2016 Annual Gathering
Back to the Future: First Century Principles for the Twenty First Century
Keynote Speaker #1 – Part One
October 3, 2016 • Dr. Ed Stetzer
Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair for Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College. Ed also serves as the Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton, and as chair of the Evangelism and Leadership Program in the Graduate School. Ed is a prolific author, and well-known conference speaker. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches, trained pastors and church planters on six continents, holds two masters degrees and two doctorates, and has written a dozen books and hundreds of articles. Stetzer is a contributing editor for Christianity Today, a columnist for Outreach Magazine and is frequently cited or interviewed in news outlets such as USAToday and CNN. He is also the Executive Editor of The Gospel Project, which is used by over 1 million individuals each week. As of fall 2015, Stetzer co-hosts BreakPoint This Week, a radio broadcast that airs on over 400 media outlets. He also serves the teaching pastor at Christ Fellowship, a multi-cultural megachurch in Miami, Florida.
Keynote Speaker #1 – Part Two
October 3, 2016 • Dr. Ed Stetzer
Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair for Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College. Ed also serves as the Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton, and as chair of the Evangelism and Leadership Program in the Graduate School. Ed is a prolific author, and well-known conference speaker. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches, trained pastors and church planters on six continents, holds two masters degrees and two doctorates, and has written a dozen books and hundreds of articles. Stetzer is a contributing editor for Christianity Today, a columnist for Outreach Magazine and is frequently cited or interviewed in news outlets such as USAToday and CNN. He is also the Executive Editor of The Gospel Project, which is used by over 1 million individuals each week. As of fall 2015, Stetzer co-hosts BreakPoint This Week, a radio broadcast that airs on over 400 media outlets. He also serves the teaching pastor at Christ Fellowship, a multi-cultural megachurch in Miami, Florida.
Keynote Speaker #2 – Part One
October 4, 2016 • Dr. Mark Granquist
Mark A. Granquist is Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Luther Seminary, a position he has held since 2007. Prior to this he taught in the Religion Department at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota (1992-2000) and at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota (2000-2007). Granquist has served in parish ministry or Lutheran higher education since his ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in 1988. He was pastor of youth and education at Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester, MN from 1988-1992 and has served several times as an interim pastor in local congregations. A 1979 graduate of St Olaf College, Granquist received his M. Div. from Yale University Divinity School in 1984 and his Ph D degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1992. He serves as the editor of the Luther Seminary journal Word & World and of the Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference, and has been active with the journal Lutheran Quarterly. His publications include Lutherans in America: A New History (Fortress Press, 2014), Scandinavian Pietists: Spiritual Writings from 19th-century Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland (Classics of Western Spirituality, 2015), and The Augustana Story: Shaping Lutheran Identity in North America, (Fortress, 2008). He is one of the editors of the Dictionary of Luther and the Lutheran Traditions (Baker Academic), which will be published in 2016, and the author of many book chapters, articles and essays, especially on the history of Lutherans in North America.
Keynote Speaker #2 – Part Two
October 4, 2016 • Dr. Mark Granquist
Mark A. Granquist is Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Luther Seminary, a position he has held since 2007. Prior to this he taught in the Religion Department at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota (1992-2000) and at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota (2000-2007). Granquist has served in parish ministry or Lutheran higher education since his ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in 1988. He was pastor of youth and education at Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester, MN from 1988-1992 and has served several times as an interim pastor in local congregations. A 1979 graduate of St Olaf College, Granquist received his M. Div. from Yale University Divinity School in 1984 and his Ph D degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1992. He serves as the editor of the Luther Seminary journal Word & World and of the Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference, and has been active with the journal Lutheran Quarterly. His publications include Lutherans in America: A New History (Fortress Press, 2014), Scandinavian Pietists: Spiritual Writings from 19th-century Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland (Classics of Western Spirituality, 2015), and The Augustana Story: Shaping Lutheran Identity in North America, (Fortress, 2008). He is one of the editors of the Dictionary of Luther and the Lutheran Traditions (Baker Academic), which will be published in 2016, and the author of many book chapters, articles and essays, especially on the history of Lutherans in North America.
Ministry Vignettes
October 5, 2016 • Pr. Steven Craig Broers, Rev. Jonathan Haseley, and Pr. Sandy Miller
Steven Broers has been blessed to be the pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle, Iowa, for the past 6 years. He has a passion for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people of all ages and walks of life. In his free time Steven enjoys running, watching movies, spending time with his family, and coaching his oldest son's baseball, soccer, and basketball teams. Steven has been married to Kristy, the love of his life for the past 16 years. Steven and Kristy have been blessed with 4 children - Sophia (12), Malachi (9), Micah (6), and their newly adopted son, Stephen (5). Jonathan is a Western New York native. He is currently in the process of planting Barefoot Christian Community in the Town of Niagara, a suburb of Niagara Falls, New York. Jonathan also serves as the Missions Pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Sanborn, New York. He is actively involved with the inner-city ministry of the Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission. Currently, he serves as the chaplain for Niagara Active Hose Volunteer Fire Company as well as a worship leader in the chaplaincy ministry at the Niagara Falls Air Force Reserve Station. In LCMC, Jonathan serves on the LCMC Mission Team for Church Planting. Jonathan is a graduate of Niagara University and Niagara Lutheran Theological Institute. In December, he will complete his leadership training through Renovation University (2-year leadership cohort) facilitated through The Chapel in Buffalo, New York. After a 30 year career in business, Sandy answered the Lord's call on her life and enrolled at the Master's Institute Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Following graduation in 2011, she was called to First Lutheran, a small church in a community of 100 people. But even small churches can do big things in the kingdom of God! Sandy is passionate about discipling and leading people towards a living relationship with Jesus through worship, Bible study, prayer, and outreach. Through that, we're learning how to live together as brothers and sisters in Christ and to BE the Church in our community and world. I guess you could say that little by little we're making the shift! She also serves on the LCMC Ministry Board. She and her husband, Steve, have been married for 27 years. They have 4 beautiful children and 8 awesome grandchildren. Sandy loves to sing, garden, swim, bike, and spend time with family.
Opening Worship
October 2, 2016 • Pr. Ebassa Berhanu
I was born in Ethiopia where lived until I was 12 years old. In 1991, I moved to Embarrass, MN where I attended Babbitt/Embarrass high school graduating in 1997. I continued my education at the University of Wisconsin-Superior graduating in 2002 with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and International Business. After college, I worked for Walgreens as a manager. I earned my Master of Divinity from Luther in 2009. I am currently working on my Doctor of Ministry with the concentration on Leadership in Preaching & Pastoral Ministry at Denver Seminary. I hope to complete my studies in May of 2018. I married my wife Hana in 2007, and we have four young children, Kaiyo, Deybi, Kobii, and Liben. I was ordained a pastor in the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. My first call was as a part-time pastor at Maranatha Free Lutheran Church in Spring Lake Park, MN. While in Spring Lake Park, I also worked as a supervisor at a thrift store owned by ARC. In September 2011, I joined the pastoral staff of Faith Lutheran as an Assistant Pastor of Youth and family. I accepted all pastoral responsibilities here at Faith in September 2012. I describe myself as theologically conservative and orthodox. I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak. For fun, I like spending time with my beautiful wife and four children. I like reading spiritual books, playing basketball and going for a run.
Closing Worship
October 5, 2016 • Rev. Michael R. Bonham
Pastor Michael R. Bonham graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1975. For 15 years, he worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In 1995, Pastor Bonham graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, PA with a Master of Divinity degree. Upon his graduation, he served mission congregations in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Alabama. Since 2003, Pastor Bonham has served the congregation at Peace Lutheran Church in Gulf Shores, Alabama. During this time, he has provided spiritual guidance through worship services, Bible studies, adult study series, youth programs, outreach ministries, and individual/group counseling. Examples of his adult study series include: The Life and Work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer The End Times • Revelations Christianity and Islam The Reformation Spiritual Gifts Also during this time, Pastor Bonham has served as a Hospice Chaplain for eight years. Presently, he is also an Instructor with Beyond the River Academy and teaches the Lutheran History and Doctrine course. He and his wife, Barbara have been married for 15 years and have seven children together and three grandchildren.
Bible Study #1
October 3, 2016 • Pr. Janine Rew-Werling
Janine grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota getting to know Jesus at her LCMS Wednesday school, Saturday school and Sunday school in the 60's and 70's. She graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls with majors in English and Journalism. Jesus called this unlikely disciple while she was working for Citibank doing New Projects in the Marketing department. She went to seminary with the dream of becoming a Youth/Family Counselor thinking that seminary would "offset" the secular PhD in Psychology she hoped to achieve. Jesus had other ideas. She was at Princeton Seminary for two years and went on internship in Wykcoff, NJ. She loved parish ministry. She headed to LSTC in Chicago for her final "Lutheran" year and fell head over heels in love with Craig Werling and they thought it was a good idea to get engaged after 6 weeks of dating. They graduated, got married and set off to tackle a new idea in parish ministry: serving 4 rural congregations together. They had so much fun, they thought having 3 kids would only make it more fun! They were called to Milbank, SD thirteen years later to serve in a larger congregation together. In August of 2010, she left parish ministry to serve as Director of Development and Marketing for Volunteers of America, Dakotas. She was sure that her days in the parish were over. Jesus had other ideas. In February of 2011, a small mission start asked her to supply preach. In September of 2011, they called her part time and two weeks later made it full time! The congregation is now over 420 people and just moved into a new building in March of 2016. They are in the process of adding a second pastor so that she can remember if she has any hobbies. She serves on the Board for Theology and Ministry of the LCMC Augustana District, and on the board of the Institute for Lutheran Theology (ILT). She and her husband are also on the NALC clergy roster. Her professional interests include: Youth and Family Ministries, Bible Study, Strategic Planning for Churches, Christian Counseling, Deaf Ministries, and Stewardship. Janine and Craig have three children: the oldest is married and a school counselor and is teaching in Bangkok, Thailand with her husband. The middle one is graduated from college and is off in the workforce. The baby is a freshman at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Jesus has another idea about life and ministry as she is called with her husband to an "empty nest" and looks forward to the new adventure ahead!
Bible Study #2
October 4, 2016 • Pr. Janine Rew-Werling
Janine grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota getting to know Jesus at her LCMS Wednesday school, Saturday school and Sunday school in the 60's and 70's. She graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls with majors in English and Journalism. Jesus called this unlikely disciple while she was working for Citibank doing New Projects in the Marketing department. She went to seminary with the dream of becoming a Youth/Family Counselor thinking that seminary would "offset" the secular PhD in Psychology she hoped to achieve. Jesus had other ideas. She was at Princeton Seminary for two years and went on internship in Wykcoff, NJ. She loved parish ministry. She headed to LSTC in Chicago for her final "Lutheran" year and fell head over heels in love with Craig Werling and they thought it was a good idea to get engaged after 6 weeks of dating. They graduated, got married and set off to tackle a new idea in parish ministry: serving 4 rural congregations together. They had so much fun, they thought having 3 kids would only make it more fun! They were called to Milbank, SD thirteen years later to serve in a larger congregation together. In August of 2010, she left parish ministry to serve as Director of Development and Marketing for Volunteers of America, Dakotas. She was sure that her days in the parish were over. Jesus had other ideas. In February of 2011, a small mission start asked her to supply preach. In September of 2011, they called her part time and two weeks later made it full time! The congregation is now over 420 people and just moved into a new building in March of 2016. They are in the process of adding a second pastor so that she can remember if she has any hobbies. She serves on the Board for Theology and Ministry of the LCMC Augustana District, and on the board of the Institute for Lutheran Theology (ILT). She and her husband are also on the NALC clergy roster. Her professional interests include: Youth and Family Ministries, Bible Study, Strategic Planning for Churches, Christian Counseling, Deaf Ministries, and Stewardship. Janine and Craig have three children: the oldest is married and a school counselor and is teaching in Bangkok, Thailand with her husband. The middle one is graduated from college and is off in the workforce. The baby is a freshman at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Jesus has another idea about life and ministry as she is called with her husband to an "empty nest" and looks forward to the new adventure ahead!
Bible Study #3
October 5, 2016 • Pr. Janine Rew-Werling
Janine grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota getting to know Jesus at her LCMS Wednesday school, Saturday school and Sunday school in the 60's and 70's. She graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls with majors in English and Journalism. Jesus called this unlikely disciple while she was working for Citibank doing New Projects in the Marketing department. She went to seminary with the dream of becoming a Youth/Family Counselor thinking that seminary would "offset" the secular PhD in Psychology she hoped to achieve. Jesus had other ideas. She was at Princeton Seminary for two years and went on internship in Wykcoff, NJ. She loved parish ministry. She headed to LSTC in Chicago for her final "Lutheran" year and fell head over heels in love with Craig Werling and they thought it was a good idea to get engaged after 6 weeks of dating. They graduated, got married and set off to tackle a new idea in parish ministry: serving 4 rural congregations together. They had so much fun, they thought having 3 kids would only make it more fun! They were called to Milbank, SD thirteen years later to serve in a larger congregation together. In August of 2010, she left parish ministry to serve as Director of Development and Marketing for Volunteers of America, Dakotas. She was sure that her days in the parish were over. Jesus had other ideas. In February of 2011, a small mission start asked her to supply preach. In September of 2011, they called her part time and two weeks later made it full time! The congregation is now over 420 people and just moved into a new building in March of 2016. They are in the process of adding a second pastor so that she can remember if she has any hobbies. She serves on the Board for Theology and Ministry of the LCMC Augustana District, and on the board of the Institute for Lutheran Theology (ILT). She and her husband are also on the NALC clergy roster. Her professional interests include: Youth and Family Ministries, Bible Study, Strategic Planning for Churches, Christian Counseling, Deaf Ministries, and Stewardship. Janine and Craig have three children: the oldest is married and a school counselor and is teaching in Bangkok, Thailand with her husband. The middle one is graduated from college and is off in the workforce. The baby is a freshman at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Jesus has another idea about life and ministry as she is called with her husband to an "empty nest" and looks forward to the new adventure ahead!
International Focus
October 4, 2016 • Dr. Jim Blessman
Dr. Jim and Beth Blessman started their work in South Africa in 2001 by forming Blessman Ministries, a non-profit organization bringing hope to children through optical clinics, orphan villages, a feeding program, as well as sharing the love of Christ. All across the country of South Africa, Blessman Ministries hosts optical outreaches in the public schools, giving children the opportunity to look toward tomorrow. The work of Blessman Ministries has been faithfully serving the children and families of South Africa now for 15 years. What began small has grown to 3 different campuses in South Africa, 2 church plants, and 6 micro-enterprises. Over 7,000 children are fed each day Monday through Friday in partnership with Meals From the Heartland, where they receive a hot, nutritious meal that could be their only meal of the day. Blessman Ministries also partners with Rotary International, Hy-Vee, Days For Girls International, Abod Shelters, Convoy of Hope, Soles 4 Souls, Enviro-Loo, The Limpopo Department of Education, the South African Department of Corrections, and many more in an effort to become fully sustained in South Africa, and to best serve the people they have come to love so dearly. The main objective of Dr. Jim and Beth as well as Blessman Ministries is to give the children of South Africa physical and spiritual hope, by sharing their time, talent and treasure.
Small, But Mighty
October 4, 2016 • Rev. Mark Vander Tuig
There is no reason that a congregation of 12 people might do anything less than what Jesus did with the original 12. Whether a congregation has 10 members or a 1000, the key to effective ministry is a desire to find ways to be the Body of Christ in our generation. It's all about being disciples and following Jesus. Most Christians around the world worship and carry out ministry in congregations of 30-50 people, and we can do the same. We have Jesus, and it turns out that Jesus is enough. Rev. Mark Vander Tuig, Service Coordinator of LCMC, presents a breakout session at the 2016 LCMC Annual Gathering in Denver, CO.