Luke the Sequel: The Acts of the Apostles

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 hisContinue reading “Luke the Sequel: The Acts of the Apostles”

Lessons from Pandemics Past

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 gripsContinue reading “Lessons from Pandemics Past”

CCLI: Enhance Worship While Protecting Your Church

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 similarContinue reading “CCLI: Enhance Worship While Protecting Your Church”

Laity Summit 2023

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,Continue reading “Laity Summit 2023”

Center for Pastoral Effectiveness

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. Download the episode.Continue reading “Center for Pastoral Effectiveness”