Mark & Mollie Henrich

WITH

Rev. Mark and Mollie Henrich

DESCRIPTION

Life changed for Philip. It took him from the known city of Jerusalem to a city and crowds in Samaria to a desert road and a life-changing conversation with just one person. Life also takes us down a variety of roads. On these roads, some planned and some unexpected, who knows what opportunities the Holy Spirit places before us to have life-changing conversations? Who’s passing on your road?

BIO

Mark and Mollie Henrich are thankful to live in Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America. Mark serves as chairman of the WELS-Canada Mission Board and as pastor at Hope Lutheran Church, a congregation made up of brothers and sisters in Christ from over 25 different countries. Mollie serves as a full-time teacher in the public school system. They have two daughters, Essie (9) and Evangelia Hope (7).

Before moving to Canada, they were blessed to have served a combined 30+ years in cross-cultural ministry in three different countries.

Elise Gross

WITH

Elise Gross

DESCRIPTION

Moved by the gospel message, a dealer in purple cloth persuaded the missionary team to “come and stay” in her home, the same home that would turn into the first Christian house-church in Philippi. Lydia’s story speaks to how Christians moved by their Savior simply cannot stay quiet—the gospel is too good to keep to oneself. How do we, modern-day Lydias, model the same enthusiasm and courage? Who can you invite to “come and stay”?

 

 

BIO

Elise serves as a missionary on the WELS One Latin America Team, where she teaches and coaches women throughout Latin America to share the gospel through church plants in their communities. Elise is a missionary kid who grew up on the island of Antigua and rejoices to continue living with and serving alongside people from many nations and cultures. Her husband, Jon Gross, also serves in Latin America ministry, and they currently live in Quito, Ecuador, with their 6-year-old son, Moses.

Joel Russow

WITH

Joel Russow

DESCRIPTION

He was looking for a little money, but he received a gift far better than silver or gold. As the apostle Peter helped the man who was lame from birth to his feet, God strengthened his feet (Acts 3). He walked! Then he jumped! And all the while, he praised God! So do we, as we marvel in God’s amazing love for and through us.

BIO

Joel Russow began his pastoral ministry in 2010 at Faith Lutheran Church in Tallahassee, Fla. In 2022, he began serving as a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., where he teaches courses in counseling, doctrine, and pastoral care. He holds two master’s degrees (M.Div., STM in Pastoral Care) and is pursuing a third in clinical mental health counseling.

Joel has been married to Jill since 2006. Together they are blessed with four children: Jude (2008), Elijah (2010), Rachel (2012), and Isaiah (2015). The Russows love Jesus, sports, traveling, camping, their dachshund and chihuahua, and delicious cheesecake.

Dawn Schulz & John Hein

WITH

Rev. Jonathan Hein and Dawn Schulz

DESCRIPTION

In the heart of every woman beats the desire to do what God created her to do. She knows God has given her talents, ideas, skills, experiences, and creativity for use in his kingdom. In joy and confidence and according to God’s design, she desires to use them for his glory.

Unfortunately, this longing is often unmet. While many Christians are leaving the church at alarming rates, exit surveys from women leaving WELS congregations show they left because they were not allowed to participate in congregational ministry in a way they perceived as meaningful. In other words, they wanted to stay but were not certain what their role was.

Without straying from God‘s Word and his design, how can we best steward the gifts God has given us through the women he’s blessed us with? In this presentation, we’ll have a candid conversation with Rev. Jonathan Hein, coordinator for WELS Congregational Services, about how to better identify and utilize the ideas and gifts of women in ways that abide by Scripture principles for men and women.

 

BIOS

Rev. Jonathan Hein

John HeinJonathan is a 1997 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon graduation, he was assigned to a home mission in the Charleston, S.C. area. In his twenty 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. Jonathan is married to Rebecca, who teaches in their home congregation in Waukesha, Wis. They have two sons, Caleb, who works in finance, and Joshua, who serves in our nation’s Air Force.

Dawn Schulz
Dawn SchulzDawn Schulz would much rather sit down with you for a long talk than write this description. She also has a keen understanding that God places her where HE wants her to be and she tries to make the most of every opportunity for God’s kingdom. Because of this, Dawn has many varied ministry experiences. Over the last 20 years, Dawn has taught women’s bible studies, hosted retreats, counseled women through crisis situations, mentored young Christian women, and shared the love of Jesus at Christmas with the 100+ women who attend Advent by Candlelight each year. Now she serves as Chairwoman of WELS WM.  Seeing God work through his Word to heal broken marriages, save wayward children, bring hope to those left by a spouse, and defeat the imprisoning effects of depression is truly one of the greatest joys in her life. 

Another great joy is her family. She and her husband, Pastor Joel Schulz, live in Delray Beach, Florida. She is able to work alongside him in her position as Campus Coordinator for the 5 campuses of Divine Savior Church. They have 4 beautiful children (1 got married!) who are all at various stages of emerging adulthood. They travel, play games, laugh, and have deep discussions whenever they can.