THIS WEEK'S NEWS
In Omaha, The Tent opens wide to serve many populations
GP Camps director Bob Kahle retiring: ‘I still love what I'm doing’
Bishop, cabinet tour stop on Underground Railroad
Four churches receive food ministry grants from GBGM
Remembering United Methodist notables who left us this year
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Registration open for Lead(HER) 2026: Empowering Female Clergy
Dates set for 2026 clergy spiritual formation retreats in April, September
Five-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation scheduled for April 12-17
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
Registration open for leadership training, scheduled for Jan. 20-22
Lay persons needed to volunteer for various conference committees
Stephen Ministries prepares to celebrate 50th anniversary with tour
MERCY & JUSTICE
Prepare for a Week of Faithful Witness, Jan. 4-10
Advent resources address food insecurity
ADMINISTRATION
Switcher Studio is new GCFA ministry partner
RESOURCES
Here’s more books on Methodist history from our resource center
Here are the year’s most downloaded resources
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
Blair UMC uses pavilion for open air Christmas market
Lenexa UMC celebrates its sanctuary’s century
Wellsville bell choir concert shows connection, community
In other news
Newsletters
Classifieds
BREAKING: Great Plains to elect 10 delegates for ’28 General Conference
The Rev. Aleze M. Fulbright, secretary of the General Conference, has announced how many delegates each annual conference can elect to the 2028 General Conference.
The Great Plains Conference, which had 14 delegates to the 2020/24 General Conference (shown above), is scheduled to have 10 elected for 2028.
The total delegate count is 708. The Commission on the General Conference also offers resources for United Methodists considering seeking election as delegates.
See delegate distribution and resources
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In Omaha, The Tent opens
wide to serve many populations
Physically The Tent, one of three new church starts in the Great Plains Conference, is actually a sturdy building in south Omaha, constructed as a synagogue and used by various denominations — and even for a short while as a nightclub — in its history.
Metaphorically The Tent, a collaboration of United Methodist and Lutheran congregations, opens its flaps wide for inclusion of first- and second-generation immigrants, LGBTQ congregants, suicide prevention programs, its multicultural community and is described by its pastor, Diana Fajardo, as a “theater church,” with a rack of costumes in the storage area behind its sanctuary space.
Read more and see a photo gallery.
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GP Camps director Bob Kahle
retiring: ‘I still love what I'm doing’
Bob Kahle has been involved in camping ministry in one form or another for the past 50 years.
And even though he’s retiring as director of camping services for Great Plains Camps at the end of the year, it doesn’t mean that involvement will end.
“God’s given me peace about it,” Kahle said. “I just turned 65, and my wife and I have plans to do some other things. I still love what I’m doing, I just don’t want to do it every day.”
Read more here.
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Bishop, cabinet tour stop
on Underground Railroad
In the heart of Topeka stands the Ritchie House, one of the city’s oldest homes and once a stop on the Underground Railroad aiding enslaved people on their journey to freedom. Cabinet members, along with Bishop David Wilson, toured this historic home last week and learned more about the structure and the man behind its construction.
Bob Totten, executive director of the Shawnee County Historical Society, regaled the cabinet today with a presentation about Ritchie, his family, as well as other noteworthy Kansas figures in the years leading up to the Civil War. Totten noted that Ritchie also assisted abolitionist John Brown during his final visit to Kansas during what later became known as the “Bleeding Kansas” conflicts. This presentation was held at the Cox Communications Heritage Education Center, which is adjacent to the Ritchie House.
Ritchie enlisted in the Union Army, eventually becoming lieutenant colonel of the 5th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry and later as colonel of the 2nd Regiment, Indian Home Guard. He developed land where many former slaves settled, forming "Ritchie's Addition," where the Monroe Elementary School was eventually built. This was the segregated school that Linda Brown attended, which became the very school at the center of the Supreme Court case that would become Brown v. Board of Education. This case ended legalized racial segregation in public schools in the United States.
For more information or to visit the Ritchie House, please visit this link: https://historicritchiehouse.wixsite.com/historicritchieh...
-- Israel Sanchez, story and photos
See a photo album.
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Four churches receive food
ministry grants from GBGM
Four churches in the Great Plains Conference have been awarded Feeding Our Neighbors food ministry grants from the General Board of Global Ministries.
Fifty grants, each up to $2,000, were awarded to churches across the country.
Receiving grants were:
- Lincoln Horizons UMC, $2,000 to restock its Little Food Pantry as well as 30-plus more Little Food Pantries in Lincoln.
- Omaha The Tent UMC, $2,000 to expand its food distribution.
- Overland Park Indian Hills UMC, $2,000 to expand its food pantry.
- Pittsburg First UMC and Wesley House, $2,000 to continue to stock the Wesley House shelves.
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Remembering United Methodist
notables who left us this year
United Methodist News Service’s annual tribute to those from the denomination who left us in 2025 includes some connections to the Great Plains Conference and Bishop David Wilson.
They include:
- Rev. Anita Phillips, a Native American social justice leader whom Bishop Wilson considered a mentor and a friend.
- Bishop Richard Byrd Wilkie, a 30-year veteran Kansas pastor who was elected episcopal leader of the Arkansas Conference, during which time he and his wife, Julia, developed the Disciple Bible Study series and formed the Institute for Discipleship that bears their name.
- Donald McPherson, a longtime member of Adams UMC in Nebraska, who was the last surviving flying ace from World War II, where he earned the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses.
Read about those and more here.
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Clergy Excellence
Registration open for Lead(HER) 2026: Empowering Female Clergy
Registration is now open for Lead(HER) 2026: Empowering Female Clergy, happening April 20-22, at Resurrection, a United Methodist Church in Leawood, Kan.
Lead(HER) brings together female clergy from across denominations for 2 ½ days of worship, practical skill-building, and authentic community. The expanded 2026 format includes Monday evening through Wednesday afternoon programming, responding to attendee feedback emphasizing the importance of connection and networking among clergywomen.
Highlights of the conference include:
- Keynote Sessions led by Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank, Bishop of the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church; Karoline Lewis, Professor at Luther Seminary; Beth Allison Barr, Professor at Baylor University; Danielle Strickland, Founder of Boundless Communications; and closing worship with Rev. Lisa Yebuah, Lead Pastor of Southeast Raleigh Table.
- 14 Breakout Sessions led by Rev. Grace Ji-Sun Kim, members of the Commission on the Status and Role of Women, and more address practical ministry challenges: compensation negotiation, leading in difficult contexts, self-defense training, reimagining God, expanding worship language, and sustainable self-care.
- Moving worship and community-building with clergywomen serving a variety of church settings and sizes from across the nation through table discussions, intentional networking moments, and dedicated time for authentic connection.
Details and registration can be found here.
Early bird pricing of $249 is available through Feb. 16. After, registration is $299.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for full participation.
Questions? Contact megan.cullum@cor.org or 913-232-4120.
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Dates set for 2026 clergy spiritual
formation retreats in April, September
Clergy of the Great Plains Conference:
You are invited to take some time away from the routines and challenges of ministry and be attentive to your relationship with God.
We hope you will consider attending a spiritual formation retreat planned just for you. The only cost to you is $50 to reserve your spot for a two-night, three-day retreat.
Roots for Your Soul: Creativity, Healing, Music, and Art
April 20-22, 2026
Marillac Center, Leavenworth, Kan.
Presenters: Rev. Michael Tomson-DeGreeff and Rev. Lacey Wheeler
$50 to include two nights, three days of lodging and food
Sept. 21-23, 2026
Presenter: TBA
St. Benedict’s Center, Schuyler, Neb.
$50 to include two nights, three days of lodging and food
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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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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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Stephen Ministries prepares to celebrate 50th anniversary with tour
Stephen Ministries, the international nonprofit Christian educational organization based in St. Louis and best known for the Stephen Ministry system of lay caregiving, is celebrating its fiftieth year in ministry with a nationwide 50th Anniversary Tour.
Its tour stops include Kansas City in 2026.
Stephen Ministries began in 1975 when Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, trained nine members of his St. Louis congregation as “Stephen Ministers” to assist him in providing emotional and spiritual care to people in the congregation and community. Over the half-century since, Stephen Ministries’ resources have reached tens of thousands of congregations representing over 190 Christian denominations in 31 countries worldwide, as well as organizations such as retirement communities, correctional facilities, hospitals, and college campus ministries.
Through the Stephen Ministry system in particular, more than 80,000 laypeople, church staff, and pastors have been trained to serve as Stephen Leaders—the individuals who implement the Stephen Ministry system—and they have trained over 600,000 Stephen Ministers. Those Stephen Ministers, in turn, have provided care to millions of people going through difficult life situations.
Read more here.
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Mercy & Justice
Prepare for a Week of
Faithful Witness, Jan. 4-10
The Mercy & Justice team, in conversation with Bishop Wilson, Pastor Keith Anglemyer and El Dorado First UMC’s Justice First team, is inviting all Great Plains United Methodists to begin the 2026 year with a week of faithful witness. Inspired by the Wesleyan call to social holiness, we encourage all Great Plains churches to stand together in faithful witness through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness against systems that harm God’s creation and God’s people.
Members of the Justice and Mercy team and Great Plains Conference staff will be providing resources to participate in this week including daily devotionals, worship resources for Epiphany Sunday (Jan. 4), a congregational prayer guide, and calls to action through education and advocacy! You can find all resourcing on the website.
If you have questions, please reach out to Rev. Maddie Johnson at mmjohnson@greatplainsumc.org. We look forward to engaging in this week of faithful witness with you!
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Advent resources
address food insecurity
The Great Plains Mercy & Justice team, in collaboration with the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and their partners, will be offering resources throughout Advent that will focus on issues of food insecurity and hunger. According to the United Methodist Social Principles, we believe that “[f]ood systems that are ecologically sustainable, locally oriented, and equitably distributed are urgent priorities. We endorse policies and practices designed to ensure access to healthy nourishment [...], especially for communities that have been [...] deprived of adequate resources to produce or purchase their own food.”
In light of the recent government shutdown and federal cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, it is essential that we respond to the current and ongoing issue of food insecurity across the Great Plains in concrete ways. These Advent resources will include weekly lectionary devotionals, worship liturgy, fast facts regarding food insecurity and SNAP, stories across Kansas and Nebraska, and creative missional engagement strategies through funding, advocacy, volunteering, and more. Click here to access the resourcing, including downloadable bulletins and inserts.
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Administration
Switcher Studio is new
GCFA ministry partner
The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) of The United Methodist Church has announced Switcher Studio as an official ministry partner.
Switcher Studio empowers churches of all sizes to produce professional-quality livestreams using equipment they already own, such as iPhones and iPads.
Read more from GCFA.
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Resources
Here’s more books on Methodist history from our resource center
The second in our three-part series on books on Methodist history from United Media Resource Center includes “American Saint: Francis Asbury and the Methodists” by John Wigger, “Methodism in the American Forest” by Russell Richey, and “Timetables of History for Students of Methodism” by Rex Matthews.
Find those and more here.
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Here are the year’s most
downloaded resources
The General Council of Finance and Administration has selected the Top 10 most downloaded resources of the year.
Find out what they are and get to work for 2026!
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Across the Connection
Blair UMC uses pavilion for
open air Christmas market
During the pandemic of 2020, many worshipped outdoors. One man, Greg Stewart, had a vision for Blair First UMC. His idea was to build a worship pavilion to provide some shelter from the sun while worshipping outdoors. After much fundraising, and having received a grant from the conference trustees, the pavilion was finished. It sits just to the north of the sanctuary, anchoring an empty lot owned by the church.
In addition to housing services of worship, the pavilion has also been home to book clubs, outdoor movies, graduation parties, as well as fun and games for the kids and youth. In the winter of 2024-25, Stewart mentioned at a Leadership Team meeting that he'd love to come up additional ways to utilize the pavilion. That's when the idea for a European-style open-air Christmas Market was born.
After many months of planning, Dec. 12-13, the first Blair Open-Air Christmas Market was held, even in the midst of exceptionally frigid temperatures.
The market featured twenty vendors selling handmade items, live music, Santa Claus, food trucks, and an endless supply of hot chocolate and sugar cookies. Due to slick roads, the scheduled horse-drawn wagon rides had to be scrapped.
The goal of the market was simple - community outreach. It was not fundraiser for the church; it was simply a way to be even more involved in the community than it already was. Not an inexpensive endeavor, the church was thankful to have received a grant from the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation to help offset the costs.
Some weren't quite sure what to expect when they first heard about the market, but the response was tremendous, with many commenting as to how beautiful the market was, how well it was run, and what a great thing it was for the community.
At a follow-up meeting on Dec. 16, the steering committee shared some ideas for the 2nd Annual Blair Open-Air Christmas Market - including nearly doubling the number of vendors, and the dates have been set for next Dec. 11-12.
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Lenexa UMC celebrates
its sanctuary’s century
On Nov. 16, Lenexa United Methodist Church celebrated the 100th anniversary of the dedication of its current sanctuary. The congregation was organized by five women on July 18, 1869, the same year the town of Lenexa was founded. It was incorporated on May 31, 1870, as the Lenexa Society of the Methodist-Episcopal Church. Also in 1870, property was secured on the southwest corner of 3rd and Hickory (now 91st Terrace and Caenen Lake Road, the same corner the church occupies today) for a parsonage, which was completed in November. Services were held in a schoolhouse one mile south of town until 1878 when the congregation built the first church, a white frame building.
Although there had been earlier discussions, a more definite movement for a new church building led to a building committee being appointed in October 1922. It had become increasingly evident that a new building was needed to keep up with the growth of the town and the more substantial facilities being built by other denominations.
Work on the new church finally began in February 1924 when a group of men moved the existing church building to the back of the lot so that the new building could be built in the same location. The worship service was still held in the old building that Sunday and during all of construction.
The dedication service for the new church was held on Sunday, Nov. 15, 1925. It was reported that morning that $11,550 was still owing on the $25,000 building; the policies of the denomination at that time prohibited dedicating a church without at least a pledge of the entire cost. Pledges were quickly made during the morning and afternoon worship services to be able to dedicate the building during the evening service. Although the new church cost only $25,000, it was considered to be a $35,000 building because of the volunteer labor.
The 100th anniversary celebration service paid homage to the original dedication service. Bishop David Wilson preached during the worship service, and “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” was sung as it had been 100 years ago. Along with many special music numbers, the morning worship service included a skit by the church drama team reenacting the raising of funds for the dedication in 1925.
Worship was followed by a chicken dinner, as it was 100 years ago, and then a celebration program and rededication of the sanctuary. The program included visits from pastors of the past with church members portraying pastors who had served the church during the last 100 years. Pictures of 35 of the 42 pastors during those years lined the hall.
Several former pastors, as well as the Northeast Kansas District Superintendent, Rev. Jin Cho, were present and participated in the rededication service.
-- Linda Stokes, Lenexa UMC
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Wellsville bell choir concert
shows connection, community
On Sunday, Dec. 7, Wellsville United Methodist Church hosted a concert featuring Ringtones, the Wellsville UMC Bell Choir.
More than 140 people attended the concert, including church members and members of the wider community. The gathering was also honored by the presence of Bishop David Wilson, District Superintendent Rev. Hyunjin Cho, and former Wellsville UMC pastors Rev. Shelly McNaughton-Lawrence and Rev. Lane Bailey, reflecting the strong connectional spirit of the Great Plains Conference.
The event offered meaning in multiple ways. From a United Methodist perspective, the concert embodied the connectional nature of the church, bringing together clergy, laity, and leaders across generations. From a congregational perspective, it highlighted the faithful ministry of music and the commitment of the local church to welcome the wider community.
From a community perspective, the concert served as an outreach ministry. Freewill donations were received and designated to support children in Wellsville USD 289, extending the impact of the event beyond the church walls.
As one reflection shared during the evening, Kyung Bum Kyun, pastor of Wellsville United Methodist Church, said, “Just as people once gathered in the little town of Bethlehem to await the birth of Christ, we are grateful that people gathered in our own little town of Wellsville to celebrate this season together.”
Following the concert, attendees enjoyed refreshments and fellowship, celebrating the ministry of music and the spirit of generosity that filled the sanctuary.
Wellsville UMC gives thanks for the musicians, volunteers, and community members whose support made the concert a joyful and meaningful witness to faith in action.
-- Kyung Bum Kyun
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In other news
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Classifieds
Classifieds are posted for 30 days unless otherwise requested. Please allow three business days for your classified to appear on the website. Email David Burke to update or renew your classified. Submit your classified here.
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