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Come experience one of the vibrant churches of the Global South—the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania—one of the fastest-growing and largest Lutheran church bodies in the world with 8.5 million members. Students will participate in a conference with ELCT pastors, learning from them about topics like evangelism, women’s leadership, poverty and the prosperity gospel, and church-sponsored development work. There will be much singing (and some dancing) involved. We will be based in the small city of Iringa, Tanzania, and will also stay in rural villages for a weekend. There will be time at the end of the trip for relaxation at a safari camp in Ruaha National Park and on the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. The cost will likely be around $4600, depending on the price of airline tickets. This cost includes airfare, lodging, transportation, and many meals. There is financial aid available through the St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA for students under the age of 36—interested students should apply as soon as possible. This is a CD course but can also count as a Bible elective. Likely, other financial aid will be available for all students too. If you are interested in this trip, contact Kathryn Schifferdecker, kschiffer@luthersem.edu, by early May, as space is limited. Also note that the dates may change by a day on either end but will be set by early summer. The dates for the course as currently planned are January 16-31, 2027.

Access to the Luther Seminary Archives will be temporarily paused for church partners and external researchers from April 1 through August 31, 2026. During this period, archives staff will focus on inventory, processing, and preparation of the collections for the seminary’s anticipated move to a new location in the Twin Cities following the 2026–27 academic year. Archives staff will respond to individual research questions on a case-by-case basis throughout the spring and summer. Please contact archives@luthersem.edu for support. These collections include the institutional history, since 1869, of Luther Seminary and its precursors, Augsburg Seminary, the Hauge Synod School, Red Wing Seminary, and Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary; the archives of ELCA Region 3, which date from 1843 and include records of many of the precursor church bodies of the synod; and a number of special collections. For more information about the collections and working with the archives, visit luthersem.edu/archives.

The Sixth Global Summit on Spirituality, Religion, and Mental Health will be a centralized opportunity for interdisciplinary engagement to chart the future of the integration of spirituality and religion in mental health support. The summit, to be held in at the Harvard Medical School conference center in Boston, MA, from May 14-15 has already received over 170 proposals from faith leaders, psychologists, psychiatrists, chaplains, and public health officials. We hope you will join us to bridge research and practice and local and global initiatives during this two-day event. Check out the event website, which includes schedule and session details.

In this devotion, David Haven ’86 M.Div., reminds us that faith is not something we create or sustain but a gift from God. Read today’s God Pause.

Join the seminaries of the ELCA Admissions Cohort for a virtual fireside chat on Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. CT. Hear from current pastors, deacons, and faith leaders as we explore seminary discernment and resources for LGBTQ+ prospective students. Current seminarians are welcome to attend as well and hear from panelists from ELCA churchwide, Queer Confirmation, and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. Invite folks you know who are discerning seminary to attend. Register here.

As congregations and communities navigate the growing complexities of pastoral care, it is not always clear how to respond to the complex mental health challenges that exist in our congregations and in our surrounding communities. Join the Future Communities Lab and the Congregational Collective on April 21 from 12–1 p.m. CT for a virtual conversation with practical theologian and registered mental health nurse John Swinton. Register for the free webinar here.