Clerk of Session Training - On Saturday April 27,  from 9:00-11:30am, Stated Clerk, Blake Brinegar, will be leading a zoom training session for anyone currently serving as their church's Clerk of Session. The session will cover the role and responsibilities of the Clerk of Session, along with some of the new things clerks may want to be thinking about.

Click here to register. Direct questions to Blake at revbrinegar@gmail.com.  

Board of Pension Changes - The Board of Pensions has released information regarding the new 2025 Benefits Plan.

• Click here for the BOP announcement page.
• Click here to read an article from the president of the Board.
• Click here for an article from the Outlook about the new plan.

The Ministry Resource Pages - Looking for a spark of inspiration for upcoming Worship or new ideas for your ministry? Check The Ministry Resource Pages - an online library of resources available for you at your convenience! Available on the Presbytery website, presbyark.org, they are located at the top of the Resources drop-down. This is your starting place for delving into a topic, searching for a new study or curriculum, discovering a world of podcasts, and so much more. Under the General Resources category, you will also find the Resource Center, which lists all of the physical resources we have to loan out for free along with links to explore them online.

The Resource Team has also designated funds to assist churches in purchasing current resources they are interested in using with the understanding that, when they are finished with them, the resources will be given to the Presbytery to share with other churches. Contact Julie Price to discuss this further and, going forward, watch for the new button at the top of the Update that will link directly to the the Ministry Resource pages.

The Second Annual Elders’ Retreat will take place June 7-9 at the University of the Ozarks. The retreat is open to ruling elders from all congregations in the Presbytery of Arkansas, but will have an emphasis on rural and small membership congregations. Ruling Elders will learn how to craft and deliver a sermon, and officiate at the communion table. They will also have a broad conversation about the work and best practices of rural and small membership churches. All expenses for the retreat will be covered by the Thriving in Rural Ministry program at the U of O. 

Click here to see the event schedule. Click here to register. Contact Phil Blackburn with questions.

Clergy and Lay Preacher Cohorts - Austin Theological Seminary is offering both a Clergy and a Lay-Preacher Cohort. This will be a wonderful opportunity for small church pastors and CREs. Deadlines have been extended by two more weeks for the Clergy Cohort and one more month for the Lay Preacher Cohort. Click here for more information.

Join The Presbytery at the Ball Games! Join Presbytery staff members at baseball games in both Springdale and North Little Rock this summer.

On Friday night, May 31, Presbyterians will head to Dickey-Stephens Ballpark for a ballpark dinner and to watch the Travelers take on Amarillo. Fireworks will follow the game. $15 per person. Click here to register.

On Wednesday night, June 5, we will be at Arvest Ballpark rooting the Naturals on as they play Wichita and you will have the opportunity to join a NWA Presbytery choir in singing the National Anthem. $9 per person. Click here to register.

Sharing Spaces: Exploring Possibilities - Is your church currently sharing space with other worshipping communities and/or organizations. Or maybe you are considering the idea. Wouldn't it be great if you could listen, ask questions, and learn from the experiences of these other churches as they came together to talk about what they are doing and how they got there?

I am working on scheduling an in-person event sometime this summer to do just this, at a location that's central to all the participants. Click here and share your contact information and let me know where you are in the process and I'll be in touch.

Blessings, Julie Price, Presbytery Connector.

Pew to Pulpit - This webinar series from PRC (Practical Resources for Churches), is for church folks who find themselves leading worship. Whether they're stepping in for a pastor on leave, helping during a transition, or moving to stronger congregational leadership, this series can help. It's part practical support (What is a lectionary? where can you find reliable exegesis online?), part art, and part encouragement. Watch here:

• From Pew to Pulpit: Preaching Your First Sermon (recorded)
• From Pew to Pulpit: Liturgy - The Work of the People (recorded)
• Pew to Pulpit: Children's Sermons, Thursday May 16, 2024, 1:00 - 2:00 PM 

Special Sundays - For those of you who are fans of A Sanctified Art, they have created new liturgy, art, and poetry for special days of worship; Earth day, Pentecost, Pride Sunday, World Communion, and All Saints Day. You can purchase the days individually or buy them all at a discounted rate.

Click here to read more.

Fernclipse Recap - Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, in conjunction with the PC(USA)'s Office of Christian Formation, hosted an intergenerational camp experience around the April 8 total eclipse. Click here to read all about the event!

Honduras Mission Trip 2024 - During spring break 2024, 14 people from the Presbytery of Arkansas celebrated a 10 year partnership with the Presbytery in Honduras.

• Click here to read about the trip.
• Click here to watch the 5 minute video recap.