Announcements

Bingo, fellowship, fun, and prizes! What could be better? The Student Council is sponsoring bingo events for students. Join in-person this Thursday, February 27 in the OCC cafeteria (4:30-7:00-ish p.m.) to enjoy bingo and a Chipotle nacho bar (including beverages). Students are encouraged to carpool if at all possible. We hope to offer a Fairfield hotel shuttle at the end of the event. Questions? Contact Linda Davies (ldavies001@luthersem.edu, virtual event) or Ruth Ibrahim (ribrahim001@luthersem.edu, in-person event). We hope to see you there!

For those interested in small-town and rural ministry, there is an opportunity to attend the 44th Annual Rural Ministry Conference at Wartburg Seminary, scheduled from March 9-11, 2025. This event, held in Dubuque, Iowa, and online will explore the theme of “Form Follows Mission: Creative Ways STaR Congregations are Adapting for the Sake of Vitality and Sustainability in Mission and Ministry.” Pastor Nancy Nyland and others will guide us through large group presentations. There are multiple workshops. Thanks to donor generosity, most of the expenses for this experience will be covered for up to three students. Please express your interest promptly to secure your place by emailing Jon Anderson, Rural Ministry Director, janderson008@luthersem.edu. Pr. Anderson will be attending as well.

In this devotion, Mindy Ehrke ’85 M. Div., thinks about the places and spaces where we encounter God. Read today’s God Pause.

We’re excited to have so many of our distance learners on campus for these Residential Focus Sessions. The chapel staff is in need of several volunteers for our service of Holy Communion on Wednesday, February 26 (RFS 2). If you’re willing to help, please fill out this online form. We’ll reach out to you by email to confirm your role. Thank you and blessings!
—Chapel Staff

Over the past two decades, the Church of England and other church bodies in the U.K. have responded to the realities of a post-Christian society by cultivating forms of Christian community that meet neighbors where they are. Through fresh expressions of church, church planting, and other creative experiments, they have learned how to develop a “mixed ecology” where new contextualized churches thrive alongside time-honored congregations. Dave Male has been at the heart of this work as a church starter, educator, and senior denominational executive and will share with ussome of what they have learned in the U.K. along this journey. Learn more here.
The Rise of the Mixed Ecology, New Worshipping Communities, and Church in Everyday Life: Lessons From the U.K. with Dave Male, Co-Director of Vision and Strategy for the Church of England and Visiting Instructor, Luther Seminary
February 25, 2:30-4:30 p.m., Olson Campus Center, Luther Seminary

I am share the exciting (and sad) news that Dan Sassenberg has accepted a new position at the Saint Paul Jewish Federation as a planned gift and major giving officer. His last day at Luther Seminary will be Friday, February 28. Dan has been a valued leader at Luther the past 7.5 years. When he arrived, the Seminary Relations department had just migrated to a new CRM and was experiencing several staffing transitions. It was a lot of change at once, and we couldn’t have found anyone better than Dan to help navigate us all through. In addition to being an expert fundraiser, Dan has been instrumental in advocating for and leading ABIDE and the seminary’s digital strategy. He’s a superb supervisor and valued member of the Staff Leadership Team. To say we will miss working with him is truly a profound understatement. Seminary Relations will host bagels and coffee on Wednesday, February 26, 9-10:30 a.m. in in BH 116. Please stop by to wish Dan well and congratulate him on the next chapter of his vocation!