2021 Annual Gathering
2021 Service Coordinator's Report
October 4, 2021 • Mike Bradley
Mike Bradley is the service coordinator for LCMC. Mike brings 40 plus years of leadership and ministry experience, having served in Lutheran congregations in Nebraska (Christ Lutheran Church) and South Dakota (Trinity Lutheran Church) as a youth pastor, worship leader, associate pastor, and senior pastor. He also served as President for The Master’s Institute Seminary for ten years and most recently, as Director for the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Mike is passionate about helping leaders and congregations create an atmosphere that is a safe place for developing healthy leaders and disciples in the church, and equipping God’s people for lives of effective witness and ministry in the world. He is the author of the book, Being a Safe Place for the Dangerous Kind, in which he articulates the essential connection between solid theology and healthy practice in mission and ministry. Mike enjoys sports of all kinds, having served as a high school basketball and baseball coach while serving Trinity Lutheran Church in Rapid City, South Dakota. He and his wife of forty-two years, Debi, enjoy reading, hiking, and swimming, and Mike enjoys the occasional golf outing. They have five adult children, Andrew Michael, Joseph Ross, Rachel Christine, Stephen Daniel and Benjamin John; three grandsons, Michael, Isaac, and Lucas; and two granddaughters, Violet and Ferrah. Mike and Debi live in Gilbert, AZ with their three-year-old white Labrador, Maggie Mae. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Keynote Speaker #1
October 4, 2021 • Jeremey King
For the last three years, we as an association have been on a journey desiring to listen, see, and speak to all generations. As we move into this last year of our series, “Speak It, Live It, Share It” we must first pause and reflect upon how our listening and seeing must theologically ground us before we speak. Jeremey will unpack a practical theological approach for individuals and congregations to listen to God and the world around us and see with Kingdom lenses as we seek to speak to a world in need of the Gospel. Jeremey King serves as Pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. Growing up at the beach in sunny Southern California, Jeremey never imagined he would serve as lead pastor to a congregation located in a town known for snow and skiing in Afton, Minnesota. In fact, he never thought he would be a pastor. Jeremey’s journey of listening to God has taken him from hustlin’ billiards to a passion for discipleship. He has discovered along the way that the very things he never thought he would do were often the invitations to trust God’s vision, initiation, and faithfulness. His pastoral heart has been shaped by great mentors and authors that encourage him to deepen, to root, in hearing the shepherding voice of Jesus. One of his favorite places to hear from God is in the woods during hunting season. Jeremey holds an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, teaches for The Masters Institute, and serves on the Board of Trustees for LCMC. The best gifts of his life are his wife, Michelle, and two kids, Gabriel and Neriyah.
Keynote Speaker #2
October 4, 2021 • Nathan Hoff
We live out our Christian faith in the world, in our homes, our workplaces, our play places, and our communities, as well as in our places of worship. It is in these places that hundreds of millions of people are in great need of a proclamation and demonstration of the power of the gospel. In this session, Nathan will exhort us that it is in these places that followers of Christ can be empowered by God to speak, live, and share the power of the gospel so that people might be drawn by God to faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Nathan Hoff serves as Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church. Son of the Father, chosen and loved by Jesus, and filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Nathan is called to live into this identity with Joy and his four children. He has served as a pastor in San Pedro at Trinity Lutheran Church since 2005, and started a multiplicative ministry called Trinity Greenhouse in 2018, which includes an internship embedded in a young adult intentional community (The Theta Community). Nathan also serves on the faculty at Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute, The Awaken Project, and Mount Carmel Ministries.
Keynote Speaker #3
October 5, 2021 • Jenn Alexander
Jenn will remind us of what Jesus spoke and continues to speak to us about today: the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Jenn will help us reflect on Jesus’ declaration and demonstration of the kingdom of God breaking in on the world, what it meant for people in the time of Jesus, and what it means for us today in order to encourage and equip us to go speak it, live it, and share it. Jenn Alexander’s years as a speaker, worship leader, pastor, and wife of a megachurch lead pastor, grant her a unique and pointed voice in the current LCMC conversation. With piercing clarity, soulful energy, and fierce honesty, Jenn Alexander brings prophetic insight, and humble perspective to biblical passages, and changing times. Jenn lives in St. Paul, MN and serves alongside her husband Ryan on the preaching team and senior leadership team of Hosanna Church, a multi-campus church in the Twin Cities south metro. Jenn has her masters in the missional church from Fuller Theological Seminary, and has served in Lutheran congregations for over 20 years.
Keynote Speaker #4
October 6, 2021 • Mike Bradley
Mike will build on Nathan Hoff’s keynote message by sharing the work on vision, mission, and strategic planning that is being done to serve and support the members of our association in our call to carry out the mission of the gospel. He’ll share the potential of this work to encourage, equip, and empower our congregations and leaders to speak, live, and share the power of the gospel wherever in the world God sends us. LCMC Service Coordinator Mike Bradley brings 40 plus years of leadership and ministry experience, having served in Lutheran congregations in Nebraska (Christ Lutheran Church) and South Dakota (Trinity Lutheran Church) as a youth pastor, worship leader, associate pastor, and senior pastor. He also served as President for The Master’s Institute Seminary for ten years and most recently, as Director for the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Mike is passionate about helping leaders and congregations create an atmosphere that is a safe place for developing healthy leaders and disciples in the church, and equipping God’s people for lives of effective witness and ministry in the world. He is the author of the book, Being a Safe Place for the Dangerous Kind, in which he articulates the essential connection between solid theology and healthy practice in mission and ministry. Mike enjoys sports of all kinds, having served as a high school basketball and baseball coach while serving Trinity Lutheran Church in Rapid City, South Dakota. He and his wife of forty-two years, Debi, enjoy reading, hiking, and swimming, and Mike enjoys the occasional golf outing. They have five adult children, Andrew Michael, Joseph Ross, Rachel Christine, Stephen Daniel and Benjamin John; three grandsons, Michael, Isaac, and Lucas; and two granddaughters, Violet and Ferrah. Mike and Debi live in Gilbert, AZ with their three-year-old white Labrador, Maggie Mae.
Panel Discussion - Proclaiming the Gospel
October 5, 2021 • Julie Smith, Andrea Taphorn, Nathan Hoff
Our panel will share reflections on proclaiming the gospel in today’s world. They will also reflect on questions that are presented by participants. JULIE SMITH - Julie has spent the past 23 years working mainly in small town and rural ministry settings. Since 2011 she has been Dean of Students at St. Paul Lutheran Seminary, while simultaneously serving as the pastor of St. Johns Lutheran Church in Springfield, MN. In the spring of 2021, Julie joined the staff of LCMC as Coordinator for Districts and Fellowships. ANDREA TAPHORN - Andrea has worked in Children’s Ministry for 8 years and is a seminary student at The Luther House at Sioux Falls Seminary. She has a background in medical social work prior to being in full time ministry. She has spent countless hours of the pandemic with her husband Brodie, her three teenage kids, her dad and their sweet and lovable dog Louis. A good day involves good coffee with a good book in hand, writing down thoughts about life, ministry and theology, and laughing and connecting with a good friend. NATHAN HOFF - Son of the Father, chosen and loved by Jesus, and filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Nathan is called to live into this identity with Joy and his four children. He has served as a pastor in San Pedro at Trinity Lutheran Church since 2005, and started a multiplicative ministry called Trinity Greenhouse in 2018, which includes an internship embedded in a young adult intentional community (The Theta Community). Nathan also serves on the faculty at Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute, The Awaken Project, and Mount Carmel Ministries.
Bible Study #1
October 4, 2021 • Erik Anderson
Erik is the husband of Sara and the father of Augusten and Ambrose. He has served New Life Lutheran as Discipleship Pastor since August 2018, where he focuses on equipping God’s people to proclaim the Gospel to each other and the world, put on Christ daily, and grow in grace and the promises of God. Erik is currently pursuing an M.A. in Biblical Theology at The Institute of Lutheran Theology. Erik’s spare time is spent with his family–hiking, fishing, and wrestling with his boys; or at the local gym lifting weights and challenging his body.
Bible Study #2
October 5, 2021 • Erik Anderson
Erik is the husband of Sara and the father of Augusten and Ambrose. He has served New Life Lutheran as Discipleship Pastor since August 2018, where he focuses on equipping God’s people to proclaim the Gospel to each other and the world, put on Christ daily, and grow in grace and the promises of God. Erik is currently pursuing an M.A. in Biblical Theology at The Institute of Lutheran Theology. Erik’s spare time is spent with his family–hiking, fishing, and wrestling with his boys; or at the local gym lifting weights and challenging his body.
Bible Study #3
October 6, 2021 • Erik Anderson
Erik is the husband of Sara and the father of Augusten and Ambrose. He has served New Life Lutheran as Discipleship Pastor since August 2018, where he focuses on equipping God’s people to proclaim the Gospel to each other and the world, put on Christ daily, and grow in grace and the promises of God. Erik is currently pursuing an M.A. in Biblical Theology at The Institute of Lutheran Theology. Erik’s spare time is spent with his family–hiking, fishing, and wrestling with his boys; or at the local gym lifting weights and challenging his body.
Closing Worship
October 6, 2021 • Gabrielle Arland
Gabrielle has been the student ministry director at Shepherd of the Valley for the last 3 years. Before that, she attended Bethel University and is currently attending seminary at Fuller Seminary. In her spare time she likes to read, bake bread, and cheer on the Wisconsin Badgers.
Constructive Conversation in a Time of Social and Racial Unrest
October 4, 2021 • Ebassa Berhanu, Dave Drum
The last year has brought about some of the most significant social, racial, and political unrest in generations. How can we as Christ-followers be part of the solution? Join Pastors Ebassa and Dave as they share stories from the trenches, offer practical suggestions, and create a safe place for questions and dialogue.
Trusting Christians in an Era of Distrust
October 5, 2021 • Mike Bradley
We are living in an era of distrust. The predominant stereotype of Christians in this age is that we are arrogant and angry, judgmental and condemning, hypocritical and not to be trusted. In this breakout, Mike will help us reflect on how followers of Christ can begin to intentionally rebuild people’s trust in Christians by tearing down this negative stereotype one heart, one life at a time.
Discipleship: The Engine That Drives the Church
October 5, 2021 • Jonathan Haseley
What is discipleship and why does it even matter? What happens when we define it according to our terms and preconceived notions rather than according to Jesus’ terms and design? How can we participate in the mission of God as everyday disciples in the mission context where God has placed us? Jonathan will help us reflect on such questions and will encourage us to take a fresh look at disciple-making in the church as the key to fueling ministry and mission in and through our congregations.