Connecting & Informing the Presbytery of Arkansas
February 3, 2022
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March Presbytery Meeting Changed to Zoom |
How many times have congregations had to change their plans over the past two years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic? Considering the high numbers and ease of transmission with the omicron variant, I had asked the Coordinating Team at their meeting on January 28 to reconsider our plans to meet “in-person” at the University of the Ozarks on March 4 and 5. After a lengthy discussion, it was moved and approved - Read more. |
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Statistical Reports Due – Feb. 17,2022 |
An important deadline is looming for the annual completion of church statistical reports. Our per capita payments in the future will be based upon the reports that congregations submit. With Covid-19, some information such as attendance and Sunday School participation may not be as accurate, but it is helpful to have accurate information submitted regarding congregational membership.
As of February 2, the following congregations have at least partially filled out their annual statistical reports. Read more.
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What, you don't have any children in your church? Then think outside the box. Why don't you partner with a local agency that does have children and put on a VBS with them. Or who says retirees can't still get in touch with their inner child? Bible study, music time, fellowship, coloring, snack time, put it all together it spells Adult VBS! One, three, five days - do it on your terms. It's your event.
Join a VBS Roundtable on Thursday, February 24 at 11:00am where we will be joined by representatives from Cokesbury, Illustrated Ministry, and Sparkhouse for brief overviews of their VBS offerings and ways they might be used followed by a brainstorming/sharing time with other participants around the table. Click here to register!
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Grant Opportunity For Small Churches |
In the recent Small Church Vitality workshop, Rev. Deborah Wright shared that the work she was doing with us was an offshoot of a grant project Pneumatrix had been conducting in the Synod of the Pacific. The next phase of that grant allows time for each individual congregation to explore their variety of options as she was encouraging our small churches to do. Then, in late Spring, in Phase 3 of that grant, they will throw open the gates and invite all small churches nationwide that are working on their future to join in new cohorts based on which path you may be pursuing - a merger, a building-less church, a multi-use campus, nesting congregations, 2 point parishes, etc. Each one will have zoom cohorts so you can meet with other churches trying the same new forms of ministry as your church. Experts who have 'been there - done that' will be available to help you avoid the pitfalls, etc. and it won't cost you a thing to participate.
Even if your congregation had no participants in the workshop, this opportunity is open to you, just contact Julie Price (julietannerprice@gmail.com) for more information. But don't wait, you have 4 months to do the beginning work with your congregation to see where you think God is leading you!
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Youth Trip Deadline Extended to
March 1
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Registration for all youth trips is now due by March 1, 2022.
All information including new reduced trip prices and registration forms are posted on the Youth A-Team page! Click here to register. For more information, contact Rev. Brianne Christiansen, Interim Director of Youth Ministries (brianne@presbyark.org).
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ALMA PRESBYTERIAN
A HAPPY WAY TO SAY 'THANK YOU'!
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Presbytery of Arkansas Future of the Church Grants have been used by our churches in many interesting ways. The fine people of Alma Presbyterian organized a wonderful event to thank and honor the hard workers of the Alma Community Outreach Center. This center provides food, clothing, and emergency assistance to those in the community. Some of the grant money was used to install energy efficient LEDs in the fellowship hall which brought even more light than just the food and warm fellowship.
Click here to navigate to the Future of the Church Grant guidelines 2022. (These guidelines were revised by the Grant Review Committee and FOTC in October 2021.)
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Youth A-Team Save the Date! |
Last weekend the Youth A-Team gathered to plan Spring 2022! Save the date for these upcoming events:
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March 5 - Youth @ Presbytery - A gathering for high school students connected with the March Presbytery meeting
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April 1-3 - JH Mission Possible - A weekend of service for junior high students hosted in Central AR
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Attention Retired Pastors |
- Are you a retired pastor?
- Would you like to keep abreast of what's going on in the Presbytery?
- Would you like to connect with other retired pastors?
Then join the Zoom chat on Friday, February 11 at 10:00am with Stewart Smith.
You should receive a reminder email the day before the meeting with the zoom link. If you don't, contact Julie Price at julietannerprice@gmail.com.
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We Still Need Your Photo! |
Thank you to everyone who has already sent in a photo and directory updates. We want to have a photo to go with each entry in our Presbytery's in-C directory. Look up your name by clicking here. If there's no photo or if there's one you don't like, send a new one to Julie Price at julietannerprice@gmail.com. If you aren't yet in the directory and would like to be or if there's information that needs to be updated on your page, let Julie know that as well. If you don't remember the directory password, just ask.
Think how wonderful it will be when you can put a face to everyone's name. So get busy and send Julie those photos!
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“Being Matthew 25”, a monthly interactive livestream series which is designed to inspire congregations, mid councils and groups to share Christ's love with those in the deepest need, debuted recently with a look at the work of Central Presbyterian Church in Princeton, Kentucky. Central Presbyterian Church, a church that’s been a blessing for people dealing with the December 2021 tornadoes that struck Western Kentucky, killing 77 people. Watch the 35-minute “Being Matthew 25” premiere by clicking here for the YouTube version and here for the Facebook version.
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Free Resources for Churches |
I recently discovered Life.Church Open Network. Everything is free. They have some great graphics (look under "Creative") you can use for your newsletters and more. Click here and check out these short videos on communications for churches on social media, email, websites, branding, and more.
So what are you waiting for? Go explore!
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Eric Seiberling is part of a husband-wife duo working to help the church embody "1 > 99" at brokensheep.com. He leverages his 20+ years of marketing and consulting experience to help churches "baptize" and use secular techniques to be more effective at reaching the lost, the least and the last for Jesus Christ.
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It’s not quite time to make reservations, but certainly time to save the date for Ecumenical Advocacy Days and CPJ Training Day 2022. The theme of this year’s online event is Fierce Urgency: Advancing Civil & Human Rights, and as it usually does, the CPJ event will have the same emphasis.
“This year, because EAD will be a virtual event, we’ve decided to have an abbreviated CPJ Day with two webinars lifting up the work of Compassion Peace and Justice on human and civil rights domestically and internationally,” said Catherine Gordon, Representative for International Issues for the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness on Capitol Hill and director of CPJ Day. “We are hoping to show how Presbyterians can get involved in the work for human and civil rights through the PC(USA) and the programs of Compassion Peace and Justice.” Click here to read more.
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Presbytery of Arkansas
9221 N. Rodney Parham Road
Little Rock, AR 72227
501-663-2424
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