D1 - Welcome Them Home: Healing and Hope for Military Families

Rev. John Sippola, Pastor
Elim Lutheran Church of Blackhoof, Duluth, MN

Ms. Amy Blumenshine, Candidate for Diaconate
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Minneapolis, MN

Returning military personnel and their loved-ones are encountering complex health and stress-related issues that are physical, emotional and spiritual in nature. Discover the key issues to promote spiritual care and healing and learn how to accompany veterans and their loved ones as they transition home. Participants will receive a new resource for faith communities, Welcoming Them Home, Helping Them Heal.

D2 - Revamped Mission: Revitalized Ministry

Rev. Kenneth Wheeler, Pastor
Cross Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI

Come and hear how one congregation adapted its mission to address the needs of its community in such a way that its transformation created a vital place of worship and a beacon of hope and justice.

D3 - Taking Steps to a Healthier Community

Ms. Jeanette Olsen, R.N., Project Director
Healthier Cumberland, Cumberland, WI

Located in rural Wisconsin, the Healthier Cumberland Coalition is building effective partnerships and leading programs that promote healthy living. This presentation will provide information on current lifestyle-related health issues and trends, identify resources for evidence-based information, planning tools and financing of programs. You'll leave engaged and energized to create a culture that supports healthy living in your own community.

D4 - Ripe for the Picking: The Blessings of Community Foundations

Rev. Jerry Klug, President
The Clara and Spencer Werner Foundation, Paris, IL

Community foundations are a powerful vehicle to assist in establishing charitable funds, providing responsible money management and simplifying the accounting and legal processes. This session will explain the value of endowments and the reasons why community foundations can be such an attractive option. Discover how your ministry, or family, could and should benefit from endowments through community foundations.

D5 - Strengths, Stamina and Stewardship: A Formula for Increased Personal and Organizational Capacity

Dr. Charles Dull, Principal, The Dull Group, Sturgeon Bay, WI; Board of Directors, Wheat Ridge Ministries, Itasca, IL

Discover how recent findings in the science of stamina and resilience offer some straightforward behavioral interventions for leaders. Participants will learn how to increase the capacity of individuals, teams and whole systems to get things done while promoting wellness for themselves and their organizations.

D6 - Living Well in Times of Crisis - A Practical Guide to Crisis Management

Mrs. Anna E. Eissfeldt, N.C.S.P., School Psychologist
God’s Care in Times of Crisis, St. Petersburg, FL

This sectional will focus on key issues for ministries in preparing for, planning and responding to crisis situations. Learn to form ministry crisis teams and provide resources for planning their strategies. Natural, man-made and individual crisis situations which impact an entire congregation or ministry will be discussed.

D7 - The Future is in Your Hands: Leaders and Innovation

Ms. Jill Schumann, President
Lutheran Services in America, Baltimore, MD

This session will equip leaders to be drivers of innovation. It includes current trends in the practice of innovation, staying informed about best practices, recognizing and assessing emerging trends and translating insight into program development and a culture of innovation.

D8 - Mentoring and Challenging the Young Old

Dr. Don Tubesing, Chair, Board of Directors, Ministry Mentors, Placitas, NM; Board of Directors, Wheat Ridge Ministries, Itasca, IL

As people enter the fourth quarter of their lives, they have the potential to invest their passion in visionary projects, to grow into deeper community, to mature in their faith and to make their accumulated resources really count. Discover key ideas to develop a congregational whole-person ministry of assessment and challenges for the wise and aging in our midst.

D9 - Caring for the Caregiver

Ms. Kathleen Ustick, Corporate Memory Support Consultant
Lutheran Life Communities, Arlington Heights, IL

Caring for loved-ones, while important, can often drain one's physical stamina, emotions and finances and lead to serious illness for the caregiver. This presentation will examine the effects of caring for a loved one, both positive and negative, resources that may be beneficial to both the person needing care and the caregiver and how caregivers can maintain their own wellbeing.

D10 - Creating a Sanctuary: Issues and Answers about Domestic Violence

Ms. Beatriz Vieira, Executive Director
Lutheran Settlement House, Philadelphia, PA

Domestic violence creates one of the most serious, and often misunderstood, health and safety issues in society today. In this sectional you will hear common mistakes and misconceptions about domestic violence and gain important educational insights and resources for developing programs to address this complex issue.