NWD Convention June 2014 Commission on Evangelism

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NWD Convention June 2014
Commission on Evangelism
School of Outreach
The NWD School of Outreach finished up on March 1st at Martin Luther, Oshkosh. There were half a dozen
congregations participating. Their advisors have been following up to encourage and assist them with the plans
they laid out. We thank Martin Luther for hosting!
The next School of Outreach for our district is scheduled to take place in the Fox River Valley conference at St.
Matthew’s in Appleton, WI, on October 18, 2014. If your congregation is interested in attending, please register
through Audrey Blum at the Synod Administration building: [email protected]. This the new approach
of having 2 one day seminars (9am-3pm) – one in the Fall and one in the Spring. Special thanks to our District
Evangelism advisors who will work closely with participating congregations:
Rev. Jeff Duquaine, Rev. Mike Weigand, Rev. Darin Aden, Rev. Chris Johnson, Rev. Mike Hintz, Rev. Mark
Gass, Rev. Joel Heckendorf, Rev. Pete Korthals, Rev. Steve Melso, Rev. David Scharf
Evangelism Workshops at “Seminars for Christian Service”
On Saturday, March 29, 2014, at Fox Valley Lutheran High School, Pastor Mike Weigand presented an
Evangelism workshop on behalf of our District Commission – we thank him for his service! The seminars for
Christian service make for a great day of ministry encouragement for your entire congregation. Mark your
calendar for next year’s workshops and promote them with your people when the date is announced. NWD
Evangelism has inquired about also presenting at the Men of His Word Conference on January 31, 2015.
Evangelism Day at Martin Luther College
The Commission on Evangelism partners with the faculty of Martin Luther College to enhance the evangelism
training of students at the college. Annual evangelism days have been conducted on the MLC campus since
2005. Most recently, Evangelism Day was conducted on January 22, 2014. The day for focusing on personal
and congregational evangelism started with a worship service, included two workshops for each class, and
offered various “elective” presentations. More than 40 individuals including pastors, teachers, staff ministers,
and lay members made presentations. Another Evangelism Day is scheduled January 21, 2015.
Missionary’s Conference
Mark your calendar and register for the next conference coming up on October 27-28, 2014, at the Wintergreen
Hotel in Wisconsin Dells. Open to all congregations, pastors and lay people. This conference is intended to
raise mission awareness and to help congregations start new missions. Participating districts are the WW, SW,
NW and MN.
Email Ron Demulling if interested and he will send the registration form:
[email protected]
Evangelism Resources
Resources are available on connect.wels.net/evangelism. Follow links to Congregational Resources, Personal
Evangelism Tools, and a Catalog of Evangelism Resources listing evangelism products available at
Northwestern Publishing House.
Daily Devotions are provided by the WELS Commission on
Evangelism. The texts and podcasts of devotions are available every weekday on the WhatAboutJesus.com and
WELS.net websites. Readers can also subscribe to have devotions sent to them by email, joining more than
9,500 people who now receive them this way. The WELS Mobile App is another option for accessing the
devotions on mobile devices.
Come Follow Me
About 50,000 DVDs have been distributed since the movie, Come Follow Me, was released last October. On
March 15, Come Follow Me, received the award for best short film at the Christian Worldview Film Festival in
San Antonio, Texas. This was reported in a Together news article. Go to www.comefollowmemovie.com to
learn more about the movie, download free study resources, find suggestions for using the movie in the
congregation and as an outreach tool, and get information about ordering DVDs. The movie is available in
quantities of 100 for $2/movie (that’s $200 plus shipping).
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Reaching the “Nones”
There is a growing number (estimated now at 1 in 5 Americans; 1 in 3 of those under the age of 30) who are
classified as nones – regarding connection with a church, they claim: “none.” Helped by a grant from the
Antioch Foundation, the Commission on Evangelism is discussing ways to strengthen gospel outreach and
witness to this group. Initially, we are collaborating with Area Lutheran High Schools to help with evangelism
training among the students in our WELS high schools.
Online Evangelism Classes
Three Evangelism courses will be offered through the online program at Martin Luther College. Each course is
six weeks. The first offering of Course 1 will take place during the first half of Semester 1 of the 2014-15
school year. Course 2 will follow during the second half of Semester 1. Course 3 is scheduled during the first
half of Semester 2. More information will be sent out by Martin Luther College and the Commission on
Evangelism.
Course 1 - The Mission of the Church
Instructor: Pastor Donn Dobberstein
Course Description: “Lord, what do you want my church to do?” Rediscover the mission of the church
to propel a mission mindset and to guide a congregation’s ministry to share Christ with your community.
Course 2 - Practical Evangelism for Congregations
Instructor: Pastor Michael Hintz
Course Description: Overview of key components that make up a congregational evangelism program and
guidance for putting them into practice.
Course 3 - Friendship Evangelism
Instructor: Pastor John Huebner
Course Description: A course designed to enable learners to confidently share the faith they are already
publicly sharing at worship each Sunday in a personal, transparent, and informed approach.
Outreach Newsletters 2014
Outreach Newsletters for 2014 offers a collection of twelve one-page articles, each focusing on a particular
name of Jesus. The various names given in the Scriptures for Jesus are much more than identity terms. The
rich meaning of his names teach us about his unique person, his vital work for us, and his special love of us.
This product is designed to help congregations reach out to people with God's Word – especially those on
prospect lists. Each month's article is supplied in English and Spanish and complemented with a picture. Cost is
$15.
The Evangelism Commission for our District is excited about serving you in your congregation. If you have any
ideas or ways that we can serve you better, please feel free to contact any one of the men serving our District on
the Commission – we welcome our newest member, Rev. Newlin Schafer (St. Peter’s, Weyawega) and well as
thank Rev. Pete Korthals for his years of service as he now serves in New Hampshire.
Mr. Lance Waege (Manitowoc) – [email protected]
Rev. Steve Melso (Manitowoc) – [email protected]
Rev. Mike Weigand (Winnebago) - [email protected]
Rev. Mark Gass (Northwoods) – [email protected]
Rev. Joel Heckendorf (Fox River) – [email protected]
Rev. Newlin Schafer (Fox River) – [email protected]
Rev. David Scharf (Fox River), Coordinator – [email protected]