The monthly “Campus Clips” column includes brief reports from LCMS day schools, universities, LCMS U chapters and seminaries.
Study and fellowship
Many LCMS U chapters hold retreats in February and March. On Feb. 9–10, 30 people from several universities — including Northern Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, Michigan State University and Valparaiso University — gathered in Chesterton, Ind., for the annual Campus Ministry Leadership Conference. This event — which is designed to serve LCMS students but is open to others — has been held for over 40 years to provide fellowship and networking for students involved in campus ministry. Students took turns leading devotions and heard from guest speaker DCE Rebekah Freed.
Also on Feb. 9–10, 67 college students, plus vendors and volunteers, attended the sixth annual “GO Leadership Retreat” at Campus Lutheran Church in Columbia, Mo. The regional retreat is hosted by the congregation, which provides indoor “glamping,” with air mattresses, showers and home-cooked meals. This year’s retreat speaker was Dr. Brad Alles, who led a discussion of his book Life’s Big Questions, God’s Big Answers.
And on Feb. 23–25, students at St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel at the University of Iowa hosted their friends from Memorial Lutheran Church and Student Center at Iowa State University for the annual St. Paul Theologian in Residence conference. The Rev. Dr. Mark Seifrid of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, served as conference speaker on the theme, “Who Am I?”
Middle school tournament
Concordia University Irvine (CUI), Irvine, Calif., welcomed 1,500 elementary and middle school students, families, administrators and staff to the CUI campus for the Lutheran Elementary School Tournament in February. Eight Lutheran schools from California, Idaho and Nevada attended the event, which featured competitions and workshops in theater, science, writing, spelling, mathematics, chess, robotics, visual art, music and more. The weekend also included a Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament held in the CUI Arena. The event concluded with a Sunday morning worship service.
Student laureate
Kate Johnson, a senior at Concordia University Chicago (CUC), River Forest, Ill., was named a Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois for the 2023–2024 academic year. Johnson, who grew up in Lincoln, Neb., said, “As an out-of-state student, I never imagined receiving an award given to honor the students of Illinois. I am blessed to have been able to come to a school in a new state and know that my impact has been seen and appreciated.”
The prestigious Lincoln Laureate award is given annually to one student from each of the four-year colleges and universities in Illinois, based on their leadership abilities and excellence in academics. Johnson accepted the award at a ceremony in Springfield, Ill., where she received a certificate signed by the governor, an educational stipend, a Lincoln medallion and a tour of the Illinois Supreme Court building.
Campaign kickoff
Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), St. Paul, Minn., announced the Elevate the Promise fundraising campaign during a special event on March 15 at its St. Paul campus. A total of $41.4 million has been raised (as of March 1, 2024) toward the $55 million goal.
Elevate the Promise is a comprehensive, multi-year campaign, meaning each gift given to the university during the campaign is counted toward the overall goal. The campaign will bring special focus to CSP’s affordability initiatives, invigorate a wide range of retention initiatives, bolster existing academic programs and launch new ones, and help empower more students to graduate and live out their vocations wherever God calls them.
“I praise God, from whom all blessings flow, and our generous donors for the success thus far of Elevate the Promise,” said the Rev. Dr. Brian L. Friedrich, CSP president. “The generosity of our alumni and friends underscores their commitment to ensuring a sustainable and vibrant Christ-centered Lutheran higher education.”
More information about Elevate the Promise can be found at one.csp.edu/elevate.
Sparking interest
SPARK, an academic summer camp on the campus of Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb., is designed to help students entering grades 6–9 explore their interests, develop useful skills and build connections with fellow campers. The camp will take place June 3–6 and will include interactive sessions, fun group activities, and daily chapel and devotion. Sessions include DNA: God’s Molecule of Life, Beekeeping 101, Model Rockets, and Reading and Creating Graphic Novels. Learn more and register at cune.edu/spark.
Accreditation granted
Earlier this year, the School of Nursing at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Mequon, Wis., hosted an onsite accreditation visit and successfully met all of the standards to be granted a perfect score and accreditation renewal. CUW’s Master of Speech-Language Pathology program has also been granted accreditation. The Speech-Language Pathology program received its full five-year accreditation with no deficiencies, having been found to be in compliance with all 161 standards.
Faculty promoted
Four members of the Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor (CUWAA) theology faculty have been promoted to administrative positions this academic year, including the Rev. Dr. Ted Hopkins. Hopkins now serves as assistant vice-president of academics. In his new role, he serves as an extension of CUWAA’s chief academic officer on the CUW campus and is assigned to work with deans, chairs, program directors and faculty to provide students at the Ann Arbor campus with a seamless academic experience.
Learn from seminary profs
Dates have been set for the Prof Insights: Faculty-Led Workshop Series, offered annually by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL). This year’s series features 13 workshops led by faculty and other scholars at congregations in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah. Designed for pastors, church workers and laypeople, the series offers in-depth study on contemporary topics that influence the practice of ministry and worship. The cost for each workshop is $150, which includes Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits for pastors. Registration and payment should be made no later than 14 days before the beginning of each workshop.
Find the list of workshops, presenters and registration information at csl.edu/workshop-series. For more information, contact Continuing Education at 314-505-7286 or ce@csl.edu.
Black Clergy Caucus
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), served as the site for the Black Clergy Caucus (BCC) Conference April 9–11. Among the scheduled activities for the three-day event was a special screening of interview footage shot for an oral history project on Black Ministry in the LCMS. The screening was followed by a reception hosted by CTSFW for guests and alumni.
“Many members of the Black Clergy Caucus are graduates of CTSFW, so this was a ‘welcome home’ for them,” said the Rev. Matthew Wietfeldt, assistant vice-president of Admission for CTSFW. “We were also glad for the opportunity to work with the BCC on one of our shared priorities: recruiting the next generation of LCMS pastors and deaconesses.”
The conference program included a dinner and Divine Service at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in downtown Fort Wayne, where the seeds for LCMS Black Ministry were planted in 1877 at a meeting of the Lutheran Synodical Conference. Look for a fuller report on the Black Clergy Caucus Conference in the May issue of Reporter.
Posted April 19, 2024/Updated April 23, 2024
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Encouraging reports on all fronts. We thank God for His faithfulness!