You will have an opportunity to attend three of the following sessions.
After you read through each session description, write down your first three choices and select them on the registration.
You can help us plan the sessions by knowing your first three choices when you register.
After you read through each session description, write down your first three choices and select them on the registration.
You can help us plan the sessions by knowing your first three choices when you register.
Description of the 8 Breakout Sessions:
1. Parenting with Illogical Love by Ben Enstad
What you're doing doesn't seem to be working at all. It makes sense to you, but it's falling flat on its face, leaving you and your child(ren) more frustrated than before. It's time to parent with illogical love. Parenting with love and logic is essential to rearing our children, but if all we use is what seems logical, children and parents loose...potentially a lot! Parenting needs to start, continue, and end with love (1 Corinthians 13). Brothers, I'm in the trenches. The trenches of the divinely appointed duty of parenting. While I have classmates with kids in high school, my oldest is only 7 (though going on 17 if you know what I mean ;) That said, I’m convinced our parenting practices never change. We simply adjust our applications according to the stages of life and needs of the moment. We've got a lot to learn and a lot to share with one another—failures and successes. Let's get together and learn how we can be a better parent with Illogical Love.
About Ben Enstad: I am a 2009 graduate of WLS and was assigned to a smaller country congregation in Door County, WI. After 13 years there, I accepted a call in the spring of 2022 to St. Paul Green Bay, a large urban congregation with a school. My two main areas of focus are outreach and family ministry. My wife, Amber, and I have been married for 16 years. In 2015 we adopted our first child, Asher (7). And in 2021, we were blessed to adopt our daughter, Celia (1). Adopting our children means that parts of their innate personalities is a mystery to us which brings an extra challenge to parenting which in itself is an immense challenge and privilege. I previously presented at the 2020 MOHW on adoption: God’s Adopted Adopting.
2. Being a Christian Man in a World Gone Crazy by Luke Thompson
What does it mean to be a man in today’s culture, a culture where our intellectual leaders teach us (1) there is most likely no God, (2) there is no such thing as truth, and (3) we are complete masters of our own identities and desires? These three forces have come together for a perfect storm of confusion, creating a culture that at times denies the existence of men, and at other times calls men evil. This is even more confusing for the Christian man who wants to pursue his God-given identity and teach the next generation of men their God-given identity. Where do we begin in fighting this good fight? Join us as I share with you concrete steps forward straight from Scripture.
About Luke Thompson: Luke Thompson (M.Div theology, M.A. philosophy) taught philosophy courses at Wisconsin Lutheran College and Bethany Lutheran College before becoming a pastor in WELS. He served eight years in Ottawa, ON, Canada, 1 of 4 2023 MOHW Session Descriptions at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran, where he ministered to government workers, South Sudanese immigrants and the university students of University of Ottawa and Carleton University. For over twenty years, he has worked with and help start campus ministries, presenting internationally on apologetics, philosophy, and pop culture. His most recent divine call is to Martin Luther College, where he teaches theology, history, and philosophy and leads a “film and philosophy” club and a Great Books club. He is author of Your Life Has Meaning (a study on Ecclesiastes and philosophy) (NPH) and co-author of Quick to Listen (NPH).
3. Lead Them to Jesus by Pete Zaferos
Many congregations use terms like inreach and outreach to clarify the purpose of a ministry effort. Do we realize the goal of both inreach and outreach is evangelism? The mission Jesus gives to the Christian man is the same as the mission he gives to the Church. There is an internal focus and an external focus. The goal of both is evangelism. The goal is always to lead them to Jesus.
About Pete Zaferos: Married to Melissa for 16 years and father of 7, Pete has served in the Rocky Mountain West as a mission explorer in Laramie, WY for 7 years and now as the pastor of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Suamico, WI for almost 4 years. As time allows, Pete enjoys fishing on Green Bay and the many rivers that feed into it.
4. Developing Your Spiritual Resilience Plan by Dan Solofra
The single most important step to being spiritually resilient is to make a plan. But this plan is not a one size fits all. Participants will be walked through their first personally tailored resilience plan. They will consider behaviors that encourage spiritual growth and identify and avoid common pitfalls. Make spiritual growth your top priority and do not miss this breakout.
About Dan Solofra: Pastor Dan Solofra has been married to his wife, Taunya, for 31 years. They have 5 grown children ages 23-30 years old. Pastor Solofra started Mountain of the Lord Ev. Lutheran Church in Wausau/Rib Mountain and served there for 20 years. Since 2013 he has served at CrossWalk Lutheran Ministries in Phoenix. His passion for resilience training has led him to be involved with everything from Crosstrain, a coaching network for WELS pastors, to Resilient Ministry, a law/gospel recovery ministry currently run out of CrossWalk. His hobbies include hiking, hunting and being a grandpa. He believe he is the best WELS pastor pheasant hunter not serving in South Dakota. (and maybe Nebraska)
5. Rules of Brotherhood by Kevin Festerling
The power of authentic brotherhood is on display when we take a look at the relationship of David and Jonathan from the Old Testament. Do you have the brotherhood, friendship or camaraderie that holds up against the trials and challenges of this life? Difficult to know the answer to that question if you don't know the qualities of this type of relationship. Join us for a conversation that centers around observing and developing the qualities of a Godly friendship or brotherhood, as modeled by David and Jonathan.
About Kevin Festerling: Kevin Festerling is the founding principal of Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School. Kevin has over 25 years of experience in urban education in Milwaukee. Over his career he has served as teacher, principal and teacher coach/trainer at numerous Milwaukee institutions including St. Marcus Schools, Center for Urban Teaching and Hmong American Peace Academy. Kevin holds a B.A. in Education from Valparaiso University and is narrowing in on an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Wisconsin Lutheran College. Kevin is married to Lisa, has two children, Morgan and Sawyer and lives in Wauwatosa. In his spare time he enjoys snow- boarding, supporting his kids’ athletic endeavors and building and fixing things with his hands!
6. There is Hope: Learning to Fight Toxic Habits and Addictive Behaviors by Russell Scoggins
For decades, most people have heard the word "addiction" and assumed they could tune out the ensuing conversation. That's no longer the case. What was once a conversation for those who struggled with substances or pornography has quickly become a conversation that applies to all of us. Whether it's video games, shopping, work, entertainment, social media, or smartphones, we live in a society that is setup to enable --and sometimes praise---toxic habits and addictive behaviors. Join us for a conversation on how we can bring true hope for change into our own lives and into the lives of those around us who are struggling with any kind of destructive habit or addictive behavior.
About Russell Scoggins: Pastor Russ Scoggins is the lead Pastor of Reach: A New Life Ministry in Kenosha, WI. He and his wife Amber have been married for 9 years. They have 2 of their own kids and have fostered 4. Russ has one brother that has struggled with addiction to various substances for most of his life. God in His grace daily teaches and equips Russ to fight against his own toxic habits and addictive behaviors.
7. Weak is Strong (Anxiety, Guilt, Etc.) by Dan Schmidt
Our culture has thoroughly convinced us that men can't be weak and if they are they'd better shut up about it. In this session, we're going to take off the gag and speak openly about how all men (past and present) deal with anxiety, guilt an stress and explore God-honoring ways of converting our weaknesses into strengths.
About Dan Schmidt: Dan currently serves as Pastor at Faith Church in Excelsior, MN. He's been married for 14 years and has 4 biological children and 2 foster children. He's experienced 2 bonified panic attacks and he personally knows the weight of anxiety, guilt and stress. He also knows that only the Spirit of Jesus Christ can offer true peace, forgiveness and joy. And he's willing to talk openly about both.
8. What are Young People Looking for from Church? by Jon Enter
Youth Panel Discussion
Young people are leaving the church in growing numbers. They are influenced by liberal ideology in college, by social mores that run contrary to God's commands and by acquaintances that ridicule Christian values. Additionally, they are dealing with personal conflicts and struggles with depression, relationships, addictions, and life-changes. What are they dealing with? How can we help? What are they looking for from the church? Does the message of Christ's love hit home with the current service format and program offerings? Lots of questions to address ... who better to give us some insight but the same young people we're trying keep in the church!
About Jon Enter: Jon Enter grew up in rural Minnesota and always wanted to be a doctor since he was a little child. While on a youth rally in Colorado, the Lord changed his pathway leading him to work on healing people, instead, using God's grace. Since 2004 he has focused on youth ministries to grow his mission church in West Palm Beach, Florida, which is now self-supporting, and added a second full- time pastor. He returned to Minnesota five years ago. He moved from the pulpit to the classroom and teaches senior religion class at Saint Croix Lutheran Academy. He is married to Debbi and is drowning in pink and glitter with their four daughters: Violet, Lydia, Eden and Maggie. He also serves Jesus as a speaker on Time of Grace's video daily devotions.
Download the Sessions and Speakers PDF here:
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