Classic Ichabod - The Last Martin Luther College (WELS) Evangelism Day I Was Able to Expose in All Its Gory Details.This Is a Version of President Mark Schroeder's Leadership Training on Saturday

Note - My battle-scarred veteran spooks were unable to get the complete list of speakers at this year's festival of Fuller Seminary foolishness, so I am publishing last year's again. The list shows how President Mark Schroeder and the other WELS leaders have let Church and Change completely rule over higher education, brain-washing the poor little kids who have almost no training in Lutheran doctrine and plenty of experience in anti-Luther indoctrination.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

WELS Martin Luther College -
What They Hid from the Public.
Church and Change Gone Wild

Below is the complete agenda for the big show January 25, 2012, Martin Luther College.
I have added some useful notes and highlighted the more obvious Church and Changers.
The WELS/ELS agenda of false doctrine is obvious.
The presenters are disciples of Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek, and Andy Stanley.
PS - MLC hates this blog because it tells the truth about their bait and switch fraud.

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Even with all of the yellow highlighting, there are more red flags here than a good day of ice fishing on Lake Winnebago. 

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Evangelism Day: January 25, 2012

Theme: Colossians 4:6

 

Worship Service: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m.

All assemble in the Chapel of the Schwan.

Preacher: Pastor Jonathan Schroeder

Pastor Jonathan E. Schroeder, a graduate of Northwestern College (1995) and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1999), was assigned to serve as an exploratory missionary in Sharpsburg, Georgia. From the first worship attendance of nine people, God has built a congregation of 425 members, which Pastor Schroeder has served for 11 years. Pastor Schroeder serves the WELS as pastor-at-large on the Synodical Council, moderator of the Institute for Worship and Outreach, consultant for both the WELS School of Worship and the WELS School of Outreach, contributing editor for Forward In Christ, and member of the WELS Translation Feasibility Committee. Past service includes guest lecturing at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (2004-2010), essayist for the 2009 Synod Convention, essayist for the 2010 WLS Symposium, general editor and author of Planning Christian Worship II, keynote speaker for the 2005 National Conference for Worship and the Arts, and member of the WELS Ad Hoc Commission for Long Range Planning (2007-2009). Pastor Schroeder has also made numerous presentations to districts and conferences on worship and outreach.

Liturgist: Pastor John Boeder

Pastor John Boeder, a graduate of Northwestern College (1986) and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1990), recently completed a master’s degree in college student affairs at Minnesota State University, Mankato (2010). Following a two-year stint as tutor at Martin Luther Preparatory School, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, he was assigned to Abiding Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church in Elk River, MN.  He served this WELS Home Mission congregation from 1992 to1996. From 1996 to 2000 John served as associate pastor with responsibilities in youth and evangelism at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. He has served as campus pastor and religion instructor at Martin Luther College since 2000. One of the great joys of his ministry at MLC is the Daylight USA program, which matches college students with mission opportunities in North America and Mexico. Through the Daylight program, 175 students per year will gain mission experience and provide needed manpower to WELS/ELS mission congregations. John and his wife, Bethel, live in New Ulm and are blessed with five children. 

Section Divisions:

            Group A:              Freshmen, sections 1-3, and sophomores, sections 1-3

            Group B:              Freshmen, sections 4-6, and sophomores, sections 4-6

            Group C:              Freshmen, sections 7-9, and sophomores, sections 7-9

            Group D:         Juniors, sections 1-3, and seniors, sections 1-3

            Group E:         Juniors, sections 4-6, and seniors, sections 4-6

            Group F:         Juniors, sections 7-9, and seniors, sections 7-9

            Group G:         Fifth year, section 1

            Group H:         Fifth year, section 2

Large Group Electives

Groups C, F, H: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Groups A, D, G: 10:35 - 11:30 a.m.

Groups B, E: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Large Group Elective 1: Worship and Evangelism: Jonathan Schroeder

WCC Auditorium

Does the way we worship help or hinder outreach? How does the outreach ministry of the congregation impact its worship life? What role does the school have in worship and outreach? How can we help move unchurched families from school attendance to worship attendance? This session will explore these questions as we look at the intersection between worship and outreach in congregational life.                

Large Group Elective 2: Evangelism to the Children of Mexico: John Kramer

Chapel of the Christ

By combining humanitarian aid and gospel outreach, Mission to the Children (MttC) evangelizes to parents by ministering to the needs of their children. Great Commission work in Mexico is simple; everyone can participate. What are you going to say, and equally important, how are you going to say it?

                       

John Kramer is a 2004 graduate of the Congregational Assistant Program and is currently nearing completion of his staff ministry certification. John has been married for 34 years to Marta, and they have one daughter. John is a former Marine AV-8A Harrier pilot and presently a 30-year captain for a major airline. Fluent in Spanish, John participates in team ministry work in Sonora, Mexico, as a volunteer responsible for six of MttC’s villages, crossing the border into Mexico every month for several days. His duties for MttC include distributing humanitarian aid, assessing special medical needs that MttC might help with, providing solutions for humanitarian needs within the “Iglesia El Buen Pastor” church, giving Bible studies as needed, and conducting personal evangelism. John is a member of the MttC Board of Directors.

Large Group Elective 3: Using Medical Work to Reach People with the Gospel: Jason Paltzer

Music Center Choir Room

In areas with limited resources, gospel ministry is often combined with health and humanitarian projects. Is this combination helpful and necessary? What complexities does this arrangement cause?

Jason Paltzer received his master’s of public health in 2003 from the University of Minnesota.  Immediately after graduating, he began his work as a volunteer with the Central Africa Medical Mission in Zambia, focusing on health education and community development. In 2004 he initiated the Lutheran Health & Development Program in Zambia, working in partnership with the Lutheran Church of Central Africa in Zambia. Mr. Paltzer remained in Zambia as the program director until 2009, when he started his doctoral studies in epidemiology and global health at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He continues to serve as a consultant to the Lutheran Health & Development Program in Zambia as well as the Board for World Missions on humanitarian and health-related projects. 

   

Workshops

 

Freshmen

Workshop 1: Building Bridges (Relationships); Small Talk & Listening Skills

Sharing God’s Word starts with building a relationship with a prospect. When trust is built, people are more willing to discuss personal matters. It all starts with small talk. Do you find yourself a little timid among strangers? Do you shy away from mingling in unfamiliar settings? This session will help you to speak to anyone, at anytime, about anything. Learn to read body language and improve social skills.

Group A: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Group B: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group C: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

John Wiederhold is a volunteer recruiter for the WELS Kingdom Workers, responsible for World Mission recruitment. In addition, John has experience in training lay workers for outreach.  Drawing on his past experience in marketing and sales for IBM, he teaches a course on basic people skills that includes the importance of small talk and reading body language.

Rich Krause got a drive-by DMin from a union seminary
with Larry Olson as his advisor.

Pastor Richard Warnecke served as a tutor for two years at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, teaching Old Testament religion and German classes. He was reassigned to Panama City, Florida, to do exploratory mission work, a position he held for 12 years. He accepted a call to WELS Kingdom Workers as Administrator of Faith in Action, the Home Mission volunteer program for WELS laity, where he served for 12 years. He also has served on the WELS Youth Discipleship Commission for 14 years, and before that he served as South Atlantic Youth Discipleship chairman for 10 years. He continues to serve on the International Youth Rally Planning committee. He is currently outreach pastor for Christ Lutheran Church in Pewaukee, Wisconsin .Rich Krause, his boss, is a Larry Olson disciple.

Bill Meier, while a student at Shoreland Lutheran High School, listened to a nurse from the Mwembezhi Medical Clinic speak about her experiences. Maybe partially to pursue his desire to travel, Bill joined the Navy after high school, serving for six years as a nuclear electrician. He then enrolled at Wisconsin Lutheran College and graduated in 1997. For just under two years, Bill managed the maintenance on the Mwembezhi mission compound near Lusaka, Zambia; administered the Lutheran Mobile Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi; and filled in for the furloughing missionary in Cameroon. In 2001, the WELS World Missions Board approached Bill with the idea of serving as lay missionary in Malawi, Africa. For the next six years, Bill served as lay missionary in rural congregations and as financial secretary to the mission in Malawi. Bill started serving in Mozambique in 2005, spending over one year in Portugal learning the language, until his call was terminated when the Mozambique mission was defunded. He again returned to the States and now serves as director of WELS Kingdom Workers. He is married to Cathy Hahn.

Workshop 2: Starting a Spiritual Conversation

“Be prepared” is direction that the Apostle Peter gives us about witnessing. In this workshop we will prepare ourselves for approaching people and broaching the subject of Jesus. We will discuss ideas for getting a conversation started with an unchurched person and how to turn the conversation to Jesus. Studying some of God’s promises will give us the confidence to start and continue spiritual conversations.

Group A: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group B: 10:35 - 11:30 a.m.

Group C: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Pastor Michael Hintz has served as the director for the WELS Commission on Evangelism since 2002. Prior to this position, he served as a parish pastor in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and South Bend, Indiana, and as a missionary to Malawi, Africa. He received ministerial training at Northwestern Prep (1966-70), Northwestern College (1970-74), and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1974-1978).  Mike and his wife, Julie, a graduate of Dr. Martin Luther College, were married in June 1978. They are blessed with four adult children: Angela, Christopher, Paul, and Rachel.   

Pastor David Scharf has served as a parish pastor at Immanuel, Greenville, Wisconsin, since graduating from the Seminary in 2005. Since 2008, he has served as the coordinator of the Northern Wisconsin District Evangelism Commission. Dave is also a part of the WELS Institute of Worship and Outreach, as well as the Commission on Congregational Counseling. He received ministerial training at Luther Prep (1992-1996), Martin Luther College (1996-2000), and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (2001-2005). Dave and his wife, Beth (nee Koelpin), a graduate of Martin Luther College, were married in June 2001. They are blessed with five children: Anastasia (9), Zoe (7), Isaiah (6), Dahlia (4), and Evangeline (6 months).

Pastor Ben Blumer graduated from Martin Luther College in 1999 and from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2003. He was assigned to Bethlehem, a Home Mission congregation in a growing suburb of the Twin Cities called Lakeville. Ben currently serves as lead pastor, overseeing their outreach ministry. Ben also serves on the Minnesota District's Church Growth Movement Committee and is the pastoral advisor for the Twin Cities chapter of WELS Kingdom Workers. Ben and his wife, Carrie, have been blessed with four children.

PS - Every WELS evangelism committee is Church Growth, offering regurgitated Fuller effluent.

Sophomores

Workshop 1: Preparing a Personal Witness

This workshop will explore the scriptural warrant for preparing a personal Christian witness, often called a “testimonial.” What are the benefits of such an approach to evangelism? What are the pitfalls to avoid? How can we find opportunities to tell others how much Jesus has done for us—and for them? What makes for an effective personal witness?  Class participants will be given the opportunity to prepare their own personal testimony and to share that message with others.

Group A: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Group B: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group C: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Prof. James Pope served as a parish pastor for 19 years, serving in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Bradenton, Florida. Since 2000 he has served at MLC, teaching history, religion, and staff ministry courses, as well as providing off-campus supervision of staff ministry interns. He has served the church at large as a district vice-president, chairman of an area Lutheran high school board of directors, district Board for Parish Services chairman, chairman of district pastoral conferences, and secretary of the synod's Commission on Inter-Church Relations. He recently authored A Lutheran Looks at Episcopalians and is currently the host of The Lutheran Chapel Service, a locally-produced religious radio program in the New Ulm area.

Punch your ticket with a Jelly-Telly-Tubbie
and advance your career in WELS.

Prof. David Sellnow received his B.A. in 1982 from Northwestern College, M.Div. in 1986 from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, and M.S. in multidisciplinary studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2007. His ministry training included several travel-canvass-witness trips, leading a congregational evangelism team during his vicarship in Houston, Texas, and inner-city outreach as part-time vicar at St. Marcus and Garden Homes churches in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After a stint as a prep school tutor, he was assigned to do exploratory mission work in Owasso, Oklahoma (a suburb of Tulsa). He then served a mission-oriented congregation in Lubbock, Texas, where he also was very active in student ministry and outreach on the campus of Texas Tech University. He served as circuit pastor in West Texas and chaired the South Central District’s Commission on Parish Services (which included assisting congregations’ evangelism efforts.) Over the years he has been a featured writer for Forward in Christ magazine, editor ofLightsource (a national campus ministry publication), author of booklets and Bible studies for Northwestern Publishing House and WELS Commission on Youth Discipleship, and an author and editor of books for WELS Prison Ministry. He’s also been a speaker for WELS Campus Ministry national rally, Martin Luther College aulics, and several educators’ conference workshops.

Dr. Lawrence Olson was the pastor of Peace Ev. Lutheran Church in Loves Park, Illinois, from 1983 to 1993. Since that time he has been a professor at Martin Luther College, where he directs the Staff Ministry Program. He also directs the Congregational Assistant Program, which trains individuals to serve as assistants in ministry in their own congregations.  Other service to the church has included membership on the National Board of Christian Life Resources, the Wisconsin Lutheran College Board of Regents, and the WELS Commission on Youth Discipleship. He was a member and chairman of the Western Wisconsin District Commission on Evangelism. In addition, he served as the chair for several national conventions for the WELS, two dealing with evangelism and one dealing with Sunday School.  From 1989 through 1991, he served two-thirds time as a Fuller Seminary-trained  parish consultant for the WELS Board for Parish Services, a role that he continued to fill on a part-time basis through 2009, while that board was in existence.And he bought a drive-by  D.Min. at Fuller Seminary in Church Growth, practically slobbered on McGavran’s shoes in an article so embarrassing that we never mention it. And he is the prime mover behind women’s ordination via MLC.

WELS supports the mockery of God's Word.

Workshop 2: Various Witness Methods: Bible Story, Using a Tract, Give an Answer, Come & See

In this workshop the student participants will be the teachers, and the leader will be there to learn. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of methods and philosophies for communicating the Word of Christ. They will be asked to respond to these ideas and evaluate which might be most effective in the             contexts in which they live and learn.

Group A: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group B: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Group C: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Prof. Mark Paustian was assigned out of Seminary to an exploratory outreach mission field in Rockford, Illinois, where he served for 12 ½ years, through the first building project of New Life Evangelical Lutheran Church. He has since published two books addressed to the questions that seekers and skeptics often ask Christians, Prepared to Answer and More Prepared to Answer.

Pastor Roger Knepprath began his evangelism training in the inner city of Milwaukee as a senior vicar for Jerusalem congregation. This training was used extensively in a growing parish area between Milwaukee and Chicago and in the downtown of Canada’s capitol, Ottawa, Ontario. He has served as pastor in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Paul, North Mankato, Minnesota. One of his present responsibilities is outreach, and he is willing to provide anyone who wants experience in outreach the opportunity to get it. 

Pastor Jeff Limpert has served congregations in Merrill, Wisconsin; Pinehurst, Texas; Crockett, Texas; and is currently pastor of Christ Our Rock, Rochester, Minnesota. He has served on the Board of Control of Northland Lutheran High School, the Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Service Regional Steering Committee, the South Central District Evangelism Commission, the South Central District Mission Board, and the Early Childhood Ministries Task Force for BHM and Parish Schools. He served as chairman of the Minnesota District Evangelism Commission from 1997 to 2008. He is currently a member of the Minnesota District Mission Board. 

Juniors

Workshop 1: Christian Leadership

You will lead. How and how effectively will you lead? To answer those questions, we will explore biblical principles and analyze different kinds of leadership to determine your style of leadership. What does it mean that leadership has less to do with position and more to do with disposition? The goal: to prepare you for developing a church culture that best and with urgency proclaims Christ today rather than pressures members to minister in ways that worked best yesterday.

Group E: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group F: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Group D: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Randy Hunter has a woman pastor running his Latte Lounge Church.
She almost spoke at one of these events, but that got changed after it appeared on Ichabod.

  

Pastor Randy Hunter serves as pastor at St. Andrew in Middleton, Wisconsin, where he has worked with a variety of leaders to shepherd changes in congregational size, structure, vision, staffing, ministries, locations, and development of satellite sites. He has served our synod as consultant for Parish Assistance, contributing editor of Forward in Christ, director of WELS Marriage Enrichment, author and teacher of adult education materials, and is currently the chairman of the WELS Commission on Adult Discipleship. He and Karen (Janke) have three children: Phil at WLS, Paige at UW-Madison, and Jack at MLC.

Jesus is his rice!

Dost thou doubt this is a Church and Change event?
I find your lack of faith...disturbing.

Rick Loewen is married and has three adult children. He served as a police officer for 20 years. During that time he was in patrol, narcotics, vice, and homicide. He left the police force after receiving a divine call to serve in youth and family ministry at our mission on the White Mountain Apache reservation. Rick left there to serve WLCFS for seven years. He currently is in a new ministry called CrossTrain Ministries. CrossTrain Ministries is a subsidiary of Crosswalk Church in Phoenix, Arizona. Rick works with Crosswalk in leadership development of both called and lay members of the congregation. Rick also serves the Apache Christian Training School as one their professors. Rick continues to work with many of our Lutheran high schools with a program called Peer Leadership. Rick is certified as a staff minister. He has a degree from Concordia University in family life education. He also has academic training in chemical dependency counseling and law enforcement.

Pastor Mike Geiger currently serves as the pastor of Outreach, Adult Discipleship and Worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN.  Prior to coming to Minnesota, he had the opportunity to begin a congregation in Cary, North Carolina.  Moving a group through the startup and development stages allowed for many leadership challenges and opportunities.  Outreach and leadership has always been at the center of his ministry both locally and synodically.  He served for 10 years as the North Atlantic District Coordinator for Church Growth and currently is a member of the WELS Commission on Evangelism.  With a love for leadership and helping others grow in this area, he has been certified with the world-renowned leadership personality, John Maxwell, as a speaker, trainer and coach.  His dedicated wife Christy is not only active in various ministries, but owns her own business coaching company, Synergy Strategies.  Together with their two girls, Mikylie and Mikenna, they love being part of growing God’s people and God’s kingdom.

Workshop 2: Facilitating Change to Do More Outreach

Many communities in which we are carrying out the Lord’s work continue to change at a rapid pace. As a result, regrettably, most WELS congregation memberships and school enrollments have either plateaued or are experiencing decline. How do we help our churches and schools adjust, make appropriate changes, and—under God—reach more people with the gospel? This workshop will provide an opportunity for you to practice taking a team approach to facilitating needed change. It will also give you exposure to the concepts you will want to know and understand so you can help your congregation or school become more outreach-focused.

Group D: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group E: 10:35 - 11:30 a.m.

Group F: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Greg Schmill has been part of a lot of changes as a WELS teacher and administrator for 32 years, having served eight years as principal and teacher at Mt. Olive in Delano, Minnesota, and five years as principal and teacher at King of Kings in Maitland, Florida. He has also served as a teacher, guidance director, and assistant principal at Manitowoc Lutheran High School for 14 years. After serving several years as a part-time consultant with Forward with Lutheran Schools (FWLS), he served as the synod's full-time FWLS educational consultant. In this call he worked with WELS congregations going through significant change as they began and strengthened early childhood ministries, elementary schools, and area Lutheran high schools. He currently serves as Director of the Commission on Lutheran Schools (CLS). In this position he continues to oversee FWLS in addition to carrying out his leadership and administrative responsibilities within CLS.

Stroh is no stranger to teaching at MLC.
Note the monitor showing a student listening online.

Pastor Elton Stroh served as a parish pastor for 24 years during which, under God, he launched a new congregation, served as senior pastor in a turnaround congregation (where an early childhood program, an elementary school, and a second ministry site were established), and was privileged to serve in a number of district and synodical positions. He then served as a church consultant and directed WELS Parish Assistance—a consulting ministry that became a blessing to about 500 congregations with the assistance of both full- and part-time lead consultants and over 100 associate consultants. Pastor Stroh conducted the Turnaround Churches in the WELS research project and now directs Crossroads Consulting Ministry, which serves congregations with custom-designed ministry planning processes.

Dave Gartner began teaching in 1992 at St. John Lutheran School in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, as the 2-3 grade teacher and athletic director. He has since taught in grades 2-8 and has been the principal since 2004. He also serves as his congregation’s teen group leader. In 2010 he received his master’s degree in leadership from Martin Luther College and did his final project on “The Importance of Early Childhood Learning Centers in Our WELS Schools,” which led him to encourage the leadership and stakeholders of St. John to begin an all-day every-day preschool (Early Childhood Learning Center). St. John opened the doors to an ECLC in 2009 and currently has 44 three-, four-, and five-year-old students enrolled. The ECLC has placed evangelism as the top priority at St. John as 60% of the ECLC students are non-members. Dave hopes to share with you that, “Every day is a special day for evangelism, and each of us has to be ready at a second’s notice, because making disciples of all nations often comes at the spur of the moment.”

Seniors

Workshop 1: Welcoming People to Our Churches and Schools

Ideally, all guests and visitors at our churches and schools would have an interest in learning about what we believe, and we would immediately enroll them in a basic doctrine course so they can learn about what Jesus has done for all and have the certainty of eternal life. Then we would move them into deeper Bible study so they could grow in the various aspects of Christian living.  But the reality is that guests and visitors, especially worship guests and visitors, come for a variety of reasons. How do we maintain the integrity of Lutheran worship in our churches and Lutheran education in our schools while also making guests and visitors feel welcome? This workshop is designed to address that issue.   

Group E: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group F: 10:35 - 11:30 a.m.

Group D: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Pastor James Huebner served as an undergraduate tutor at Northwestern Prep and for two years as a graduate tutor at Michigan Lutheran Seminary. He has served as the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church since 1982. From 1989 to 1991, Pastor Huebner joined with two others to launch a pilot project in church consulting, which led to the WELS Parish Assistance program. In 1986, he was elected to be the district coordinator for evangelism in the Southeastern Wisconsin District and served as the chair of the WELS Commission on Evangelism from 1991 to 2007. Since 1992, he has served as the 1^st vice-president of the Southeastern Wisconsin District and was elected to serve as the 2^nd vice-president of WELS in 2007 and 1^st vice-president of WELS in 2009.Fuller trained, and full of himself.

Pastor Kenneth Fisher is the Director of Mission Advancement at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has extensive experience in outreach and cross-cultural ministry. Prior to his move into administration at the high school in the past year, he served as senior pastor at Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Milwaukee for over 12 years and a presenter for Schools of Outreach. He graduated from Northwestern College in 1988 and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1993. He and his wife, Kimberly, live in Milwaukee. He also serves on the East Asia Committee of the WELS Board for World Missions.

Pastor Doug Tomhave was assigned to an exploratory congregation in Verona, Wisconsin, in 1998. He has served as a presenter for the District Mission Board and spent four years as the pastoral advisor for Lutheran Woman's Missionary Society (LWMS) national board. He currently serves as a member of the synod’s Commission on Evangelism, advisor for Schools of Outreach, and a member on the Commission of Congregational Care. He served Resurrection Lutheran Church in Verona for 12 years. He currently serves Hope Lutheran Church, a mission restart in Hampton, Georgia, just south of Atlanta.

Workshop 2: Strategies for Congregations and Schools to Reach the Unchurched

Our strategies workshop begins with the understanding that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us saving faith in our Savior and has also put into our hearts a longing to share him with others, especially those who live in our community. We understand that choosing not to reach the lost and unchurched is not an option for believers. Participants will be given tools to assess the community, so that they might understand the people living near them. We will discuss a number of tools that congregations and school might use to make connections with their unchurched neighbors (a list with more ideas will also be distributed). Finally, participants will work as teams to develop specific real life approaches to the New Ulm community, which they will seek to carry out during the remainder of the school year.

Group D: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group E: 10:35 - 11:30 a.m.

Group F: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Pastor Mark Birkholz began exploratory mission work with a core of six families in the northeast suburbs of Denver in summer 1983. That effort eventually blossomed into a congregation of 500 souls that helped to spin off two daughter congregations. Along the way, the congregation was very much involved with starting up Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School, which met in Lord of Life's facilities during its first academic year. The congregation also began its own preschool and elementary school, both of which have attracted significant numbers of unchurched families. In 2006 he accepted a call to work with the members of Grace Lutheran Church in Grenada. Part of that call involved laying the foundation for a Lutheran elementary school. In fall 2007 he accepted a call to serve as a mission counselor in four of the synod's thirteen mission districts.

Pastor Joel Schulz was assigned to plant a mission church in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, in 1999. Today he is the pastor of that mission church, Cross of Life. The church is run out of the homes of his family and others, and they gather for worship in the local school gym. He serves on the District Mission Board and the Evangelism Commission for the North Atlantic District.

Pastor Phil Huebner is a 2003 graduate of MLC and a 2007 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He was assigned to start a new mission church in Palm Coast, Florida. From a group that started with 11 people, Christ the King now has a congregation of over 150 members. He also serves as the principal of the school, which now has over 200 students. Pastor Huebner also serves on the South Atlantic District Worship Committee and the newly created WELS Task Force on Lutheran Schools.

Fifth Year

Workshop 1: Equipping Others for Sharing Their Faith

God willing, you will soon be called to be full-time gospel ministers, spiritual leaders in the Christian congregation. Part of your leadership involves helping, encouraging, and training God’s saints to share their faith with others. What will your equipping of others for evangelism look like? What skills and qualities will you be looking for in yourself and in the people you are training? This workshop aims to inform and encourage you in this vital part of public gospel ministry.

Prof. Daniel Leyrer is a 1985 graduate of Northwestern College and a 1989 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. After serving in mission settings in Salem, Oregon, and Marietta, Ohio, Prof. Leyrer was called to serve at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1998. A teacher of New Testament and pastoral theology, Prof. Leyrer has responsibility for formal evangelism instruction at the seminary. He serves the church at large as chairman of the WELS Congregational Assistant Program, advisor to WELS Commission on Evangelism, member of WELS Communication Services Commission, and theological editor of Forward in Christ magazine. In 1986 Prof. Leyrer was married to his wife, Leah. The Lord has blessed them with three daughters.

Group G: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Group H: 10:35 - 11:30 a.m.

Workshop 2: Fostering a Christian Worldview in a Post-Christian Culture

Alarming ideas are gripping our culture. “Political correctness" is seeping into the head of the average person on the very streets Christ is calling us to proclaim him. This workshop is meant to help students understand the climate and culture they are stepping into and to instill an urgency to unleash the ageless gospel as sufficient alone.

Group G: 9:30 - 10:25 a.m.

Group H: 1:50 - 2:45 p.m.

Pastor Donn Dobberstein serves Our Savior, Port Orange, Florida, where over 60% of the members come from non-WELS backgrounds. He is a member of the WELS Commission on Evangelism and is on the staff that conducts weekend Schools of Outreach. 

Electives

Groups D, E, F, G, H: 11:40 a.m. - 12:40 p.m.

Groups A, B, C: 12:40 - 1:40 p.m.

Lunch for groups A, B, and C is from 11:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. For groups D, E, F, G, and H, lunch is from 12:40 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. During lunch hour, you are invited to visit the displays set up in the commons area of the Student Union. These displays will also be available for viewing in the afternoon and evening.

Students and faculty may go to one elective.

Elective 1: Evangelism and the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Henry Tyson

Room 262

During a time of significant decline in enrollment in WELS grade schools, the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) is affording incredible growth in enrollment in WELS schools in the city of Milwaukee. What is the MPCP? What are the opportunities and pitfalls that it presents? Is MPCP an effective instrument of evangelism and, if so, how can it be most fully exploited? This elective will address these issues and others relating to effective outreach through WELS schools.

Henry Tyson was born and raised in Great Britain. He immigrated to the United States in 1990 to attend Northwestern University in Chicago. After three years teaching in public schools in the Chicagoland area, Henry accepted the call to serve at St. Marcus Lutheran School in Milwaukee. Since accepting that call in 2001, Henry has served as associate principal and principal, and he is currently the superintendent of St. Marcus. St. Marcus Lutheran School serves 378 students, 85% of whom participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.

Elective 2: Perspectives of a Public School Teacher: Carolee Alfred

Room 162

What is it like inside the walls of a public school? How do you incorporate the one essential item into your everyday teaching? Find out by looking at an average day in the public school classroom.

Carolee Alfred grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota, and attended Bloomington Lutheran School and St. Croix Lutheran High School. She attended Bethany Lutheran College and received her teaching degree in 1990 from Mankato State University. She spent two years teaching in Elko, Nevada. She has taught first grade at GFW Elementary in Gibbon, Minnesota, since 1992.

Elective 3: Work in a Multicultural Setting: Minori Yamaki

Room 270

God has a perfect plan for you. Sometimes you feel like things are not working out for you, or like you simply are not that important. God can use you in unexpected ways—in his way. Be encouraged that God will use you in the way he knows best.

Minori Yamaki graduated from MLC in 2002 and was assigned to St. Matthew in Niles, Illinois, a suburb located northwest of Chicago. It is a multicultural community. “My first assignment was to teach English preschool and kindergarten. I had students from 14 different cultures in my classroom!  I began a morning Japanese preschool program. God continues to bless my ministry.  The Japanese program has expanded to two sessions!”

He joined the Willow Creek Association,
just as John Parlow did.
Were they excommunicated?
No, they were promoted as good examples.

Elective 4: Sharing Christ with Someone Living a Homosexual Lifestyle: Pastor Tom Trapp & Suzie Neas  Let’s hear from the Willow Creek faction of WELS.

Room 166

How do you communicate Christ with Christian and non-Christian friends, classmates, co-workers, and relatives who struggle with homosexuality? Hear from someone who left the homosexual lifestyle and found peace with Christ.

Pastor Tom Trapp is the WELS campus pastor at the University of Wisconsin and has served in campus ministry for over 30 years. Students from many different faiths and races attend Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel each week. "It's like preaching on Mars Hill every Sunday and Wednesday," he says. The mission fields are white in Madison, and people are responding to God's life-changing Word. In February 2006 a new 26,000-square foot Chapel-Student Center was dedicated and intentionally designed to do outreach to the neighborhood students (American and international). Every week about 300 students (many not of our faith) make use of our new facility, pick up free Bibles, seek counsel and Biblical guidance, and worship with us. Pastor Trapp has written articles for Forward in Christ, Meditations, and church conferences, and has served on the WELS Campus Ministry Committee for 10 years. His congregation member Suzie, who left the homosexual lifestyle, will be the featured speaker.

Suzie Neas is a graduate of Ohio University in exercise physiology and works as a sports massage therapist. She is a member of Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel, Madison.           

Elective 5:  Evangelism in Times of Crisis: Prof. Ross Stelljes

Room 168

“God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform” (CW 420:1), including during times of crisis. Listen to real-life stories of personal crises in the lives of members, prospective members, and called workers, and see how God used these crises to open doors for gospel witnessing.

Pastor Ross Stelljes is a 1989 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He served for two years as a tutor at Northwestern College. He then served for four years at a dual parish: Zion, Hokah, Minnesota, and Immanuel, La Crescent, Minnesota. An exploratory outreach call led him to Littleton, Colorado, for the next 12 years, where he was privileged to experience many evangelism opportunities during the start-up of Living Savior Lutheran Church. Since March 2007 he has served as admissions counselor at Martin Luther College.

Elective 6: Outside Looking In: Witnessing to Unbelievers: Jill McKinley

Room 162

Jill will tell the story of how she became a WELS Christian and discuss her experiences with evangelism both before and after her conversion. You will hear a unique perspective on the keys to reaching people with a personalized message of Christ’s love and salvation.

Jill McKinley was a Jewish-raised atheist who became a baptized member of the Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel (Madison, Wisconsin) in 1987.

Elective 7:  Using Early Childhood Ministries/Preschools for Evangelism: Dana Leyrer & Pastor Steven Pagels 

Room 191

Many WELS congregations have developed strong early childhood programs, but they struggle in their efforts to help young families make the transition from the preschool to the elementary school. Come and learn what one congregation is doing to bridge that gap and also how to develop an effective harvest strategy from your preschool to your school.

             

Dana Leyrer is a 1995 graduate of Dr. Martin Luther College. She began teaching at Atonement Lutheran in Milwaukee, 5th grade for the first year and 3rd grade for the next three years. In 2000 she accepted a call to teach kindergarten at St. John's Lutheran School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.  Her husband, David, teaches 6th grade at St. John. The Leyrer family resides in Wauwatosa and has four children.

Pastor Steven J. Pagels was born in Cibecue, Arizona, where his father served as a missionary on the Apache Indian reservation. He attended Northwestern Preparatory School (1990) and Northwestern College (1994), and he has been serving as the outreach pastor at St. John, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, since his graduation from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1999. In addition to his church duties, he serves as the Commission on Evangelism coordinator for the Southeastern Wisconsin District and as a contributing editor for Forward in Christ magazine. Pastor Pagels is married to Shannon, and they are the proud parents of Claire (6th grade) and Greta (4th grade).

Elective 8: Evangelism in the Spanish Language: Luis Acosta

Room 274

Discover how the common religious elements and background of the Hispanic culture can become issues and opportunities for evangelism. Learn the tools and approaches used for Hispanic evangelism. Hear the issues and Biblical considerations involved with evangelizing to illegal immigrants.

Luis Acosta was born in Colombia and moved to Venezuela when he was 11. He and his wife, Carolina, moved to Miami in January 2000, where they were confirmed at Divine Savior-Doral.

In 2006, after completing the Cristo Palabra De Vida (part of the Pastoral Studies Institute), he was called as staff minister at Divine Savior. In 2008 Luis and Carolina moved to Milwaukee, and he began pastoral studies at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, working also as Hispanic Deacon at Christ-Milwaukee. He’s currently serving his vicar year at St. Peter-Milwaukee. His wife, Carolina, has a Ph.D. in psychiatry and works as a licensed mental health counselor at Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Services. They have been blessed with two children: Andrea, an 8-year-old girl with a passion for evangelism, and Caleb, a 5-year-old fellow who already has picked up a room in section 7 at WLS.

Elective 9: Sharing Jesus with People Who Have Developmental Disabilities: Julie Luetke, Mike Hennig, Aaron Punke, & Pastor John Zeitler

Room 283

In a fast-paced world where Scripture study and worship attendance are often shoved aside, a large segment of our population is yearning for such opportunities and is eager to become part of a faith community. It is estimated that about 1.5% of Americans (4,500,000) have a developmental disability. These precious souls are an enormous mission field ripe for the gospel. This session will provide information on how you can get involved with this ministry and will introduce you to a vast amount of resources available to assist you and your congregation in finding these people and sharing the message of salvation through Jesus with them.

           

Pastor John Zeitler (NWC 1969, WLS 1973) has great interest and experience in this ministry, as his daughter has both profound mental retardation and autism. Presently serving as a parish pastor at Trinity, Belle Plaine, Minnesota, and as the chairman of the WELS Intellectual and Developmental Disability Ministry, he previously held posts as director of spiritual services, director of Jesus Cares Ministries, and chaplain at The Lutheran Home.

Julie Luetke is well respected in her community (nearby Olivia, Minnesota) due to her love for and her efforts to share Jesus with people who have special needs. She has been involved in Jesus Cares Ministries (JCM) for over 15 years and is presently employed by The Lutheran Home Association as a mentor/encourager for JCM groups in greater Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Julie also coordinates the Joy in Jesus retreats each fall.

Mike Hennig (MLC 2005) serves as a staff minister with The Lutheran Home Association. Presently residing in Green Bay, Wisconsin, his responsibilities include leading a campus ministry at UW—Green Bay, developing Jesus Cares Ministries in congregations of central/northern Wisconsin, and coordinating a Summer Ministry Experience (paid internship) program involving college students in this unique and joy-filled ministry.

Aaron Punke (MLC 2007) has been actively involved in this ministry since he was a child. Growing up with an uncle who has Down Syndrome made Aaron comfortable around those with special needs and eager to share Jesus with them. He presently serves as director of Camp BASIC’s first session each June.

Why that is Babtist Andy Stanley with Jim Buske.
Ski, Glende, Parlow, and Bishop Katie all worshiped with Andy, too.

Elective 10: Youth Work at the Lighthouse Youth Center: Pastor Jim Buske

Room 285  Ski and Glende buddy down at Andy Stanley’s Drive Babtist  Worship Conferences.

Struggling to reach out to your teens and unchurched youth? Is your congregation looking for its place in the community? Then check out what a new ministry in the northwest corner of Milwaukee is doing to make connections with its community and youth. Lighthouse Youth Center is a nonprofit mission outreach that is a “beacon for Christ” as it links inner-city youth with their Savior. It’s a safe, structured place for youth to gather, have fun, meet new people, receive Christian mentorship, and build a relationship with Jesus!

Pastor James Buske serves as the executive director of Lighthouse Youth Center, a mission outreach to unchurched youth ages 10-18. God has blessed LYC with over 950 youth making use of the facility in the first five years. Hundreds of youths have attended at least one worship service and dozens have been baptized! LYC will soon celebrate an attendance milestone: total attendance reaching 25,000 in less than six years. 25,000 gospel opportunities! God is so good!

Elective 11: Outreach to Family Members or through Small Groups: David Hochmuth

Room 278

“Let none hear you idly saying, ‘There is nothing I can do. . . .’” Whether I am an adult convert or a child of many generations of Christians, each of us has the same command from Jesus, “Go and make disciples . . . .” Learn about using small home Bible study or fellowship groups as a conducive environment for sharing Christ with friends, family, or neighbors. Even if we have few unchurched contacts, we can play an important role in helping others bring friends and family to “see” Jesus.

David Hochmuth is minister of spiritual growth at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Middleton Wisconsin, where he has served since 2007. He is a 2006 graduate of the MLC staff ministry certification program. Before entering the full-time ministry, David was a civil engineer for over 20 years. He served in numerous church leadership positions (congregational president, treasurer, secretary, evangelism board, etc.) and as a lay Bible study leader. He lives with his wife, Mary, and three children in the Madison area.

Elective 12: Using Technology for Outreach: Joseph Du Fore

Room 287

From Photoshop to Twitter, and the Blogosphere to iPad apps, this world is up to its eyeballs in techno sophistication. If you are older than two, chances are you have been, and will continue to be, exposed to technology, cyber media, and digital information. More and more people use technology to get and convey their information. This sectional is designed to help you tap into these new technologies and learn about digitally communicating with a purpose: sharing the gospel. If people are using WEB 2.0 resources to absorb information, why not help them absorb the most important information around –the Word.

Joseph Du Fore is a 2002 graduate of Martin Luther College. He has taught at the high school level for seven years, and he currently teaches at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Du Fore functions as the director of digital education for WLC, and he teaches classes in the media and instructional technology. He also owns and operates a company called Digital Publishing House LLC.

Elective 13: Living the Dream: Jennifer Mueller

Room 187

Soon and very soon, each and every one of you will be serving a congregation. Are you excited? I hope so. Little did I know that being a called worker was going to be this difficult, challenging, and rewarding. Before you know it, you will be meeting people you never thought you would meet, making friends that you never knew existed, and changing lives with the never-changing Word of God. I am excited to share my journey with you. Let us talk about the ups and downs, the eye-opening experiences, and the amazing opportunity that you will soon have as a called servant of Christ.

Jennifer Mueller is a 2006 MLC graduate, assigned to teach kindergarten at Garden Homes Lutheran School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. GHLS is a Milwaukee Parental Choice school with an enrollment of 240 children, 97% of whom are African American. Before finishing at MLC, Mrs. Mueller also studied sociology at Indiana University—Purdue University of Indianapolis. At IUPI, Mrs. Mueller had the privilege of sharing her faith with many classmates who did not know Jesus as their Savior. Last March, Mrs. Mueller was honored, along with 35 other educators throughout the city, as being an outstanding teacher in a Milwaukee Parental Choice school. She considers it a great honor to be presenting for Evangelism Day at MLC.

Elective 14:  The LWMS and Supporting Missions: Jackie Hieb, Jill Doering, & Pastor Jeff Mahnke

Room 264

Are you interested in supporting mission work? Have you ever wondered what LWMS is all about? Do you like to play games? Hear about the role of LWMS in spreading the gospel through WELS home and world missions. Learn how LWMS can help you in your personal evangelism. Test your skills at Jeopardy while learning about LWMS.

Jackie Hieb was born and raised in Minnesota. A graduate of Martin Luther Academy and Dr. Martin Luther College, she was assigned to teach grades 1-4 at Grace Lutheran School in Portland, Oregon. After marrying her husband, Glen, they served first in Dowagiac, Michigan, and were then called to Japan, where they lived for 20 years. The Hiebs currently live in Cleveland, Ohio. Jackie is the mother of seven adult children. She is the LWMS president.

Jill Doering grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a 1992 graduate of Michigan Lutheran Seminary. Jill spent six years on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation where her husband, Matt, served as the principal of Our Savior Lutheran School. In 2002, Jill and her family moved to Lake Mills, Wisconsin, when her husband took a call to teach at Lakeside Lutheran High School. Jill is currently serving in her fourth year as the LWMS secretary. She also serves as president-elect of the LWMS Capitol Circuit.

Pastor Jeff Mahnke graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1994. He currently is serving as an associate pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Schofield, Wisconsin. He is married and has three daughters. Pastor Mahnke is one of the pastoral advisors on the LWMS Board of Directors.

Elective 15: Worship Impact for Outreach and Retention: Bryan Gerlach

Room 276

“If you really care about the lost or the youth, you need to . . . [fill in the blank].” Various myths or half-truths are connected to the intersection of worship, outreach, and member retention. We will explore some of these in light of recent data from both inside and outside WELS. The goal is to fortify confidence in a Lutheran worship practice that grows from theological roots, strengthens the parish, and builds synodical unity.

Bryan Gerlach is a graduate of Northwestern College (1976) and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1983). He pursued additional music studies at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and the University of Minnesota and has a master of church music degree from Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois (1982). He served congregations in El Paso, Texas, and Citrus Heights, California—a call in which he was responsible for worship (including service as choir director and head organist) and outreach. He was called to be the Commission on Worship’s first director in 1995. As director, Pastor Gerlach serves as an advisory member on the Commission’s subcommittees and oversees all of its activities. He has served on committees that have planned all six WELS national worship conferences. He also serves as coordinator for the Congregation and Ministry Support Group. Bryan and his wife, Jackie, live in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, and are blessed with four adult sons.

Schedule for the Day

9:30 - 10:25	Workshop 2 Groups A, D, G	Workshop 1 Groups B, E		Large Electives Groups C, F, H
10:35 - 11:30	Large Electives Groups A, D, G	Workshop 2 Groups B, E		Workshop 1 Groups C, F, H
11:40 - 12:40	Lunch Groups A, B, C Visit Displays		Electives Groups D, E, F, G, H
12:40 - 1:40	Electives Groups A, B, C		Lunch Groups D, E, F, G, H Visit Displays
1:50 - 2:45	Workshop 1 Groups A, D, G	Large Electives Groups B, E		Workshop 2 Groups C, F, H
2:55 - 3:15	Advisors and advisees meet in small groups to discuss the events of the day and consider ways to apply what was learned. Questions for discussion will be supplied.

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AC V has left a new comment on your post "WELS Martin Luther College - What They Hid from th...":

Where are the presenters who are faithful pastors yet are experiencing declining membership statistics?

How about a session like this:

"How to keep from getting completely disillusioned with WELS after putting these Church Growth principles into practice - to a T - only to experience a decline in church membership and school enrollment?"

Any sessions on how to "grow a school" without government vouchers?

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LutherRocks has left a new comment on your post "WELS Martin Luther College - What They Hid from th...":

I threw up a little in my mouth while reading this...

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "WELS Martin Luther College - What They Hid from th...":

Bryan Gerlach has been working the New Age religion into the (W)ELS for awhile.
https://connect.wels.net/AOM/ps/worship/Worship%20the%20Lord/2.%20%20Contemplative%20Worship%20-%20Issues%206-10/10%20-%20An%20Evening%20Service%20in%20Taize'%20Style%20-%20November%202004.pdf

Contemplative and Taize are both New Age practices focusing on having God come to you outside of His Word and Sacraments. Teaching that God speaks to us more deeply through other means. To quote Gerlach's paper: "It is well known that the combination of melody with words uses a different part of ones consciousness than the spoken word alone."

One of their sung prayers, “Holy Spirit, Come to Us; Kindle in Us the Fire of Your Love" can be found here,http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=331

Gerlach finishes with,
"An intimate setting in an enclosed space works best for Taizé prayer even though it also worked well with a congregation of 700 in a very large chapel at the 2002 WELS worship conference. Focus and light are important components, and should be planned. A candle with a bowl of baptismal water could provide a different focal point than the cross. Readers are encouraged to offer elements of Taizé prayer to their
congregations or to investigate them at a Taizé service somewhere."

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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "WELS Martin Luther College - What They Hid from th...":

Next stop is Feb 4 for the Western Wisconsin district--in Madison:

http://worshipandoutreach.org/events

From their email it says:

Both presenters (Schroeder & Christie) will not only help all attendees to better appreciate our long-time heritage of liturgical worship, but will also stimulate thinking as to what we, as various congregations, can do in the realm of evangelism.