Category Archives: Podcast Episodes

In a special three-part series the week of Thanksgiving 2021, Todd studies how to show gratitude to God. The series starts with lessons from the prophet Daniel, who showed that we should give thanks to God when things are going really well for us, but also when times are tough. Download the episode.

Todd continues his series on certified lay ministry with an interview with the Rev. Dr. Carl Ellis. Besides being a retired elder serving two rural churches in southeast Kansas, Carl is the founder and leader of The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries. In this episode, Carl shares his views on lay ministry and providesContinue reading “CLMs Part 3 — The Academy for Small Membership Church Ministries”

We continue a short series on certified lay ministries and certified lay servants with a look at how one CLM, Bryan Hankins, serves two churches in the Omaha area as an associate pastor. Learn about his passion for teaching, how he works with the appointed pastor, and about an exciting multi-language effort for the LayContinue reading “CLMs Part 2: Teaching & Preaching”

We start a short series of episodes examining certified lay ministers (CLMs) and the role they play in the local church, how they are trained, and why more people may want to prayerfully consider exploring becoming a CLM. In this episode, host Todd Seifert talks with Jada Hodgson, a CLM serving as pastor at PlumContinue reading “CLMs Part 1: Leading the Local Church”

The “In Layman’s Terms” podcast concludes its series on re-emerging from our in-home exiles with a look at how we can reshape our communities to more closely resemble the Kingdom of God. A key part of that effort likely is justice ministries. Host Todd Seifert, conference communications director, interviews the Rev. Sarah Marsh, the newContinue reading “Seeking Justice as Christians”

In this special video episode of “In Layman’s Terms,” host Todd Seifert talks with Dr. Socorro de Anda and Rev. Larry Moffet about the Lydia Patterson Institute. LPI is a ministry of education and discipleship for kids along the border of El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico. The episode also celebrates Dr. de Anda’s 37Continue reading “Lydia Patterson Institute”

The re-engagement series continues with an interview with the Rev. Stephanie Ahlschwede, lead pastor at St. Paul United Methodist Church in the Benson neighborhood of north Omaha. She and Todd talk about the things St. Paul tried as a means of staying connected to its community and parishioners and how some of those efforts areContinue reading “Keeping What Works”

We continue our look at re-engaging our faith by examining how we read the Bible. In this episode, Rev. Jeff Goetzinger from the Hutchinson area and Todd talk about their different strategies for reading through the Bible in 365 days. Download or listen to the episode.

Continuing with the theme of re-engaging our faith and communities after the pandemic, Calvary United Methodist Church in Wichita serves as an example of how preparation and flexibility can keep people connected to each other and, most importantly, to God. Rev. Michael Marion and Rev. Ashely Prescott Barlow Thompson sit down with Todd to talkContinue reading “Returning from Our Own Exiles”

As we come nearer and nearer to being able to return to life from our in-home exiles, we are embarking on a new series for the “In Layman’s Terms” podcast focused on rebuilding our communities and strengthening our spiritual disciplines. Using the stories from the Old Testament history books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the goalContinue reading “Let’s Build: Embracing the New Normal”