2024 SESSIONS
As you read these sessions 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.
You can help us plan the sessions by knowing your first three choices when you register.
1. Christian Apologetics - Michael Berg
How to defend the Christian faith with gentleness, respect, love, and a little bit of winsomeness.
Rev. Dr. Michael Berg is an associate professor of theology at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He is the author of Vocation: the Setting for Human Flourishing (1517), The Baptismal Life (Northwestern), On Any Given Sunday (1517) and an upcoming book on the Theology of the Cross (Northwestern). He is also co-host of the podcast “Let the Bird Fly”. He is married to Amanda, a teacher at St. Philip’s Lutheran in Milwaukee. They have three daughters ages 20, 18, & 15.
2. Built to Help Those who Grieve - Kurt Ebert
Everyone faces griefs in their life, some mild and some severe. Many struggle with what to say to those who grieve. This session will help participants understand the heart of the grieving and apply God's comfort in ways that hurting people can appreciate.
Kurt Ebert has been a WELS parish pastor for 38 years and currently serves at Christ Alone Lutheran Church in Mequon/Thiensville. He is married to Connie and was blessed with four children and five granddaughters.
3. Toward a Biblical Gender Identification - E Allen Sorum
A biblical perspective on gender identification that is also a clear Christian witness.
Currently teaching at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, a member of the Pastoral Studies Institute team, and outreach pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Big Bend, Wisconsin.
4. Built to Serve as God’s Manager - Thomas Mielke
We hear the term "stewardship," but often assume it only addresses only our financial offerings. However, God, the Owner of all things, provides us with many gifts that he asks us to manage, including our time and our abilities, as well as our financial blessings. We are tasked with using all of them in service to the Owner, who provides Scriptural guidance in how we are to use those resources. This session will highlight the joyful responsibility we have in managing these resources which have been entrusted to us by our gracious Lord.
Pastor Mielke served in the parish ministry for 25 years in various parts of the country, until 2019, when he accepted the call to serve as a WELS Christian Giving Counselor. He assists WELS members in their Christian giving goals, with an emphasis on estate planning. His work allows him to daily assist people in the area of Christian stewardship. He also assists his home congregation with their annual stewardship efforts to encourage members in using God's gifts of time, talents and treasure in their lives. He and his wife Laura live in Appleton, WI and attend St. Matthew Lutheran Church there.
5. The Importance of Christian Mentoring - Tad Schubring
Helping people find their identity in Christ through Christian mentoring.
Tad Schubring - Beloved child of God, USN Navy Desert Storm Veteran, Married to Jenni for 24 + years, 5 children (Silas, Micah, Sylvia, Abel, and Keeron), BS Education, MA Educational Leadership, Teacher for 12 years, Youth Minister for 10 years, Owner/Operator Dad’s Handyman Services LLC for 5 + years, Mentored Youth and Adults for 15 + years, Wrote a Mentor Handbook for St. Mark Lutheran Church, Green Bay, WI.
6. From Pastor's Kid to Police Officer - Built to Serve as a Public Servant - Jeff Engelbrecht
At some point in their lives, Christians may struggle to see their role as the hands and feet of Jesus. While called workers such as pastors and teachers may have a more clearly defined purpose, it may be more difficult for others to see how their occupations and skills may fit into that role. During this breakout session the presenter, Jeff Engelbrecht, will discuss growing up as a PK (Pastor's kid), how that time influenced his career as a public servant, and how God's plan places you right where HE needs you to be.
Jeff is a former adjunct faculty member at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, WI, where he taught classes in the following areas: Defensive and Arrest Tactics, Firearms, Vehicle Contacts, and Professional Communication Skills. Jeff previously worked as a consultant and trainer for Blauer Tactical Systems. He was a member of the company’s Mobile Training team and conducted training in the United States and Europe. He has been a speaker at the Wisconsin Department of Justice Unified Tactical Instructor Updates and has been a presenter at the National Association of Field Training Officers Conference.
Additionally, Jeff is a consultant / trainer with Mighty Oak Active Threat Solutions where he presents on the topics of civilian active threat response, situational awareness & de-escalation strategies, and house of worship safety & security. He has provided this training to organizations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana and Virginia.
7. Built to Serve with a Healthy Habit Foundation - Greg Schmill
Building healthy habits will greatly enhance our own health and our ability to “serve one another humbly in love.” Our habits greatly influence our character, our resilience, and the energy that we bring to our service to others. NOW is the best time to develop a Keystone Habit for lives of service! This “Habits 101” session will provide vital insights on habit formation and lead to each participant identifying and locking in on a Keystone Habit. Ways to grow this Keystone Habit will also be discussed. Let’s work to be “Built to Serve” by building a healthy habit foundation!
Greg Schmill has served as a teacher and principal in WELS elementary and high schools in Minnesota, Florida, and Wisconsin. He has also served as the synod’s Forward with Lutheran Schools (FWLS) educational consultant and as the director of the WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools (CLS). He now lives out his passion for supporting and encouraging WELS school and church leaders as a facilitator and leadership coach with Grace in Action. In this role, he partners with others to develop and deliver leadership training and coaching support for WELS and ELS ministry leaders and teams. Greg’s blessings of family include his wife Renee and four daughters and four sons-in-law – and four grandchildren.
8. Biblical Manhood: Built by the Father, Called by Christ - Luke Thompson
Our culture tells us a lot about what it means to be a man, from the woke deconstruction of gender to red-pill reactions. But how does the Bible define manhood, and what practices does the Bible give us for encouraging Biblically manly behaviour? Join us as we develop a biblical philosophy of manhood, and see how God turns our expectations upside and gives us more than we could ever ask for.
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, 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).
9. Love Your Neighbor - Ryan Kolander
Living in a global society has put unimaginable strain on our concept of "neighbor." You can fly to anyone in the world within hours and connect to anyone's suffering online in a matter of seconds. Our hearts are overwhelmed by the thought of loving our entire metropolitan area, and thus are paralyzed into inaction. Let's scale back today to the person next to you. How can we (and our congregations) meaningfully connect with the people right around us and connect them to Jesus? I hope to share some experiences and principles to help each participant and congregation to better serve their neighbor in any setting.
Before graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Pastor Kolander lived and served in Mexico and in various other parts of the world. He was assigned in 2016 to serve as a mission pastor in Detroit, where he worked to raise up a multicultural, bilingual congregation for seven years. These experiences have forced him to find unique ways to connect with many "neighbors" that do not share a common culture with him.
10. Youth group: do or do not resuscitate - Pastor Clark Schultz
There is no silver bullet when it comes to working with the youth, Pastor Clark will share a few wins from his youth program that may or may not work for your group.. The group assembled can share their challenges and together we can ask the question of do we or do we not resuscitate our youth group program.
My ministry included vicaring in the shadows of Lambeau field at St. Mark Green Bay. I then supervised the dorms for two years at Luther Prep, was missionary pastor at Risen Savior Cedar Grove, and then I traveled the globe as the Luther Prep recruiter. Having finished my 14th year teaching at Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, I taught 10th grade religion, coached boy’s soccer and directed the spring drama productions. One of my biggest joys was to be able to encourage teens to consider ministry and MLC. I currently serve as an associate Pastor at Shepherd of the hills West Bend and partner with Good Shepherd to run the youth group together.
I love spending time with my wife Kristin and our three young boys; Ian, Lincoln and Nolan. Batman is my hero of choice because he uses his God given talents to make a difference, that and he’s a millionaire too. My teams are all things Wisconsin, Packers, Badgers, Brewers, Marquette and the Bad News Bears.
I am also blessed to be the author of a teen devotional book https://online.nph.net/5-minute-bible-studies-for-teens.html
11. Every Member Evangelism - Eric Roecker
More congregational members witnessing to the unchurched means more souls being reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s simple math. Twenty witnesses will reach more than ten. A hundred will reach more than twenty. A thousand will reach more than a hundred. But how do we mobilize the vast army of witnesses sitting in WELS pews each week? More specifically, how can your congregation encourage and equip your members to be ambassadors for Christ? Pastor Eric Roecker, the WELS Director for the Commission on Evangelism, will lead a discussion to help you shape a congregational culture that fosters an evangelistic attitude among your members.
Pastor Eric Roecker is a 1998 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Resurrection Lutheran Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he served until 2013. In 2013 he moved to Menomonee Falls, WI to serve as the pastor of Pilgrim Lutheran Church. In August 2018, he began serving as the Director for the WELS Commission on Evangelism. He lives in Menomonee Falls, WI with his wife, Mary, son Rees and daughter Riley.
12. Send Us Your Nuns? - Blain Parsons, Scott Krause, Bill Neubauer
Sadly, a growing percentage of our society identifies their religious affiliation as "none"- or "nun". Learn how 3 average laymen from Watertown have built a successful ministry to reach this group and how their original plan is far different from what has developed. We'll review some history of our community outreach, current ministerial concept to implementation, and all of the trials and tribulations in between. A breakdown of a weekly 3-hour session will be reviewed. You'll learn how easily you can start a ministry too!
Scott, Blain & Bill are 3 average laymen of varying backgrounds from Watertown who became good friends over the years. All 3 have been involved in various committees, boards, councils, school functions and the like within their congregations. They all have a strong desire to spread and share God's Word within their community.
13. More Than a Movement - Greg Lyon
The LGBTQ movement causes fears for many churches and schools. But while we work to address the movement and safeguard our churches and schools, sometimes we fail to see the souls right in front of us. With Christlike love and truth, we will consider not just the LGBTQ movement but the struggling individuals we walk with every day.
Pastor Greg Lyon has been serving as a campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran College since 2015. In his role at WLC, he spends a good portion of his time offering pastoral care to individual students. He earned a masters of sacred theology from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary with an emphasis on pastoral care and is pursuing a masters of counseling through Bethany Lutheran College. He has completed a certificate in trauma counseling through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to pastoral counseling, Pastor Lyon has been involved in writing statements and has assisted in crafting policies specifically related to LGBTQIA+ challenges. He is the chairman of the WELS Committee on Identity, Gender, and Sexuality. He is also a contributing author for Forward in Christ and an Everyone Outreach facilitator.
He is a 2010 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and has been happily married to Amy (Moll) since 2006. Together they have three children: Samuel (2011), Elliana (2012) and Addison (2016).
14. Built to Serve as Family Shepherd - Ben Berger
A shepherd cares for his sheep. A Family Shepherd cares for his wife, children and any others under his care. What does that mean? How does that look? What exactly does God expect of a Family Shepherd. Let's discuss the role of husband and father as the head of the household. We'll search for God's expectations in Scripture and then seek his guidance and strength to carry out this original, important role.
Ben is married to Heather and father of Eliana and Andrew, a junior and freshman at Fox Valley Lutheran High School. Ben has also served as pastor at St. Paul's in Winneconne since July 2014. In addition, he serves on the Northern WI District Commission on Discipleship.
How to defend the Christian faith with gentleness, respect, love, and a little bit of winsomeness.
Rev. Dr. Michael Berg is an associate professor of theology at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He is the author of Vocation: the Setting for Human Flourishing (1517), The Baptismal Life (Northwestern), On Any Given Sunday (1517) and an upcoming book on the Theology of the Cross (Northwestern). He is also co-host of the podcast “Let the Bird Fly”. He is married to Amanda, a teacher at St. Philip’s Lutheran in Milwaukee. They have three daughters ages 20, 18, & 15.
2. Built to Help Those who Grieve - Kurt Ebert
Everyone faces griefs in their life, some mild and some severe. Many struggle with what to say to those who grieve. This session will help participants understand the heart of the grieving and apply God's comfort in ways that hurting people can appreciate.
Kurt Ebert has been a WELS parish pastor for 38 years and currently serves at Christ Alone Lutheran Church in Mequon/Thiensville. He is married to Connie and was blessed with four children and five granddaughters.
3. Toward a Biblical Gender Identification - E Allen Sorum
A biblical perspective on gender identification that is also a clear Christian witness.
Currently teaching at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, a member of the Pastoral Studies Institute team, and outreach pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Big Bend, Wisconsin.
4. Built to Serve as God’s Manager - Thomas Mielke
We hear the term "stewardship," but often assume it only addresses only our financial offerings. However, God, the Owner of all things, provides us with many gifts that he asks us to manage, including our time and our abilities, as well as our financial blessings. We are tasked with using all of them in service to the Owner, who provides Scriptural guidance in how we are to use those resources. This session will highlight the joyful responsibility we have in managing these resources which have been entrusted to us by our gracious Lord.
Pastor Mielke served in the parish ministry for 25 years in various parts of the country, until 2019, when he accepted the call to serve as a WELS Christian Giving Counselor. He assists WELS members in their Christian giving goals, with an emphasis on estate planning. His work allows him to daily assist people in the area of Christian stewardship. He also assists his home congregation with their annual stewardship efforts to encourage members in using God's gifts of time, talents and treasure in their lives. He and his wife Laura live in Appleton, WI and attend St. Matthew Lutheran Church there.
5. The Importance of Christian Mentoring - Tad Schubring
Helping people find their identity in Christ through Christian mentoring.
Tad Schubring - Beloved child of God, USN Navy Desert Storm Veteran, Married to Jenni for 24 + years, 5 children (Silas, Micah, Sylvia, Abel, and Keeron), BS Education, MA Educational Leadership, Teacher for 12 years, Youth Minister for 10 years, Owner/Operator Dad’s Handyman Services LLC for 5 + years, Mentored Youth and Adults for 15 + years, Wrote a Mentor Handbook for St. Mark Lutheran Church, Green Bay, WI.
6. From Pastor's Kid to Police Officer - Built to Serve as a Public Servant - Jeff Engelbrecht
At some point in their lives, Christians may struggle to see their role as the hands and feet of Jesus. While called workers such as pastors and teachers may have a more clearly defined purpose, it may be more difficult for others to see how their occupations and skills may fit into that role. During this breakout session the presenter, Jeff Engelbrecht, will discuss growing up as a PK (Pastor's kid), how that time influenced his career as a public servant, and how God's plan places you right where HE needs you to be.
Jeff is a former adjunct faculty member at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, WI, where he taught classes in the following areas: Defensive and Arrest Tactics, Firearms, Vehicle Contacts, and Professional Communication Skills. Jeff previously worked as a consultant and trainer for Blauer Tactical Systems. He was a member of the company’s Mobile Training team and conducted training in the United States and Europe. He has been a speaker at the Wisconsin Department of Justice Unified Tactical Instructor Updates and has been a presenter at the National Association of Field Training Officers Conference.
Additionally, Jeff is a consultant / trainer with Mighty Oak Active Threat Solutions where he presents on the topics of civilian active threat response, situational awareness & de-escalation strategies, and house of worship safety & security. He has provided this training to organizations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana and Virginia.
7. Built to Serve with a Healthy Habit Foundation - Greg Schmill
Building healthy habits will greatly enhance our own health and our ability to “serve one another humbly in love.” Our habits greatly influence our character, our resilience, and the energy that we bring to our service to others. NOW is the best time to develop a Keystone Habit for lives of service! This “Habits 101” session will provide vital insights on habit formation and lead to each participant identifying and locking in on a Keystone Habit. Ways to grow this Keystone Habit will also be discussed. Let’s work to be “Built to Serve” by building a healthy habit foundation!
Greg Schmill has served as a teacher and principal in WELS elementary and high schools in Minnesota, Florida, and Wisconsin. He has also served as the synod’s Forward with Lutheran Schools (FWLS) educational consultant and as the director of the WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools (CLS). He now lives out his passion for supporting and encouraging WELS school and church leaders as a facilitator and leadership coach with Grace in Action. In this role, he partners with others to develop and deliver leadership training and coaching support for WELS and ELS ministry leaders and teams. Greg’s blessings of family include his wife Renee and four daughters and four sons-in-law – and four grandchildren.
8. Biblical Manhood: Built by the Father, Called by Christ - Luke Thompson
Our culture tells us a lot about what it means to be a man, from the woke deconstruction of gender to red-pill reactions. But how does the Bible define manhood, and what practices does the Bible give us for encouraging Biblically manly behaviour? Join us as we develop a biblical philosophy of manhood, and see how God turns our expectations upside and gives us more than we could ever ask for.
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, 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).
9. Love Your Neighbor - Ryan Kolander
Living in a global society has put unimaginable strain on our concept of "neighbor." You can fly to anyone in the world within hours and connect to anyone's suffering online in a matter of seconds. Our hearts are overwhelmed by the thought of loving our entire metropolitan area, and thus are paralyzed into inaction. Let's scale back today to the person next to you. How can we (and our congregations) meaningfully connect with the people right around us and connect them to Jesus? I hope to share some experiences and principles to help each participant and congregation to better serve their neighbor in any setting.
Before graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Pastor Kolander lived and served in Mexico and in various other parts of the world. He was assigned in 2016 to serve as a mission pastor in Detroit, where he worked to raise up a multicultural, bilingual congregation for seven years. These experiences have forced him to find unique ways to connect with many "neighbors" that do not share a common culture with him.
10. Youth group: do or do not resuscitate - Pastor Clark Schultz
There is no silver bullet when it comes to working with the youth, Pastor Clark will share a few wins from his youth program that may or may not work for your group.. The group assembled can share their challenges and together we can ask the question of do we or do we not resuscitate our youth group program.
My ministry included vicaring in the shadows of Lambeau field at St. Mark Green Bay. I then supervised the dorms for two years at Luther Prep, was missionary pastor at Risen Savior Cedar Grove, and then I traveled the globe as the Luther Prep recruiter. Having finished my 14th year teaching at Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, I taught 10th grade religion, coached boy’s soccer and directed the spring drama productions. One of my biggest joys was to be able to encourage teens to consider ministry and MLC. I currently serve as an associate Pastor at Shepherd of the hills West Bend and partner with Good Shepherd to run the youth group together.
I love spending time with my wife Kristin and our three young boys; Ian, Lincoln and Nolan. Batman is my hero of choice because he uses his God given talents to make a difference, that and he’s a millionaire too. My teams are all things Wisconsin, Packers, Badgers, Brewers, Marquette and the Bad News Bears.
I am also blessed to be the author of a teen devotional book https://online.nph.net/5-minute-bible-studies-for-teens.html
11. Every Member Evangelism - Eric Roecker
More congregational members witnessing to the unchurched means more souls being reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s simple math. Twenty witnesses will reach more than ten. A hundred will reach more than twenty. A thousand will reach more than a hundred. But how do we mobilize the vast army of witnesses sitting in WELS pews each week? More specifically, how can your congregation encourage and equip your members to be ambassadors for Christ? Pastor Eric Roecker, the WELS Director for the Commission on Evangelism, will lead a discussion to help you shape a congregational culture that fosters an evangelistic attitude among your members.
Pastor Eric Roecker is a 1998 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Resurrection Lutheran Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he served until 2013. In 2013 he moved to Menomonee Falls, WI to serve as the pastor of Pilgrim Lutheran Church. In August 2018, he began serving as the Director for the WELS Commission on Evangelism. He lives in Menomonee Falls, WI with his wife, Mary, son Rees and daughter Riley.
12. Send Us Your Nuns? - Blain Parsons, Scott Krause, Bill Neubauer
Sadly, a growing percentage of our society identifies their religious affiliation as "none"- or "nun". Learn how 3 average laymen from Watertown have built a successful ministry to reach this group and how their original plan is far different from what has developed. We'll review some history of our community outreach, current ministerial concept to implementation, and all of the trials and tribulations in between. A breakdown of a weekly 3-hour session will be reviewed. You'll learn how easily you can start a ministry too!
Scott, Blain & Bill are 3 average laymen of varying backgrounds from Watertown who became good friends over the years. All 3 have been involved in various committees, boards, councils, school functions and the like within their congregations. They all have a strong desire to spread and share God's Word within their community.
13. More Than a Movement - Greg Lyon
The LGBTQ movement causes fears for many churches and schools. But while we work to address the movement and safeguard our churches and schools, sometimes we fail to see the souls right in front of us. With Christlike love and truth, we will consider not just the LGBTQ movement but the struggling individuals we walk with every day.
Pastor Greg Lyon has been serving as a campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran College since 2015. In his role at WLC, he spends a good portion of his time offering pastoral care to individual students. He earned a masters of sacred theology from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary with an emphasis on pastoral care and is pursuing a masters of counseling through Bethany Lutheran College. He has completed a certificate in trauma counseling through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to pastoral counseling, Pastor Lyon has been involved in writing statements and has assisted in crafting policies specifically related to LGBTQIA+ challenges. He is the chairman of the WELS Committee on Identity, Gender, and Sexuality. He is also a contributing author for Forward in Christ and an Everyone Outreach facilitator.
He is a 2010 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and has been happily married to Amy (Moll) since 2006. Together they have three children: Samuel (2011), Elliana (2012) and Addison (2016).
14. Built to Serve as Family Shepherd - Ben Berger
A shepherd cares for his sheep. A Family Shepherd cares for his wife, children and any others under his care. What does that mean? How does that look? What exactly does God expect of a Family Shepherd. Let's discuss the role of husband and father as the head of the household. We'll search for God's expectations in Scripture and then seek his guidance and strength to carry out this original, important role.
Ben is married to Heather and father of Eliana and Andrew, a junior and freshman at Fox Valley Lutheran High School. Ben has also served as pastor at St. Paul's in Winneconne since July 2014. In addition, he serves on the Northern WI District Commission on Discipleship.