Intensive Care Courses 2020
Sign up for an Intensive Care Course when you register for Extravaganza 2020
Interested in going deeper in an area of interest? Consider attending one of the Intensive Care Courses prior to the Extravaganza. Courses run Thursday, January 30, from 1:00 to 6:00 pm and Friday, January 31, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The cost is $160 per person.
If you've already registered and would like to add an ICC to your Extravaganza experience, email registrar@elcaymnet.org.
Ministry in the #MeToo/#ChurchToo WorldKaroline Lewis Leadership in the church is about tending a lot of things - the Bible, theology, pastoral care. But in these times when sexual violence, sexual harassment, and continuing resistance to women in ministry continues, the church must commit to honest and intentional discussion addressing these realities for the sake of bringing about the Reign of God in our midst. More > | Liberating Youth from AdolescenceJeremy Myers The “Adolescent” is a culturally constructed caricature that damages our young people. Most of our thinking about young people and our ministry with them is unknowingly dependent upon this destructive caricature. If we truly want to proclaim good news that liberates our young people, then we will need to deconstruct this caricature which holds them - and our church - in bondage. | Unleashing the Passion of Young People in your Church is Possible!Jake Mulder Churches are losing both members and vitality as increasing numbers of young people disengage. Based on groundbreaking research with over 250 of the United State's leading congregations, Growing Young, provides a strategy any church can use to involve and retain teenagers and young adults. More > |
Ministry In the #MeToo/#ChurchToo World
by Karoline Lewis 
Leadership in the church is about tending a lot of things - the Bible, theology, pastoral care. But in these times when sexual violence, sexual harassment, and continuing resistance to women in ministry continues, the church must commit to honest and intentional discussion addressing these realities for the sake of bringing about the Reign of God in our midst. This workshop will provide an overview of the most critical issues connected to this challenge and offer ways forward for the church to embody fully its calling and its mission.
Karoline M. Lewis is the Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, where she has taught since 2007.
Lewis is the author of SHE: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Women in Ministry (including an accompanying facilitator guide, participant guide, and DVD) and John: Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries, as well as numerous articles and book chapters. She was one of the 100 religious scholars in the United States to contribute to the Values and Voices Campaign. Her next two books are Embody: Five Steps to Leading With Integrity and A Lay Preacher’s Guide: Eight Steps Toward Crafting a Faithful Sermon (both in May 2020).
Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Lewis holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.A.), Luther Seminary (M.Div.), and Emory University (Ph.D., New Testament Studies and Homiletics). She has served as Treasurer of Academy of Homiletics and Regional Coordinator for the Upper Midwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature. Lewis is the Program Director of the Festival of Homiletics and Chair-Elect of the Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section of the Society of Biblical Literature.
Lewis leads conferences, workshops, and retreats internationally on the Gospel of John, the New Testament, interpreting the Bible, preaching, leadership, and women in ministry. She is a contributing writer for Working Preacher, co-host of the site's weekly podcast, Sermon Brainwave, and authored the Dear Working Preacher column for five years. Visit karolinelewis.com for resources on preaching and being a woman in ministry.
Liberating Youth from Adolescence
by Jeremy Myers
The “Adolescent” is a culturally constructed caricature that damages our young people. Most of our thinking about young people and our ministry with them is unknowingly dependent upon this destructive caricature. If we truly want to proclaim good news that liberates our young people, then we will need to deconstruct this caricature which holds them - and our church - in bondage. Drawing from his book by the same title, this intensive will:
- introduce you to the historical emergence of the adolescent life-stage,
- give you tools to deconstruct this culturally constructed caricature of the adolescent, and
- empower you to begin constructing a new way of understanding our young people.
Jeremy Myers serves as Associate Professor of Religion and Executive Director of the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN where he oversees the Theology and Public Leadership major, the Youth Studies minor, the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute, and the Riverside Innovation Hub. He is a rostered Deacon in the ELCA and has served professionally in the field of Children, Youth, and Family ministry since 1997. Myers earned a Bachelor of Science in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota (1997), a Master of Arts in Youth Leadership from Luther Seminary (2002), and a Ph.D. in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Luther Seminary (2008).
Unleashing the Passion of Young People in your Church is Possible!
by Jake Mulder
Churches are losing both members and vitality as increasing numbers of young people disengage. Based on groundbreaking research with over 250 of the United States’ leading congregations, Growing Young, provides a strategy any church can use to involve and retain teenagers and young adults. It profiles innovative churches that are engaging 15- to 29-year-olds and as a result are growing--spiritually, emotionally, missionally, and numerically. Growing Young co-author Jake Mulder will show pastors and ministry leaders how to position their churches to engage younger generations in a way that breathes vitality, life, and energy into the whole church.
Jake Mulder is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), where he oversees business administration, coordinates new research, develops resources, and helps the team think strategically. He is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity) and Western Michigan University (Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance) and is pursuing a PhD at Fuller. Passionate about helping individuals and organizations achieve their full potential, he is the co-author of Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church. Jake has worked in a variety of ministry and professional roles, including as a Financial Analyst, Youth Pastor in the Reformed Church of America, Ministry Director with Youth for Christ, and missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Europe and Asia.