Cindy Jansen is a leadership facilitator and coach with a firm in Brookfield, WI. Working solely with leaders at all levels, Cindy helps them build their skills and impact the lives of the people whom they serve. Prior to working solely in leadership development, she worked in the field of human resources for 18 years. Raised in the WELS, Cindy attended Lutheran schooling through 12th grade. She graduated from UW-Whitewater with a degree in sociology, and then continued to Cardinal Stritch University, where she received her Masters of Business Administration. As an active member of Christ Lutheran in Big Bend, Wisconsin, Cindy is involved in her church, school and Personal Member Ministry team. Cindy lives in Mukwonago with her husband, Travis and children: Colton, Evangeline and Boyd. Faith Unleashed and Cindy have partnered to deliver customized Christian leadership training. Both recognize that the shared missions and synergy can be leveraged for the benefit of God’s kingdom, and more specifically for leaders in the local church. Cindy is committed to providing in-person, online and recorded leadership training as well as individual and team leadership coaching. Cindy looks forward to partnering with you in unleashing the potential of well-equipped Christian leaders in your church.

In leadership, especially ministry leadership, we often focus on having the right answers. But what if the real power lies in asking the right questions... and truly listening to the answers?

This breakout session is an energizing invitation to rediscover two core leadership skills: asking masterful questions and listening with Christlike empathy. Rooted in Scripture and reinforced by practical tools, we’ll explore how curiosity cultivates connection, how listening builds trust, and how questions can spark clarity, creativity, accountability and compassion.

Whether you're a called worker, lay leader, or pastor, this session will equip you to lead more effectively by engaging hearts, not just directing tasks. Come ready to lean in, listen deeply, and leave with a renewed sense of how to lead—one powerful question at a time.

Cindy Jansen

Dr. Rhoda Wolle serves as the Vice President of Culture and Engagement at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An educational psychologist, she is passionate about helping people and organizations flourish through the integration of faith, research, and practical application. Rhoda has had the opportunity to speak with educators, parents, and students across five continents, sharing insights on student success, leadership, healthy cultures, and the science of thriving.Lutheran Synod (WELS) community, best known for her work in Christ-centered social-emotional learning (SEL) and student success.

Rhoda is the co-host of the 5 to Thrive podcast, the author of several books, and the creator of Thrive Time, a Christ-centered, brain-based social-emotional learning curriculum designed for Christian schools. Her work seeks to equip individuals and communities to grow in resilience, purpose, and well-being through the lens of both Scripture and educational psychology.

A member of St. Marcus Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Rhoda enjoys traveling, reading, music, walking, golf, and spending time with animals—especially her beloved dog, Peanut. More information and resources can be found at www.rhodawolle.com.

Raising a Christ-Centered Child in a Me-Centered World Our culture is shaped by the stories we hear—and today, our children are surrounded by voices telling them who they should be, what they should have, and how they should look in order to be happy, successful, and enough. In a world that constantly points children toward me, how do we help them discover the deeper truth of who they are in Christ?

In this interactive session, you’ll discover practical, Christ-centered strategies to help your children understand their God-given value and worth, manage their thoughts and emotions, and develop greater resilience in the face of life’s challenges. Together, we’ll explore how we can equip our children to navigate a me-centered culture with confidence, purpose, and a secure identity rooted in Christ.

Dr. Rhoda Wolle

Michael Babler is the Director of Digital Ministry at Victory of the Lamb in Franklin, WI. After 16 years in Christian education, he joined Victory in 2022, using his passion for technology to open new pathways for outreach and connection.

From livestreamed worship and video content to digital downloads and online courses, Michael’s day-to-day work at Victory focuses on reaching the unreached. He helps digital touchpoints lead to real relationships by blending targeted communication with analytics, multiplying the impact of messages shared online.

Michael and his family live in Franklin and enjoy everything that comes with having a three-year-old boy (mainly trucks, tractors, and trains).

The Mission Field in Your Pocket: Using Digital Tools to Reach Real People with the Gospel

People are searching for answers, wrestling with faith, building relationships, and spending hours of their lives in digital spaces, and the church has unprecedented tools to meet them there.

In this session, we’ll explore practical ways churches and individual Christians can approach social media, video, websites, messaging, AI, and other digital tools as opportunities for ministry. The tools change. The mission doesn’t.

Michael Babler

Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517, where he shares deep insights into Scripture and theology with readers, listeners, and audiences worldwide what we as a church must do to both hear and respond.

He holds master’s degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. A prolific author, Chad has written numerous books, including Night Driving, The Christ Key, Unveiling Mercy, Hitchhiking with Prophets, and, most recently, Untamed Prayers (1517 Publishing).

He is also the co-host of the popular podcast 40 Minutes in the Old Testament. A highly sought-after speaker and teacher, Chad combines theological insight with a servant’s heart. A Texan and avid runner, he and his wife, Stacy, enjoy traveling together and spending time with their grandchildren.

Jesus Is God: Making the Case from the Old Testament. How does the Old Testament reveal that Jesus is God? Chad Bird explores key passages, promises, and divine appearances that point to Christ and affirm His divine identity. This session will equip participants to recognize Jesus throughout the Scriptures and confidently explain how the Old Testament supports the Christian confession that Jesus is true God.

James Hein serves as Lead Pastor at St. Marcus Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began his pastoral ministry in 2008 in Rochester, Minnesota, where he spent seven years developing experience in ministry to Millennials. He later moved to Milwaukee, focusing on urban gospel ministry, cross-cultural outreach, technology in ministry, and communicating the Christian faith in an increasingly post-Christian culture. Pastor Hein has also been involved in ministry to young adults and small-group discipleship and has spoken and written extensively on connecting people with the gospel in a changing culture.

Friendships create opportunities for meaningful conversations about faith. Pastor James Hein explores how churches can help people build genuine relationships, grow together in God’s Word, and invite others to take the next step in their spiritual journey.

James Hein

Joseph & Julie Lindloff are home missionaries at Anchor Church in Marquette, MI which started in 2023. They have four kids, love the outdoors, and are passionate about reaching one soul at a time with the love of Christ.

Rethinking Evangelism: Why Yesterday's Methods Miss Today's Hearts Have you ever found your ministry doing evangelism the way you have for years, even if it's not "working"? The truth is, many aren't seeking churches the way they once did. Similarly, traditional outreach events seem to be missing the mark and more importantly missing people's hearts. In this breakout session we will openly discuss relational ministry, community service, and how to reach more souls for the kingdom.

Joe & Julie Lindloff

Aaron Wakeman is the executive director of Friends Network, an organization that trains and supports lay missionaries around the world. He and his wife, Cora, began serving as evangelists in East Asia in 2004. Aaron later coordinated a team of missionaries overseas before becoming executive director in 2018. He brings that experience to his session, “Training the Next Generation of Evangelists.”

How do we help the next generation share their faith with confidence and compassion? Aaron Wakeman explores ways to encourage, equip, and mentor young Christians as they build relationships and speak about the hope they have in Christ.

Aaron Wakeman

Upon graduation from the seminary in 1997, Rev. Hein was assigned to a home mission in the Charleston, S.C., area. In 20 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.

Imagine over the course of two years attending worship at a different WELS congregation every week. As you observed what went well and what didn’t, you would gain valuable insights: about what God’s people find most edifying, about what enables both members and guests to better participate in worship, about what makes a sermon well received, etc. In his decade of serving the WELS Commission on Congregational Counseling, Rev. Hein has attended worship in more churches than you could visit in two years. In this presentation, he will share some lessons learned from congregational consulting. He will provide hard data about worship in congregations that the Lord is blessing with growth. He will share insights about walking the Lutheran middle in our worship planning, trusting that only God’s Word can effect and strengthen faith while also understanding that God expects us to use his gift of reason to conduct worship so that the Word is well proclaimed and received.

Jon Hein

A big thank you to St Mark Ministries  Partners and our DARE To Lead Sponsors for 2027.   The conference would not happen without their generous donations/sponsorships. StMarkMinistries.com/D2L/