2024 Theology Day (Concordia College), hosted by the Northwest Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota Synods of the ELCA

Areas of Specialty

Luke & Acts, Gospels, Early Church Community, Paul’s Letters, Reading Scripture as a Spiritual Practice, Church Ministry Today

Upcoming Events

  • “Trends in Church Witness Today.” ELCA Churchwide Christian Community & Leadership Staff (June 25, 2025).
  • “Preaching Christ Crucified in Year A and These Times,” Fall Theological Conference Cornucopia, South Dakota Synod (Sept 14-16, 2025), Mitchell.
  • Bearing Witness in Acts and Today, Lutheran Church Dell Rapids (SD), Sept 16, 2025

Regular Teaching Outside Wartburg

  • EWALU Camp Staff Training, 2015-present

Past Presentations (a selection)

  • “The Bible.” Weekend Intensive for Lead Ministry Training (tri-synodical training event), Red Willow Bible Camp, May 8–10, 2025.
  • Preaching Year C (with Kristin Wendland), Northeast Iowa Synod of the ELCA Rostered Leaders’ Gathering, October 13-15, 2024
  • “Preaching Year C and Luke’s Gospel,” Fort Dodge Pastors’ Forum (December 10, 2024) and Cedar Rapids Pastors’ Forum (December 12, 2024).
  • Year C: The Year of Luke, LaCrosse Synod of the ELCA Rostered Leaders’ Gathering, October 6-8, 2024
  • “Being a Body in a Stratified Society,” Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Tucson, AZ, April 28, 2024.
  • Scripture Study (Romans 14–15 and 1 Corinthians 10:23–31) and conversation with the South Dakota Synod Staff and leaders, April 25, 2024.
  • “A Theology of Wellness” (keynote), Theology Day for rostered leaders of the Northwestern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota Synods, Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, April 18, 2024.
  • “Faithful, Holistic Witness in Acts and Today,” St Peter’s Lutheran Church, Dubuque, IA, April 14, 2024.
  • “Practicing Community in a Divided World,” Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison, WI, February 25, 2024.
  • “Bearing Witness today — Insights from the Early Church and Reflections about Today,” St Peter’s Lutheran Church Adult Forum, Dubuque, IA, February 2023.
  • “Luther’s Translation of the Bible,” Faith First Podcast Conversation with Rev. Craig Brown, First Lutheran Church (Cedar Rapids, IA), July 20, 2023.
  • Introduction to the New Testament. Wednesdays in May, 2023. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Emmetsburg, Iowa.
  • “Practicing Church in a Divided World” and “Practicing What Matters as a Distinctive Witness,” Bible Studies for the Western Iowa Synod Assembly (Le Mars, Iowa), April 21-22, 2023.
  • “The Gospel of Matthew and RCL Year A,” Dubuque Pastors’ Forum, Lord of Life Lutheran church in Dubuque, IA, November 2022.
  • “The Gospel of Matthew and RCL Year A,” Cedar Rapids Pastors’ Forum, St Andrew Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, IA, October, 2022.
  • “The Gospel of Matthew and RCL Year A,” three session course for the Lutheran School of Theology in St Louis, September–October, 2022.
  • “The Authority of Scripture in Lutheran Perspective,” Adult Catechism Class at Trinity Lutheran Church, Mason City, IA (online video presentation), Spring 2022.
  • “A Lutheran Perspective on the Eucharist,” Adult Forum at St John’s Episcopal church, Dubuque, IA, March 2022.
  • “2022 Lenten Text Study,” Rostered Ministers of the Allegheny Synod of the ELCA (by Zoom), February 17, 2022.
  • “2021 Lectionary Study for Sundays in Advent,” Southeastern Synod of the ELCA (by Zoom), November 9, 2021.
  • “On Being Evangelical in the Early Church and Today,” Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison, WI, September 26, 2021.
  • “First and Second Thessalonians.” Northern Illinois Online Bible Study (by Zoom), July 19, 2021.
  • “The Gospel of John,” Minneapolis Synod Interim Pastors Gathering, Minneapolis, May 2021.
  • “Rooted and Renewing,” Adult Education Series at Christ Lutheran Church, Baltimore, MD, February–March, 2021.
  • “How We as Church Have Changed – and Not Changed – in View of COVID,” First Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids, IA, November 8 and 22, 2020.
  • “Rooted and Renewing in an Age of Pandemic,” Rostered Leaders of the Western Iowa Synod (ELCA), May 26–June 9, 2020.
  • Lay School of Theology at Silverdale Lutheran Church (WA) by Zoom, March 21-22, 2020.
  • Bible Study, Wartburg Seminary Rural Ministry Conference, March 2–4, 2020.
  • Adult Ed Forum, Lord of Life Lutheran, Asbury, IA, Feb 16 & 23, 2020.
  • “Church Community: Then and Now,” Adult Forum and worship, Salem Lutheran Church, St. Cloud, MN, October 20, 2019.
  • “Bearing Distinctive Witness,” Midvale Community Lutheran church, Madison WI, September 2019.
  • “Kingdom Reflections,” Western North Dakota Synod Assembly, June 2019.
  • “One Bread, One Body,” SE Iowa Synod Assembly Bible Studies, May 2019.
  • “Intro to Luke’s Gospel,” Western North Dakota GIFTS Event, Minot, Oct 8, 2018.
  • “Listening for the Spirit in Acts,” Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp Family Camp, July-August, 2018.
  • “Church for the Sake of the World (Acts 1:8),” Western Iowa Synod Assembly Bible Studies, June 2018.
  • Bible Study, 2017 ELCA Rostered Leaders’ Gathering, Atlanta, August 2017.
  • “Reading Acts as Church Together,” Outlaw Ranch Family Camp, July 2017.
  • “Luther, Scripture, and the Reformation,” St. Paul Lutheran, Anamosa, IA, Sept 11, 2017.
  • “Intro to Luke’s Gospel.” Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison, WI, January 2016.
  • “How Lutherans Hear God’s Word in Scripture.” Atonement Lutheran Church, Overland Park, KS, January 2016.
  • “Stirred by the Spirit, Walking Together, Engaging the World with Love.” East Central Synod of Wisconsin Leaders Gathering, Door County, October 2015.
  • “Filled with Fire, Gifted to Grow, Sent by the Spirit.” Eastern North Dakota Synod Assembly Bible Study, April 2015.
  • “A People of the Spirit.” Called Together in Mission Event (SE Iowa Synod), Cedar Rapids, IA. March 2015.
  • “The Spirit Sends Us: Exploring Acts Together.” NW Ohio Synod Rostered Leaders’ Retreat, January 2015.
  • “Acts and the Easter Season” Fort Dodge Pastors’ Forum, Fort Dodge, IA, March 2015.
  • “The Beloved, Devoted, and Confused: The Disciples in the Four Gospels.” AR-OK Synod Rostered Leaders’ Theological Conference, September 2014.
  • “Revisiting the Book of Acts Together.” Lutheran Academy of the Rockies Lecture Series, Meeker Park Lodge, Colorado, June–July, 2014.
  • Wartburg Seminary Rural Ministry Conference Bible Study, Dubuque, IA, March 2014.