June 17-23
Frank Lanier
Frank Lanier is the pastor of Adult Ministries at First Evangelical Free Church. Frank and his wife Dottie are the proud parents of five growing kids and are excited to be back at Mount Carmel this summer! Frank has spoken at Mount Carmel the last couple of years at various events and samples of his teaching can be found on the Mount Carmel Podcast.

June 24-30 “Our Christian Family Tree”
Guest Speaker: Dr. Daniel Van Voorhis – “Our Christian Family Tree”
Guest Preacher: Pastor Becky Hand
Guest Musician: Mike Pierson
Dr. Dan van Voorhis is the writer and host of The Christian History Almanac, a 1517 Podcast Network show. This 5-7 minute daily podcast is a reflection on the past events from that day that have shaped the church, stories of sinners and saints who have made up the church, as well as a piece of prose or poetry that reminds us that everything is going to be ok. Dr. van Voorhis speaks on a variety of topics in the history of the church, from the early beginnings through the 21st century American evangelical church. Dan has spoken internationally on the impacts of the early church creeds, the Reformation, Christianity in the United States, and issues pertaining to the church and state in America. Dr. Dan van Voorhis, professor, speaker, and author presents around the nation on the topic of why young people are leaving the church. From his work with young people at Universities and colleges and through his various podcasts. From his work with young people at Universities and colleges and through his various podcasts.

“Our Christian Family Tree”- Each session this week will start with an overview of a part of church history- from Ancient to the Present- highlighting some major events and figures. After the coffee break Dr. Van Voorhis have application questions to be discussed in small groups. We will share our responses and do a Q&A to finish the session.

July 1-7 “Grounded in the Apostles’ Creed“ [HOUSING FULL. RV and Campsites available!]
Ground Up Grace Week with Johan and Sonja Hinderlie
Guest Speakers: David and Cynthia Robinson
Guest Musicians: Milt and Andrew Scott
We will be welcoming home Johan and Sonja Hinderlie for a week centered on the freedom of Christ. In our morning sessions, David and Cynthia Robinson from Belfast, Ireland (the Irishcast) on Ground Up Grace will teach every morning on the subject of The Creed. Johan will preach on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Sonja will speak Tuesday night. We will also be joined by several Daily Text Prayer Writers. Johan and Sonja faithfully served at Mount Carmel from 1985-2012. We are delighted to welcome them back as we listen to Jesus’ Voice of Freedom together.

David and Cynthia’s theme for the week is “Grounded in the Apostles’ Creed”. They will explore how we can bring this ancient Church creed into our modern lives. During our time together, they will examine how our Trinitarian God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has delivered our salvation to us. Sessions will focus on the Fatherhood of God; what Christ has done for you on the cross and how the Holy Spirit builds us as believers into Christian community. There will be an opportunity following each session for further discussion.

David and Cynthia have been married for thirty-three years. They are blessed to have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and two adorable grandchildren. They live on the east coast of Northern Ireland, ten miles from Belfast. They served in church ministry for twenty-five years, when through a crisis, rediscovered the power of God’s grace and forgiveness in Christ. It was while exploring the message of God’s grace that their lives intersected with Johan and Sonja Hinderlie. David and Cynthia are privileged to contribute weekly to the Ground Up Grace podcast as ‘The Irish Cast’ and they actively serve in their local church. 

Cynthia enjoys gardening, cooking, and walking in the Irish countryside and coastline. She is an online tutor providing support to people with communication and learning needs. 

David enjoys soccer, Irish history, reading widely, especially Lutheran theology, and drinking lot of tea. He is a book dealer and paints and sells model historical figures. 

July 8-14
Guest Teachers: Daniel Emery Price and Erick Sorensen
Guest Preacher: Nick Hopman
Guest Musicians: Milt and Andrew Scott
Daniel Emery Price is the Director of Content for 1517. He is also an author, church and conference speaker, and co-host of the podcasts 40 Minutes in the Old Testament and 30 Minutes in the New Testament. Daniel has served as a church planter, pastor, and worship leader and currently lives in Northwest Arkansas, with his wife and daughter.

Erick Sorensen is on staff at 1517, serving as a Relations and Development Representative. He has served as a pastor and church planter in New York City, Southern California and New Jersey. In addition to his pastoral ministry and relations and development work, Erick is an author, conference speaker and co-host of the 30 Minutes in the New Testament podcast. Erick is the co-author with Daniel Emery Price of Scandalous Stories: A Sort of Commentary on Parables. Currently, Erick and Daniel are working on their second collaboration, Spit and Dirt: A Sort of Commentary on Miracles.

Gabe grew up in Macomb, MI. After spending five years starting new churches in Austin, TX, he is excited to be back in Michigan as the Pastor of ULC. He serves the mission of ULC through preaching, leadership development, and pastoral care. Gabe studied at Concordia University Wisconsin before going on to get his M.Div at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. In his spare time, Gabe enjoys playing soccer, reading books, listening to punk rock, and cheering on his beloved Green Bay Packers. He and his wonderful wife Melissa have three great kids.

Do tougher times make tougher people? It’s hard to say. One thing we do know is that tough times require resilience. We haven’t all been in the same boat these past few years, but we’ve all been in the same storm. And our faith is not immune to the damage wrought by the storm. How can we find strength from Christ in moments of struggle, doubt, and weakness?

July 21-23 (2-Night) “Finding Your Place in the Family of God”
Guest Teacher: Paul Cross
Guest Preacher: Pastor Becky Lee
Paul most recently served as Senior Pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota and is now enjoying teaching and traveling in his semi-retirement. He is married to Rhonda and they have three kids. Paul is a master at teaching inductive Bible study and will be spending the teaching sessions diving into scripture. Paul holds a Master in Divinity and a Doctorate in Ministry in Biblical Translation. 

Paul Cross gave the following as a teaser for his teaching time with us: 
So you are off to family camp. Families are fundamentally about relationships, close relationships. Parents and kids, spouses, siblings; we know what those relationships look like in our own families, but what do those relationships look like in the family of God? And more importantly, how do I fit into God’s family?

July 24-28 (4-Night) “Finding Your Purpose in the Household of Faith”
Guest Teacher: Paul Cross
Guest Preacher: Sarah Carlstrom

Paul gave the following sentences to introduce the topic of his teaching topic for the week:
Family camp is about being a part of the family of God. While families are about relationships, households are about working together. Paul encourages followers of Jesus, “So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith,” while Peter says, “You yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house.” Knowing our place in God’s family is helpful, but what’s involved in taking the next step of knowing our purpose in the household of faith?

July 29-August 4 The “Through and Through” Free Life–Together
Guest Speakers: Nathan Hoff and Dave Wollan
Guest Musician: Christian Hoff
Guest Preacher: Matthew Kolden
Born in San Pedro, California, back in 2005, Nathan is married to Joy and grateful to be a dad to four children. He is the director of Trinity Greenhouse, an organization connected to Trinity San Pedro, committed to “produce leaders grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” He is also the founder and leader of a young adult movement called the Theta Community which is made up of residential and non-residential members devoted to a common rule of life.

Dave is a sinner saved by faith in Jesus. He, and his wife, Andrea have four kids- 3 of whom have been summer staffers. Dave has served at Faith Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, MN since 2001- first as Youth Director, and currently as pastor. The Wollans love coming to Mount Carmel, and Dave currently serves on the board. Dave enjoys suffering through Vikings, Twins, and Wolves games, reading and writing, and watching movies.

Nathan and Dave will teach about obstacles of life, building lives together, and the beauty of Christian community borrowing from St. Benedict, Bonhoeff, and their experience leading residential internship programs in their churches for young adults.