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Traditions and Mission | Phillip Magness

Phil Magness

Traditions and Mission: Discerning What Is Good

Drawing on his experience as a leading musician serving in many contexts and capacities in the LCMS for over 30 years, Magness offers 1) a survey of how the “worship wars” impacted liturgical and musical practice in the Missouri Synod and 2) an overview of current trends. Key to his observations are how different attitudes and approaches to tradition have both served and impeded the church’s worship, proclamation of the gospel, and calling all to faith. As congregations in the WELS move forward with a new hymnal, it is hoped that his perspectives may be useful to pastors, musicians, and lay leaders as they make worship decisions for their communities.

Bio | Phillip Magness

Phillip serves a dual call as cantor at Village Lutheran Church in Ladue, Mo., and LCMS missionary to francophone Africa. He also serves as the interim associate of Music Arts at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He previously held cantorates at congregations in Texas, Illinois, and Oklahoma. He chaired the introduction committee for the Lutheran Service Book, has served on district and synodical boards, and has led music for daily worship at three LCMS national conventions. He is a published composer, arranger, and author. His book, Church Music: For the Care of Souls, is published by Lexham Press. Eight of his pianistic hymn settings are in Christian Worship: Accompaniment for Hymns and music for seven psalms in Christian Worship: Psalter.

Critical Mass for Ministry Impact | Jonathan Hein

John Hein

Critical Mass: Consolidation for Greater Ministry Impact

Some things are hard to do without critical mass. Two people—a cellist and trombonist—cannot play music written for an orchestra. Three kids playing football in the backyard is not as fun as ten kids. Critical mass is important! In 2022, WELS had almost 460 congregations with an average weekly worship attendance under 50 (with many under 25). Half of these are within a ten-minute drive of another WELS congregation. Might they benefit from a larger critical mass? How would that happen? Imagine three churches within ten minutes of each other. Each has a sanctuary that seats over 150 and a weekly worship attendance in the low 30s. Now imagine those congregations consolidating at one location. Worship attendance is now in the 90s. The sanctuary is two-thirds full. Does this allow various improvements—youth group, choir, congregational singing? Does it help outreach when a guest walks into a church that is mostly full versus mostly empty? This presentation tells the story of three sites that have already consolidated and 20 more that are in the process. Why? For greater critical mass and, God willing, more ministry. The presenter also shares a process for at least exploring the possibility of congregational consolidation.

Bio | Jonathan Hein

Upon graduation from the seminary in 1997, Rev. Hein was assigned to a home mission in the Charleston, S.C., area. In 20 years there, he helped start two congregations. He has served as chairman of the South Atlantic District Mission Board as well as a member of the executive committee of WELS Board for Home Missions. In 2014 he was called to be the director of WELS Commission on Congregational Counseling. In that capacity, he works with congregations and schools to assess and plan gospel ministry efforts. In 2017, his duties expanded to include serving as coordinator of the six commissions that make up WELS Congregational Services: Congregational Counseling, Discipleship, Evangelism, Lutheran Schools, Special Ministries, and Worship.

The Art of Preaching | Phil Huebner

Phil Huebner

The Art of Preaching

Just as applying law and gospel to someone’s life is an art, so also is the public proclamation of both in a sermon. Sermons come in many different forms and styles: short, long, or really long; deductive or inductive; exegetical, isagogical, and pedagogical components. At the same time, sermons can also be read or memorized, inspirational or boring, rote and redundant, or thoughtful and creative. How does a pastor avoid common pitfalls and continue to keep his preaching styles and forms fresh? This workshop will 1) review some basics of sermon writing and preaching, 2) explore stylistic options a pastor might employ, and 3) equip pastors with tools to assist with continual growth in the art of preaching. While the primary audience of the workshop is pastors, those who listen to preaching will be edified as well.

Bio | Phil Huebner

Rev. Dr. Huebner was assigned from the seminary to start a new mission church in Palm Coast, Fla., where he served for nine years. Since 2016 he has served as the campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. He received a second master’s degree from our seminary in 2016 and a doctorate in ministry in missions and culture in 2019 from Concordia Theological Seminary. His entire ministry to date has seen emphases in outreach, children, teens, and families.

Invitational Worship | Eric Roecker

Eric Roecker

Invitational Worship: Designing Worship That Encourages Invitation Evangelism

While it is true that far fewer Americans are shopping for a church home, it is also true that most unchurched people say they would be likely to accept an invitation from a friend or relative to attend worship with them. What an opportunity to connect lost souls to the gospel! How can we design our worship so that it is biblically and confessionally sound while at the same time being accessible to the guests our members bring? How can we design our worship so our members are eager and excited to ask their unchurched friends and neighbors to join them on Sunday morning?

Bio | Eric Roecker

Rev. Roecker is a 1998 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon graduation, he was assigned to serve Resurrection in Virginia Beach, Va., where he served until 2013. While in Virginia, he served as the adult discipleship coordinator for the North Atlantic District and later as the district’s second vice president. In 2013 he moved to Menomonee Falls, Wis., to serve at Pilgrim. In 2018 he began serving as the director of the WELS Commission on Evangelism.

Music Ed As Outreach | Johann Caauwe and Michaela Zabell

Johann Caauwe and Michaela Zabell

Music Education As Community Outreach: Various Models

The Lutheran Church has a rich heritage and resource in its music. Not only does it serve to proclaim the gospel in its midst, but music can also serve as an avenue to reach out to and enrich our communities. This presentation will explore various ways that local congregations have used music education to both reach out and raise up future church musicians.

Bio | Johann Caauwe

Pastor Caauwe serves St. John’s in Wood Lake, Minn., which has conducted a summer music program for the congregation and community for over ten years and held an annual hymn festival for five years. He serves as circuit pastor and vice president for the Hausvater Project.

Bio | Michaela Zabell

Michaela is a 2022 graduate of Martin Luther College, receiving degrees in elementary education and parish music. Prior to graduation, she served twice as the summer music teacher at St. John’s in Wood Lake. In 2024, she will return as a guest organist for their annual hymn festival. After graduation, she served one-year assignments to teach 4th grade and 4th-8th music at St. John’s, Milwaukee, Wis., and to teach 2nd-4th grade and K-4th music at Our Savior, Brookings, S.D. She is an enthusiastic church organist and is passionate about sharing God’s gift of music with children.

Technology | Phil Casmer and Tim Snyder

Phil Casmer and Tim Snyder

Technology in Worship

Since 2020 many churches have significantly upgraded their audio and video capabilities. In this presentation, two members of a church newly dedicated in the fall of 2023 review technology deliberations and decisions accomplished at a cost of about $75,000. The focus is on ideals, principles, and best practices, as well as specific equipment choices and the practical use of that equipment for both live worship and streaming—including a solution for hiding digital display panels when not needed—and to technology’s impact on acoustics that are good both for singing and for clarity of the spoken word. Attention will be given also to less expensive projects and to cost-effective upgrades to existing systems.

 

Bio | Phil Casmer

Pastor Casmer has served for 15 years at Christ the Lord in Brookfield, Wis. He has presented on “working with a parish music director” at previous WELS worship conferences, has served on the manuals committee for the WELS Hymnal Project, and as a circuit pastor in the Southeastern Wisconsin District. He is currently pursuing a doctor of ministry degree in homiletics through Concordia Seminary (St. Louis).

Bio | Tim Snyder

Tim SnyderTim is in his 14th year as the media services coordinator at Wisconsin Lutheran College. During his time there he has coordinated AV technology for a variety of events in many different venues. As a member at Christ the Lord in Brookfield, Wis., Tim served on the AV/Tech Committee during the building of their new worship sanctuary.

Worship and Outreach | Nathan Strutz

Nathan Strutz

Worship and Outreach: Lessons Learned

There is outreach that every congregation and pastor can do. There are worship and outreach principles that will strengthen believers and reach the lost. Pastor Strutz shares insights from the several places he has served, in a variety of settings and communities. This presentation will fortify both pastors and lay people in their commitment to outreach and worship.

Bio | Nathan Strutz

Pastor Strutz first served a dual parish in western Wisconsin: Holmen and Galesville. While there, a new site was started in Arcadia, Wis. He next served at Resurrection in Verona, Wis., where a daughter congregation, Good News in Mt. Horeb, Wis., was started. A sister congregation from Monroe, Wis., then merged into the Verona church to become a multi-site congregation. Pastor Strutz has served on the Western Wisconsin District Mission Board and Board for Home Missions Executive Committee. He has presented at Schools of Outreach. One of his greatest joys in ministry has been serving with 19 vicars and seeing them put worship and outreach principles into practice around the country.

Small Church Forum | Douglas Van Sice and Craig Wilke

Douglas Van Sice and Craig WIlke

Small Church Forum

The number of smaller churches in WELS is increasing. This is due to demographic trends (see “Statistical Summary and Analysis,” p. 11) as well as to the goal of establishing 100 new churches in 10 years. In 2022, 13% of churches had under 25 people in worship, and another 26% had 25-49. What are the worship challenges and needs in small churches? What are some beneficial strategies and solutions? Participants will be invited to submit their top five questions in advance of the conference. Presenters will offer their insights and welcome input from attendees.

Bio | Douglas Van Sice

Douglas Van SicePastor Van Sice graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2017 and was assigned to start a new church in Huntersville, N.C. In Sept. 2018, after a year of community exploration and preparatory work, Huntersville Lutheran Church began public worship with a core group of ten people. As of Dec. 2023, the church has grown to nearly 100 souls with an average worship attendance of over 60 people. Pastor Van Sice also serves as the North Atlantic District Worship Coordinator.

Bio | Craig Wilke

Craig WilkePastor Wilke graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2019 and was assigned to start a new mission in Brandon, S.D. In Sept. 2020, they launched worship with 30 members. By the end of 2023, the average attendance of Sure Foundation was 70 people.

Copyright Matters | Kristine Laufer and Harvey Dunn

Kristine Laufer and Harvey Dunn

Copyright Matters Made Clear

Misconceptions about copyright law are common. Two examples: Purchase of hymnals does not grant the right to reproduce copyrighted content for a meeting devotion; sharing copyrighted content because you don’t charge for it is not legal. This session will cover several topics: an overview of a copyright holder’s exclusive rights; fair use; some do’s and don’ts with music; licensing for service folder reprints and livestreams; what and how to report through OneLicense.net. Ample time will be reserved for specific questions that attendees bring. (No official legal advice can/will be given; rather, best practices and references to further information will be shared by experienced professionals.)

Bio | Harvey Dunn

Harvey DunnHarvey is an attorney who spent 40-plus years handling intellectual property (IP) matters (copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, etc.). For a large law firm (Vinson & Elkins) he primarily handled IP litigation and other IP matters. For the last 20 years, he worked on IP matters (capturing, protecting, and exploiting IP) for several large corporations including General Electric and most recently Woodward, Inc., a publicly-traded aerospace company, from which he retired last year. He is a frequent presenter on copyright and other legal matters. Harvey has served on the WELS Commission on Worship and is a member of Abiding Love in Loveland, Colo.

Bio | Kristine Laufer

Kristine LauferKristine has served as copyrights and permissions coordinator at Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) since 2008. In this role she encounters a variety of intellectual property issues and has played a key role in securing copyright permissions for NPH music resources, from Christian Worship: Supplement (2008) to the Christian Worship (2021) suite of resources. She is the NPH representative to OneLicense and strives to be a helpful resource for church copyright licensing for service folder reprints and livestreams. Having begun her career at NPH as a copy editor more than 20 years ago, she is also the lead copy editor.

Pastor/Musician Relationship | David Porth and Aaron Winkelman

David Porth and Aaron Winkelman

Nurturing and Sustaining a Healthy Pastor/Musician Relationship

As the foundation of all parish health and activity, corporate worship is the most important function of any congregation. This practical workshop will focus on the critical importance of pastor(s) and musician(s) working seamlessly together to provide high-quality worship each and every week. It will focus on practical organizational matters, philosophy of ministry consensus, and relational respect for each other’s roles.

Bio | Aaron Winkelman

Aaron WinkelmanPrior to joining Pilgrim in January 2023, Pastor Winkelman previously served congregations in Waupaca, Wis; La Porte, Ind.; and Fort Atkinson, Wis. With parish experience ranging from large churches with schools to mission congregations, he has presided over and prepared corporate worship to meet a variety of needs and to use a broad range of talents and abilities for the weekly divine service of Christ’s people.

Bio | David Porth

David PorthSince 2014, David has served Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School, Menomonee Falls, Wis., as grades 7-8 teacher and worship coordinator. These duties include worship planning, serving as head organist, directing the adult choir, and including a wide variety of instrumentalists. He holds a Master of Church Music degree from Concordia University Wisconsin. He also serves as the district worship coordinator for the Southeastern Wisconsin District, was a curriculum writer for the synod’s hymnology curriculum, is a member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM), and is an associate organist and member of the Fine Arts Committee at St. Marcus, Milwaukee.