On the west side of Little Rock, where Rodney Parham Road slices through some of the city's older neighborhoods, Pleasant Valley Church of Christ has shaped its week around three Sunday morning services, an a cappella singing tradition, and a decade-long vision called reNEWall. The congregation describes itself as a community of imperfect men and women working together to become the best local church it can be, and its motto, "Follow Jesus, Build Bridges, Make Disciples," shows up on banners, business cards, and small-group guides throughout the building.
Three Sunday Mornings on Rodney Parham
The week at PV revolves around three Sunday morning services at 8:30, 9:40, and 10:50 AM. Each gathering runs sixty to seventy minutes in the main auditorium on the west side of the building. Guests are met by a guest-services team that will help them find a seat, register their children in advance, and introduce them to people in the church. A welcome desk in the lobby offers information, directions, and a small gift. Between the second and third services, at 9:45 AM, adults gather in age-based Bible discussion classes and children from birth through twelfth grade meet in their own classes. On Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM, classes and connection opportunities run again for every age.
A Cappella Worship and the Lord's Supper Every Week
The worship style is what many first-time visitors notice first. PV sings in the a cappella tradition, meaning voices only - no band, no instruments. A worship team leads the church in praise, and a leader guides everyone in the Lord's Supper each week, sharing a small cracker and cup of juice to remember Jesus and His sacrifice. Each service also includes a hope-filled message about life with Jesus. Services are livestreamed on Facebook and on YouTube, and the third Sunday service carries live American Sign Language interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing. Sermon audio is archived and shared as a podcast on Apple Podcasts.
From the Nursery to Young Adults: Next Generation at PV
PV's Next Generation ministry stretches from the nursery to young adulthood and is built around the conviction that parents are the primary disciple-makers in a child's life. PVKids serves children from birth through fifth grade with an attended nursery during both morning services, Praise Packets to help young worshipers engage, and a children's church program during the sermon for ages three through kindergarten. Children's Sunday Bible classes meet at 9:45 AM, and Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM bring age-based discipleship classes for kids. Middle school and high school students worship with the whole church on Sunday mornings, gather for Bible class at 9:45 AM in the City Life Room (middle school) and Teen Room (high school), and return on Wednesday evenings for snacks, games, and discipling groups. Two distinct young-adult communities round out the family. "Adultish" gathers college and graduate students ages eighteen to twenty-five on Sunday mornings in the Multi-Purpose Room, and "The TAP" (Twenties and Professionals) meets at the same hour in the TAP Room under the gym. Both are led by Young Adult Minister Gary Storment. Parents can text KIDS, MIDDLE, or PVHS to 501.575.3005 for ministry updates.
A Web of Small Groups for Adults
Adults who want to go deeper find a striking range of small-group options. 2:42 Groups are larger, mixed-gender communities built around the Acts 2:42 model of teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, and they remain open to new people. DGroups gather three to five people of the same gender into deep, transparent relationships of prayer, fasting, and study that run for nine to twelve months and often multiply into new groups. Alpha is a weekly conversation series for anyone exploring faith, with shared meals, short talks, and open discussion; it meets at Nexus Coffee on President Clinton Avenue in downtown Little Rock on Sunday evenings. The Table is a monthly gathering for women from high school through adulthood that includes a meal, communion, childcare, and facilitated conversation. Midweek Bible Studies meet on Tuesday mornings and evenings for women and on Wednesday mornings for seniors. Financial Peace University, a nine-week financial literacy course, runs periodically. Group Life and Adult Education Minister Lynn Cook helps newcomers find the right fit.
Grief, Parenting, and Open Conversations
PV carries a particular burden for families navigating hard places. The GriefShare group meets weekly at the PV building and welcomes new participants at any point in the thirteen-week cycle; Eddie Shields and Tim Gill lead the group. Parenting resources run unusually deep: a recorded talk on anxiety with counselor Paula Morse, a recording on marriage and sexuality with Dr. Rubel Shelly, parent-child cell phone agreements, smartphone charters, Bible reading plans, and recommended books from Sissy Goff and Dr. Dan Siegel sit alongside a curated list of Christian counselors in central Arkansas. The Resource Library includes PDF guides on technology, anxiety, and sexual integrity, and the church regularly hosts reading plans on the YouVersion Bible app.
Serving Little Rock and the World
Members serve through three main channels: serving at PV, serving in the community, and serving as a group. PV Foster Care is a network of members who serve as foster parents, adoptive parents, respite parents, mentors, support families, CASA workers, and babysitters, with a particular need for foster families willing to take children ages six and up. River City Ministry in North Little Rock offers opportunities to cook and serve a Sunday afternoon meal for one hundred neighbors experiencing homelessness. The Little Rock Compassion Center welcomes volunteers into its thrift store, kitchen, and dining areas. PV also supports prison, jail, and re-entry ministry, with volunteers serving as pen pals, visitors, Bible study teachers, and mentors to those returning from incarceration. Small groups frequently pack soap through a ministry partner, build blessing bags for people they encounter on the streets of Little Rock, prepare freezer meals for families receiving medical treatment through Goodness Village, and mentor youth in crisis at Immerse Arkansas. Beyond the city, PV fully supports six missionary families: Eric and Susan Guild in Tanzania, Jorge and Maritza Pineda in Tampa, Keith and Laura Lape in North Little Rock, Macky and Daniele Shedd in Columbia, Missouri, Jeremy and Martha Smith in Mozambique, and Nathan and Sara Zinck in Brazil. The church also partners with Mitch and Monika Anderson in the Czech Republic, Will and Alisa Copeland in Kenya, the Haiti Christian Development Project, and River City Ministries.
reNEWall: A Ten-Year Vision for the City
The reNEWall vision has shaped the congregation since April of 2021. Its measurable goals for the decade include a church of two thousand transformed disciples, one thousand baptisms over ten years, and thirty percent multi-cultural leadership, membership, and staff that reflects the surrounding neighborhood. The current All-In generosity campaign is funding the next chapter: eliminating debt, building a more welcoming baptistry and updated worship center, adding a daily prayer room, expanding the Next Generation ministry with buses for students and seniors, and reserving ten percent of all gifts for outreach to underserved schools, the unhoused, the unemployed, and families in crisis. A third Sunday service was added during construction to accommodate newcomers, and a 1st and 10 team of members, staff, and shepherds is meeting with city leaders in areas like addiction recovery, employment, and underserved schools. Giving is available online through Pushpay for the general offering, special funds, or the All-In campaign.
Shepherds, Ministers, and What We Believe
PV is governed by fifteen shepherds (elders) who serve in couples and prayerfully discern its direction. Day-to-day ministry is led by eleven ministers: Jonathan Storment (Preaching), Josh Kasinger (Worship and Executive), Gary Storment (Young Adults), Jason Baker (Next Generation), Jeremy Evans (High School), Tina Brown (Middle School), Lynn Cook (Group Life and Adult Education), Courtney Hirscheider (Vision Strategies and Communications), Mark Hixson (Media), Stuart Cash (Guest Services), and Sammie Young, Jr. (Engagement). The church's core beliefs center on the gospel of Jesus Christ, the authority of Scripture, the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and baptism by immersion as the moment a believer is united with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Worship is described as Christ-centered, community-building, and Spirit-led. The Family Life Center at PV houses a fitness facility that is open to members and the community for seven dollars per month, with classes, a weight room, and small-group workouts available Monday through Friday.