six short videos produced by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through a collaboration between its Office of Theology & Worship, legal staff and Communications team. Click here to learn more.

Webinars from PRC (Practical Resources for Churches)

Truly Welcoming Environments for Today's Unchurched

Thursday, October 24, 2024

2:00 – 3:00 pm EDT

 

Christian Nationalism and the 2024 Election

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

2:00 – 3:00 pm EST

This is a follow-up webinar to

Responding Effectively to Christian Nationalism RECORDED


ï»żThe Art of Hospitality

Thursday, November 21, 2024

2:00 – 3:00pm EST

Tuesday, 10/22, 10:00 AM Staff meeting

Thursday, 10/24, 2:00 PM MOC meeting

Friday/Sat, 10/25-26, 157th Meeting of the Presbytery of AR

Tuesday, 10/29, 10:00 AM Staff meeting

Tuesday, 10/29, 1:00 PM Resource Team meeting

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Click here to see the entire Presbytery calendar.

The next Update will be published November 7. Send information for that publication to Julie Price by Tuesday afternoon, November 5.ï»ż

Click here for previous Updates
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ï»żPresbytery of Arkansas
9221 N. Rodney Parham Road
Little Rock, AR 72227
501-663-2424