Archives for December 2022

Join in on four interactive virtual workshops exploring how caring for creation can be a spiritual discipline.The dates are Tuesday nights at 7 pm CT on 1/17/23, 1/24/23, 1/31/2023 and 2/7/2023.  Explore with Deaconesses Katrina Martich and Kat Peters as they share from their respective experiences as Christian public leaders, an environmental engineer and an international educator. They will lead participants in exercises to deepen understanding as well as providing helpful, practical tools for creation care. The first twenty people  who register and who attend at least three sessions of the four sessions. will receive an educational packet of twelve bilingual (English/Spanish) downloads for congregational or group use. More downloads will be available for a discounted student rate. Click here to register for the free workshops! Zoom link will be shared via email.

For more information, contact Judi Tyler at jtyler001@luthersem.edu.

The holiday season is a time for gifts and often those gifts are new phones. When moving to a new phone, ensuring your Duo Mobile is working will be important as Duo Mobile is required to access online services like email and moodle.  You could be unable to access these online services until your Duo Mobile is re-setup.

Here’s some tips for a smooth phone transition:

1) Use the iCloud backup and restore feature of your iPhone when moving your phone apps and data to a new iPhone. Tutorial  

This will likely ensure Duo Mobile will still be registered in your new phone. This assumes your phone number is staying the same. Android phones may not transfer automatically.

2) If you run into trouble and still have your old phone, you can enroll your new phone at https://duo.luthersem.edu. Keep in mind you will need to use your old phone to approve your login in order to enroll the new phone. Keep your old phone on WiFi to receive the Duo prompt.

3) Set up Duo Restore in the Duo Mobile app by following these directions.

You can always contact the Help Desk for help. With the Seminary closed over the holiday break, responses will be delayed.

In this Advent devotion, Professor Amy Marga writes that the coming of Christ means joy and salvation for all creation. Read today’s God Pause.

It’s time to ‘snow’ off your Christmas Spirit and architecture skills. On December 20, post your pictures of you, your friends and your family with a gingerbread house you all built on our Community Life Facebook page. Then one foggy December Eve, our Admissions team will be our Cheerful Judges and will pick their favorite three, just in time for Christmas. The first place winner will get a $30 gift card to the national store of their choice, second will get $20 and third will get $10. We all are dreaming of a very sweet Christmas.

Our January Intensives will feature 5 days of lunches after chapel, prepared by Fruit & Grain Bakery! Please opt in or out for each one, using this form to specify your preferences. Monday (January 9) and Friday meals (January 13 and 20) will be $12 each and charged to your student account if you opt in. Wednesday Meals (January 11 and 18) will be offered at no cost to the community, but you must opt-in or out to give us a headcount and dietary preferences. Please read all instructions on the form and remember to bring your own beverage for each meal! 

Reported employee cases: 0
Reported student cases: 1
Students in quarantine or isolation: 0

Reported cases only include students and employees who have been on campus within a period of time during which they may have been contagious. According to the CDC this includes two days prior to the onset of symptoms or a positive test.

If you have recently tested positive for COVID-19, or if you are an unvaccinated individual who has been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of that person for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period), please report that to the appropriate person. For employees, that person is Michael Morrow (mmorrow001@luthersem.edu). Students should contact Leon Rodrigues (deanofstudents@luthersem.edu).

Contact Tracing Protocol

When an on-campus case of COVID-19 is reported, that person is first asked to stay off-campus and quarantine in accordance with CDC guidelines. In addition, the seminary takes two steps for contact tracing:

1. The Minnesota Department of Health is notified, per guidelines for institutions of higher education

2. The person reporting the case is asked to identify “close contacts”; the close contacts identified are notified of the exposure and asked to follow CDC guidelines for testing and quarantining (quarantine applies only to close contacts who are unvaccinated).