July 18-20, 2025
St. Paul Lutheran Church, Lake Mills, Wis.
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16).
God became a man so he could use his hands to serve us. He used his hands to heal the sick. He used his hands to feed the hungry. And best of all, he used his hands to win for us salvation. Not only were his hands nailed to a cross, where he suffered and died for us, but his hands now hold us and keep us safe in his church, so that no one, not even Satan himself, can harm us. What comfort it is that we are engraved on the palms of his hands.
Now that we are engraved on the palms of his hands, God will use all of us as his hands here on earth to serve one another in love. Whether you are deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing; whether you are a pastor or teacher; whether you are an interpreter or have only had limited connections with the deaf or hard of hearing, God can and will use all of us as his hands to serve each other in love and proclaim the gospel to each other, regardless of your ability, skill, or language. Christ died for ALL to save ALL.
Conference goal
The conference aims to provide the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with informative and usable knowledge on how to serve God’s church and how others can support their “hands”.
Who should attend?
Our conference is designed to serve the deaf and hard of hearing community and anyone who offers services to them. We want to provide a setting where all can learn how God used his hands to save us and how we now get to be the hands of God in various ways to serve one another in love.
Keynote presentation: Rev. Daniel Frey, “Hands of God”
In Isaiah 49:16, the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” During the keynote, attendees will focus on two parts of this theme passage.
First, we will focus on the fact that God now has hands since he took on human flesh in the womb of his virgin mother. He has hands that were nailed to a cross to save you. He has hands that have pulled you out of your sins and brought you into his family. He has hands that are holding you safely in his family, protecting you from all harm and danger. You are engraved on the palms of his hands. This means that he loves you and has saved you.
Second, we will focus on how God now uses all of us as his hands here on earth. God wants to give blessings to his people. And he uses all of us—deaf, hard of hearing, interpreters, pastors, and lay members—to give out those blessings. In all our various vocations, whether it is in our family or at work or in our everyday life, God will use us, as his hands, to bless other people. We will especially focus on how God uses us as his hands to serve the deaf and hard of hearing with the gospel. You are engraved on the palms of his hands. This means that he will use you to show love to and serve one another.
Breakout sessions
"Tech Devices in Church for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing"
Pastor Dan Frey, "How to Welcome Deaf/Hard of Hearing Guests at Church"
Breakout session: “How to Welcome Deaf/Hard of Hearing Guests at Church”
The devil is always trying to prevent people from hearing the gospel, since the gospel takes away his power and brings people into the family of God. So the devil will do whatever he can to cause stumbling blocks to arise so that all people, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing, can’t hear the gospel.
During this workshop, we will focus on doing whatever we can to welcome the deaf and hard of hearing into our congregations so they can hear the gospel. We will also talk about what stumbling blocks could prevent the deaf and hard of hearing from hearing the gospel. We will especially focus on how the gospel has the power to overcome any stumbling block to bring the deaf and hard of hearing to saving faith in Christ, so that all God’s people, whether they are hearing, deaf, or hard of hearing, can be united in the holy Christian church.
Bio:
Pastor Dan Frey is a 2004 graduate of Martin Luther College and a 2008 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon graduation from the seminary, he was assigned to Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Lee’s Summit, Mo., where for the past 17 years he has been a pastor.
For the last ten years, Pastor Frey has been working with the deaf to proclaim the gospel to them. He has learned a little bit of sign language and is able to communicate with his deaf members one on one. Currently Gethsemane has four adult deaf members and several deaf children. All its services are interpreted for the deaf.
Pastor Frey is originally from Michigan. He is blessed with a wife, Angela,and three kids, Anna (15), Molly (14), and Silas (11). He enjoys spending time with his family. In his spare time, he enjoys all sports, especially rooting for all of his Michigan teams. He is looking forward to presenting at the Hands of God Conference.
"Gospel Hands"
"Understanding Deaf Culture"
"Understanding Religious Symbols & Terms"
Pastor Aaron Duve, "Introduction to Martin Luther"
Breakout session: “Introduction to Martin Luther”
Have you ever wondered why we are called Lutherans? What about a guy who lived 500 years ago who would make people still today identify themselves with his name? Join Pastor Duve as we look back to see who Martin Luther was and more importantly what he had to say.
Bio:
Pastor Aaron Duve was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He attended public school until he enrolled at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota. During his elementary school years, he attended his local school which also happened to be the county’s mainstream school for the deaf. When it came time for high school Pastor Duve chose American Sign Language as his foreign language. While at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Pastor Duve joined the Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and served on the committee for six years. Currently, Pastor Duve serves a congregation in Port Huron, Michigan.
"How Deaf Share Their Faith" Panel Discussion
"Setting Up a Deaf Bible Study"
Friday, July 18, 2025
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Check-in/Registration | 5:00 p.m. |
| Entertainment and Fellowship | 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. |
Saturday, July 19, 2025
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Check-in/Registration | 8:00 a.m. |
| Opening Devotion | 8:30 a.m. |
| Keynote Presentation | 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. |
| Break | 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. |
| Breakouts Session 1 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
| Lunch (provided) | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. |
| Breakouts Session 2 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. |
| Break | 2:00 – 2:15 p.m. |
| Breakouts Session 3 | 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. |
| Break | 3:15 – 3:30 p.m. |
| Breakouts Session 4 | 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. |
| Fellowship/Dinner (provided) | 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. |
| Jesus Movie | 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. |
| Closing | 9:00 p.m. |
Sunday, July 20, 2025
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Worship Service Interpreter/Audio Loop | 8:00 – 9:15 a.m |
| Jesus Movie Q&A | 9:15 – 10:30 a.m. |
| Worship Service Interpreter/Audio Loop | 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. |
Registration cost
$100-$120/attendee
DAILY DEVOTIONS
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