IN LAYMAN'S TERMS

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

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

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.