| History |
With the sponsorship and support of Riverview Community Bank (www.riverviewcb.com) in Otsego, MN, we started our first luncheon on November 24, 2003 at the Rockwoods Banquet Center in Otsego, MN. Our guest speakers were Dennis Doyle, CEO of Welsh Companies and U.S. Congressman Mark Kennedy, State of MN. Approximately 185 people attended and there was a very positive response from this first luncheon and the many luncheons that followed.
Our goal was to host quarterly Faith@Work luncheons throughout the year. As the enthusiasm of these gatherings grew, the word began to spread. Luncheon attendees came from all over the state of Minnesota with some people driving from one to four hours. Ely, Bemidji, Virginia, Alexandria, Willmar, Rochester, Faribault, Brainerd, Duluth, and Mankato were some of the areas that were represented.
The attendance began to exceed the Rockwoods Banquet Center’s seating limits of 325 people. Due to the high demand, we added a breakfast as another option, along with each luncheon. The attendance of the breakfasts averaged approximately 100 people each, allowing more people to attend these functions.
Within this non-church environment, relationships began to grow and deepen among the people attending.
In January 2007, Chuck and his wife, Kathi, were led by the Lord to set aside the Faith@Work luncheons for a season. One year later the Lord began to reveal that they were supposed to host the luncheons again in 2008. This new season would bring a change in the format and increase the frequency of the luncheons. They felt that the Faith@Work luncheons should continue on a quarterly basis with the same 1-1/2 hour focus and format. The new name is Faith@Work Elk River. Additional one hour FaithToGo Elk River luncheons will be hosted on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. These bi-monthly luncheons will train and equip the working people in Biblical principles and practices.
This is a list of the dates and previous speakers from our Faith@Work luncheons
November 24, 2003
Dennis Doyle is owner and co-founder of Welsh Companies, one of the largest, full-service commercial real estate companies in Minnesota today. Under Dennis' guidance and leadership, today Welsh and its affiliates provide a complete menu of services for commercial and residential property owners and users. Jointly, these companies are involved in leasing and brokerage, client representation, property management, facility management, corporate real estate services, architecture, construction, development, mortgage banking, facility services, and non-profit consulting services.
Mark Kennedy is a fourth-generation Minnesotan who brings common sense solutions to Congress. Mark’s service to Minnesota continues a century-long family tradition that began with his great-grandfather, a Swift County Commissioner in the 1890s. Growing up in Benson Minnesota, Mark’s parents instilled in him the family values that Minnesotans share: hard work, common sense, faith and service.
Mark served Minnesota in the House of Representatives from 2001 – 2007. He worked to keep the highest possible ethical standards in Congress, and has encouraged his colleagues to enact lobbying reform including his proposed lifetime lobbying ban for Members of Congress. Mark believes candidates should run for Congress to serve, not as a stepping stone to a million dollar per year lobbying job.
Recognizing freedom to worship as one of our most fundamental rights, Mark has discussed religious freedom when traveling abroad and meeting with foreign governments. He has encouraged Secretary Rice to urge the Government of Afghanistan to abide by the religious freedom guarantees of its constitution in the case of Abdul Rahman and future religious converts. Mark’s resolution to stop the religious persecution of individuals in China, and to revise Chinese law so it conforms to international standards passed the House.
January 27, 2004
Ed Silvoso, founder and president of Harvest Evangelism is widely recognized as a missions strategist and solid Bible teacher who specializes in evangelism, city and nation reaching, marketplace transformation and gender reconciliation.
Ed is known as a practitioner who equips the church for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4). He has equipped the masses in Argentina for years through the Harvest Evangelism International Institute in addition to live television and radio broadcasts, and has reached U.S. audiences through events such as Light the Nation which was a live broadcast from Madison Square Garden down linked to over 600 sites. Ed and his team pioneered city transformation in Argentina in 1990 when the city of Resistencia (population 400,000) was totally reached for Christ, thus shifting a paradigm that since then has made city transformation part of the church lifestyle worldwide.
Os Hillman
Os Hillman is an internationally recognized speaker on the subject of faith at work. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Marketplace Leaders Ministries, an organization whose purpose is to help men and women discover and fulfill God's complete purposes through their work and view their work as ministry. He is the author of 11 books and a daily workplace email devotional called TGIF Today God Is First which has over 130,000 daily subscribers worldwide. His most recent book is TGIF Today God Is First, Volume 2. He also developed and teaches The 9 to 5 Window Workshop. Os has been featured on CNBC, NBC, LA Times, New York Times, and many other national media as a spokesperson on faith at work.
Rick (www.rickheeren.org) writes, “Ed Silvoso called me in late 1999 and said that he felt that there were four cities in the USA where Harvest Evangelism was already working which would be so successful in their implementation of prayer evangelism that they would detonate other cities to follow their example. He said that one of those four cities would be Elk River, Minnesota.”
January 6, 2005
James Dismore
Jim was one of the original officers of Wal-Mart, and served for many years as a senior officer for the belated Sam Walton. He now spends his time helping businessmen and women learn how to operate according to biblical principles.
Ultimate Support Systems, Inc. is a Business in Ministry, which markets, designs, and distributes quality support solutions while seeking to know Jesus Christ, to be like Him, and to share His life and love with the world. A key priority at Ultimate Support is the company's commitment to Christian values, including a deep respect and honor for God, employees, customers and vendors. These principles are also inherent in good business practices: dedication to meeting customer needs. To contribute to the success of others, the company contributes a percentage of annual sales to various charitable causes and ministries.
"We maintain faith that God will continue to sustain us as long as we continue to honor Him, our customers, vendors and employees," says Jim Dismore, CEO and Chairman.
April 21, 2005
Chuck Knapp is one of the premiere voices in Minnesota. Currently works as radio announcer with K-BOB, 106.1. He formerly was half of the wildly popular "Knapper and The Pastor" team on KTIS FM.98.5; Chuck energized the Minneapolis/St. Paul area with great music, lots of laughs and great personal insights. Chuck has a unique perspective on current events that you won't get anywhere else. Chuck is former KS95-FM Station manager, Program Director and Morning Drive Co-host of "Knapp and Donuts" and Executive Producer for the 80 station Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. He was named one of the top four radio personalities of the decade in the Minneapolis Star & Tribune.
Larry Kutzler has been a pastor for over 27 years and has earned a Master of Divinity degree from Bethel Seminary. Eleven of those years he spent planting churches in the inner city of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Larry left the pastorate in 2002 to become the Founder and Executive Director of CiteSites Media, a ministry that focuses on using media to share the Gospel. Larry is married to Paulette Kutzler from KTIS radio. They have two grown children.
Joe Senser was raised in the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania. He is a former professional American football player. A 6'4", 240 lbs. tight end from West Chester University, Senser was selected in the sixth round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He ranks third in Vikings history among tight ends for catches, touchdowns and earned a birth in the Pro Bowl following the 1981 season. He played in all sixteen games in 1981, setting career-highs in receptions, yards, yards per catch and touchdowns. He also was a one time leader in NCAA basketball statistics for field goal percentage.
December 14, 2005
Graham Power is a successful businessman who has recently been awarded the 2005 Businessman of the Year award from the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce in South Africa. In July 2000, as a relatively new convert to Christianity, Graham received two visions from God, comprising of five stages:
• Rent Newlands Rugby Stadium for a Day of Prayer for his city Cape Town; South Africa
• Move into the rest of South Africa for a Day of Prayer
• Reach the whole of Southern Africa in the same way
• Implement this vision into the whole of Africa
• Mobilize the whole world in a Global Day of Prayer.
On March 21, 2001, the Newlands Rugby Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa was filled with the joyous sounds of a 45,000 strong crowd. Following the day of prayer in Cape Town, 8 other areas across South Africa hosted similar events in 2002. In May 2003 millions of Christians across barriers of race, color, language and denomination joined in prayer at 70 different stadiums in South Africa as well as 60 stadiums in Africa (28 different countries) to pray for transformation in Africa. On 2 May 2004, all 58 African countries (including the islands) united in prayer. Then Africa invited the world to join hands with the African continent in a Global Day of Prayer.
July 6, 2006
Jack is a former commercial fisherman. His drive to achieve week in and week out nearly cost Captain Jack Frost and his crew their lives. They battled 50 to 60 knot winds and 20 to 30 foot seas in a small commercial fishing boat. Sometimes it paid off. He once caught 28 Warsaw groupers weighing as much as 319 lbs. at one catch. Then, one day, a close friend was lost at sea with his crew and Captain Jack had to deal with being the last person to see him alive.
Millard Fuller is the founder and former president of Habitat for Humanity International. Fuller founded Habitat with his wife, Linda, in 1976. His 29-year leadership forged Habitat into a worldwide Christian housing ministry building 200,000 homes with projects in 100 countries worldwide. Former President Clinton has said, "Millard Fuller has done as much to make the dream of homeownership a reality in our country and throughout the world as any living person."
Chuck is a firm believer in bringing “church” outside of the four walls and into his sphere of influence in the marketplace; reaching business, education and government within the Elk River community, the State of Minnesota and into the nations. Prayer and radical obedience are in the forefront of his ministry.
In October 2004, the New York Times Magazine featured Chuck for his openness to bring Christian faith and prayer into his business resulting in extraordinary financial and spiritual growth. He was also featured as the cover story of New Man magazine in November 2007. Chuck’s testimonies in his book titled God Out of the Box shares how God can use a simple man to do extraordinary things through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Chuck serves as an elder at Alliance Community Church in Elk River. He has been meeting with the Elk River area pastors and marketplace for over eight years praying for transformation within their community. Chuck and Kathi have been married for 30 years. They also have been abundantly blessed with five children, four of whom are married, and ten grandchildren.
As Governor, he has balanced Minnesota's budget three times without raising taxes, despite facing record budget deficits. Governor Pawlenty's most notable accomplishments include proposing and signing into law significant new benefits for veterans and members of the military; enacting a property tax cap, eliminating the marriage penalty and cutting taxes; toughening the state's education standards; reforming the way teachers are paid through a nation-leading performance pay plan; instituting free-market health care reforms that increase accountability and provide tax credits to encourage the use of health savings accounts; and implementing a plan to Americanize our energy sources by generating 25% of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
Under Governor Pawlenty's leadership, Minnesota leads the nation in a variety of measures. Minnesota ranks first among states in Fortune 500 companies per capita, first in overall quality of life, first in homeownership, first in percentage of residents with a high school diploma, and first in residents over 25 with a bachelors degree. Minnesota has the highest average ACT scores in the nation and is among the "Healthiest States in America."
Pawlenty grew up in South St. Paul, Minnesota. The only child in his family to graduate from college, he attended the University of Minnesota and practiced law in the private sector. His public service career includes serving as a criminal prosecutor, Eagan City Councilmember, and ten-year member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, including four years as House Majority Leader. Pawlenty served as Chair of the National Governors Association and on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, the Achieve Inc. Board of Directors and the James B. Hunt Jr. Institute Board of Directors. He is Chair of the Education Commission of the States and former Chair of the Midwestern Governors Association.
As First Lady of Minnesota, Mary Anderson Pawlenty has dedicated her time to supporting military families, raising awareness about heart disease and educating elementary school students about our three branches of government.
Mrs. Pawlenty created First Lady’s Military Family Care Initiative, a program that allows community-based organizations to volunteer their time and services to help families of deployed soldiers. She also has launched the First Lady’s Heart Health Initiative, an awareness campaign for women about reducing the risk of heart disease. The first lady frequently visits elementary schools to teach students about U.S. democracy and the three branches of government, with a special emphasis on the judiciary.
The first lady has received two distinguished awards for her work supporting military families. She received the Patrick Henry Award from the National Guard Association of the United States. The Patrick Henry Award recognizes leaders who provide outstanding and exceptional service to the Armed Forces. She also received the Order of St. Maurice Civis Award from The National Infantry Association. This award is given to civilian supporters who have made significant or outstanding contributions to the Infantry.
The first lady earned a bachelor's degree in political science, summa cum laude, from Bethel College in 1983, and a juris doctor, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1986. In addition to practicing law, she served as a district court judge from 1994 to 2007. Currently, Mrs. Pawlenty is a mediator of civil disputes, assisting parties in resolving their differences by mutual agreement rather than through litigation.
The first lady and her husband, Governor Tim Pawlenty, are the proud parents of two daughters, ages 11 and 15.
From their life journey to find the love they had so desperately been seeking came a revelation of unconditional agape love that brought healing to their family and also to the lives of many families around the world as Jack traveled and shared their story. Now the message of agape continues in the life of Trisha and their children.
Jack had for years encouraged Trisha to tell her side of the story, saying to the Shiloh Place staff that “there is a Niagara Falls of teaching in her, waiting to be released” but until now the circumstances of life and ministry have kept her travel schedule at a minimum. Today is the hour of her release as one of many Shiloh Place teachers as we chart our way through new challenges of life without Jack.
Trisha’s life used to flow from feeling like an orphan, abandoned by her own loving father, and then by her husband; she felt she constantly had to take a back seat to Jack ‘s other loves. Now she can take you on the journey to find your place in the heart of God as she shares the breakthrough of her own revelation of love at the culmination of her pathway to healing, foremost as a favored child of God, then also as a wife and a mother.
Trisha is ordained with Evangel Fellowship International.
Ed Silvoso, founder and president of Harvest Evangelism is widely recognized as a missions strategist and solid Bible teacher who specializes in evangelism, city and nation reaching, marketplace transformation and gender reconciliation.
Ed is known as a practitioner who equips the church for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4). He has equipped the masses in Argentina for years through the Harvest Evangelism International Institute in addition to live television and radio broadcasts, and has reached U.S. audiences through events such as Light the Nation which was a live broadcast from Madison Square Garden down linked to over 600 sites. Ed and his team pioneered city transformation in Argentina in 1990 when the city of Resistencia (population 400,000) was totally reached for Christ, thus shifting a paradigm that since then has made city transformation part of the church lifestyle worldwide.