August 12, 2024

Editor: Haley Wels

Beyond the Game: Summer Athletic Camps

We love visitors at MLC, and our athletic department organizes fantastic opportunities for high school visitors to learn about ministry as they refine their skills. In July, the MLC athletic department hosted golf and football camps for high school students.

Professor Matthew Pearson (education) organized the Golf and Life Camp around daily themes—courtesy, perseverance, and confidence. The camp encouraged student golfers to apply those themes to their game and their lives beyond it. And it mixed in plenty of fun—like night golf—to remind the athletes to enjoy their game!


The MLC football camp in late July brought three WELS high school teams from Fox Valley LHS, Manitowoc LHS, and St. Croix Lutheran Academy to campus for intensive training and encouragement to join the public ministry.


Check out pictures from both the golf and football camps in our SmugMug gallery!


Pictured: Professor Pearson with the golf camp participants at North Links golf course in North Mankato MN.

New Face on Campus: Susan Decker

Dr. Susan Decker (English) graduated from MLC in 2013, and after serving at West LHS for 11 years, she is beginning her new call as a professor of English this fall. She will teach both general education and elective English courses, and she is most excited to teach Literary Criticism, which was one of her favorite classes when she was a student.


At MLC, Dr. Decker is especially looking forward to helping students discover how they can best use their gifts to God's glory. “The ministry deserves called workers who are dedicated to personal and professional excellence,” she said, “and I hope to encourage students to fully use their God-given talents to the best of their abilities!”


Dr. Decker was blessed to have that kind of encouragement early in her education. Mrs. B, her third- and fourth-grade teacher at St. Mark-Eau Claire WI, wasand still isone of Dr. Decker’s biggest cheerleaders. “Mrs. B always supported and encouraged me to pursue my love of writing, even from an early age,” she said. “Thanks for being a great ministry role model, Mrs. B!


During her time at West LHS, Dr. Decker was a ministry role model to her own students, serving as the English department chair, drama director, yearbook advisor, Teens for Life advisor, book club advisor, and mock trial coach. She also served on West’s administrative team, curriculum committee, and MNSAA accreditation team. Inspired by her role models and dedicated to excellence in her own ministry, Dr. Decker earned her MA in English and her DA in English pedagogy while serving at West.


Because of her numerous roles and responsibilities, she understands the education field from the perspectives of students, teachers, and administrators. “I feel that holistic approach to education will be especially helpful in preparing students for the public ministry,” she said. “You never know what you will be asked to do in your future ministry, so seek out new and diverse experiences!”

Music and Mission Work

Students at MLC have so many opportunities to gain ministry experience while serving others. Early Field Experience, Early Ministry Experience, and Daylight are the most well known, but did you know that the MLC music department runs a summer internship program?


This summer, Joseph Panning (St. Paul-Litchfield MN) served as a worship intern at Amazing Grace-Amarillo TX. Joe applied to the MLC music department's internship program to gain music and teaching experience, and he couldn’t turn down the chance to do mission work as well.


His outreach work at Amazing Grace included food drives, canvassing, and getting to know the community. “In a mission setting,” he said, “the number one goal is to get out into the community and share God’s Word in whatever way possible.”


Joe gained invaluable practical experience at Amazing Grace. He learned to plan church events, compile worship materials, lead Bible studies, give devotions, and lead worship with singing, piano, and saxophone. He even taught some piano lessons!


The most rewarding part? Sharing Christ. “My favorite part of the job was getting to meet so many great people,” he said, “and getting to share the gospel message with them.”

Ministry in Action

Ministry training happens in all kinds of places—close to home and far away.


Zachary Pausma (St. Luke-Oakfield WI), Isabel Brown (Abiding Word-Houston), and Preston Ballentine (Abiding Peace-Simpsonville SC) went on a Daylight trip to Divine Peace-Rockwall TX where they met up with MLC student and Divine Peace member Laura Kopplin to help Laura’s home church with outreach.


The MLC students passed out over 800 flyers for a VBS event and ran kids’ activities—games, crafts, cookie-decorating, and temporary tattoos—during Rockwall’s Fourth of July parade.


The students also visited the Rockwall Children's Advocacy Center, the Meals on Wheels and Senior Services Center, and the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce to learn how those community organizations could be useful resources in their future ministries, wherever they are called to serve.

MLC Ladies Auxiliary
Mark your calendars!

The next annual MLC Ladies’ Auxiliary meeting will be held on campus on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

Join the Ladies Auxiliary to learn more about their mission t0 promote and support MLC.

Homecoming Is Almost Here!

Join Us for More Than the Score

Summer MLC InFocus Correction

Please forgive our typo! In the summer issue of MLC InFocus, page 32, we published that Professor Emerita Grace Hennig served at MLC from 2023 to 2024. She actually served our college for 11 years, from 2013 to 2024.

Contact us today:

507.354.8221
Facebook