IN LAYMAN'S TERMS

In this episode, we learn about a workshop available for Great Plains Conference congregations meant to help them develop marketing plans for their local churches. Don Osborn, a marketing professional who helped devise the marketing strategy for The Vine UMC in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, will lead the workshop, and he talks with Todd about what people will learn as part of this discussion.

As the war in Gaza continues, Todd talks with Carol Ekdahl-Garwood, chair of the Great Plains Conference's Holy Land Task Force. During their discussion, we learn about the peril of Palestinian people, the delicate balance between supporting Israel while pointing out human rights concerns, and what life is like away from the media spotlight we often see on national news.

Youth sports should be a time of fun, development and building character. But it's often quite the opposite. Matt Williams — a standout catcher at Duke University who played in the Chicago Cubs organization — joins Todd to talk about a one-day workshop titled "Coach Different." Matt, the digital engagement team director at Resurrection, a United Methodist Church who has coached young people, wants to give youth coaches a chance to learn how to reduce stress, make the best use of their time and increase the positive impact they can have on boys and girls of all ages through sports. A 90-minute workshop March 31, 2025, in Olathe at the Resurrection West campus can help coaches learn how to coach with purpose. Fill out the registration form.

In this episode, Todd talks with Rev. Dr. Ashlee Alley Crawford and Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford about changes to the Great Plains Conference's internship program. An additional guest — Rev. Grace Woods from Topeka First United Methodist Church — shares her journey from summer intern to a pastor working with a Great Plains intern. If you have questions about internships in the Great Plains Conference, please reach out to: Rev. Dr. Ashlee Alley Crawford — aalleycrawford@greatplainsumc.org Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford — mgepford@greatplainsumc.org

The issue of immigration continues to grow in prominence as we move closer to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. During the campaign, he promised mass deportations and the closing of our U.S. borders. What impact does that have on people seeking a better life for their families in this country? Andrea Paret, a Department of Justice accredited representative at Mary Treglia Community House in Sioux City, Iowa, shares her reflections as a person who works with immigrants to this country.

The Table is a different kind of evangelism tool used by Bonfire, a Korean-language and culture church start in Olathe, Kansas. The Table is a biweekly meal with invited guests who have the chance to build relationships through conversation while gathering around food. This episode features one gathering in December at The Table, with Bishop David Wilson, members of his Cabinet and representatives from Bonfire.

The campaign promise by President-elect Donald Trump for mass deportations has created more than a little anxiety among people who are immigrants to the United States. While some Americans may think it worthwhile to deport people illegally in the country, many people who are on the pathway to permanent residency or even citizenship fear the route the finish line they have been moving toward may be pushed farther back or eliminated. Todd Seifert talks to three pastors — themselves immigrants to the United States — about the fears they have heard from members of their communities and what their churches are doing to try to help.

November is Native American Heritage Month. We celebrate by talking with Bishop David Wilson, an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation and also with Cherokee lineage. We also share some remarks and interviews from a U.S. Indian Boarding School Remembrance the Great Plains Conference hosted Sept. 28, 2024, at Saint Paul United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Each September, Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, in Leawood, Kansas, hosts Leadership Institute. This time, Todd took along a microphone and recorded short interviews in hallways, in the backs of workshop rooms, in the corner of the sanctuary and even behind the chancel in an effort to give a snapshot of what participants experienced at this year's event. 

We wrap up a three-part series on United Methodists serving in local elected offices with an interview with Jeff Hart, who has served on his village board in Lynch, Nebraska, for more than 20 years. He's also a school teachers and working toward becoming a licensed pastor in the UMC.

In a short episode of the "In Layman's Terms" podcast, Todd Seifert, communications director for the Great Plains Conference, interviews Dr. Ashley Boggan, general secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History for The United Methodist Church. Dr. Boggan talks about what clergy will hear from her as she presents our plenary learning times during Orders & Fellowship on Oct. 28-30 at Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, in Leawood, Kansas.

Todd continues his series on laity serving in public offices with a fun interview with Robin Carlson. She runs a nonprofit clinic in Courtland, Kansas, and she's also the town mayor. It's a story of a hometown girl who left for the big city and returned to make her United Methodist Church and community better.

New church starts can be difficult. The Great Plains Conference's New Church Development board has implemented some new strategies and is, literally, traveling the world to see how it's done elsewhere. Todd explores some of the new strategies being employed by the NCD board to help build new faith communities that will thrive. In this episode, Todd talks with Rev. Dr. Gerald Liu, PhD, the conference's emerging faith communities cultivator; Amy Haines, a newcomer to the NCD board; and Rev. Changhyun Kim, who has started a new Korean-language faith community in Olathe, Kansas.

Todd starts an intermittent series on laity serving in elected office. With so much of the discussion focused on the presidential race, it's easy to forget that many more decisions that impact our lives are made at the local level. In this opening episode to the series, Todd discusses how faith and service intersect with Tyler Curtis. Besides his work with the Kansas Methodist Foundation, he recently was chosen to finish out a term left vacant by a death on the Emporia City Commission.

The Great Plains Conference's Disaster Response/Assistance Fund could use a boost. To explain how the fund helps individuals, Rev. Hollie Tapley, the conference's Disaster Response coordinator, shares some details about the fund, information about Disaster Response in general, and how you can participate with your financial assistance and time as a volunteer. Learn more at https://www.greatplainsumc.org/disasterresponse. Donate to the fund: https://gp-reg.brtapp.com/GPDisasterFund. 

We still struggle with some of the same problems as Jesus' first followers — and some problems they didn't have to face. In this episode, Rev. David Livingston, lead pastor at Old Mission United Methodist Church in Fairway, Kansas, talks with Todd about his new book, "Getting to Good." David's first published book explores seven common struggles of contemporary life. Through scripture, contemporary examples, and personal stories, David shares the causes of these issues and some concrete steps to get to a good place of their own. "Getting to Good" doesn't attempt to wish away the problems we face. Instead, it confronts them head-on. Life is not and will not be perfect and free from difficulty. But we can get to a good place even with our inevitable challenges.

We kick off recording in our new sound studio with a discussion with Bishop David Wilson. The bishop shares reflections on General Conference, the Great Plains Annual Conference session and the challenges facing delegates at the upcoming South Central Jurisdictional Conference.

In the conclusion of a five-part series previewing the upcoming United Methodist Church's General Conference, Rev. Adam Hamilton, lead pastor of the denomination's largest congregation based in Leawood, Kansas, provides a summary of key issues delegates will address and talks about how his church has thrived amid these uncertain times.

In the fourth of a five-part series, Rev. Amy Lippoldt provides some education and great insights into the global nature of The United Methodist Church. As a member of the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters, Amy has been exposed to many parts of the worldwide aspects of the church that aren't easily seen from our pews in Kansas and Nebraska. Some apologies before you start listening: A bad cable was discovered — but not until the editing process. The process used to eliminate the high-pitched hum that was throughout the interview recording resulted in poor audio quality from Amy's microphone. However, listeners can still hear her analysis of the issues coming before the General Conference.

In the third of a five-episode series previewing General Conference of The United Methodist Church, Rev. David Livingston shares his thoughts on three widely known priorities for progressives and centrists, as well as some details from his travels to the African continent to meet with delegates there.

Our five-episode series previewing General Conference of The United Methodist Church continues with Lisa Maupin, the lay leader of the Great Plains Annual Conference. In this discussion, Lisa shares her reflections on what have become known as the "3 R's" and shares other insights on topics surrounding the General Conference, scheduled for April 23 to May 4, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The first in a five-episode series on the upcoming General Conference of The United Methodist Church features Rev. Dr. Mark Holland, the co-founder of Mainstream UMC. He kicks off the series by explaining three priorities his organization has set for the conference, which starts April 23, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The priorities are regionalization, removal of restrictive language involving LGBTQ+ persons from the Book of Discipline, and stopping further disaffiliations from the denomination.

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation has a series of grants to help local ministries get started, expand and augment their reach to their communities. This episode tells the stories of three ministries assisted by these grants in Nebraska — an entrepreneurial idea at Connection Point in Lincoln, children's and youth curriculum for The Vine United Methodist Church in Scottsbluff, and a different way to help Brady UMC in the North Platte area worship without a pastor. Learn more about the Nebraska foundation.

Members of the Great Plains and Louisiana conferences of The United Methodist Church took part in a four-day civil rights immersion trip to the areas around Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, in July 2023. It was the idea of former Great Plains Clergy Excellence Director Rev. Dr. Dee Williamston, now bishop of the Louisiana Conference. She and Bishop David Wilson of the Great Plains — the first Native American bishop in the denomination — teamed up to lead the group on an educational experience that expanded minds, filled hearts with love — and most importantly challenged the emotions of all who took part. This is the third of a three-episode series on the trip.

It's Black History Month, and so this In Layman's Terms podcast is providing a three-part series on a trip made by members of the Great Plains and Louisiana conferences to the areas around Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama — both places that played significant roles in the civil rights movement. The trip was a civil rights immersion trip to help educate, inspire and stir to action followers of Christ. One of the goals was to give people the tools they need to combat racism and to push for equity in our society. In this second of three episodes, I think it's important that we explore the emotions that people felt on the trip — and what has continued to resonate with them since coming home.

In July 2023, a group of clergy and laity from the Great Plains Conference met up with fellow United Methodists from the Louisiana Conference for a civil rights immersion experience. Over the course of four days, the group lived the history of Alabama. Our group spent much of its time in Montgomery. We saw the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and walked in the parsonage where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King lived. We spent the better part of a day at the Legacy Museum, a mission of the Equal Justice Initiative (or EJI). It's an amazing museum that uses the latest in technology to help tell the story of racism — from kidnappings in the African continent to the often-deadly voyage to North America to the brutality of slavery. It also explains the injustice of Jim Crow laws and addresses the modern-day inequity of mass incarceration. Our group saw the bus station where Freedom Riders were beaten, walked a memorial dedicated to honoring the lives of the numerous people lynched over the years, including right here in Kansas and Nebraska. We traveled to Selma and walked the bridge where Dr. King, John Lewis and others were abused by white supremacists, including police officers. In Birmingham, we talked with people who are members of 16th Street Baptist Church, where four girls were killed by a bomb. And we toured the Civil Rights Institute, which tells the story, decade by decade, of the push for equity in this country. February is Black History Month, so I wanted to share some of the stories from our trip. I wanted to provide an opportunity for listeners to feel the emotions, embrace the potential for change in our country by hearing the stories of people — Black, brown and white. And, in this concluding episode of the three-part series, I wanted to convey the ways people believe they have changed — And their hopes and dreams for how our world can change … for the better.

As we continue our lessons from the Ark, we'll explore what it means to persevere. We know we'll face storms in life, so how can we be prepared? And how can we endure? Thankfully, we can lean on the Holy Spirit as our traveling companion.

As we continue considering lessons from the ark — as learned through other passages in scripture — we come to compassion. Just a little of it, along with encouragement, can go a long way toward lifting up others.

Our short series on lessons from the ark begins in earnest with looking at our need for spiritual strength when the storms of life arise. And that means we have to prepare. In this and the remaining episodes about the ark, we have a special guest, Rev. Dr. Richard Randolph, a United Methodist pastor and director of stewardship for the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation.

Todd starts a five-episode series on lessons we can learn from Noah and the ark. In this first episode, we explore the importance of faith and of preparation.

One of the most important parts of being the church is caring for one another. But it's not just the pastor's job. Indeed, it's important that laity are heavily involved in providing excellent care for one another. Doing so strengthens the sense of community, shows the love of Christ and helps boost the vitality of local congregations. The Caring Congregation, an organization founded by retired United Methodist elder Rev. Karen Lampe, aims to teach congregations of all sizes how it can provide better care for one another and the communities they serve. A special online webinar is scheduled for Feb. 23-24 to provide training either for individuals or groups who want to learn more. You can register for the webinar here. You can order "The Caring Congregation Ministry: Implementation Guide" at one of these stores: The Caring Congregation website Cokesbury Amazon AbeBooks    

Bishop David Wilson talks with Todd about Native American Heritage Month, when we celebrate the contributions of Indigenous peoples during the month of November. This conversation covers an immersion experience in Oklahoma, recognition of U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, and more about the bishop's travels across the country.   LINKS Powwow Photo Album — https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjASZbF Immersion Trip Album — https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjARU6e Blog about the Oklahoma Trip — https://www.greatplainsumc.org/blogdetail/in-laymans-terms-pondering-culture-after-a-native-american-immersion-experience-17589860 Videos: Day 1 — First Americans Museum — https://www.greatplainsumc.org/videodetail/native-american-cultural-immersion-trip-day-1-17557337 Day 2 — Washita Massacre Site — https://www.greatplainsumc.org/videodetail/native-american-cultural-immersion-trip-day-2-17563970 Day 3 — Skyline Urban Ministries — https://www.greatplainsumc.org/videodetail/native-american-cultural-immersion-day-3-17566093 Day 4 — Tulsa Race Massacre and Mary Lee Clark UMC — https://www.greatplainsumc.org/videodetail/native-american-cultural-immersion-trip-day-4-17566883 Day 5 — Ponca Tribe Powwow — https://www.greatplainsumc.org/videodetail/native-american-cultural-immersion-trip-day-5-17574572  

Paul makes use of an empty altar to explain to skeptics who Jesus is and about our all-powerful God. We've been given all the tools we need to share the good news, even if we sometimes have to improvise. This episode wraps up our short series on the book of Acts.

The study of the book of Acts continues with a lesson about how we sometimes make following Christ more difficult than it needs to be. Love God, love others, and make disciples. A story about a Dallas-area pastor augments the scripture about Peter and Cornelius.

After a longer-than-expected hiatus, the podcast returns, and we resume our study of the book of Acts, the sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Saying we believe is fine, but actions speak louder than word. Ananias teaches us that lesson.

The story of the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip teaches another lesson from the book of Acts. It's important for us to act on our faith by remaining curious and embracing the questions we ask about our faith.

As we explore what the book of Acts has to teach the church today, we explore what it means to speak boldly for Jesus in the world today. And, yes, we are all capable of speaking up for Christ.

We begin a multi-week series on the book of Acts. We'll look at the book as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke and a continuation of Jesus teaching how to lift up the lowly, engage the outcast, and embrace the outlaw. In this first episode we look at 3 lessons Jesus taught during his ascension to Heaven.

On the 100th day of Bishop David Wilson's tenure as bishop of the Great Plains Conference, he shares in a discussion with Todd what he's been up to so far in Kansas and Nebraska, as well as plans for the weeks and months ahead.

One of the biggest disruptions in the life of the church in the past few decades was clearly the COVID-19 pandemic. I suppose you could make an argument that it's still causing disruption. The Congregational Excellence team of the Great Plains Conference wants to help clergy and laity process what has happened, come to grips with our current reality and, — and this is most important — realize there is hope for the future. So in late April and early May, author Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter will be making a book tour with workshops in five Great Plains cities — North Platte and Columbus in Nebraska, and Ottawa, McPherson and Hays in Kansas. She is chief visionary for Rebekah Simon-Peter Coaching and Consulting Incorporated, which has a flagship program titled “Creating a Culture of Renewal.” The event she is facilitating with us in the Great Plains is Lessons from Pandemics Past.

CCLI and similar licensing services allow for churches to make song sheets, project lyrics and use other tools to enhance worship. Their efforts support the composers whose work we use while also protecting churches from copyright concerns. Todd talks with two representatives from CCLI, who explain how they work and what CCLI and other similar organizations do.

One of the newer traditions in the Great Plains Conference is our annual Laity Summit. Guests in this episode include Lisa Maupin, conference lay leader, and Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, our keynote speaker for this day dedicated to training and education specifically for laity. The 2023 edition is scheduled for March 18. And it's completely online, using Zoom, so you can participate from anywhere in Kansas or Nebraska — or the world for that matter. The theme this year is “And They Dreamed.” You can learn more and register by going to www.greatplainsumc.org/laity-summit.

Our world today is filled with anxiety, and the church is not immune. The Rev. Bill Selby recognized that long ago and launched what is known as the Center for Pastoral Effectiveness. He has made it his ministry to help pastors better navigate anxiety and improve connections with congregants and their communities.

The Space at the Table event in mid-November talked about the bright future of The United Methodist Church and featured Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter, panels of young clergy, academics and bishops, and discussion about how to strengthen the Black church. This episode features excerpts and brief interviews from the venue in Dallas. And check out this story from United Methodist News Service.

This interview features Rev. Dee Williamston, director of clergy excellence and assistant to the bishop in the Great Plains Conference, as part of a short series featuring brief interviews with the episcopal candidates in the South Central Jurisdiction.

This interview features Rev. Dr. David Wilson, assistant to the bishop in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, as part of a short series featuring brief interviews with the episcopal candidates in the South Central Jurisdiction.

This interview features Rev. Dr. Laceye Warner, associate dean for Wesleyan Engagement and the Royce and Jane Reynolds associate professor of evangelism and Methodist studies at Duke University Divinity School, as part of a short series featuring brief interviews with the episcopal candidates in the South Central Jurisdiction.

This interview features Rev. Dr. Eddie Rivera, provost of the New Mexico Conference, as part of a short series featuring brief interviews with the episcopal candidates in the South Central Jurisdiction.

This interview features Rev. Dr. Randall Partin, senior pastor of St. John's United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as part of a short series featuring brief interviews with the episcopal candidates in the South Central Jurisdiction.

This interview features Rev. Laura Merrill, Capital District Superintendent in the Rio Texas Conference, as part of a short series featuring brief interviews with the episcopal candidates in the South Central Jurisdiction.

This interview features Rev. David Gilmore, Northwest District Superintendent in the Missouri Conference, as part of a short series featuring brief interviews with the episcopal candidates in the South Central Jurisdiction.