Workshop A Offerings

Workshop A will be held from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

Discerning Your Congregation's Pathway Forward 
Rev. Mark Juliot, NIS Pathways 

  • Discipleship theme: Praying
  • Intended audience: Congregational leaders and rostered ministers
  • Society has shifted; the Church no longer occupies the same place it once did. Many congregations are facing decline in membership, finances and vitality. In this workshop you will be introduced to a discernment process that congregations in the Northern Illinois Synod Pathways program are lead through as they consider their future as well as the potential pathways that congregations can proactively take before time and circumstances dictate their path. 

Starting Discipleship - Practicing The Way 
Rev. Tom Redig and Mr. Paul Baker, St. John’s, Peru 

  • Discipleship theme: Studying
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • Do you or your congregational members want to move from just believing in Jesus Christ to becoming apprentices or disciples of Jesus Christ? This workshop will show how you can be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.  The workshop will discuss how by using the Practicing The Way video series. 

What is diakonia and How our Churches can Benefit 
Mr. Doug Wood, diakonia Lay School 

  • Discipleship theme: Studying
  • Intended audience: Lay members of congregations
  • diakonia Growing in Faith is a ministry in the ELCA that fosters a learning environment for the followers of Jesus to grow in faith. Come learn what classes are like, what topics you can learn about, and how this lay school can impact your life. 

Bringing Racial Justice to Worship 
Rev. Josh Ehrler, Racial Justice Subcommittee 

  • Discipleship theme: Worshiping
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • Guided by scripture and liturgy, every church can publicly speak racial justice, seek confession, and pursue reconciliation through forgiveness. The Racial Justice Team of the Northern IL Synod will guide the conversation and answer questions, using materials already developed, as well as share ideas on how to keep creating language out of the local congregation. 

Livestreaming Your Worship Services—Will Your Numbers Go Up? 
Mr. Steve Witwicki and Mr. Jack Belford, Light of Christ, Algonquin 

  • Discipleship theme: Worshiping
  • Intended audience: Lay and rostered congregation leaders
  • In this presentation you'll learn what it takes to produce an engaging livestream of your worship services. We'll talk a little about the technical aspects of equipment and software as well as training for your volunteers. You'll also learn that the audio in your broadcast is far more important than the video quality you produce and why. Find out why investing in your media ministry can reap rewards not just for worship but for small groups, classes and a number of other ministries. 

A Gazillion Outreach Ideas 
Rev. Sarah Wilson, Rev. Bob Stark, and Mr. Don Kinney, Outreach Committee 

  • Discipleship theme: Inviting
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • This workshop is a time to exchange and to incubate outreach ideas that you can easily put to work in your own congregation. Participants will share ideas for outreach that they've used in their ministry settings. Current resources on outreach will be shared. 

The Grief Box 
Ms. Carol Wahlstrom, Trinity, Ottawa 

  • Discipleship theme: Encouraging
  • Intended audience: Lay and rostered members of congregations
  • The goal of the Parish Nurse program at Trinity, Ottawa is to support congregation members and friends as they experience major life events. One aspect of this ministry is the "Grief Box," a gift from the congregation that supports a person through their grief journey. Grief creates a situation where many struggle to know how to care for the grieving person. The box provides a vehicle for conversation and communicates caring to the bereaved. 

Community Engagement 
Rev. Michael Thomas, Zion, Rockford 

  • Discipleship Theme: Serving
  • Intended Audience: Lay and rostered members of congregations
  • Zion Lutheran Church has been engaged in the neighborhood of Midtown in Rockford since 1883. When other churches began leaving downtown in the 1960's and following, Zion stayed and created several non-profits as a part of their effort to walk with those in the neighborhood. Those non-profit ministries include the Patriots Gateway Center and Katie's Cup Coffee Bar. Zion continues to develop a multicultural community sharing the grace of Christ with all in words and actions. Come to hear Zion’s story and learn how you also can engage with your community in creative, sustaining ways. 

The Journey to Welcome - Follow the path of a refugee and an unaccompanied minor to the path of a volunteer 
Deacon Sarah Kretschmann, Global Refuge 

  • Discipleship theme: Serving
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • Experience different paths to full and faithful lives in the United States as you navigate the Journey to Welcome simulation exercise. Following one of the three paths, you will experience life as a refugee, an unaccompanied minor, and finally a volunteer. As you journey through, you will hear stories of immigrants and former refugees in their own words, learn about what it is like to navigate the immigration and resettlement systems, and have the opportunity to take action in support of our newest neighbors. 

Generation Zero Hunger -- a hand's-on experience 
The Rev. Jamie Gallagher, World Hunger Subcommittee 

  • Discipleship theme: Giving
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • Join the NIS World Hunger Subcommittee for an interactive learning experience that can be easily adapted for a congregation setting.  This is a fun way to learn about the issues involved with systemic hunger around the world, and an impactful way to learn why our giving to ministries like ELCA World Hunger matters. 

Workshop B Offerings

Workshop B will be held from 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm.

Walking in Accompaniment with our Companion Congregations 
Mrs. Deb Quinn and members of Global Mission Committee 

  • Discipleship theme: Praying
  • Intended audience: Lay and rostered congregation leaders
  • This workshop is for anyone who has heard about companion congregations and wants more information about walking in accompaniment and what it means to have and be a companion congregation.  It can also provide opportunities for discussion about how to re-invigorate your current companion relationship. 

Disciples of Creation 
Ms. Becky Keller, Creation Care Subcommittee 

  • Discipleship theme: Studying
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • Our earth and its creatures are suffering. God named human as a caretaker of God’s creation. As disciples, we must do everything we can to help save our world. This workshop will be a panel discussion about the ways we can better care for God's creation in our churches, homes, and communities. We will share practical ideas for you and your community while we all better appreciate the importance of creation care! 

Discipleship Class for New Members 
Rev. Bill Callister, St. Paul’s, Streator 

  • Discipleship theme: Studying
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • At St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, they recognize that not everyone was raised Lutheran, and even those that were might not know how to live a Christian life outside of worship. So, classes can help those preparing for baptism or affirmation of baptism learn how to be a disciple of Jesus inside and outside a congregation. Come learn about the materials Pastor Bill has created and how to create an engaging new member class for your congregation. 

Inspiring Discipleship Through the Nourishing Vocation Project Resources 
Rev. Shellie Knight-Senglaub, Prince of Peace, Freeport 

  • Discipleship theme: Worshiping
  • Intended audience: Lay and rostered congregational leaders
  • Inspiring discipleship through the Nourishing Vocation Project and NVP for Children resources would complement this years theme by sharing new ways to be creative in worship, study, prayer, and engage in community life so that people are equipped with a better understanding of how they live out their baptismal vocation(s) as disciples - followers and students - of Jesus Christ. Participants will also be given tangible ways to incorporate youth and young adult faith formation in worship, and in small groups where traditional Sunday School classes have ceased, as a way of growing disciples that is imaginative and creative. Sample resources and resource links will be provided. 

What would being an Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Synod mean? 
Mrs. Christina King-Secor and Rev. Dr. Pamela Marolla, Reconciling in Christ Task Force 

  • Discipleship theme: Inviting
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • If we believe God’s love is unconditional, how do we respond to those who the Church has traditionally marginalized? Growing disciples allow themselves to open their hearts to be transformed by the gospel (Romans 12:2). This workshop will answer questions on what the RIC process entails, including a brief overview of the LGBTQIA+ Acronyms and issues. We will discuss what the work of an RIC congregation looks like and how this would look different on a synod level. Also, we will look at what this process would mean for the individual congregations of our synod. This is the first of many Q&A sessions throughout the time between CRE and Synod Assembly. 

Spanish language resources for ministry 
Rev. Josh Ebener, Director for Evangelical Mission, and Rev. Jose Pilar Cabrera, San Jose Obrero 

  • Discipleship theme: Inviting
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • ¿Hablas Español?  Do you want to learn some Spanish?  We will be practicing some basic Spanish phrases for worship and ministry.  We will also talk with Pastor Jose Pilar from San Jose Obrero Moline about some of the cultural celebrations in the Latino community. Resources for celebrating Quinceañeras and other services will be provided. 

Where do Pastors and Deacons come from? 
Rev. Rakel Evenson and Candidacy Committee members 

  • Discipleship theme: Encouraging
  • Intended audience: Lay congregation members and youth and young adults
  • The Candidacy Committee will tackle the question of where pastors and deacons come from by hearing call stories and current call realities of pastors and deacons.  The candidacy process will be shared, and all will be encouraged to look for future pastors and deacons everywhere! We hope that if some disciples are feeling a call to rostered ministry, they have some clarity on what their next steps might be and who they can talk to for answers.  We also hope disciples feel equipped to encourage the folks in their congregation that display the gifts of and interest in rostered ministry. 

Ministry with Migrants and Refugees in 2025 
Ms. Mary Campbell and Mr. Raed AbuJries, ELCA Ammparo 

  • Discipleship theme: Serving
  • Intended audience: Everyone
  • In this workshop, participants will be introduced to ELCA AMMPARO and how their congregation can be part of the national network of congregations accompanying migrants in their communities. Participants will also be introduced to the global migration work being supported by the ELCA with companion churches in the world. 

Faith-Based Advocacy 101 
Rev. Pat Fish, Social Ministry Committee 

  • Discipleship theme: Serving
  • Intended audience: Lay and rostered congregational leaders
  • There's the common misconception that the Church should stay out of politics. Now, that's easy to declare and believe when policy isn't neglecting, hurting or harming you. But, the truth is public policy and laws are written by human beings. We, as the Church, are called to hold authorities and policies accountable. This workshop will teach the basics of how to be a better advocate to our poor and marginalized neighbors. 

Reimagine our Space 
Victoria Flood, ELCA Sr. Director for Congregation and Synod Support - Stewardship, Mission Support and Storytelling 

  • Discipleship theme: Giving
  • Intended audience:  Lay and rostered congregational leaders
  • Join Victoria Flood for conversations regarding our sacred spaces can be difficult to navigate.  How can the square-inches that lay dormant in our churches be a blessing for ourselves as well as for others? Engaging both the theological points as well as the practical realities, this conversation will provide some resources and responses to the question, "What about our space?"