The 154th Meeting

of The Presbytery of Arkansas

will take place October 6 & 7

at Westover Hills in Little Rock

Click here to read General Presbyter, Stewart Smith's tell us about the new staff position that has been filled as well as give us an update on the progress being made in the Presbytery offices.

In June, the Presbytery of Arkansas approved the concept of hiring a consulting firm to guide us through a process of strategic planning, visioning, and preparation for the next chapter in the life of the presbytery. The Coordinating Team will bring a recommendation to the October meeting for that project. In anticipation of that work, a special committee will be named to work with the consultant as we implement any plans that emerge from the process. The Nominating Committee has been tasked with bringing a slate of 7 members to serve in that capacity. The committee was further instructed to make every effort to ensure that the various constituencies of the presbytery including large and small churches, rural and urban settings, etc. are represented on the committee. This is where you come in. The Nominating Committee is seeking your recommendations of individuals to be considered for nomination to this committee. The ideal candidates will:

• Have a commitment to seeing the process through over the course of 18-36 months.
• Be open to new ideas and new directions for the presbytery as we seek to serve Christ and the world. 
• Be available to meet monthly (most likely via zoom).
• Share their insights and experience with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.
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Nominations should be sent to committee chair Rev. Robert Lowry at robertwilliamlowry@gmail.com by August 14. To assist the committee in its work, please confirm the availability of a nominee prior to submitting their name. A slate of 7 will be brought to the presbytery meeting in October for election by the full presbytery.

 "The Youth A-Team will be meeting at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center to do some planning for the year ahead. If you did not receive the google form and are interested in attending that meeting, please contact Sarah Leer at the Youth A-Team email, arpres.ateam@gmail.com." 

Coming to churches near you in mid-September!

Your Presbytery Connector, Julie Price, will hit the road in mid-September traveling around the state to meet with people who will be planning Advent in your churches. She will have curriculum and other resources and ideas to help pastors, educators, and other staff and REs get a jump start on the Advent season. We will share a meal together as well as spend time sharing and brainstorming ideas. So watch for details soon!

Lulu’s Love in Action Day is Vera Lloyd’s annual Day of Giving celebrating our founding mother, Lulu Jackson Williamson, on her birthday.

Decades later, we continue to honor her legacy of providing love and guidance to children and youth by fulfilling our mission to heal, prepare and empower children, youth, and families in need.

On August 10^th, we ask that you join us in helping reach our $20,000 goal. We have a special donor who will be matching donations up to $5,000. Gifts made by August 15^th will be eligible for the match.

To give:

• Text lulu to 566-51
• Visit our website at veralloyd.org
• Mail a check to our office and write Lulu’s Love in the memo line.

Thank you for your ongoing support to Vera Lloyd!

SCRAPCE Fall 2023 Event – September 25-27 Shifting from Many Ages in Worship to Worship for All Ages

Join onsite or online.

· Learning from soft space gone wrong

· Reimagining intergenerational ministry

· Preparing worship that actively engages and equally values all ages

Click here for more info and registration.

The scholarship application is now open!

For persons serving a PC(USA) church in the Synod of the Sun, the scholarship will cover

100% ($125) for in-person participants or 50% ($25) for online participants.

Priority will be given to:

* First-time participants in a SCRAPCE Fall Event

* First-time recipient of any SCRAPCE scholarship

* Regional and Ethnic diversity

Applications are due by September 11, 2023, Click here.

In July, two groups of Presbytery of Arkansas individuals gathered on Zoom for the Spirituality of Bread Baking on a Saturday morning and a Thursday evening. We baked a daily bread loaf and then a slow rise overnight rise loaf as we connected the practice of bread baking to our lives of faith. Those who joined shared that there were others who wanted to join, but whose schedules did not line up, and that there is interest to “do it again!” The plan is to come together quarterly for more bread baking through the lens of our faith. Bread baking takes longer than the 1.5 hour zoom gathering; we enter into the process together and finish on our own time. Look for a save the date for fall- October or November- so that you can join in baking bread over conversations and connections to our lives of faith. If you want more information about this Zoom bread baking concept, contact Kristi Button kbutton@fupcfay.org

Boundaries Training is now required of all Ministers of Word and Sacrament and Commissioned Ruling Elders every 36 months. Here are some upcoming opportunities to fulfill this requirement. All three of these dates are online Leaderwise training:

• August 22& 23, 2023 1pm-4pm each day. 
• September 26&27, 2023 9-noon each day.
• November 14&15th, 2023  5pm-8pm. each day.

Click here to register for these events. When you finish your training, please send a copy of your certificate to me at revbrinegar@gmail.com.

Earlier this year the Rev. Lindy Vogado connected me with the director of the Literacy Action Council, Dana Venhaus, about the possibility of them moving into some of our church space. The library, where they had been housed, is undergoing renovations, and while they had been offered a place, and had a few options to consider, they were especially looking for something more centrally located, on a bus stop, and which was handicap accessible. Already GPCLR's facility meets those requirements, and with the additional benefits of parking, security lighting, and beautiful, but now unused, spaces. After I met with Dana, she shared information about the program with the session, and then she came and met with them at our session meeting, pitching them the idea and the possibilities she and I had discussed. Click here to read and see more.