New Classes Welcomed To Seminary At Opening Service

NEW CLASSES WELCOMED TO SEMINARY AT OPENING SERVICE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 20, 2012

 

ST. LOUIS—On Friday, Aug. 31, at 11:00 a.m., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, began its 174^th academic year with a special worship service in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the Seminary campus. Dr. Dale A. Meyer, president of Concordia Seminary, served as preacher.

 

The incoming class is comprised of 122 students, including all those newly enrolled in residential and distance programs: 80 residential M.Div. students; eight residential alternate route students; three deaconess students; seven EIIT (Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology) students; 21 SMP (Specific Ministry Pastor Program) students; and three exchange students. In addition, Concordia Seminary’s Graduate School has 13 new students: three M.A. (Master of Arts) students; three Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) students, and seven S.T.M. (Master of Sacred Theology) students.

 

The 21 new SMP students received vicarage assignments during the Opening Service as well.

 

In addition, two new staff members were installed: Mr. Philip Ebeling as executive director of communications, and Rev. Wayne Knolhoff as director of placement and alumni relations.

 

Three current faculty members and one current staff member were installed in new positions: Dr. Charles Arand as director of the Center for the Care of Creation; Dr. Victor Raj as occupant of the Buehner-Duesenberg Chair in Missions; Dr. Jeffrey Kloha as director of the Center for the Study of Early Christian Texts; and Rev. Jeffrey Thormodson as director of the MissionShift Institute.

 

For more information, please contact communications@csl.edu or call 314-505-7379.

 

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The Meyer Minute for Call Day

My first call into the pastoral ministry was to a dual parish in New Memphis and Venedy, Illinois. Diane and I arrived in 1974 and took up residence in the Venedy parsonage, an old two story frame house next to the church and cemetery. Now, 30 years after moving away, the congregation is taking that old house down in order to build a parish hall. The parsonage comes down but the memories remain dear in our minds. Yes, even the memory of shoveling coal into the old furnace!

Today is “Call Day” at Concordia Seminary, the day 99 graduates will be given their first assignments in ministry. In the 19th century, Dr. C.F.W. Walther wrote, “When a place has been assigned to a candidate of theology where he is to discharge the office of a Lutheran minister, that place ought to be to him the dearest, most beautiful, and most precious spot on earth. He should be unwilling to exchange it for a kingdom. Whether it is in a metropolis or in a small town, on a bleak prairie or in a clearing in the forest, in a flourishing settlement or in a desert, to him it should be a miniature paradise.”

I pray for our students the joy we had in our first assignment.

-Well said Dr. Meyer

Logos Seminary Scholarship Time

Logos Bible Software is now accepting applications for its quarterly seminary scholarship. On August 10, 2010, we will award one applicant a $1,000.00 tuition scholarship and a copy of Scholar’s Library.

To apply, simply click the “apply now” button below. You will be asked to watch a brief video demonstrating Logos Bible Software and then directed to the application page. The entire application process will take less than 15 minutes.

http://www.seminaryscholarship.com/

—–More from Logos—-

Also, I wanted to remind you that our program is much different from other scholarships. With most scholarships, you typically don’t want to tell your friends about it because the more applicants there are, the less chance you have of winning. With our Seminary Scholarship, the exact opposite is true. The more of your friends that apply, the greater chance you have of being awarded the scholarship!

If you refer someone to our scholarship and they indicate that you referred them, and they win the scholarship, then we’ll give you a scholarship too! You could both get a $1,000.00 tuition scholarship and a copy of the Logos Scholar’s Library (www.logos.com/scholars).

There are lots of ways for you to get the word out. You could post a link to http://www.SeminaryScholarship.com on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. You could even send your friends an email or give them a call. The most important thing is that you remind them to put your name in the “other” section of the “How’d you hear about the scholarship?” That way we can make sure you get a scholarship too, if they win.

So what are you waiting for? I’m sure it would feel great if you won the scholarship. But wouldn’t it feel better if you helped someone else win it too?

May God bless you in your seminary pursuits,

Adam Navarrete | Scholarship Manager

Logos Bible Software

1313 Commercial Street, Bellingham WA 98225

Also, I wanted to remind you that our program is much different from other scholarships. With most scholarships, you typically don’t want to tell your friends about it because the more applicants there are, the less chance you have of winning. With our Seminary Scholarship, the exact opposite is true. The more of your friends that apply, the greater chance you have of being awarded the scholarship!
If you refer someone to our scholarship and they indicate that you referred them, and they win the scholarship, then we’ll give you a scholarship too! You could both get a $1,000.00 tuition scholarship and a copy of the Logos Scholar’s Library (www.logos.com/scholars).
There are lots of ways for you to get the word out. You could post a link to http://www.SeminaryScholarship.com on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. You could even send your friends an email or give them a call. The most important thing is that you remind them to put your name in the “other” section of the “How’d you hear about the scholarship?” That way we can make sure you get a scholarship too, if they win.
So what are you waiting for? I’m sure it would feel great if you won the scholarship. But wouldn’t it feel better if you helped someone else win it too?
May God bless you in your seminary pursuits,

Adam Navarrete | Scholarship ManagerLogos Bible Software1313 Commercial Street, Bellingham WA 98225

1st Article in a series for the “Around the Tower” Publication

Lessons Learned: The Art of Saying Goodbye

Call Week is a realization for many different things depending on the year level for seminarians. First year seminarians realize this is a sign that their first year is ending. For our second year seminarians it is the joy of finishing their second year as well as the excitement of receiving vicarage placements. Third years experience joy knowing their return marks the start of the last leg of their seminary journey. Finally, for the fourth/fifth year seminarians, it is a realization of their journey at seminary coming to an end and the acknowledgement of their first calls.  One thing that all the seminarians are learning is “The Art of Saying Goodbye”. We have all had to do it before, most recently before starting seminary. We leave our family, congregation, university and friends behind to travel down the path to pastoral ministry.

When the academic year started, we were all new to each other unless we have prior experience in a similar home congregation or undergrad. While the initial shock of so many names to learn wears off, you become familiar with your brethren, their families, and instructors. As seminarians, continue to grow in their formation, a bond forms amongst them. We become invested in the overall well-being and maturation of our brothers, sisters, and even their children. We grow attached to the faculty and staff, to our field congregations, and to each other.

We all experience a feeling of joy for our brothers and sisters headed into the ministry. The feeling of sadness kicks in when we realize these faithful soldiers we have lived and studied with for the past year (or longer) are getting ready to depart us. Many of which we may not see again if we do not wind up in the same District with them. Many of us have had to say goodbye in the past either when leaving for college, getting married, or of course leaving for seminary. However, there just seems to be something different and bittersweet about the impending goodbyes. Flashes of the not so distant memories of intramurals, study sessions, Prof-n-Steins, and celebrations flood through our heads. We have shared in births, deaths, baptisms, confirmations, engagements, and weddings over the year.  Your highs have been our highs and your lows have been our lows. You have reassured us about classes and life in general for almost a year now.  We have broken bread, celebrated accomplishments, and shared in fellowship during the year.

As we bid our brother and sisters goodbye, we should think about things in this manner. We are like the parents in Genesis 2:24, where the son leaves his parents to be with his wife. Well, our friends are leaving their seminary family to become a partner with their placement and vicarage assignment congregations. We have as a family played a minor part in their formation to this point. God has called them to do his work in the world and we take pride that it is one of our brethren going out to do this noble work.  We rejoice knowing where our friends will be going. We rejoice knowing they will be blessed by those they meet and vice versa. Soon, they will all begin to disappear to begin their next steps in the mission field. As that happens, the cycle will begin anew.

Dear brothers and sisters blessings on the next steps of your respective ministries stand fast and know that you take each of us out in the mission field with you. Do not forget the lessons learned at seminary.

ELCE – New Testament and Content -part 3

Well, first and foremost I want to thank God and all who lifted up prayers for my brain to be a sponge throughout these past couple of weeks.  We took our exams today. The first time I took the ELCE online I couldn’t finish the test due to internet issues. Second time I took it I missed passing by a few questions. That really bummed me out.  However, it provided me the opportunity to spend time with family and our church before we all departed for seminary.

I know you’re thinking, Eric get to it. Well, we got the exam and I flew through the exam. 100 questions on the exam and I finished in 17 minutes or so.  I sat there and reviewed my answers to verify I didn’t miss any pages. Thought about reviewing my answers and realized last time I did that I didn’t pass as I doubted my answers. So,  I got up and turned it in. At which time I immediately became one of those people. You know the folks that are quick test takers and freaks the rest of the class out as to how fast I completed the test. LOL

After turning it in I went to the bathroom while it was being checked.  Wandered in the hallway for a while. Messed around with a piano in a different room. Now you’re reading this thinking, “stop stalling and you’re crazy” and “what are the results”. Okay, I kept you in suspense long enough.

I walked back in the class and Rev. Matt Hoehner was grading another test.  He handed my exam to me so that I could review the ones I had gotten wrong. Now, I’m freaking out since he handed it to me upside down. As I reached the door to walk up and review the wrong answers… I turned over the exam revealing a 92%. Meaning I missed a total of 8 questions. Yes, now onto the next class: Greek.

Someone remind me to kick Matt when I see him next and then thank him for a job well done. His teaching on the New Testament, Overall view of the Big Picture of the Bible, and especially the practical application.  I suspect most of the instructors focus on just the material without giving hints on how this applies to us in the ministry.

I pretty much came home and scared Linda into thinking I hadn’t passed and then informed her how well I had done.  Well, maybe we can celebrate our 11th anniversary now. LOL

I PASSED !!!

I know I know….

I’ve been slacking as of late. Well, not really.  I’ve been taking a two week intensive course on the New Testament: Overview and Content.  Roughly, 3hrs from August 10-21 (Monday through Friday).

New Testament Content and History This course is designed to assist the student in gaining the basic understanding of the content and history of the New Testament which is prerequisite for the study of theology at the Seminary level.

Source: http://www.csl.edu/Img/academics/sscatalog2009_REV032009.pdf

Here is a run down on the material covered.

Aug 10: Overview of the Bible

Aug 11:  Matthew, Mark

Aug 12: Luke, Acts

Aug 13: Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, James

Aug 14: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Practice Test

Aug 17: 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

Aug 18: Hebrews, 1&2 Peter, Jude

Aug 19: John, Epistles of John (1,2, & 3 John)

Aug 20: Revelation, Review

Aug 21: Exam

Needless to say, I’ve been reading and doing a ton of review.

We’ve been using the ESV translation primarily with some comparisons from the NIV.