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Students, faculty, and staff, on Wednesday, August 5, there is an opportunity to experience an agricultural, rural gathering at Farmfest in southwestern Minnesota. We will leave Luther Seminary at 7 a.m. in a van whose cost is covered by rural ministry grants. Tickets will also be covered for participants. Morgan, Minnesota, is a couple of hours out. We will arrive at the fest around 9:30 and return home in the early evening. It may be closer for you to meet us at the Farmfest site. Parking is free. We will still pick up the cost of entering and lunch. This trip is an opportunity to learn about the opportunities, challenges, economics, politics, and lifestyle of rural and small-town people and communities in this part of the Midwest. Candidates for governor and senator in the state of Minnesota will be in candidate forums that day, too. If you have questions, email Jon Anderson, janderson008@luthersem.edu

Congratulations to our colleagues celebrating work anniversaries in July!

• Michael Binder, 7 years – Faculty, Congregational Mission and Leadership
• Susan Brooks, 4 years – Faith+Lead
• Colleen Clish, 4 years – Office of Technology
• Dale Dobias, 6 years – Library Services
• Laurel Forsgren, 13 years – Office of Technology
• Mary Hess, 26 years – Faculty, Educational Leadership
• Mark Granquist, 18 years – Faculty, Church History
• Guillermo Hansen, 18 years – Advanced Theological Education
• Cameron Howard, 14 years – Faculty, Old Testament
• Rolf Jacobson, 23 years – Academic Affairs
• Carrie Johnson, 4 years – Human Resources
• Karoline Lewis, 19 years – Faculty, Biblical Preaching
• Lois Malcolm, 32 years – Faculty, Systematic Theology
• Amy Marga, 20 years – Faculty, Systematic Theology
• Jenny Pietz, 6 years – Faculty, New Testament
• Mercedes Roesch, 1 year – Seminary Relations
• Caleb Rollins, 1 year – Library
• Andy Root, 21 years – Faculty, Youth and Family Ministry
• Cody Sanders, 4 years – Faculty, Congregational and Community Care
• Kathryn Schifferdecker, 20 years – Faculty, Old Testament
• Matt Skinner, 24 years – Faculty, New Testament
• Mark Tranvik, 6 years – Faculty, History and Theology
• Jenny Wojciechowski, 7 years – Faculty, Church History
• Dwight Zscheile, 18 years – Faculty, Congregational Mission and Leadership

In this devotion, Judy Bullock, ’20 M.Div., says that we don’t have to pretend everything is fine—because God sees the weight we carry and offers us peace. Read today’s God Pause.

As we transition into the new fiscal year, please keep the following important updates and deadlines from the Business Office in mind:

• Specify the Fiscal Year. When submitting payment requests, clearly indicate which fiscal year (FY26 or FY27) the funds should come from. Note: The Business Office will make the final determination to ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• June Credit Card Transactions.All transactions made in June must be fully completed and processed by July 20.
• FY26 Deadline. The deadline to turn in all FY26 payment requests is July 31.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us close out the year smoothly. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the Business Office.

The library will be closing public access to the stacks for the remainder of the summer while we prepare for the campus move. Books are still available for loan. The closure of the stacks begins on June 22, 2026, and will last through August. To access books during this period, place a hold on the book through the library website—after selecting the title you are interested in, click the “Request this item” button underneath the book’s call number to place a hold. You must be logged into your library account. Book holds will be available the following business day after placing the hold. If you have questions, please feel free to stop by the library or send us an email.

In this devotion, Judy Bullock, ’20 M.Div., considers what it could mean to be a “prisoner of hope.” Read today’s God Pause.