Dear Friends, Your Strategic Planning Leadership Team for the Presbytery (the SPLT team) is celebrating your adoption of the visioning documents which include our mission statement, core values and 3-year goals. But we are not done. We are now shifting our gaze to the ministries and committees, essential to implementing these goals.  

For example, we have been holding listening sessions with young adults across the state to develop momentum toward a Presbytery Young Adult ministry. We are working on recommendations for the Future of the Church Committee and the New Worshiping Community Team concerning how they can embrace some of our goals in innovation and mission. We are discerning better utilization and possible lease of the Presbytery’s Little Rock space in conversation with Grace Pres, Little Rock.

Much of our attention is also now focused on fundraising plans and a new organizational chart for Presbytery staff. We intend to share progress on these efforts in preparation for the February 21 Presbytery meeting.

If you haven’t returned your church's visioning survey yet, please do so and let us know what you think. Your survey response is very helpful for our ongoing work. 

Thank you for sharing your gifts and your voice. Your participation for the sake of the Presbytery and the greater church is much appreciated.

In Christ,

Your Strategic Planning Leadership Team  (Click here to watch the process unfold.)

Don't Forget To Complete Your Church's Visioning Survey! The Strategic Planning Leadership Team and the presbytery staff need one person in each church to complete this survey . Only one person, the pastor/CRE, Clerk of Session, or church administrator need 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!

It’s the scammer season - Just a friendly reminder that neither the presbytery nor any of the employees or volunteers will ever ask you to purchase a gift card and send it to them or to someone else. No matter what reason, it may sound legitimate like buying gift cards for the staff for Christmas or gift cards for a food pantry. No one at the presbytery office will ask any church or person to buy gift cards for any need. The request may seem to come from our new interim general presbyter or from our financial administrator but it will not be a legitimate request. When in doubt, you can always call the office and verify.

Gift card scams are a growing threat, often targeting individuals through phone calls, emails, or texts. Scammers typically impersonate trusted entities like government agencies, tech support, or even family members, demanding payment via gift cards for fake fines, taxes, or emergencies. They may pressure you with urgent requests, claiming it’s the “only” way to resolve the issue.

Once a gift card code is shared, the money is gone—nearly impossible to trace or recover. Legitimate businesses and organizations never request payment in gift cards. To protect yourself, verify the legitimacy of any urgent request, never share gift card codes, and report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. Stay alert and safeguard your funds from these deceptive schemes.

Honduras Registration Deadline is December 1!

Please use your networks, social media, bulletins, newsletters, and screens to push this ministry to be well known. Someone at your church might be interested, or your church might consider giving scholarship funds to others.

The team will be selected by Christmas and orientation meetings will start in January.

Helpful Links:

• Registration Packet
• Honduras Ministry page
• The 2024 trip video
• Bulletin Insert

Let Leigh Woodruff know if you have any questions or need additional information.

Advent in Your Neighborhood Webinar - Do your neighbors know what Advent is all about? Even if they don't, many of them likely get into the festive spirit of Christmas and are eager to give, gather, and share some holiday cheer! How can you use this opportunity to share the love of Christ this season?

Join CRC (Christan Reformed Church) for a free webinar on Tuesday, December 3 from 6-7:30pm!

Led by Dr. Karen Wilk, Resonate Global Mission's Go Local Catalyzer, they will:

• Share stories about God at work in our neighborhoods
• Discover practical tips for connecting with our neighbors
• Explore new ways to bear witness to the God who became one of us

Sign up today by filling out this form! 

Supporting Older Adults in the "Third Thirty" - Join POAMN (Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network) on December 3 at 1 pm CT to learn about the challenges of aging, how older adults can best navigate them, and how the church can provide support. Chris Pomfret, a 10-year member of POAMN and its current treasurer, will lead the webinar.

Chris observed how his parents and many others were unprepared for events that come their way in their later lives. These include decisions about where to live as they age, the importance of downsizing, and having conversations with children or loved ones about our end-of-life wishes. He wanted to help people in this “Third Thirty” period age smartly, wisely, gracefully, sensibly, and spiritually.

During the webinar, Chris will introduce an ecumenical curriculum for church organizations and/or older adult leaders to use or adapt with their congregations.

• Click here to register for the free webinar.
• Click here to download the ecumenical curriculum.
• Click here to read an article on helping people move into retirement.

Intergenerate 2025 Conference - Intergenerate is a conference for academics and practitioners together, a place to connect research and practice bringing generations together for worship, discipleship, and service.

Put on by Asbury Theological Seminary, it will take place in Wilmore, Kentucky, June 10-12.

Click here to learn more and register.

The Mission of the Church Committee has some funds available by application to help with:



1. Travel to or participation in a mission trip (domestic or international), and
2. International Mission Initiatives.

Activities for which funds are requested must be completed by December 31, 2024. Funding available for either is unlikely to exceed $1000. Applications should indicate which type of activity you are pursuing and provide: (a) a description of the activity or activities for which funds are desired; (b) the missional goals of the activity; (c) total budget, amount requested from MOC, and how remainder will be funded; (c) beginning and ending dates of the activity. Send applications to MOC Moderator Peg Falls-Corbitt at fallscorbitt@hendrix.edu no later than Dec. 6th.

The MOC will also consider applications for small (e.g. under $500) Mission Initiative Grants for outreach to vulnerable populations that will be carried out prior to December 31, 2024. Click here for application guidelines and requirement. Send applications to: MOC Moderator Peg Falls-Corbitt a fallscorbitt@hendrix.edu no later than Dec. 6th.

Elder Training and Other Leadership Resources - I received an email recently asking for resources for training elders and deacons and for doing new member classes. It got me thinking how January is a great time to offer both of these opportunities.

On our Ministry Resources page on presbyark.org, you will find a list of these kinds of training and leadership resources and more under Ministry Resources/Pastoral Leadership/Training & Leadership.

If you know of good training and leadership resources that I don't have listed, please share them with me.

Blessings, Julie Price, Presbytery Connector

Do you have Advent under control? Maybe you need a few more ideas? Check out the Advent page on our Ministry Resources page on presbyark.org (Ministry Resources/Worship/seasonal/Advent). There, you will find ideas and resources for everything from Advent through Epiphany.