Evangelism Day

MLC Evangelism Day equips Martin Luther College students to confidently share the Gospel in their everyday lives and future public ministries.

8:30–9:20	Opening Worship Guest preacher: Pastor Nathan Wordell Featuring the Viking Steel: a WISCO Steelpan group
9:30–10:20	Electives: All
10:30-11:20	Electives: All
11:30-12:20	Lunch: Juniors and Seniors  OR Electives: Freshmen and Sophomores
12:30–1:20	Lunch: Freshmen and Sophomores  OR Electives: Juniors and Seniors
1:30–2:20	Keynote: All Dwelling Richly- Living Evangelism on Campus Pastor Nathan Wordell – Campus Pastor, Wisconsin Lutheran College When Instagram Reels or TikToks show on-campus evangelism, it’s a genius Bible scholar surrounded by atheists, and he’s dropping truth bombs that rock their worldview. I’ve never once done evangelism like that; I don’t think I could, and we aren’t called to do that. So let’s talk about how we can offer more than truth bombs to more than atheists. Let’s talk about God’s good news dwelling richly in our hearts so that, when we hang out with people on campus, the believers, skeptics, and everyone in between get to hear and see the gospel.
2:30–3:30	Student & Presenter Social Hour with Afternoon Refreshments | Dining Hall

1. Comfortably Uncomfortable: A Christian Living in the Most Diverse City in the World

JuanDa Escobar, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary senior

Join seminary student JuanDa Escobar as he reflects on doing ministry in the heart of New York City. Through real-life case studies and unexpected moments from his experience, JuanDa will invite you to consider how you might respond when ministry puts you in situations that are unfamiliar, awkward, or downright uncomfortable. Come ready to think, discuss, and discover why sometimes faithful Christian ministry means learning to be comfortably uncomfortable.

2. TRANSFORMED: Youth Ministry as Evangelism

Jon Enter,  Campus Pastor & Instructor at St Croix Lutheran Academy

What if the church where you serve and worship in the future became known as the ministry that loved and supported young people? Christian churches are hemorrhaging young people. Pizza “parties” and dodgeball paired with Bible study that feels like school aren’t connecting with teens. There’s a different way to approach youth ministry, blessed by the Spirit, to grow a WELS mission church. Come learn new strategies in a guaranteed-energetic presentation.

3. Introduction to Scientific Apologetics

Kerry Kuehn, Professor of Physics at Wisconsin Lutheran College

There was a time when faith and reason were seen by many to be in harmony. It was widely thought—by both Christians and non-Christians alike—that by observing the world around us, one could reasonably discern the existence of a divine creator. This has changed. Today, many believe that science is in opposition to religion, or at least that science and religion should have nothing to do with one another. In this talk, we will explore science and faith with an eye toward developing a healthy approach to scientific apologetics.

4. Outreach among Mormons – Secret Lives of Lutheran Guys

Tyler Peil & Mike Paulsen, Pastor and Principal at Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT

What does ministry look like in a city where nearly half the population identifies as Latter-day Saint? In Salt Lake City, a Lutheran church and school sit just about 100 feet from an LDS meetinghouse—with more than a dozen others within a few miles.

5. A Word for the Wounded: Ministry in a World of Trauma

Tim Bourman, Pastor at Sure Foundation, Queens, NY

According to even the most conservative estimates, more than half of adults in the United States will suffer emotional trauma in their lives. One in five women experiences sexual assault. Veterans return home from war every day with wounded hearts and minds. In our cities, domestic abuse and sexual abuse of children are a hidden epidemic. PTSD and PTS have become household terms and part of the national discourse. Trauma is not limited to adults. Our young people suffer trauma. How does a teacher engage? What is an administration to do? How can a pastor offer care and preach? Dr. Bourman will lead a study and discussion on these important issues.

6. Change in African World Missions 

*Please note: This presentation will be offered during the first two electives only & is live-streamed from Africa.

Jake Vilhauer, Missionary, One Africa Team

Change can be a scary thing and can be hard for us to jump into the unknown. In this presentation, I am going to be talking about the changes in my life from Call Day at MLC to living in Africa and becoming a missionary. I will also address the massive changes and new opportunities happening in African ministry. We are able to work across the continent in new countries and languages that we never thought possible! We praise God that these new opportunities are opening doors to spread the Gospel throughout the whole continent of Africa!

7. Being Offensively Lutheran (without giving offense)

Joel Seifert, Pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Marietta, GA

When sharing our faith, God tells us to expect attacks. It’s easy to fall into two different traps: either we stop reaching out and simply share the gospel with those who come to us, or we react defensively, attacking those who attack us. In this session, we’ll consider a few important encouragements for sharing our faith with those who are opposed to it and discuss some helpful approaches.

8. Using Early Childhood Ministries to Reach the Whole Family

Shawna Mehlberg, Head of Early Childhood at Divine Savior Academy, Doral, FL

Early Childhood Ministries are incredible programs through which we can share the Gospel not only with young children, but with their entire family as well. Our early childhood ministries are wonderfully positioned to connect us with children’s parents and families and give us countless opportunities for outreach.

9. Good News in a Diverse World

Aaron Wakeman, Executive Director of Friends Network

Talking about Jesus is easy…if you’re talking to people who believe the same thing as you. But how do you talk to people who have wildly different views? Different political perspectives, or ethnicities, or religions, or gender identities? What if they don’t seem to care at all? Aaron Wakeman has spent years coaching ordinary people to talk about Jesus with neighbors, coworkers, and friends who see the world very differently. In this session, he’ll help you name what’s holding you back and leave with practical next steps for your next real conversation.

10. Blessings & Challenges in Church Planting

Craig Wilke, Pastor at Sure Foundation, Brandon, SD

What does it actually look like to start a church from scratch? Let’s pull back the curtain on church planting—the awesome blessings of watching the gospel win hearts to faith and gather a new congregation around the Word, and the real challenges that come with building something from the ground up. We’ll talk about it all and more!

11. Sharing Christ On His Terms

Ryan Halter, Pastor at St John’s Lutheran Church, Wauwatosa, WI

In the bright eyes of a young student studying for ministry, there is often a perfect path in their mind that leads to the call that they will receive one day. But what happens when that path towards ministry is disrupted or suddenly changes directions? In this section, Pastor Ryan Halter will share perspectives on a ministry twenty years in the making. From starting at MLC in 2006, to leaving the Seminary, to becoming Dean of Students at Mt. Lebanon in Milwaukee, to serving the brothers at Kingdom Prep, to his ordination at St. John’s, Wauwatosa, in 2026, Pastor Halter never stopped sharing the love of Christ, on Jesus’ terms, wherever he found himself being called. Regardless of how you see your life going, it’s important to have a Deuteronomy 31:8 perspective and recognize that where you are is exactly the place God wants you to proclaim the hope that you have.

12. Esperanza. Unidad. Servicio. (Hope. Unity. Service.)

Paul Biedenbender, Pastor at Christ Lutheran Church/Iglesia Luterana Cristo, Denver, CO

This workshop will provide participants with the three keys (Hope. Unity. Service.) and practical ideas to keep in mind for ministry through an overview of the Spanish work at Christ Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado. You will see the ways we connect with our community to build relationships, share Christ and his Word, and equip people for service. We will consider how a ministry works at meeting people where they are, building trust and relationships, connecting people to Christ and his Word, developing a sense of belonging, and equipping members to use their God-given gifts in service.

13. Five Truths about Witnessing that Every Christian Needs to Know

Mary Heckendorf & Don Patterson, WELS Ministry Recruitment Counselors

Ever wonder how to talk about Jesus without making it weird? In this session, we will look at 5 simple truths to make witnessing more natural and consider how we can share Jesus ourselves and encourage others to do the same.

14. It’s not Peridot, It’s Paradise! The Beautiful Mess of Rez Ministry

Erik Landwehr, Staff Minister at Our Savior’s Lutheran School, Peridot, AZ

God is good – all the time! People, on the other hand, are, umm… kinda messy. How does a teacher or minister hold these two truths in hand and mind while trying to teach and share the gospel? Welcome to the struggle! In this session we will investigate a teacher/minister missionary mindset in messy, yet beautiful places, like the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona.

15. Ministry Beyond the Pulpit: We Believe, and So We Speak

Elise Gross, Director of Women’s Ministries for Academia Cristo

The ministry of the Word doesn’t stop at the pulpit. Through stories from Academia Cristo and ministry in Latin America, we’ll see what that looks like in real life and consider how we can recognize, encourage, and work alongside one another in the ministry of the Word.

16. Crazy College Life, Crazy Campus Ministry

Julius Buelow, Pastor at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Lincoln, NE

Sometimes people think college is crazy because of parties and temptations. Most of the time, college is crazy because of far more mundane things: homework, extracurriculars, relationships, and social media. Those things make campus ministry a little bit crazy too. This interactive presentation will help you understand some of the obstacles of campus ministry, plan some ways to overcome them, and look forward to the crazy joys campus ministry can give.

17. Staff Ministry: Equipping Others to Share Christ

James Boggs, Staff Minister at St John’s Lutheran Church, Lannon, WI

What does staff ministry have to do with evangelism? A lot! Come explore how staff ministers use their unique gifts and flexible roles to build relationships, serve alongside pastors, equip God’s people, and create opportunities to share the hope we have in Christ.

18. Merging Missions

Pat Brown, Pastor at Christ Alone Lutheran Church, Thiensville/Mequon, WI

In response to the many vacancies across our synod, both in the parish and the classroom, we are working hard to recruit and raise up new workers; and rightly so. Right alongside this effort, however, should be an honest evaluation of our existing congregations to determine if “Merging Missions” can be part of the solution as well. In 2017, Trinity in South Mequon and Calvary in Thiensville did this very thing. There were some challenges along the way, but the blessings that have come from this merger can be seen not only in terms of good stewardship of limited resources, but also in terms of our efforts to reach out with the gospel in our community. If you find yourself in a place where there are 2, 3, or even 4 WELS congregations within 5 minutes of each other, “Merging Missions” may be a blessing not only for you and your nearby congregations, but for our synod at large.

19. WELS Home Missions Is Connected to WELS Ministry

Matt Brown, Chairman of the WELS Board for Home Missions

This presentation will provide an update on WELS home missions and explore how established congregations and schools are a part of home missions and work together.

20. Safe to Say It: Reaching Out to Those Struggling with Same-Sex Attraction and Gender Dysphoria

Bill Monday, Pastor at 922 Ministries, Appleton, WI

Would someone struggling with same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria feel safe telling you? This workshop will explore how future pastors, teachers, and ministry leaders can create relationships where people feel safe sharing their struggles while remaining firmly grounded in God’s truth about creation, sexuality, and identity. Most importantly, we’ll consider how to listen with compassion, speak Law and Gospel faithfully, and point people beyond their struggles to the lasting hope and identity found in Jesus.