THIS WEEK'S NEWS
Coffeyville UMC shares Thanksgiving with foreign students at college
Podcast shares innovation, changes at Institute for Discipleship
Lexington, local UMC in shock over news of meat-packing plant closing
Parsonage fire causes damage in Schuyler
Pew Center offers snapshot of religious composition
Counting down to end of the year
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Five-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation scheduled for April 12-17
Videos from Orders & Fellowship are now available at our website
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Registration open for leadership training, scheduled for Jan. 20-22
Lay persons needed to volunteer for various conference committees
MERCY & JUSTICE
Facts and figures you can use when talking about immigration
United Methodists at the launch of Kairos Palestine II
DISASTER RESPONSE
Staying safe is important during winter travelling
RESOURCES
Learn your Methodist history with these DVDs from resource center
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
In other news
Newsletters
Classifieds
Coffeyville UMC shares Thanksgiving with foreign students at college
College students look forward to a home-cooked meal with family on Thanksgiving, but not everyone is able to enjoy the holiday with loved ones. International students and domestic students who live far away are often stuck on campus.
Members of Coffeyville First UMC partner with the community college next door to make sure students enjoy a hot meal and fellowship on Thanksgiving Day. For some international students, this is a first experience with the traditions of this U.S. holiday.
UM News videographer Lilla Marigza has the story.
Watch video.
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Podcast shares innovation, leadership changes at Institute for Discipleship
The Bishop Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship is tucked in a corner of the campus at Southwestern College. But its reach goes far beyond its Winfield, Kan., home.
In the latest episode of the "In Layman's Terms" podcast, Todd Seifert, conference communications director, talks with key leaders at the institute about the programs they offer, about what is new with BeADisciple.com, and more about a new app for Disciple Bible Study.
Seifert -- who is also an instructor in the CLM cohort for the institute --talks to Steve Wilke about Wilke's pending retirement, and will introduce you to Cheryl Rude, who will take over as executive director in January. She shares some of the key points about the institute’s new three-year comprehensive plan and provides her vision for the next steps for the institute.
Download the episode.
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Lexington, local UMC in shock over news of meat-packing plant closing
Days after the announcement of the Jan. 20 closure of Tyson Foods’ beef plant in Lexington, the south central Nebraska city is still in shock.
“This was a complete surprise to everyone in the community,” said Kurt McBride, lay leader of Lexington First United Methodist Church and chair of the Great Plains Conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry.
In its Nov. 21 announcement, the Arkansas-based Tyson, Lexington’s largest employer, said it was making changes to “right size” its beef operations, as well as downsizing a plant in Amarillo, Texas, and increasing production at its other facilities.
The Lexington plant employs about 3,200 people, according to Nebraska Examiner. Lexington, the 16th most populous city in Nebraska, had 10,348 people counted in the 2020 census.
Read more.
Irish Sun interviews Lexington UMC pastor Rev. Elmer Armijo.
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Parsonage fire causes
damage in Schuyler
A Nov. 15 fire destroyed the kitchen and caused smoke damage throughout the parsonage of the Schuyler Community Church in Colfax County, Neb.
The federated congregation combines United Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran churches. The parsonage is owned by the Lutheran Church, and its pastor, Rev. Sammy Karanja, is United Methodist.
Karanja said he and his family were in Columbus to visit his eldest daughter, who is a student at Central Community College in Columbus.
His youngest sister was staying at the home with her two children. Karanja and his family had returned home and opened the garage door when they saw a huge plume of smoke.
“There was smoke all over the house, but the fire was contained to the kitchen,” Karanja said.
The fire apparently started in the kitchen, he said. His sister, Ann, suffered burns to her forehead and arms as she tried to extinguish the blaze.
There were no estimates of the cost of the damage. Karanja said he was told it would take at least three months to repair the damage. He and his family are staying at a motel in Schuyler until repairs are completed.
Karanja said he and his family consider themselves fortunate that the damage wasn’t more severe.
“If we had been delayed by maybe 30 minutes coming home from Columbus, the story would be different,” he said.
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Pew Center offers snapshot
of religious composition
If the U.S. had 100 people, 62 of them would be Christians. They would include: 23 evangelical Protestants, 19 Catholics, 11 mainline Protestants and five people who identify with historically Black Protestant denominations. The Pew Research Center offered this analysis based on its 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study.
Read more here.
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Counting down to end of the year
There will be two more GPconnect editions in 2025, on Dec. 10 and 17. We will return to your inbox on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
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Clergy Excellence
Five-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation scheduled for April 12-17
Mark your calendars for a spiritual retreat held right here within the Great Plains that could provide you with an opportunity to learn, worship, and connect — with God, yourself, and others.
The Five-Day Academy is for laity and clergy of all denominations who hunger for renewal and spiritual growth. It is a program of Upper Room Ministries with regional leadership, providing an opportunity for participants to tune their hearts toward God through a daily rhythm of prayer, worship, learning and reflection. Each day includes teachings by gifted spiritual leaders for deeper discipleship, periods of silence, morning and evening prayer, Eucharist, and an opportunity to share with one another. It is open to anyone — laity or clergy — and is ecumenical.
The theme of the upcoming retreat is Word of Life-Rule of Life led by presenters Rev. Mary Earle and Dr. Roger Owens. Earle is an Episcopal priest, author, poet, and retreat leader. Owens is professor of Christian spirituality and ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary who is also a retreat leader. Participants will be invited to be attentive to God in the present moment in daily life and also to engage scripture in ways that are formative, communal, and liberative.
Registration for the 2026 Great Plains 5 Day Academy for Spiritual Formation is as follows:
- In-person single room occupancy with meals: $750 (beverages only, $575)
- In-person double room occupancy with meals: $690 (beverages only, $515)
- Online Zoom participation: $325
Some scholarships are available. You can earn 3CEUs for attending the 5-Day Academy.
To learn more and register, go to https://www.gpspiritualformation.org/.
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Videos from Orders & Fellowship
are now available at our website
Videos from this year's Orders & Fellowship, featuring speaker Brian Kaylor speaking about Christian nationalism, are now available on our website at greatplainsumc.org/videos.
Each of Kaylor's four plenary sessions, 60 to 80 minutes in length, are featured.
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Equipping Disciples
Registration open for leadership training, scheduled for Jan. 20-22
The Great Plains Conference’s annual Local Church Leadership Training is scheduled for 7-8:30 p.m. CT (6-7:30 p.m. MT) Jan. 20-22.
The three-night virtual event will offer focused training for leaders serving on Administrative Boards/Church Councils, Finance Committees, Staff-Parish Relations Committees (SPRC), Boards of Trustees, Nominations/Leadership Development, and churches using a One-Board/Simplified Structure model.
Conference leaders are encouraging congregations to host local watch parties, noting that gathering leadership teams in the same room promotes collaboration, shared learning, and a stronger sense of purpose for the year ahead. Churches have increasingly used this model, and organizers hope even more congregations will participate together this year.
The event is especially recommended for first-time committee members, who will receive clear guidance about their roles and responsibilities as they begin serving in 2026. Returning leaders, pastors, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of local church structure are also invited to attend.
Register at this link.
-- Mark Nation-Ellis, Eastern Nebraska District Lay Servant Director
Local Church Leadership Planning Team
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Lay persons needed to volunteer
for various conference committees
The Great Plains Conference Nominations Committee beginning its work for 2026 and is inviting lay and clergy members to express their interest in serving on a conference committee. This is a great way for those who want to expand their own leadership skills and/or who want to lift up emerging leaders across Kansas and Nebraska.
How is God calling you to serve? Each year we have open positions for both clergy and lay persons. And there is definitely a significant shortage of lay persons in the nomination pool. As you think about nominating yourself or who a good person is to lift up is, here are some things you need to know about the nominations process.
- The nominations process involves two steps, where the person nominates themselves or lifts up someone else’s name via the nomination form and then the nominee is sent a more extensive survey questionnaire about interest areas, skills, etc. A person cannot be considered for a committee unless that survey form is completed.
- The conference currently does not allow persons, unless by virtue of their office, to concurrently serve on multiple conference committees. This was part of our organizing framework when we became the Great Plains. This means that if someone is already on a conference committee they cannot serve on another.
- The nominations committee does not fill openings on the Board of Ordained Ministry, Administrative Review, Transition into Ministry, or Committee on Investigation. Please check with your District Superintendent regarding interest in serving on those committees.
To indicate your interest or to lift up the name of another person please fill out the nominations form on the Great Plains Conference website https://gp-reg.brtapp.com/leadershipnomination25
-- Esther Hay, nominations committee chair
estherhay56@gmail.com
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Mercy & Justice
Facts and figures you can use
when talking about immigration
Let's talk about immigration.
This was the headline of an invitation by the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA), one of our mission agencies, before Thanksgiving.
“Complicated conversations are a regular guest when families gather for holidays. And when talk turns political, it’s not uncommon for immigration to come up,” said Erik Omar, executive director.
“But here’s what often gets lost: When we talk about immigration, what we’re really talking about are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family.”
In a blog post, CIRA put together a guide to help us with such difficult conversations. It talks about the fear so many of our neighbors, coworkers, friends and family members have.
Read more here.
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United Methodists at the
launch of Kairos Palestine II
Last month, five United Methodists from different parts of the connection were present in Bethlehem when Palestinian Christians launched Kairos Palestine II, “A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide.” This document issues a comprehensive and urgent call to Christians around the world to stand with Palestinian Christians and all Palestinians to address the violence and suffering experienced in Gaza and increasingly in the West Bank and Israel, thereby joining them in steadfast perseverance, or in Arabic, “sumud.”
The five United Methodists in attendance included Carol Garwood from the Great Plains Conference, co-chair of United Methodists for Kairos Response.
Read more from Garwood.
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Disaster Response
Staying safe is important
during winter travelling
Any time we are travelling it is important to be safe on the road, yet winter traveling brings its own difficulties. It is important to have a plan and supplies in your vehicle in case danger arises.
- From several inches of snow, blizzards, and possible ice storms, know before you go! Check your local forecast and the forecast of your destination so you will be prepared.
- Many states including Nebraska (Nebraska 511) and Kansas (KanDrive) provide up-to-the-minute reports on driving conditions.
- Let someone know the route you will be taking and your anticipated arrival time at your destination.
- Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition before you travel.
- Keep your gas tank full.
- Have a first aid kit.
- Increase your following distance to the vehicle in front of you. It takes longer to slow down and stop on icy roads.
- If stranded, run the engine for about 10 minutes per hour to run the heater and charge your cellphone. Open a window slightly to let fresh air in and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Do not use your cruise control on slippery, icy, or snowy roads.
-
Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle that includes:
o Jumper cables
o Flares or reflective devices
o Ice scraper
o Vehicle cellphone charger
o Blanket
o Water
o Heavy coat and boots
o Map
o Cat litter or sand (for better traction)
o A flashlight
-- Rev. Hollie Tapley
Disaster response coordinator
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