Podcast episode features Institute

"In Layman's Terms," a podcast from the Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, featured the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship in a December 2019 episode. The episode, hosted by Great Plains director of communications, Todd Seifert, highlights the work of BeADisciple.com and its connection to Disciple Bible Study, and touches on the work of the Timothy Circle, the Summit Youth Academy, Amp It Up worship band camp, the Bishop Scholar program, and the Visiting Scholar program. The episode includes interviews with Institute staff members Steve Wilke and Lisa…continue reading →

Mohler-Seib to be Visiting Scholar at Southwestern College

Rev. Wendy Mohler-Seib has been selected as the Southwestern College visiting scholar for the 2019-2020 academic year. The Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship at Southwestern College’s visiting scholar program began in 2006, and supports a person nearing the completion of their Ph.D. work in the field of religion. Mohler-Seib is the 10th visiting scholar in the program. Mohler-Seib is currently pursuing her doctoral work in practical theology through Nazarene Theological College at the University of Manchester in Manchester, England. Her dissertation, titled “Hearing and Obeying God: Mentoring Teenagers in Practicing the…continue reading →

Institute helps organize first confirmation camp for Wichita districts

After the success of the Summit Youth Academy last summer, Rev. Wendy Mohler-Seib was tapped to organize a confirmation camp for Wichita districts by district superintendent Mitch Reece. Mohler-Seib, who is the director of faith formation for youth and young adults at the Institute and leads the Summit Youth Academy, knew the camp would be a good fit with the Institute's mission of providing Christian resources and education that build disciples and would continue the Institute's history of expanding access to Christian education. “If we would not have offered this week-long intensive, they would not…continue reading →

Article from Great Plains Conference: Amp It Up! camp experience transforms young musicians

Kaitlin Kendel from Abilene Emanuel UMC leads a group practicing to lead worship at the Great Plains Annual Conference session June 15 during the recent Amp It Up! music camp at Southwestern College. Photo by David Burke by David Burke, communications coordinator for the Great Plains Conference of the UMC  Kaitlin Kendel remembers a past participant at the Amp It Up! worship band camp. “She didn’t even want to play guitar. She came here because her friends were coming,” recalled Kendel, now worship director at Abilene Emanuel United Methodist Church, where that same girl…continue reading →