Evangelism Day – “That We Might Save Some”
Based on 1 Corinthians 9:22
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
MLC Evangelism Day is dedicated to equipping MLC students to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, both in their personal lives and when they serve in the public ministry.
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8:30–9:20 |
Opening Worship Guest preacher: Pastor Jonathan Hein |
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9:30–10:20 |
Electives: All |
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10:30-11:20 |
Electives: All |
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11:30-12:20 |
Lunch: Juniors and Seniors OR Electives: Freshmen and Sophomores |
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12:30–1:20 |
Lunch: Freshmen and Sophomores OR Electives: Juniors and Seniors |
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1:30–2:20 |
Keynote: All – Pastor Jonathan Hein Two Cultures That Shape Ministry: Theirs and Ours In 1 Corinthians 9, St. Paul reminds us that mission work begins with us understanding the people we are trying to reach–their beliefs, values, and culture. But ministry also depends on the culture within our congregations. Culture is more than friendliness. It is the shared thought patterns that shape how God’s people act together. If congregational culture is weak, it undermines even the best mission strategies and efforts. Called workers are key in shaping a healthy congregational culture. This presentation will explore how gospel ministers can read the culture around them while building one within that reflects Christ. |
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2:30–3:30 |
Social Hour for Students and Presenters in the Cafeteria |
1. Christ for All Nations: Building Bridges, Not Barriers – Jardan Patrick
Pastor Paul and his wife, Aneela, will both be participating in this presentation to share how the love of Christ unites people from every nation and culture.
2. “I forgot that you existed” | Outreach to the Poor – Nathan Loersch
Could Taylor Swift and tent city residents possibly have anything in common? What would it look like to evangelize each of them? Or, consider this: A 2001 Toyota Camry is parked on and off in your church/school parking lot, stuff piled to the brim. After a December evening sporting event, you see an older man with face tattoos and a few missing fingers sleeping inside the car. What do you do? This session will explore the unique challenges and opportunities of outreach to the poor (also… what defines “poor,” anyways?)
3. Campus Ministry: Equipping Young Adults to Thrive, Not Just Survive – Tom Welch
Are we in crisis mode? The rate at which young adults are leaving the Church is alarming. Although recent data indicate a possible leveling off of this decline, there’s still a lot to be done. How can we support students during their college years, not just helping them stay afloat and maintain their faith, but also empowering them to flourish throughout college and beyond? This presentation will explore the roles that churches, pastors, and Christian friends can play in supporting their brothers and sisters attending public universities.
4. See the World beyond your Church and Classroom Mark and Mollie Henrich
Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35) Perhaps these words of Jesus are why you are on this campus- your heart yearns to go into the fields. But before you go, be surprised at just how close those fields really are.
Mark and Mollie Henrich have been blessed to have served a combined 40+ years in cross-cultural ministry in 4 different countries and over 30 nationalities. The best place to serve? (Hint- It has to do with Costco.)
5. Family Engagement in Early Childhood Ministry – Amanda Berg
Let’s learn and discuss ways that families play a key role in a child’s learning success, and how a strong partnership between home and school sets the stage for a lifetime of learning success. We will take a look at family engagement and how it is a vital part of Early Childhood ministry. We will learn the research, acquire strategies and tools, and empower families to walk alongside teachers during these integral early years of learning and development.
6. Come and See: The Power of Invitational Evangelism – Eric Roecker
Too many WELS members are not active in evangelism. Would you agree? But why? We have the gospel–the best news the world has ever known. So, why aren’t more of us sharing it? Reasons vary. Some are not thinking about it. Some are unsure of how to do it. Some are afraid of it. So, what do we do about it? What if there were a simple way to connect unchurched people to the gospel of Jesus Christ? What if it did not require extensive training or tremendous theological acumen? What if virtually every member of the WELS was already equipped to do it? There is such a tactic. It is called invitational evangelism. Approximately 75% of unchurched people say they would be likely to accept an invitation to church from a Christian friend or relative. The problem? They aren’t being invited.
Join Pastor Eric Roecker, Director for the WELS Commission on Evangelism, as he shares what invitational evangelism looks like, how you can be involved, and how you can help the congregation you one day serve to include it in its evangelism arsenal. Inspired and informed by stories from Scripture and from the people he has served, you will be ready to invite the unchurched people you know to Come and See Jesus for themselves.
7. Gospel Leaders: Reaching Out to Build Up – Jeff Loberger
Picture a bridge spanning a deep canyon – on the other side lies opportunity, growth, and life itself. That bridge is leadership – that bridge is you! As Gospel leaders, you’re not simply called to cross the bridge; you’re called to be the bridge: reaching out, building up, and guiding others forward in faith. This sectional will challenge and inspire you to grow as leaders who invest, influence, and ignite the next generation. Your leadership could be the bridge someone desperately needs to step into their God-given calling.
8. Be who you are: Authentic Community Outreach – Joshua Koelpin
Whether you’re called to a mission start or an established congregation, one reality remains the same: you are placed by God into a community. From its infancy, the Christian Church was marked by how it engaged with the people around it. This witness was powerful. In 2025, community outreach has retained its value as it relates to evangelism. Simply being who you are – light in the darkness – still bears witness to the One who called you out of it. This presentation will share some insights on community outreach gleaned from a couple of years of mission work in Boston.
9. Impacting Evangelism with Art and Music – Terry Schultz
I will demonstrate how art is being used in evangelism efforts to explain fundamental Bible teachings, especially among cultures with low literacy. The importance of discovering and utilizing “points of contact” with the target group will also be discussed.
I will also present on the importance of worship music being created by the culture that uses it, both the lyrics and music. Examples of various applications of art and music in evangelism efforts will include mission work in Uganda, Vietnam, and the Peruvian Amazon.
10. Ministry in Spanish: Can I Do It? – Ryan Kolander
There were many things that scared me about being assigned to Detroit, MI, to do pastoral ministry in Spanish back in 2016. Will my Spanish be good enough to preach sermons week after week? Will people accept me even though I’m from another culture? How will I be able to grow a mission here? Will people laugh at me or listen to me when I have to correct them with the law or heal them with the gospel? There are many things that can scare anyone as they embark on cross-cultural, multi-lingual ministry. But there are also the most amazing blessings. I’ll share stories, best practices I learned along the way, and tips for growing in your comfort zone with reaching many people in Spanish, whether it’s in the classroom, the church, or the community. My goal is to help you leave both excited and better equipped to carry on the torch in Spanish-language ministry!
11. Wait, start a second church?! – Kurt Wetzel
What if we could impact even more lives in our communities by going to them–with another church location? Multi-site ministry isn’t the answer for every setting, but it can be a powerful way to hit the ground running with expanding gospel witness at multiple locations. Explore the benefits, challenges, and crazy potential this ministry model could bring to your ministry experience.
12. No Cap, This Presentation Finna Be Lit – My Urban Ministry Experience – Ross Gottschalk
Does the thought of getting a call into urban ministry make you a little nervous? Urban ministry made me nervous, too. I wish I could tell you it is always sunshine and rainbows and that there is an easy way to be great at urban ministry, but that would be lying. There is no special secret or magic spell that can unlock success in urban ministry. It takes time, experience, a willingness to learn, and the grace of God. From dunking on kids to finding my “urban Gandalf,” this presentation will include stories of real people I’ve met, real experiences I’ve had, and real ministry victories and failures I’ve had along the way. Whether you want to be a staff minister, teacher, or pastor, I hope to give you a new perspective on urban ministry and how Christ can use you, yes, you, to bring his gospel to urban areas.
13. Men & Women in Mission–Together! – Ben Kratz and Dawn Schulz
God is too creative to make carbon copies. Each individual is uniquely gifted. When these differences are rightly aligned, a congregation functions well. Differing viewpoints allow for better-informed decisions. Utilizing different skill sets allows an organization to better accomplish its mission. However, our cognitive and emotional differences, if not understood, can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding.
A good partnership avoids this breakdown by each person striving to understand how the other thinks, to recognize the value of the perspective and expertise others bring to a discussion. It’s the same in a congregation. How can we set these partnerships up to succeed? What would be helpful to know and understand to best make use of each other’s gifts? What can be done to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding?
This practical presentation talks about how to better align the unique gifts of men and women within gospel ministry by answering these questions and sharing tips from leaders and team members serving together.
14. Engaging Christianity – Samuel Jeske
“All religions are superficially different, but fundamentally the same.” “I can live ‘my truth’ so long as my truth doesn’t hurt anyone.” “Science will eventually explain away the need for God.” “Love is love.”
None of the above statements are phrased as questions, are they? After all, why question what, at surface level, seems indisputable, non-negotiable, and obvious?
But none of these statements are self-evident.
There are questions connected to beliefs like these that need to be asked – and you, dear Christian, are called to ask those questions – and answer them, too. You follow a Savior who is the beating heart of a faith that invites the world to engage it – just as our faith is one that engages the world.
In this presentation, we’ll look at some key reasons why our world desperately needs to be engaged by us – and how we can engage our world more meaningfully and thoughtfully with the gospel. Interested in attending this workshop? Take this quick survey! (https://ourshepherdcp.breezechms.com/form/ilasurvey85)
15. Big Church = Big Impact? – Doug Tomhave
Can a big church do outreach better? Are big churches growing because they have more people and more to offer? Come and explore the outreach challenges and blessings of a big church and school ministry, while we contrast it to the blessings of smaller settings. Pastor Tomhave, who has served two mission starts and is currently serving a big church and school, will explore with you some blessings and challenges of big ministry culture and how well equipped you already are to make a big difference in a big ministry’s outreach.
16. The No Borders Church – Larry Schlomer
The Spirit has connected you with believers everywhere. Hear stories of your brothers and sisters around the globe who live their witness no matter the cost. Learn from these examples how every day is the right day to tell someone about Jesus.
17. The Wounded and the Word: Witnessing to Those Impacted by Trauma – Brandon Hayes
Trauma is surprisingly common in our world. In fact, recent research has found that nearly 75% of adult Americans have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. These painful experiences may affect those who have been traumatized by making it more difficult for them to connect and trust others, leading them to feel “on edge” all the time, and driving them to participate in unhealthy, reckless behaviors. Furthermore, churches, at times, have failed to be a source of solace and healing as a result of misunderstanding, judgmental attitudes, additional abuse, or mishandling of sensitive situations. Consequently, evangelism opportunities are missed, and souls may not be reached. This presentation will provide an overview of what trauma is, discuss common ways trauma affects people, and explore ways those serving in ministry settings can help create a safe environment for evangelism.
