1. Reading and Praying the Psalms Session a The Rev. Dr. Ralph W. Klein Learn some unexpected images and faith resources in the Psalms by slow and careful reading of Psalms 8, 23, and 29.

2. Living with the Book of Job Session b The Rev. Dr. Ralph W. Klein Job deals with the problem of human suffering, offering up a couple dozen interpretations of human suffering and invites readers to put these interpretations together in new and creative ways. No easy answers, but also no answer left unexamined.

3. We Lutherans Were Not Born Yesterday Session a The Rev. Dr. Lowell Almen, past Secretary of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Pr. Almen will recount some significant elements in our heritage in North America and examine the place of Lutherans within the whole tradition of the Church.

4. Spirituality of Martin Luther Session b Rev. Bob Hansen, NIS Spiritual Formation Committee Imagine being the spiritual companion for Martin Luther. What were the formative spiritual struggles of the man you can identify? How would you respond to help him spiritually?

5. Introduction to Foods Resource Bank Growing Project Session b Paul Youngstrum and Rev. Philip Peterson Foods Resource Bank is a non-denomination mission program whose objective is to help needy people in foreign lands attain the pride and dignity of growing their own food and to become self-sufficient. Rural and urban congregations partner together to reach this objective. The workshop will explain this program and how to get started.

6. The Diakonia Program Sessions a, b, c Kim Gustafson and Woody Woods Lay spiritual and theological formation

7. Bulletin Inserts in MS Publisher Session b Mary Brodd Make attractive and informative bulletin inserts to advertise events within your church and to other congregations. Bonus:learn how to convert your documents into PDF files to share with those who don’t use Publisher!

8. Going ‘Green’ with Your Church Lighting
Session b Charles Dix Learn how to become better stewards of your church’s resources and help the environment by changing those light bulbs! Learn about ‘going green’ with lighting and as good stewards how it helps the environment.

9. Barnabas Care Sessions a, b, c Dr. Chuck Olson, Christine Gustafson, Ann Honer, Sharon Beksel, John Lund, and Connie Lafontaine Barnabas Care is a simple lay caregiving program for volunteers to care for individuals going through crises, illness, and aging. Barnabas provides everything necessary for a free congregational caregiving program.

10. Farm Bill Sessions b, c NIS Social Ministry Committee What is the Farm Bill and its current status in Congress? Learn about its local implications and how we, as Lutherans, can effectively advocate for its passage.

11. Water of Life Session a Kent Terry and Rev. Wayne Derber, Synod’s Hunger Committee Learn about how much of the world’s hunger problem involves a shortage of clean drinking water. This workshop will discuss this problem and also what church members can do to help the situation.

12. Service and Reflection: Getting the Most Out of Your Community Service Session c Bob Haak, Augustana College, Center for Vocational Reflection In this session we will discuss practical strategies for helping your church engage in biblical, theological, and personal reflection through service projects. At the end of the session participants will leave with ideas on how to employ community service as a means for faith development.

13. Lord Teach Me to Pray (Pictorial Prayer Book) Session b Esther Prabhakar Scrapbooking photos of all the people you pray for is a unique way to make private devotional time more interesting and focused. Come and learn how our synod Vice President, has done it. Prayer books are available for purchase also.

14. Holy Land Perspective Session a John and Esther Prabhakar John and Esther Prabhakar spent five weeks in Jerusalem, volunteering at the Augusta Victoria Hospital run by the Lutheran World Federation. They visited the Holy sites and enjoyed the friendship and hospitality of Palestinian Christians and Muslims as well as Israelis. They will discuss the chance of peace in the Middle East in the near future.

15. A Ministry Sabbatical: What, Why, and How Sessions b, c Rev. Mark Luepke and Nancy Gebler This workshop will cover the concept of what a sabbatical is; sabbatical policy formation; resources for sabbatical programs and grants; congregational "how tos;" and the challenges and blessings that came about for both the pastor and congregations before, during, and after the sabbatical.

16. Financial Fitness Clubs Session a Rev. Randy Willers, NIS Stewardship Team Current data states that 43% of families spend more than they earn. One way for families to be better stewards is through Financial Fitness Clubs. These clubs help people learn more about financial management and then strive for specific financial goals.

17. Stories to Tell and Gifts to Share Follow-up Sessions b, c Rev. Jim Olsen, Russ Zeskey, NIS Stewardship team, and James Cash, Bethel Lutheran Church, Stronghurst This year-round stewardship resource was introduced last year at CRE; now the follow-up. Previous users will share what they experienced, and those who are considering it for their next stewardship response can hear how it can be best applied.

18. A Green Church: A Theology of Ecology Sessions a, b, c Rev. Jeff Schlesinger and Rev. Don Knowles, Synod’s Green Task Force Being "green" is more than a choice. It is also the faithful response to God’s call to be good stewards. This workshop will look into the theology of being green.

19. "Kids, Money, & Stuff" Stewardship Program for Youth Session a Pr. Marcia Strahl and Nicole Shores, First Lutheran Church, Chadwick The program focuses on helping young people see that today’s culture may be giving wrong messages about the difference between needs and wants. Hear about an experience implementing this ELCA program in a congregation.

20. Our Calling in Education Sessions a, b NIS Social Ministry Committee A new social statement on education was adopted at the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Hear how we, as a teaching and learning church, are called to educate in the faith for vocation and work with others so all people have equitable access to high quality education.

21. Faithful Civil Engagement Sessions a, b NIS Social Ministry Committee Yes, we can talk about politics and religion! Learn how congregations can discuss issues in a faith setting and find out which issues are a priority for the ELCA.

22. Searching for Treasure, Mining for Gold: Digging into God’s Word Sessions a, b, c Candis Katzberg. Explore a passage of scripture to provide a "hands-on" approach to reading, interpreting, and applying the Bible. (New Testament)

23. Christian Puppetry - How to Get Started Session b Bryan and Jan Rauworth Basics on how to develop interest, decide on a direction, get some puppets, stages, scripts, etc., and train your team.

24. Puppetry Pzazz! Session c Bryan and Jan Rauworth A how-to session on puppetry sets, props, music, and special effects to "spice up" your performances.

25. Developing a Safe Child Policy for your Congregation Sessions a, b, c Members of Bethany Lutheran Church, Crystal Lake, Safe Child Task Force & Christian Education Team Many congregations know that they should have a "Safe Child" Policy in place, but don’t know how to begin. Members of Bethany will go over the process they used and show their policy and other resources.

26. Copyright for the Congregation Sessions a, b, c Evan Brown, Attorney, Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP, Chicago Learn basic principles of Copyright Law and some practical tips on avoiding legal trouble when using printed materials and other works such as music and video.

27. Standing in Awe Sessions a, b, c Rev. Bruce Booher, First, Plano, and member of Steering Committee for ELCA Alliance for Faith, Science, & Technology Focusing on awe informed by both faith and science, engage in a series of activities that help recall and value experiences of wonder in God’s creation. Reconnect with the experience of awe, so often neglected in our Nature Deficit Disorder prone culture.

28. Hiring Employees for Your Congregation Session b James A. Johnson, former Congregation Treasurer & current Township Supervisor How to select a person to hire and a more detailed look at what do after the right person is selected.

29. Media Mentoring Sessions a, b Frank Imhoff, Associate Director for News, ELCA Communication Services Where do members of your congregation get their news? Work with reporters to determine what is newsworthy. Use your energy efficiently to reach beyond your congregation. Ways congregations can work together to improve media relations.

30. Meet our new NIS Companion in India, The Arcot Lutheran Church Session a Art Milton and other travelers to the Arcot Lutheran Church In January 2008 Bishop Wollersheim led 25 NIS members on a tour of India, culminating with five days of tours of schools, clinics, hospitals, and church projects, and meetings with Arcot Bishop Devanason and other leaders.

31. Lutherans Embody the Gospel Sessions b, c (requires both sessions) Shenandoah Gale, ELCA Coordinator for Anti-racism Education & Training, Office of the Presiding Bishop In reading the Bible, how do we understand privilege, power, and difference? What are ways we resist understanding privilege, power, and difference? How might we begin to address our church’s resistance and denial of race privilege so that we might become the anti-racist ELCA the Gospel invites us to become?

32. Living a Life in Prayer 101 Sessions a, b Rev. David Schweppe During this session you will be introduced to a Lutheran understanding of prayer, centering on contemplative prayer, using the Bible as a prayer tool (Lectio Divina), the Jesus Prayer, developing a prayer journal, using prayer beads, and find out why a spiritual director can help you in your prayer life. You will also receive information that can assist you into a deeper prayer life… and a deeper relationship with our Creator.

33. NIS and The Arcot Church: Continuing our Walking Together Session c Art Milton Ways NIS members and institutions can build our partnership in India.

34. Mwangaza: Light-ing the way in Tanzania’s Secondary Schools Session b Mike Wadle Tanzanian teachers trained through Mwangaza Seminars are in demand for church and public school leadership positions in administration and curriculum development. Mike Wadle shares his experiences and observations as a facilitator of Mwangaza Seminars, highlighting the growth and development of participants over Mwangaza’s 11 years.

35. From Immigrant Church to Inclusive Church
Session a Rev. Frank Samuelson and Alicia Gomez How we can help our congregations to move beyond our immigrant past and comfortable middle class culture to become a more diverse community of God’s people where all are welcomed and affirmed as children of God.

36. Healthy Leaders Enhance Lives Sessions a, b Rev. Ken Olsen, Board of Pensions’ Representative Help rostered leaders benefit from their ELCA Board of Pension benefits. Information on the program and answers to questions about how it impacts church leaders and congregations fiscal and physical health. Helpful to rostered leaders, council leadership, personnel/executive/mutual ministry committees, as well as call committees.

37. Preaching To Seekers Session a, b, c (requires all sessions) Rev. Michael Thomas, Living Waters Lutheran Church, Crystal Lake How to preach to unchurched or dechurched in a post-modern time through teaching and telling the story of the seeker (God).

38. Preventing Sexual Harassment in Your Ministry Setting Sessions a, b Representative from the VMC Connect, NIS’s EAP provider Learn how to create a safe environment for ministry by learning skill and techniques and procedures for safety for all concerned.

39. Would Natural Church Development be Helpful for my Congregation? Sessions a, b Rev. Brent Dahlseng, consultant for the NIS for NCD and coaching; senior pastor, Grace, Loves Park Explore the value of Natural Church Development (NCD) as a program to revitalize your congregation’s ministry. This workshop will introduce the 8 areas of ministry that NCD evaluates as well as the process to strengthen your ministry.

40. Jesus-Justice-Jazz — The 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering Session b Peg Miller While it seems far off, it is actually time to save the date for the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering. This will be an informational session on the next Churchwide Gathering in New Orleans.

41. A Hidden Resource: Utilizing our Local LYO (Lutheran Youth Organization) Session a LYO How the LYO can be a resource to congregations, what young people are interested in, and the best ways to communicate with young people in the congregation.

42. Answers in Ministry Support: Salary Guidelines and Mutual Ministry Sessions b, c Pr. Tom Rogers & the NIS Ministry Support Committee Salary guideline answers on such topics as housing allowance, sabbaticals, vacation time, etc. Learn how to establish a mutual ministry team.

43. Greening of your Congregations Sessions a, b, c George Davis, Property Manager, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center, Oregon How to start the process of greening, how to cut energy costs of operating our churches. Resource contacts, examples, handouts, and discussion of what your congregations are doing.

44. Use of the Visual in Liturgy and Secrets of the Altar Guild Sessions a, b (both sessions required) Maggie Akhavan, Augsburg Fortress Publishers Why we do liturgy the way we do, in the space we do it in, with what things. And now that we have all this stuff, how do we take care of it. The focus is practical, not necessarily theological. It’s full of suggestions for liturgical practice (and why), but I am not the liturgical police!

45. Human Trafficking: A Faith Perspective Sessions a, b Mary J. Streufert, Ph.D., Director for Justice for Women, ELCA What is this worldwide crime against women and children? How does commercial sex trafficking affect your life? What are we called to do in response? How shall we respond to commercial sexual exploitation?

46. Exploring ELW Sessions b, c Synod Worship Subcommittee Members PLEASE bring an ELW with you. We’ll look at some resources in ELW with suggestions for use, teaching, and using other instructions. Please bring an ELW with you.

47. Is Your Congregation Ready to Go "Global" with a Companion Parish? Session b Rev. Gary Erickson and Sharon Wadle Congregational leaders will explore the life-giving nature of companion parish partnerships, explore the opportunity of developing a companion parish relationship, and learn how global partnerships can inspire their own mission and ministry.

48. My Summer Job in Tanzania Session c Ryan Burke and Kyle Wilkonson A presentation of a Youth Encounter Side by Side trip to Arusha Region in Tanzania.

49. Bridge Builders Sessions a, b Rev. Mark Oehlert Bridge Builders can be a helpful resource when there is need of conflict redirection in congregations.

50. Congregational Treasurers, Part 1: The Sometimes Boring But Very Important Forms Session a Deborah Simonson Smith, Associate Vice President, Mission Investment Fund The broad categories will be Financial Oversight, Insurance for Congregations, Federal/State Reporting Requirements, and Federal Requirements.

51. Congregational Treasurers, Part 2: Salary Guidelines: What’s a Treasurer to Do? Session b Deborah Simonson Smith, Associate Vice President, Mission Investment Fund Where should you place the numbers that define salary on the W-2? Definitions of income, allowance, and reimbursement.

52. Congregational Treasurers, Part 3: What Is Mission Support and How Do We Incorporate It into Our Budget? Session c Deborah Simonson Smith, Associate Vice President, Mission Investment Fund Definition of Mission Support, where does our offering go, and many helps for developing a budget, performing the audit, etc. What should we keep and for how long?

53. Musical Resources for Blended and Contemporary Worship Session a Melody Kuphal, Praise Band director, Light of Christ, Algonquin Discover resources for finding quality praise music to lead worship in the Lutheran church. The group will talk about, play, and sing song samples to help with your worship planning.

54. Growing Your Praise Band Session b Melody Kuphal, Praise Band director, Light of Christ, Algonquin Melody shares her experience building the praise band at Light of Christ. She will offer ideas for attracting musicians to your program and training them up as worship leaders.

55. Sound Needs in the Sanctuary Session c Jack Belford, head of sound board ministry, Light of Christ, Algonquin Jack will tackle sound needs and challenges we commonly face in worship. He will share tips on equipment and allow time for Q & A.