Collaboration
October 23-25, 2024
St. Luke Lutheran Church, Ann Arbor, MI
Is the Word of God to be protected, bound, and confined to the church's precincts or scattered freely, without boundaries or restriction? The answer to that question shapes everything that we do in the church.
- Paul reminds us that the word of God is not bound, 2 Tim. 2:9.
- Jesus said, “You are a light of the world, a city set on a hill…” Matt 5:14
- We know that Jesus desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim.2:3, 4).
- We know that the Word of God, with its transformative power, continues to change hearts and increase God’s Kingdom (Acts 12:24; 19:20).
- We know that God has empowered all who are baptized in His name to freely share God’s love through His unfettered Word.
You are invited to join us for a gathering of LCMS, mission-minded people who know that we’ve been called to be the church of the Unfettered Word and boundless Love. The gathering will include times of worship, prayer, fellowship, and encouragement centered in the Word. It will also include time for strategic planning to mobilize mission-minded people to advance the Kingdom of God. (This is not a political gathering concerned with ecclesiastical elections or policies.) We intend to leave the gathering with a strategy for empowering congregations and their members for growth through the development of a national and a regional network.
Presenters
Rev. Dr. Michael Gibson
PSD President
The Word at Work in Forming Servants of the Word
Nine Recommendations for Forming and Providing Pastors in the LCMS
Description: This white paper was created by representatives from thirteen LCMS Districts and presented for consideration at the Council of Presidents/Seminary Faculty meetings in April 2024. The collaborative effort offers nine recommendations that promote a framework for the future of pastoral formation in the Synod and the fulfillment of C.F.W Walther’s premise that congregations have the opportunity to call and ordained their pastor. Presenter: Rev. Dr. Mike Gibson is the President of the Pacific Southwest District and the convener of this collaborative effort.
Mr. Adam Heinlein
Caring for Servants of the Word
Financial Planning and Benefit Plans in an Autonomous Age
Description: Our Lord charges each of His people with the task of being wise stewards. The practice of good stewardship is primarily an individual responsibility, but there are ways to collaborate with others to solve problems that are larger than any one individual can deal with alone. This presentation will provide a high-level overview of various benefit plans with a practical commentary on the wisdom of collaboration verses individual initiatives in the design and implementation of sound financial planning.
Rev. Gabe Kasper
Partnerships in the Gospel in a Decentralized Age
Description: As access to information is increasingly democratized, authority and influence have shifted from centralizing institutions into a decentralized network with various hubs. This shift, while not all bad, is deeply disorienting. Our opportunity as the church is to network together to offer people the solid foundation of Jesus Christ in a disorienting and decentralized age.
Rev. Dr. Jeff Kloha
The Power of the Gospel
Kingdom of God, Word of God
Description: The Kingdom of God is the core theme of the entire Scriptures. It grows and extends only through the power of the Gospel. This session will refocus our shared work on what God is doing through this Word of promise, as describe in the New Testament.
Rev. Dr. Bob Newton
Kingdom, Church, and World
The Word of the Lord Goes
Rev. Chris Paavola
Prayer in Mission
Description: Since the first few pages of the book of Acts, prayer and mission have been inextricably linked. And yet, when followers of Jesus engage in mission today, so many seem to struggle to consistently pray for the mission. In this talk, Pastor Chris Paavola will discuss the power of prayer, reflect on the root causes with the struggle to pray, and give you tools you can use to discover prayer in mission.
Rev. Dr. Scott Seidler
Playing the Trump Card:
Making Christianity in America Great Again
Description: As our conference draws to a close our conversation begins to look toward after-action and follow-through. "We must work while it is day for night is coming...." Scott will help shape our Friday dialogue with an overview of accountable mission action in the context of a regionalized denominational culture of permission, trust, and shared accountability toward critical outcomes. Remember the number: 337,462,163.
Mrs. Nokukhanya (Noks) Shabalala
The Word Crosses Cultures
Biblical, Historical, and Social Considerations
Description: Historically, God has worked in and through his servants, penetrating all cultures and their barriers through his Word, power, and love to bring us his story of redemption. Today, as God’s servants in a more diverse and ever-changing culture, for the sake of the Gospel and our neighbor, we still have a designated role to play in heralding God’s mission in our church and surrounding through his unbound Word, power, and love.
Rev. Dr. Trevor Sutton
The Word at Work
Through Partnerships in the Gospel in an Internet Age
Description: The Christian church has a robust history of leveraging communication technologies within the agora--public spaces, communal gathering places, discursive communities--for the proclamation of the Gospel. Today, the Internet functions as a sort of digital agora. Following cues from the history of the church, congregations can use communication technologies to develop partnerships for proclaiming the Good News of Jesus.
Event Schedule and Location
For the sake of travel planning note the following:
- The doors will open for registration and refreshments at 10:00 a.m. on October 23.
- The first session will start at 1:00 p.m. on October 23rd.
- The final session will end at Noon on October 25th.
St. Luke Lutheran Church
4205 Washtenaw Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Travel Information
Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) is the best airport to fly to the collaboration. The airport is an easy 20 minute drive to the meeting site.
The airport's information site can be found here at this Link.
Hotel Information
Block Pricing Ends October 7. Make your reservations now!
Ann Arbor Regent
2455 Carpenter Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Booking:
Call the hotel (734) 973-6100 using the group code "MPP24" to pick up rooms from the block or use this booking link:
Block pricing: 1 bedroom suite $174 per night / 2 Queens $144 per night
Block rooms include breakfast
Distance from Detroit Metro Airport: 24 miles
Distance from St. Luke: 1 mile
Doubletree by Hilton
Ann Arbor North
3600 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Block Pricing: 1 King $172 per night / 2 Queen $172 per night
Booking Link: MPP Collaboration 2024 Conference (hilton.com)
Block rooms include breakfast
Distance from Detroit Metro Airport: 26 miles
Distance from St. Luke: 5 miles
Microtel Inn & Suites
by Wyndham Ann Arbor
3610 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Booking: Call the hotel (734) 997-9100 and specify "Mission Partners Platform"
Block pricing: 1 Queen $89 per night / 2 Queens $99 per night
Block rooms include continental breakfast
Distance from Detroit Metro Airport: 26 miles
Distance from St. Luke: 5 miles
Dining Information
Restaurants - within 1.2 miles of church or hotels.
Available at US-23 Exit 37 A-B Washtenaw Avenue
(St. Luke and Regent of Ann Arbor exit)
· Bob Evans
· Red Lobster
· Palm Palace
· Los Amigos Fiesta
· China Palace
· Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi
· Chili’s Grill and Bar
· Olga’s Kitchen
· Paesano Restaurant & Wine Bar (Italian)
· Tuptim Thai Cuisine
Available at US-23 Exit 41 Plymouth Road
(Doubletree and Microtel exit)
- Panera Bread
- Bandito’s Mexican Restaurant
- Carson’s American Bistro
- Zamaan Café (Middle Eastern)
- Evergreen Restaurant (Chinese)
- UMI Sushi
- Zoup!
- Jimmy Johns
- Subway