http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2601&collectionID=1509
Be prepared to choke down the vomit as you read the descriptions of some of the workshops.
Yes, my snowbound, faithful lay fellow NWD members, understand that your church contributions are being used to promote this garbage. You might want to ask your congregation president and board of elders why.
Diet O. Worms
---
District Workshop
The 2008 District Workshop for WELS Congregations will be held at Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton on March 8. The course listing brochure and registration forms are available below in the "District Workshop Info" folder. [GJ - This workshop is designed for all the poopy-butts who skipped our Church and Change conference last year. Below is last year's agenda with commentary.]
Commission Members
Chairman: Rev. Randall Styx [GJ - He should open a mission in Hell, Michigan.]
2008 Workshop for Congregations
Northern Wisconsin District
March 8, 2008
Fox Valley Lutheran High School
5300 N Meade, Appleton, WI
Registration 8:00 a.m.
Worship 9:00 a.m.
Session 1 10:00 a.m.
Lunch 11:35 a.m.
Session 2 12:35 p.m.
Session 3 2:10 p.m.
Closing devotion 3:45 p.m.
On your registration sheet, please indicate your choice for three workshop sessions plus two alternates.
1. Everything you always wanted to know about your synod; Q&A with the president – Rev. Mark Schroeder, WELS President
Here’s your chance to get all of those nagging questions about the synod answered. In this informal question and answer session, you can ask Synod President Mark Schroeder about anything having to do with the state of the synod, decisions of the last synod convention, and future plans for what we do together to carry out our common mission. (While financial questions are permitted here, please attend the Open Forum on Synod Finances if that is your primary interest.)
2. Open Forum on Synod Finances – Ron Hillmann, NWD
Synodical Council member, and Todd Poppe, WELS Chief Financial Officer
What is the current financial status of our Synod? How great is our debt, and where did it come from? What has happened since the Convention? Get answers directly from those who know. [GJ - Do not bring any sharp objects, please!]
3. Organizing Congregations for More Outreach
– Pastor Michael Hintz, Administrator – WELS Commission on Evangelism
Congregational organization will not save anyone – only the Gospel can do that. But effectively organizing the congregation’s work of evangelism can help to bring the Gospel to a greater number of people and give the Holy Spirit more opportunity to work saving faith in the hearts of people. In this workshop, we will give attention to 1) practical organization for evangelism in your congregation, 2) formulating a long-range plan that will serve to focus your work, and 3) helpful ideas for involving more members in your outreach efforts. [GJ - No comment needed. MBO. Burp.]
4. Involving Young Adults in Mission – Pastor Wayne Schulz
Connecting with and engaging twenty-somethings for the Lord's service. We will examine what some of their attitudes are toward Christianity and the church. We will encourage engaging them to engage their peer group. [GJ - Making disciples who make disciples who make disciples. No, not that way, silly.]
5. Family Evangelism
– Pastor Stuart Zak, Evangelism Coordinator- Northern Wisconsin District
Sons and daughters, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, parents and grandparents, spouses... our greatest opportunity and responsibility to do evangelism often is in our family. There are some natural barriers that can hinder us from being effective and there is confidence in God's Word that overcomes all barriers. This workshop helps identify some "do's and don'ts" in communicating Christ with your own family.
6. Revitalization and our Lutheran Elementary Schools
– Greg R. Schmill, Forward with Lutheran Schools Consultant
This presentation explores the key questions surrounding the revitalization and strengthening of our Lutheran elementary schools: What does it mean to revitalize? Why we need to revitalize? Who should revitalize? What can a congregation do on its own to revitalize its school? Why would a congregation involve Parish Assistance/Forward with Lutheran Schools (PA/FWLS)? What does PA/FWLS have in place to help revitalize and strengthen schools?
7. From Bottles and Bibs to Blessings – Ann Potter, Director of Our Shepherd Childcare and Family Ministry Center
If your ministry will (does) include infants or preschoolers this workshop is for you. If you are in the planning stage we will offer helpful information and resources. If you are already offering this unique ministry let's get together and share ideas, successes, and hindsight advice. Topics will include: licensing regulations, policies, discipline, Christian curriculum ideas and resources, staffing, outreach ideas, and much, much, more.
8. Your Sunday School is Dead – Who Will Do the Funeral? (Transforming your Children’s Ministry into the best hour of a child’s week)
– Robert and Mary Beth Knippel
Children are bombarded by vibrant media—television, video games and MP3 players. Should we be surprised that the “Sunday School” model may be due for an overhaul? Take from this workshop all you need to conduct Sunday school’s funeral and begin a new chapter in Children’s ministry. Touch their senses with music, crafts, drama, intentional shepherding and develop deep and lasting relationships with their Savior Jesus. Christ-Light curriculum is utilized! [GJ - Certified Fuller Seminary promoter. Church and Change presenter, same presentation: 302a.... Your Sunday School is Dead–Who will do theFuneral? –Bob and Mary Beth Knippel. SS was a Baptist movement copied by the Lutherans. WELS should experiment with Luther's doctrine and the Means of Grace.]
9. How Healthy is Your School? – James M. Sievert
Is yours a healthy school? What does a healthy school look like? This workshop presents tools that can be used to assess the health of a school and the reasoning behind the tools.
10. Which Niche? – Choosing an outreach children’s ministry
– Pastor Paul Steinberg
We hear about so many congregations doing exciting and growing outreach minded children’s ministries. We can’t do them all. Share and discover an idea to take home and try where you are. Hear about after-school ministry, unique part-time ministries and slants on standard ministries. Share your ideas and experience. Big and small churches will leave with an idea and motivation to give it a shot. A CD with free ministry resources including PowerPoint visual Bible lessons will be given to all participants. [GJ - Is he wearing his Favre jersey for this one? Steinberg - St. Markus Church and Changer, giving the same presentation as he did at the last C and C conference. If the mountain won't go to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain.]
11. Helping Our Families Succeed – Pastor Bill Heiges
A church is only as strong as its families. The state of the family in today's world is vastly different from the days of Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best. Today Blended families and Single Parent families may outnumber traditional families in our churches. How can we reach them with God's Word and help them succeed? This presentation will offer solid solutions and resources any church can use to strengthen their families. [Church and Changer]
12. A Movie is Worth a Million Words – Pastor Nathan Krause
Using movie clips for sermons and church presentations - In this day and age of visual communication and entertainment there is no better way to leave a lasting impression with worshippers and group attendees than with the perfect movie clip. Learn how to find, manipulate and use video clips for worship and presentations. [GJ - Fresh from his Church and Change appearance.]
13. Women’s Ministry Ideas and Plans – Jane A. Schlenvogt
Are you hoping to approach women’s ministry to women in a fresh way? We’ll look at holding a focus group to discover your areas needs and ideas will be shared for creative planning and events.
14. WELS Women as Christian Leaders – Kathie Wendland
During the "Heirs Together of God's Gracious Gift of Life" Bible study preparation it became clear Scripture does not generically prohibit woman as leaders in the LORD's church. However, during that study it also became clear that many of us, men and women, have been confused by the world's concept of leadership and the world's understanding of headship. This session will look at Christian leadership and the blessings that honoring Scripture's headship principle bring to women leaders as Scripture defines those concepts. This WILL be an active participation Bible study! [GJ - Women teaching men - very Biblical.]
15. Getting Messy: Organizing Congregational Events – Deb Rothe
Get some ideas, timelines, and plans that are going to get your members to bring friends and those friends to come back to your church. It makes your comfy cozy congregation a bit messy and a bit awkward and saves souls – are you willing to get messy? [GJ - Um. No. I am willing to trust the Word.]
16. Myths on Children’s Grief – Kenneth Wenzel, WLIM Chaplain
Review how children grieve the death of a loved one differently from adults. Learn what myths hurt the grieving process and how to watch our for hurtful sayings. Understand how to help a child or the family of a child in the grieving process. Strengthen the skill of your compassion.
17. Let’s Go to a Special Ministries Conference – What did you say?
– Robb Robbert, Special Ministries District Coordinator
October 3-5, 2008 - National Special Ministries Conference will be held at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel. If you or anyone in your congregation or community has interest in any of the 8 areas of Special Ministry (Cognitive disability, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Blind, Elderly, MILITARY, Care for Called Workers, Mental Health issues, Prison/Jail Ministry) please come to this workshop at FVL and you will learn much more about the conference and will receive ½ off the registration fee for the October Conference. This year at the FVL workshop we will also be highlighting the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry.
18. Do You Belong in Jail?
– Chaplain Dan Krause, Wisconsin Lutheran Institutional Ministry (WLIM)
There is an exciting outreach ministry right in our own Northern Wisconsin District. Laypersons and called workers are conducting visits, Bible studies and services in a variety of institutions (nursing homes, jails, prisons, hospitals, etc.). This presentation will present what is currently being done by several of the participants and leaders in this ministry. A survey will be done prior to the workshop to research and help coordinate some of our work being done by individuals, congregations and organizations in our NWD.
19. How to facilitate (lead) a small group Bible study,” Or “Leading a Bible Study in Jail, or Anywhere
– Duane D. Anderson, Lead Trainer for WELS – JMTT
This presentation includes seating arrangements, dynamics of small groups and related issues, need for qualitative questions, and how to encourage responses to questions. The second part is an in-depth presentation of how to develop Bible-based, study guides that can be completed within one hour. Duane Anderson is a Trainer for the WELS Jail Ministry Training Team.
20. Web Streaming your Services and Events – Cheaper Than You Think
– Martin Spriggs
Do you have members who can’t be in church on Sunday, but would like to “participate” anyway? How about college students or military? Would prospects like to “try out” your service before actually attending in person? Would relatives of your school children like to watch a school play or sporting event. This is all possible with web streaming. If you have a high speed internet connection in your church or school it’s really quite easy and cheap. Come learn what you need and brainstorm what the possibilities are. We will do an actual web stream in the class. Tell your friends so they can tune in and see you live…on the web. [GJ - I explained how to do this already, and I didn't charge a registration fee.]
21. Reaching the Disconnected Through Internet Technology
– Martin Spriggs
The world has gotten smaller and so have our congregations...not necessarily in size, but in our ability to stay in touch though internet technologies. Your ability to connect the disconnected can be enhanced with technologies like audio and video streaming, dynamic web sites and digital voice technologies. So if you are looking to "regain the straying", help prevent members from getting disconnected, or simply wanting to minister to those separated from you by distance (college or military members), come learn how technology can help.
22. The Use of PowerPoint to Enhance Sermon Presentation
– Pastor Mark Hannemann
PowerPoint can help the congregation follow the sermon message so they can better understand and retain it. Some basics will be presented for those not currently using this visual aid. Pastors who use PowerPoint are urged to bring samples to share so we can learn from one another. [GJ - Most professionals have been Power-Pointed to death. Most adult education experts avoid death by PP. WELS is always last to know.]
23. Faith Focused Finances and Your Congregation – Rev. David A. Kehl,
Administrator of WELS Commission on Adult Discipleship
What effect has our materialistic culture had on our congregational focus? What does consistently addressing personal finances have to do with making disciples? What can be done to build up healthy financial stewardship within congregations? This workshop will give participants an overview of the main themes and tools of Faith Focused Finances – a suite of resources to develop an atmosphere of stewardship and generosity in a congregation. The participants will leave with ideas and perhaps plans on how to use these tools in their area. [GJ - Here is a clue. The Bible says nothing about manufacturing disciples. Once again, why not experiment with trusting Gospel motivation? There are no apples where there are no trees.]
24. Using MIDI Technology in Worship
– Mr. Carl S. Nolte
What is MIDI and how does it work? This presentation will give a brief
overview of the technology called MIDI. Different programs and
applications will be demonstrated to show how it can be used in worship to
accompany choirs, instrumentalists, and the congregation. HymnSoft, a
MIDI program from NPH, will be discussed.
25. Using MIDI in Real Time to Involve More Members in Worship Music
– Sharon Winslow
Would you like to:
· create opportunities for more instrumentalists to play during worship?
· involve your teens with a new way to serve, utilizing their natural proficiency in technology?
· electronically add more variety to the sound of your worship music while retaining the spontaneity of real time performance?
· provide more technical, classical, contemporary or orchestral accompaniments for your choir, handbells, ensembles or soloists?
· give your organist a variety of new sounds to play live, as well as an “emergency back-up” for when the organist is absent?
26. In the Beginning – How to Start and (sic) Alternative Worship Experience
– Pastor James R. Skorzewski
What does contemporary worship mean? How do you start a contemporary service? There are changes taking places all over the worship world. Is it possible to use some “contemporary” ideas in a worship service and still remain Lutheran? In this session I will discuss what has worked for us at St. Marcus Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. [GJ - Is anyone surprised that this description has a typo? The pricey executive assistant probably reduced the typos by a factor of five.]
27. How to Change Your Church Without Killing It
– Pastor Mark Walters
We know that we’ve got the one thing needful for a post-modern culture – the unconditional forgiving love of Jesus Christ. Yet we also know that connecting with that culture many times means making changes to our traditional approach of “doing church”. Why does the one organization that should be most readily adaptable to change seem to be the most resistant? How do we move forward in bringing as many people with us as possible? This workshop seeks to explore some of the pre-conceived notions about change while giving participants basic tools to think about as they initiate and manage change in their congregation. (This workshop was originally scheduled for 2007, but was not able to be presented at that time.) [GJ - This has Church and Change written all over it.]
28. A Christian Response to Contemporary Biotechnology
– Robert Balza, Jr.
Modern biotechnology has ushered in an era of in vitro fertilization, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, cloning and embryonic stem cell research. How should a Christian react to all of this? The goal of this course is to get past the dense scientific trade jargon, and provide a clear intellectual framework for considering these technology in the context one’s own moral sensitivities and in the light of Holy Scripture. – (Robert Balza Jr is an assistant professor of biology at Wisconsin Lutheran College and a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, WI. He holds a PhD in biochemistry from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He has published and continues to work in in the field of developmental biology.)
29. Christian Estate Planning /and/ Practical Money Management –
Arnie Nommensen
All aspects of Christian estate planning and vehicles that can be used for Christian giving, during lifetime and at death.
30. Church Architecture – Coordinating Form and Function –
Pastor Randall Styx
Are you thinking about a new building? …about remodeling or expanding your building? This workshop presents food for thought for the earliest stages of the planning process. Will your building design your mission and ministry or will your mission and ministry design your building?
Who may attend? Anyone. We especially encourage church leaders to come, but all are welcome, even non-members. (Non-members, please register using the name of the WELS church with which you associate.)
Please note the Workshop Numbers of the topics you wish to attend and enter those numbers on the Registration Form as your choices and alternates. Register early for a better chance of getting your choices. Registration deadline: Feb. 27.
Please note that you are registering for workshops, not for timeslots. Most topics are planned to be presented multiple times. In a few cases, however, a particular topic will be offered only once or twice, depending on the availability of the presenters. The number of times a topic is offered will also depend on how many register. The details will not be known until the registration deadline.
What if I miss the registration deadline? You may “late register” on the day of the Workshop, but some sessions may be filled by that time, or cancelled if not enough people registered for a particular workshop.
What if I can attend only a part of the day? How do I avoid being scheduled for a session when I can’t be there? Please make this known on your registration form. If your choice is available when you can be there, you will be scheduled accordingly.
Can I find out before March 8, what my schedule is? No. We simply do not have the time or resources to provide that information.
What does it cost? The registration fee is $50 per congregation, regardless how many from a congregation attend. We hope this encourages congregations to send many of their members to the Workshop. If you plan to attend, please let your Treasurer or Pastor know you are coming and to where to send the registration fee. If you wish to eat lunch at the high school, each individual will need to purchase a lunch ticket at $5.00 each.
Do I need to bring anything? No. We will provide a [Thrivent] folder and have [Thrivent] pens or [Thrivent] pencils available. You may bring paper and other things [as long as they don't compete with Thrivent].
What if I cannot come after I have registered? Please let us know. That way we won’t turn people away from a class that would be full only if you attend.
Can I register by e-mail? Yes. Just be sure to include all the information asked for on the registration sheet. The e-mail address for registration is:
pastor@stjohnlutheran-valmy.org
.Please include only one person per e-mail, unless you are asking for exactly the same sessions and want to attend them together. Please enter “2008 Workshop registration” as the subject. Pastor Styx routinely deletes e-mail messages he does not recognize without opening them. If you don’t use this subject identifier, your message will probably be deleted. The deadline for e-mail registration is the same as for the standard form: February 27.
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Run Kids - Ski At Fox Valley Today":
Mr. Worms, that is a good link to what the WELS is up to.
This is from the list of offerings: 14. WELS Women as Christian Leaders – Kathie Wendland,
"During the "Heirs Together of God's Gracious Gift of Life" Bible study preparation it became clear Scripture does not generically prohibit woman as leaders in the LORD's church. However, during that study it also became clear that many of us, men and women, have been confused by the world's concept of leadership and the world's understanding of headship. This session will look at Christian leadership and the blessings that honoring Scripture's headship principle bring to women leaders as Scripture defines those concepts. This WILL be an active participation Bible study!"
Kathie's quote, "Scripture does not generically prohibit woman as leaders in the LORD's church."
Here's her WELS presentation about how women will be made leaders in the church or the church will lose them. http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2009/02/church-door-symposium.html
Here's Luther's stance on this very popular garbage being fed to all churches: Martin Luther states in “Lectures on 1 Timothy” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 28) 1 Tim. 2:11. “Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I believe that Paul is still speaking about public matters. I also want it to refer to the public ministry, which occurs in the public assembly of the church. There a woman must be completely quiet, because she should remain a hearer and not become a teacher. She is not to be the spokesman among the people. She should refrain from teaching, from praying (ie: leading in prayer) in public. She has the command to speak at home. This passage makes a woman subject. It takes from her all public office and authority.”
In Christ,
Brett Meyer
---
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Anything Goes District Evangelism":
The info presented here is from the 2008 workshop. Today was the 2009 workshop (and James Skorzewski was a presenter). There were about 20 workshops today. If I can find my schedule I will post it.
My reaction to this year's 2009 workshop is similar to the original poster's reaction to last year's workshop.
WELS has died :(
