Breakout Speakers
Laura Albers
St. Mark Ministries, De Pere and Green Bay, Wis.
Presentation: Transformational Discipleship: A Holistic Rethinking of Discipleship Ministries
Jeremy Bakken
Northwestern Publishing House
Presentation: Panel Discussion: All Things Christian Worship
Rev. Caleb Bassett
Redeemer, Fallbrook, Calif.
Presentation: Not Just True, But Also Good
Presentation: Panel Discussion: All Things Christian Worship
Rev. Jonathan Bauer
Good News, Mount Horeb, Wis.
Presentation: Panel Discussion: All Things Christian Worship
Rev. Dr. Michael Berg
Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wis.
Presentation: Critical Theory: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Josh Birkholz
Layperson, Bloomington Living Hope, Bloomington, Minn.
Presentation: Ask and You Shall Receive: Fundraising for Your Ministry
Rev. Kyle Bitter
Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis.
Presentation: All Aboard! A Congregational Approach to Youth Ministry
Rachel Burgess
Continuing Education Instructor at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.
Presentation: Safeguarding Our Schools: A Panel Discussion
Prof. Aaron Christie
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon Wis.
Presentation: Stretching Your Worship Within Lutheran Parameters
Rev. Justin Cloute
St Luke’s, Watertown, Wis.
Presentation: Effective, Mission-Driven Meetings
Rev. Donn Dobberstein
Director of WELS Commission on Discipleship
Presentation: Renewing Expectations of Church Membership: The Post-COVID Challenge
Rev. Kurt Ebert
Christ Alone, Thiensville, Wis.
Presentation: Depression and the Church Leader
Rev. Dr. Kenneth Fisher
Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, Wis.
Presentation: Making It Real: Intentional Strategies for Modeling Gospel-Centered Unity
Rev. Timothy Flunker
Hispanic Outreach Consultant, Board for Home Missions
Presentation: Cross-cultural / Multi-cultural / Intercultural: Which One Works for You?
John Fowler
Layperson, Christ Our Savior, Columbia, Tenn.
Presentation: The Relationship Between Lay Leaders and Called Workers
Dave Gartner
West Lutheran High School, Plymouth, Minn.
Presentation: Safeguarding Our Schools: A Panel Discussion
Rev. Bryan Gerlach
Director of WELS Commission on Worship
Presentation: Panel Discussion: All Things Christian Worship
Adam Goede
WELS Ministry of Christian Giving
Presentation: Christian Giving Now and for the Future
Steve Hansen
Layperson, Gloria Dei, Belmont, Calif.
Presentation: Leadership in a World That Does Not Recognize Jesus
Rev. James Hein
St. Marcus, Milwaukee, Wis.
Presentation: The Possibility and Power of Small Group Ministry
Rev. Jonathan Hein
Director of WELS Commission on Congregational Counseling
Presentation: Congregation at the Crossroads: Five Questions for a Challenged Church
Cindi Holman
WELS National Coordinator for Early Childhood Ministries
Presentation: They’re Here! Now What? Connecting School and ECM Families to Your Church
Rev. Dr. Phil Huebner
Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, Wis.
Presentation: “Who Am I?” – The Crisis Among Teens Today
Presentation: An Honest Conversation with WELS Teens
Dana Kirchoff
Layperson, Appleton, Wis.
Presentation: Building a Foundation to Reach Your Community
Rev. Ryan Kolander
Palabra de Vida, Detroit, Mich.
Presentation: Doing Good to All People: The Crucial Role of Compassion Ministry in a Congregation’s Plans to Reach the Community
Rev. Ben Kratz
Our Savior, Birmingham, Ala.
Presentation: Rethinking Congregational Partnership: Men and Women Working Together in Christ’s Mission
Wendy Kuschel
St. Mark Ministries, De Pere and Green Bay, Wis.
Presentation: Creating a Congregational Communications Plan
Christopher Lambrecht
Layperson, Elm Grove, Wis.
Presentation: Safeguarding Our Schools: A Panel Discussion
Dana Leyrer
Teacher, St. John’s, Wauwatosa, Wis.
Presentation: All Aboard! A Congregational Approach to Youth Ministry
Lori Lorig
Faith Unleashed Consultants, Crete, Ill.
Presentation: Empowering Your Members to Serve
Rev. Kurt Lueneburg
Director of WELS Ministry of Christian Giving
Presentation: Christian Giving Now and for the Future
Rev. Greg Lyon
Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wis.
Presentation: Marrying Truth and Love: Preparing For and Speaking about LGBTQIA+
Haley Meier
Layperson, Trinity, Waukesha, Wis.
Presentation: Rethinking Congregational Governance
Rev. Bill Monday
922 Ministries, Appleton, Wis.
Presentation: Intergenerational Ministry That Works
Rev. Adam Mueller
Redeemer, Tucson, Ariz.
Presentation: Moving the Needle: What Matters (and What Doesn’t) in Ministry
Kurt Nitz
Layperson, Christ Our Savior, Rockford, Mich.
Presentation: Culture Shifting – How to Make It Happen
Dan Nommensen
Christian Family Solutions, Germantown, Wis.
Presentation: Depression and the Church Leader
Rev. Mike Novotny
The CORE, Appleton, Wis.
Presentation: What’s Big Starts Small: Six Threats to the Great Faith God Wants to Grow in You
Rev. Don and Mary Patterson
Holy Word, Austin, Tex.
Presentation: Balancing Our Roles in Family and Church
Paul Patterson
Associate Director for WELS Lutheran Schools and Executive Director of WELS School Accreditation
Presentation: Opening Minds to Closing the Funding Gap: Financial Sustainability in Our Schools
Dr. Joan Prince
Layperson, St. Philip’s, Milwaukee, Wis.
Presentation: Making It Real: Intentional Strategies for Modeling Gospel-Centered Unity
Jim Rademan
Director of WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools
Presentation: Safeguarding Our Schools: A Panel Discussion
Presentation: Tools and Guidance in Times of Teacher and Leader Vacancies
Rev. Eric Roecker
Director of WELS Commission on Evangelism
Presentation: Every Member Evangelism: How to Encourage and Equip People in the Pews to Reach the Lost
Rev. David Rosenau
St. Mark, Leesburg, Fla.
Presentation: Second-Career Ministry: Serving the Same God in a Different Way
Prof. Joel Russow
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis.
Presentation: Preaching for the Unchurched: Remembering the Non-Member Audience
Prof. David Scharf
Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.
Presentation: Leadership Matters: How to Identify and Develop Leaders to Multiply Ministry
Tom Schermerhorn
Layperson, Faith, Fond du Lac, Wis.
Presentation: There Is a Time to Build
Naomi Schmidt
Member, WELS Women’s Ministry Committee
Presentation: Living in Godly Wisdom: The Pressure on Women to “Have It All”
Rev. Jonathan Schroeder
Faith, Sharpsburg, Ga.
Presentation: Plan, Execute, Evaluate: Implementing an Integrated Outreach Plan in Your Congregation
Presentation: Panel Discussion: All Things Christian Worship
Rev. Michael Schultz
Faith, Tallahassee, Fla.
Presentation: Panel Discussion: All Things Christian Worship
Dawn Schulz
Chairwoman, WELS Women’s Ministry
Presentation: Rethinking Congregational Partnership: Men and Women Working Together in Christ’s Mission
Rev. Dan Sims
Director of WELS Christian Aid and Relief
Presentation: Doing Good to All People: The Crucial Role of Compassion Ministry in a Congregation’s Plans to Reach the Community
Prof. E. Allen Sorum
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis.
Presentation: Force-Multiplied Lutheran Leadership
Rev. Don Sutton
Grace in Action
Presentation: Strengthening Your Ministry Teams
Chuck Ulland
Layperson, Christ, Big Bend, Wis.
Presentation: Force-Multiplied Lutheran Leadership
Victor Vieth
Zero Abuse Project
Presentation: The Least of These: Implementing Child Protection Policies, Personal Safety Education, and other Reforms to Keep Safe the Children God has Entrusted to our Churches and Schools
Rev. Matt Vogt
Water of Life, Las Vegas, Nev.
Presentation: Light in the Darkness: Engaging the Unchurched
through Community Involvement
Rev. Charles Westra
Christ Our Savior, Columbia, Tenn.
Presentation: The Relationship Between Lay Leaders and Called Workers
Chip Woods
Layperson, Zion, Denver, Colo.
Presentation: Leadership Skills Used in Industry and Ministry
Rev. Ben Workentine
St. Mark Ministries, De Pere and Green Bay, Wis.
Presentation: Transformational Discipleship: A Holistic Rethinking of Discipleship Ministries
Sean Young
Layperson, St Luke’s, Watertown, Wis.
Presentation: Effective, Mission-Driven Meetings
Rev. Jay Zahn
Trinity, Waukesha, Wis.
Presentation: Rethinking Congregational Governance
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WELS Congregational Services exists to serve congregations, schools, and their leaders by providing resources, training, and personal assistance so that they might carry out gospel ministry in the most faithful way on the local level.
