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Barbara Verdery keeps this lovely cross on her desk. Harry Vandergriff made it for her to celebrate her five years as Clerk of Session. Session is one of the special things about Presbyterian churches. In Presbyterian churches, the Session is the governing body at the local church level. It’s a group of elected elders who… Read more »

We don’t usually think about Chrismons during Lent — we enjoy them during Advent and Christmas. But this year for Lent we are scoping out all the crosses at FUPC, and that certainly includes many of the Chrismons. Chrismons are monograms of Christ’s name. They are special white and gold ornaments made in many traditional… Read more »

Youth Director Amanda McDonald received this cross from her previous church in Pine Bluff. It was created by James Hayes, a glass artist in Pine Bluff. Amanda, a native of Springdale and U of A graduate, preached at First Presbyterian Church in Pine Bluff and provided support services. The glass cross was given to her… Read more »

When we find, “Lift High the Cross,” we may envision a cross as we sing. If so, there is more than one cross that might come to our minds. The Latin cross may be the most familiar, the one we think of as the basic cross. It has a longer vertical arm and shorter horizontal… Read more »

Today’s FUPC cross is found on the door of the church van — and in many other places as well, because it is the official church logo. Mary Mann remembers that the designer was a friend of hers and the daughter of one of the office managers many years ago. The logo combines the cross… Read more »

Since 2018, First United Presbyterian Church has been an Earth Care Congregation. This is a certification program of the PCUSA, and we are one of just a few churches in Arkansas which have earned this honor. In order to get our certification, we have done many things that demonstrate our commitment to righteous stewardship of… Read more »

Here is another beautiful cross from First United Presbyterian Church. This is the familiar Latin cross shape, but there is something different about it. If you look closely, you can see the letters “JHS” or “IHS” on it. What’s that all about? Is that an I or a J? It could be either one. Look… Read more »

Many of the crosses at FUPC are hand carved from wood, and many of those hand carved crosses were made by Harry Vandergriff. Harry Vandergriff was a member of FUPC for more than fifty years, serving as an elder and volunteer in multiple areas of church life until his death in 2012. Harry served in… Read more »

Another cross on the FUPC campus adorns the Clay Bell Memorial Fountain. Rev. Clay Bell answered the call to preach at FUPC in 1965. He served during the ’60s and ’70s, a time of growth for the congregation, and was widely recognized for his leadership and mission work. He left for a position in Illinois,… Read more »

Searching for crosses on Presbyterian Hill, you’ll find this cross on communion ware. In the Presbyterian tradition, Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, holds a special place: One of Two Sacraments Presbyterians consider Communion one of the two sacraments. The other is baptism. We see these as divinely ordained acts that express faith and encounter God’s… Read more »