June 29, 2011

CHICAGO – "Called! Equipped! Sent!" is the theme of the 2011 Tri-Annual Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Lutheran Men in Mission July 22-24 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center.

Registration for the event is available http://www.lutheranmeninmission.org. More than 400 men are expected to attend the gathering, which features worship, Bible study, speakers and workshops, said Doug Haugen, executive director.

"We hope those who attend will find a real connectedness to God and to others they attend with – grandfathers, fathers, sons and friends," Haugen said. "We also hope they leave with a clear focus of who they are as sons of God, aware of the gifts God has given them and how they can serve in their congregations, communities and families."

Haugen said many of this year's registered attendees are new to Lutheran Men in Mission. Colorado is an area of the country where Lutheran men's ministry is growing, he explained.

Speakers at the gathering include the Rev. Lawrence J. Clark, St. Mark Lutheran Church, Chicago; Jay Gamelin, musician, writer and nationally acclaimed speaker; the Rev. Dr. Paul G. Hill, executive director, Vibrant Faith Ministries, Minneapolis; the Rev. Dr. Roland D. Martinson, academic dean, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; Karl Mecklenburg, motivational speaker and former NFL All-Pro linebacker with the Denver Broncos; Tony Melendez, composer and guitarist; and Pat Morley, chair and chief executive officer, Man in the Mirror ministries, Orlando, Fla.

Peter Mayer, lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band and longtime supporter of Lutheran Men in Mission, will lead music at the gathering.

A business meeting July 21-22 will precede the gathering. The organization will adopt a budget and act on a proposed strategic plan for 2011 to 2014, which emphasizes its core work: helping men to understand the Bible and living word of God; intergenerational men's ministry; small group experiences, such as its "One Year to Live" retreats; and developing servant leaders.

ELCA News Service