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.