Announcements

Join us for a festive and fun Secret Santa gift exchange open to all students, faculty, and staff of the Luther Seminary community.

Secret Santa Gift Exchange
Thursday, December 11, 12:00 p.m. CT
OCC Dining Room

This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Christmas season together and spread holiday cheer. Participants will be randomly assigned a person for whom to purchase a gift, keeping the recipient a secret until the big reveal at our gathering on December 11. The gift limit is set at $15, making it a thoughtful yet affordable way to share joy. To join in the fun, fill out this form by Wednesday, December 3—you will be notified who your person is on December 3 or 4, so you have time to get your gift. Let’s come together to make this holiday season special by sharing gifts and celebrating community spirit. Questions? Email communitylife@luthersem.edu.

In this devotion, Elizabeth Schoenknecht ’04 M.Div., writes that Isaiah here promises relief from the burdens of life—injustice, war, division, abandonment, isolation. Read today’s God Pause.

Please extend a warm welcome to Rahfat Hussain, who starts today as chief financial officer for both Luther Seminary and Augsburg University. Rahfat brings extensive higher education and nonprofit financial leadership expertise, most recently serving as CFO at the Minnesota Historical Society. Prior to that position, he served for 17 years in various financial roles at the University of Minnesota, including being named the inaugural director of the Finance Operations Center, a centralized shared services operation for the university. We are grateful for our collaborative partnership with Augsburg and are thrilled to have found in Rahfat an experienced, energetic leader ready to step into the unique role of CFO for both institutions. His first day on-site at Luther will be Friday, December 5.

Congratulations to our colleagues celebrating work anniversaries in December!

• Jill Kane, 2 years – Seminary Relations
• Sarah Luedtke-Jones, 14 years – Student Affairs
• Jennifer Mullenix, 11 years – Academic Affairs
• Sandy Olson, 4 years – Academic Affairs
• Bethany Riethmeier, 6 years – Seminary Relations
• Jennifer Rowdon, 3 years – Faith+Lead
• Matthew Schutz, 3 years – Business Office
• Ashley Wheeler, 7 years – Contextual Learning

In this devotion, Deb Hippen Schultz ’87 M. Div. writes that In our impatience, we may stumble into the darkness, but the Light of the World continues to shine. Read today’s God Pause.

Community announcements will be on hiatus through the Thanksgiving holiday, returning December 1. Have a blessed Thanksgiving and a wonderful start to Advent!