Archives for January 3, 2023

Join in on four interactive virtual workshops exploring how caring for creation can be a spiritual discipline.Thae dates are Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. CT on January 17, January 24, January 31, and February 7.  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 provided via email.

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

Starting January 5, there is an opportunity to take a noncredit class on basic hymnology offered by Sing! The Center for Congregational Song and the Hymn Society. For more information, check it out.

The Hymn Society and Sing! offer many opportunities for encouraging the church’s song. While this one has a fee, there are also free opportunities.

Congratulations to our colleagues celebrating work anniversaries in January!

• Bill Silva-Breen, 26 years – Director of Financial Aid
• Paul Hanson, 12 years – Seminary Relations
• Ron Hosek, 12 years – Maintenance
• Dawn Alitz, 7 years – Director of Communities and Coaching – Office of Innovation
• Peter Watters, 6 years – Library Services
• Jake Hemmes, 5 years – Seminary Relations
• Ken Reynhout, 3 years –Director, Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment and Research
• Dee Stokes, 1 year – Director, Seeds Project – Office of Innovation
• Alicia Granholm, 1 year – Director of Communities and Consulting – Office of Innovation

Dr. Beverly Wallace and Dr. Joy Moore have agreed to serve as faculty supervisors for students who want to go to the Samuel DeWitt Proctor conference this year and receive course credit for it, February 20-23. Dr. Wallace and Dr. Moore will team-teach this course along with David Scherer for anyone interested in learning about Black Preaching and Social Justice. 

This conference is not only about supporting efforts to nurture, sustain and mobilize African American faith communities but to LEARN about how African American religious leaders are doing so. Seminarians from all over the country will be attending this with Dr. Alan Boesak of South Africa and Dr. Teresa Smallwood of United Lutheran Seminary being the Seminary Deans for this year’s conference.

We are trying to find financial support for students who want to travel to this conference, and we want to encourage anyone interested in supporting efforts to “nurture, sustain, and mobilize the African American faith community in collaboration with civic, corporate, and philanthropic leaders to address critical needs of human rights and social justice within local, national, and global communities” to get involved!

Please contact Dr. Wallace or Dr. Moore for more info.

For valuable resources on racial justice, Black history, and other social justice issues, see this current month’s Bibliography: New Beginnings for 2023: Select Library Resources for Racial Justice/MLK.

Each degree-seeking student may request reimbursement towards payment of a licensed counselor and/or spiritual director for up to $300 per academic year. Please see the Emotional Well Being Guide for more information. Please reach out (with confidentiality) to sempastor@luthersem.edu with any questions. When you have receipts, please submit them in a timely manner through this form.