Concordia Seminary | Spring 2019

FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE WORLD

THREE PATHS, ONE PURPOSE

FLUENT IN THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH

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Whether they are hitting the courts or hitting the books, Concordia Seminary students carry their faith with them everywhere they go. Photo: Michael Thomas

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FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE WORLD

THREE PATHS, ONE PURPOSE

FLUENT IN THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH

ON THE COVER Seminary students Paul Flo (l) and Nokukhanya (Noks) Shabalala (r) and Deaconess Laura Jostes (center). Photo: Mia Mauss

PUBLISHER Dale A. Meyer EXECUTIVE EDITOR Vicki Biggs MANAGING EDITORS Melanie Ave Mia Mauss ART DIRECTOR Jayna Rollings DESIGNERS Courtney Koll Michelle Poneleit WRITERS Abjar Bahkou Sarah Maney Richard Marrs Mia Mauss Emily Perino Travis Scholl PHOTOGRAPHERS Melanie Ave Courtney Koll Rebekah Lukas Sarah Maney Mia Mauss Michael Thomas

Concordia Seminary magazine is a member of the Associated Church Press and the Evangelical Press Association.

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Welcome to an interesting issue of Concordia Seminary magazine! The practical experiences students have beyond the classroom give impetus to their study of God’s Word. It’s a constant back and forth, life drives to study, study drives to life and on goes Jesus’ mission.

How about outside your church? Do your experiences during the week give impetus to weekly worship and Bible study? Weekly attendance used to be the definition of regular worship but now it’s a time or two each month, if that. Rather than acquiesce to today’s more casual attitude toward worship, I believe our experiences outside the Sunday sanctuary give us more reasons to go to worship and Bible study every week.

First, faithful Christian living is a constant back-and-forth between the truth of God’s Word and all the stuff we swim in during the week – individualism, emotions, partisanship and peer pressure.

Our digital devices make those outside influences more persuasive than decades ago. What’s outside the church should make us yearn to get back to the clear teaching of God’s Word in weekly worship.

Dear church member, when you attend only a time or two per month, you’re letting yourself be influenced more and more by the world. Jesus says, “Pay attention to what you hear” (Mark 4:24 ESV).

Second, Concordia Seminary professor Martin Scharlemann said a pastor’s job is to interpret reality theologically. It’s true that we’re sinners and Jesus died in our place, but our Lutheran theology can play that out in rich and relevant ways. Insightful teaching and preaching every Sunday inform sanctified living during the week. Dear church member, by coming to worship every Sunday you’ll better understand how God is working in our world today. The great Lutheran question is as relevant as ever, “What does this mean?”

Third, back in the days of “Christian America,” the church’s teachings about how to live in community (second table of the Law) were generally supported by public culture. That’s gone; the differences between the will and ways of God and the desires and schemes of secular life are clearer than ever. The role of the church in our new times is to be a mediating institution, helping individuals navigate the impersonal, un-Christian and sometimes anti-Christian public culture.

Dear church member, by coming to church every week you learn how to treat people from all walks of like in a Christ-like way.

Why should we acquiesce to the new definition of regular worship? Dear church member, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12 ESV). In post-churched America our experiences outside the Sunday sanctuary make weekly worship and Bible study more necessary than ever, both for here-and-now reasons and for eternal salvation. Beyond the church and beyond the classroom, real life impels God’s people to weekly worship and study.

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68 ESV).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES 7 From the classroom to the church, from the church to the world

10 Three paths, one purpose

IN EVERY ISSUE

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4 From the President 14 Student Spotlight 16 Faculty Focus 18 Alumni and Friends 20 News Worth Noting 26 Support Your Sem

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OUR MISSION Concordia Seminary serves church and world by providing theological education and leadership centered in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

WANT TO JOIN OUR MAILING LIST? To be added to the mailing list, or to receive the magazine electronically, address correspondence to: Concordia Seminary magazine, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105; call 800-822-5287; or email magazine@csl.edu. Congregations may request copies in bulk for distribution within their churches.

Copyright ŠApril 2019, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of Concordia Seminary.

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BY RICHARD MARRS

When you visit your medical doctor, you assume that he or she has spent many hours over many years studying medicine in classrooms. But you also expect that he or she has had countless medical experiences in hospitals and other medical settings, learning to apply what they learn in the classes to effectively practice medicine. The same is true of pastors and deaconesses who go through the formation process at Concordia Seminary.

When students attend the Seminary, they take many classes in theology and pastoral formation. They learn to read and interpret Scripture from the original Greek and Hebrew texts. They learn to discern how Luther and other Lutherans, as well as other early Christians, have boldly confessed this biblical faith in Jesus. They also take classes on how to preach the Word, teach the Scriptures, lead faithful worship, provide pastoral care for God’s people individually and in small groups, and lead God’s people to do the good works He has prepared in advance for them to do. But Seminary formation goes beyond the nearly 40 classes offered in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and other residential programs. Let’s look at a few of the experiences students have beyond the classroom.

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When students arrive in St. Louis, they don’t just visit a few congregations and decide where they want to worship on Sundays. They are assigned to a field work congregation.

The Seminary’s director of Resident Field Education (RFE) gathers individualized information about each student and carefully places them with a congregation specially selected to meet their formation needs. Students are expected to spend about 10 hours per week serving in that congregation, under the guidance of that congregation’s pastor, who is their RFE supervisor.

Seminarian Quincy Koll leads a four-week “Seminary Bible Study” at The Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens, Webster Groves, Mo. Photo: Courtney Koll

Worship and devotional services are held in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on campus Monday through Friday.

This stunning sanctuary offers another hands-on experience for students. Here they receive the blessings of God’s Word and Sacraments while learning to lead our church’s fine liturgy, develop powerful preaching abilities and leverage our wonderful heritage of beautiful hymnody. Most chapel services are 20-25 minutes in length, while the Lord’s Supper is celebrated each Wednesday with a longer service.

Additional services for corporate confession and individual absolution also are part of the regular schedule. While most of the preaching and presiding is done by faculty, students are encouraged to volunteer to lead the liturgy and preach for chapel post-vicarage. In addition, visiting pastors and other Synod leaders also are invited to preach or lead music. On Sundays, Seminary students worship at the various Resident Field Education (RFE) congregations around the St. Louis area.

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Most students stay connected with that congregation for their first two years, and then for one semester after vicarage. This congregation will be the first place they ever assist in leading a congregation in liturgical worship. This is often where they preach their first sermon. Over those two-and-a-half years, students develop personal relationships with God’s people in a new congregation (as they will on vicarage and in their first call), receive feedback from church leaders, and observe how this congregation conducts Bible studies, small groups, confirmation classes and voters meetings. Students may also make hospital visits and shut-in calls. They also talk about their field work experiences with other students who are in congregations of different sizes and practices.

In addition to their congregational RFE, seminarians also have two other experiences during their first year: an Institutional Module and a Cross-Cultural Module. For their Institutional Module, students garner 40 hours of chaplain-like experience in a local hospital, Lutheran Senior Services or the St. Louis County Justice Center. In the latter, students participate alongside a chaplain in a Bible study with incarcerated persons.

During the Cross-Cultural Module, students engage with one of several churches or LCMS-based agencies, including various multiethnic parishes. Students can also opt to take a basic American Sign Language course for future work with people who are deaf, work with immigrants and refugees through Christian Friends of New Americans, or work with inner-city youth. Some students opt to do an intensive immersion trip.

Some students serve at camps or other LCMS agencies. One student served as a chaplain with the National Parks system.

Still others go on short-term missions trips or build their chaplaincy skills through Clinical Pastoral Education programs.

The vicarage or deaconess internship is a yearlong experience in which the student observes and participates in a full range of ministerial skills and practices. Concordia Seminary (along with our sister seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind.) is one of the only seminaries in the United States that still expects students to have both RFE experiences and a full-year vicarage or internship. Nearly all other seminaries opt to do one of the other, but not both. We value hands-on learning during the ministerial formation process.

Most M.Div. seminarians do their vicarage during their third year of studies, then return to St. Louis for their concluding year of studies. During their concluding year, students discuss their vicarage experiences with professors and fellow students. They share their discoveries about their strengths and flaws. Some students meet with me as the director of the M.Div./Residential Alternate Route (RAR) programs and develop a personalized plan to help strengthen the weaknesses identified over vicarage.

A few students do their vicarage after completing all their coursework before being placed in a congregation where they will likely receive a call at the end of the vicarage.

(This is called a convertible vicarage.) Students in the RAR Program and a few M.Div. students with similar levels of age and experience (over 35 with 10 years of experience in the church as a Director of Christian Education [DCE] or elder) are eligible to request a convertible vicarage experience.

By the time a residential student finishes his M.Div. Program, he typically has over 3,000 hours of vicarage and RFE experience supervised by pastors and chaplains who are “in the trenches” doing genuine pastoral work.

Students who enroll in “Exegesis and Teaching from the Biblical Context: An Immersion Experience” have the awesome opportunity to study in Israel. This two-week elective course generally offered in the spring is taught

by Dr. Tom Zelt, senior pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fremont, Calif., and an adjunct faculty member who has studied in Israel and led trips there about 30 times.

Students see first-hand where Jesus was born and taught, and they experience the landmarks of His suffering, death and Resurrection. Students also visit the cities and regions dwelt in by Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Samson, David, Elijah, Herod and Paul. The course was first offered five years ago and to date, nearly 100 students have been able to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Before arriving onsite, students spend hours studying biblical history and maps of ancient Israel, then write lesson plans on how they would teach Bible studies about the places and episodes they visit. They study vigorously, walking and climbing through many chapels, shrines and archaeological digs. I was blessed to go on the first trip in 2014. Our Israeli tour guide was so excited because he realized he was going to smash the national tour guide record of 18 historical sites visited in one tour; we explored 25 different sites!

Just as patients expect their medical doctors to have hit the books hard and to have learned how to apply that book knowledge to real-life physical healing, parishioners hope that their future pastors have hit the books hard and learned how to apply that book knowledge to real-life Gospel proclamation. Future pastors have many such hands-on experiences while at Concordia Seminary.

Dr. Richard Marrs is an associate professor of Practical Theology and the Director of the Master of Divinity and Residential Alternate Route programs at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Students on an immersive trip to Israel "dig deep" into matters of faith. Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Jording

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BY SARAH MANEY

At Concordia Seminary, students’ preparation for ministry includes real-world experiences — rubber-meets-the-road types of encounters. Through vicarages, internships and field work, students go beyond the classroom.

SHARING JESUS IN THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE The rumble of the subway underscores the beauty of the Divine Service at Logos Lutheran Church. Smack dab in Center City — the Philly name for downtown — people of all ages and walks of life gather for worship, waiting to hear God’s Word proclaimed.

As an outreach of Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries (PLM), Logos is the first Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) church ever in Center City. With 1.5 million people, Philadelphia is the nation’s second-most populated area, just behind Manhattan, N.Y. “We just started having services,” says Christian Einertson, who is currently serving as vicar at PLM. “As the only LCMS presence here, it’s much like a Lutheran embassy.”

Teeming with new experiences, Philly is different from his hometown of Marietta, Ga. Christian has met a great variety of people during his vicarage at PLM. He’s built friendships with people of vastly different backgrounds — friendships that have led to witnessing opportunities, like the Turkish woman dealing with the death of a loved one. Or the Russian Jewish student who wanted to talk about the Torah — and Jesus.

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“I often meet with people in rough straits,” says Christian.

“A lot of people here live in hard socio-economic conditions.” oto Cou rtesy of Christian Einertson

Christian has also had “the wildest” opportunities to talk faith with students — including joining classes in the German department at Temple University to singing in a choir at University of Pennsylvania.

“It’s a matter of continuous witness, of engaging with the people before you, of trusting that the Word is going to work,” Christian remarks. “I’ve learned that God’s timeline is not my own. We have quite a few people who just show up at church, seeking to know what ‘this Lutheran stuff is all about.’ For example, someone showed up at church more than a year ago and is just now starting to consider to become a member. Our culture struggles with waiting — and having patience.

“The Word will not return empty,” reflects Christian. “No matter what, God’s Word is going to accomplish His purpose.

It’s truly not by our own efforts, but only through the faithful preaching of the Word of God — whether you are in a cornfield or in the heart of Philly.”

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VICAR TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC A “preacher’s kid” from DeSoto, Mo., Paul Flo is about as studious as they come, with an educational repertoire that includes pre-med classes at Saint Louis University, a degree in psychology from University of Missouri and a Master of Education from University of Hawaiʻi. Paul was introduced to the world of education through the organization Teach for America where he taught math and science for upper elementary in Hawaii.

The main draw for Paul was practical: Two years of learning from a team of pastors rather than one — and he could pick up Spanish which would be helpful when he returned to the United States.

“I realized that I loved teaching, but I wasn’t teaching the thing that I’m most passionate about: theology,” says Paul. During a third year of teaching in Malaysia with the Fulbright program, Paul decided to return to St. Louis to attend Concordia Seminary.

“While I was in Santo Domingo, a couple of missionaries left to attend Seminary and my supervising pastor returned to the States for “home service.” I could no longer ‘hide behind’ them. I just had to jump in. I was preaching and teaching in Spanish before I knew it.”

Originally he thought he’d come to the Seminary to get another master’s degree — he didn’t consider the Master of Divinity because he didn’t want to be a pastor (or so he thought). It didn’t take long for his feelings to change.

“In a short time, I realized that this was what I needed to be doing, I loved it and I still do.”

Paul was also gaining the crucial core skills developed during a more traditional vicarage. He was learning the routine of church services, teaching Bible study, exploring the aspects of church planting and gaining experience with team dynamics. He was in the DR during the opening of a new seminary. Overall, Paul discovered the importance of listening and observing.

During Paul’s field work, one of his pastors asked if he would be interested in an international vicarage in the Dominican Republic (DR).

“I began to learn how to navigate the cultural differences,” says Paul. “For example, the people in the DR have a different idea of time. Punctuality isn’t as important in the DR culture.”

Paul knew there would be obstacles. With only a few remembered words of Spanish from his high school years, it was a “total immersion” learning experience.

Paul is enjoying his last year in Seminary. In his Homiletics class with Dr. David Schmitt, the Gregg H. Benidt Memorial Professor of Homiletics and Literature, Paul has become excited about exploring different sermon structures and methods.

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“Coming back from vicarage, you realize which aspects you need to work on,” says Paul. “And I think with preaching there are lots of things to learn and grow in.

In ministry, you get to do it all the time! So that’s what I’m excited about.”

Paul is hoping to serve a Spanish-speaking church after graduation. He is looking forward to a call in May.

Paul Flo shares how God used and changed him during his vicarage in the Dominican Republic. Photo courtesy of Paul Flo.

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MERCY MINISTRY FOR EVERY AGE “Internships are all about trying something new,” says Laura Jostes. “I’m in my 60s, and I was in a new situation with campus ministry.”

As part of her deaconess internship last year, Laura gathered students together at the Danforth University Center at Washington University in St. Louis every Monday night. Pastors and seminarians came together to address special topics. They also enjoyed social events together.

“It was an LCMS support system for the students,” Laura says, remarking on her work among Washington University students as an element of her assignment as a deaconess intern at nearby Village Lutheran Church, Ladue, Mo. “I had a pre-conceived idea about who can work in a college student setting but I learned that God can use me,” says Laura.

Mercy outreach has always been a part of Laura's work: teaching, social work in a nursing home, leading Bible studies at church and raising children. In a way, all of this was preparing her for future ministry as a deaconess.

About six years ago, Laura’s husband, Richard, who works at the Seminary, nudged her to consider the Seminary’s Deaconess Studies program. Soon after, Laura and Richard attended the LCMS Convention, where they happened to sit at a table with Dr. Gillian Bond. Bond is now the director of the Seminary’s Residential Deaconess Program, but at the time, Bond was an active deaconess herself.

As they talked, Bond encouraged Laura to consider deaconess ministry.

“I just thought, at my age?” says Laura.

Bond reassured Laura that age was not a factor.

Slowly, Laura began to see how her past experiences were culminating into a new opportunity to serve.

“The Spirit was working through my life and granting me the tools to continue to serve — to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” remarks Laura.

ll Ko ney t r u o Photo: C

In addition to her campus ministry at Village Lutheran Church, her internship emphasized providing catechetical materials to families of young children. She also served as a liaison between nursing home residents and their families.

“Going from young families to college students to older adults taught me to rely on the Lord as I encountered new situations in my internship,” says Laura.

Reflecting on her journey, Laura says, “It’s funny. I know of a deaconess who has just retired around my age. And here I am just beginning. It just shows you that God uses anyone, at any age, for His purposes.”

The theological preparation students like Christian, Paul and Laura receive at Concordia Seminary gives them a solid foundation in confessional theology, which helps them approach the real-life situations that arise within the life of the church. In a sense, vicarages and internships give students a substantial taste of real-world ministry — and the confidence to know that God will accomplish His purposes in His way — and in His time.

Sarah Maney is a communications specialist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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BY MIA MAUSS

“Growing up, I was never alone,” says second-year Seminary student Nokukhanya Shabalala. With 17 brothers and sisters, Nokukhanya never lacked a playmate. Food, however, was sometimes hard to come by.

“With so many siblings, you learn to eat fast!” she laughs.

Noks (her preferred name) is brimming with tales about growing up in a large South African family. Some of her stories are delightful; it’s easy to imagine Noks playing soccer with her brothers and taking on the role of “teacher” with her sisters. But other stories aren’t so easy to recall; Noks’ mother, Sylvia, died when Noks was only seven.

A common thread runs through Noks’ stories. “God has been faithful to me all my life,” she says.

Eighth grade was a year of “firsts” for Noks. Although it was clear to her family that she was born with travel in her veins — she took her first solo bus trip when she was in grammar school — Noks was unaware of the world beyond South Africa.

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“I didn’t know there was an ‘overseas’ until my friends introduced me to the music of the Spice Girls,” she laughs.

Later that year, Noks’ father enrolled her in Siyathemba Secondary School, Dierkisdorp, South Africa. “My father did not realize it was a Christian school started by Lutheran missionaries,” she explains.

“All he knew was that the girls who went there received the best education.” In fact, Noks’ family practiced ancestor worship, the belief that spirits interact with and impact the daily lives of the living.

“Ancestor worship leads to a lot of fear,” Noks explains. “You are always striving to appease the ancestors. When something goes wrong, it means the ancestors are displeased. Sometimes, when things were very hard, a witch doctor would act as an intermediary between us and the ancestors. He would throw animal bones on the floor and if they pointed at you, you were the problem.”

While in her first year of school, Noks was introduced to the concept of grace. “Grace was so enticing,” she exclaims. “In ancestor worship, you have to perform rituals to keep the

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ancestors happy,” she explains. “But grace meant I didn’t have to do anything to keep God happy with me.” Noks was overcome with relief, but it would take years before the fear of losing the protection of her ancestors would subside.

“I will never forget the day I finally told my family that I was a Christian,” she says solemnly. Surrounded by aunts and siblings — some of whom she had helped raise — her father invoked the spirits of her ancestors to remove their blessing and protection from her.

training is matched by her hands-on approach to ministry. She spends her free time partnering with Caring Ministries, an organization that tends to the practical and spiritual needs of the refugee community in St. Louis’ Hodiamont neighborhood.

Noks believes serving this community is preparing her for the next chapter of her life. After completing her program at the Seminary, she hopes to return to Africa to care for and minister to former child soldiers.

Since leaving her home at age 14 to study at Siyathemba Secondary School, Noks has shared the Gospel around the world in multiple languages (she is fluent in 11). “When you are immersed in a culture, you have no choice but to learn the language if you want to communicate,” she says. That’s true in more ways than one. “My education at Concordia Seminary is equipping me to serve those who have lost everything,” she says. “I am learning how to share the Gospel in ways that others can hear. I am learning to speak the language of those who suffer.”

Noks’ journey spans four continents, takes place in multiple countries and crosses three oceans. As a child, Noks was never alone. The same is true today. It is clear that God’s Spirit has been her companion and guide every step of the way.

Noks’ journey has been a long one — and it is only just beginning.

Mia Mauss is a former communications specialist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

“I remember crying and praying, ‘Jesus, You had better be real.

Because if You are not, I have just lost everything,’” Noks says.

But God would not abandon Noks. Over the coming years, Noks experienced God’s unwavering faithfulness and grace.

In 2004, Noks graduated high school and joined Themba Trust, the Lutheran fundraising organization that supports Siyathemba Secondary School. She was asked to relocate to Germany and serve Themba Trust as Kommunication Botschafterin (Communication Ambassadress). This was just the beginning of Noks’ world travels and theological study.

In 2010, Noks was selected to pilot the Deaconess Studies program at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Pretoria, South Africa. She found she was well-suited for seminary life. Fueled by the encouragement of her pastor, professors and mentors, Noks enrolled in the Deaconess Studies program at Concordia University, Irvine, Calif. She completed her studies in only three years before boarding yet another plane — this time, headed for China. She led vacation Bible schools and taught English and German to Chinese middle school students.

Today, Noks is knee-deep in her theological studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where she is working towards her Master of Arts, Spiritual Care major. Noks’ commitment to her theological

Noks Shabalala smiles with a little girl she met while serving on a Seminary mission team to Guatemala. Photo courtesy of Noks Shabalala.

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A Conversation on Practical Faith with Dr. Abjar Bahkou In today’s digitally connected world, we are daily confronted with the plight of people around the globe and in our own backyard. Through social media, we encounter stories and photos of every kind of human suffering. The question of the hour is, “What are Christians doing to demonstrate the love of Jesus in a hurting world?” In other words: how are Christians walking their talk? The question is a daunting one, but it affords Christ-followers the opportunity to examine how we put our faith into practice.

With more than 15 years of experience building bridges between Christian and Muslim communities, Associate Professor of Practical Theology Dr. Abjar Bahkou shares a compelling, thoughtful and practical perspective on how faith translates — both literally and metaphorically — into meaningful action.

BY TRAVIS SCHOLL

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DR. BAHKOU, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON

PUTTING THEOLOGY INTO PRACTICE. BUT FIRST, WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND? I was born in a small town in Northeast Syria called Al-Malikyya at the border of Turkey and Iraq. In 1986, at the age of 14, I left my hometown and traveled 500 miles to enroll at Saint Ephraim Theological Seminary in Damascus. It is the main seminary in the Syrian Orthodox Church.

After completing my theological studies in 1993, I served as an ordained deacon-monk in the Syrian Orthodox Church. Next, I was sent by the patriarchate to study in Rome where I completed my master’s degree in 1997. Two years later, I earned a doctorate in Youth Ministry and Catechesis. Then I was called to serve as youth pastor and Bishop Assistant to the Western Archdiocese of the United States, located in Burbank, Calif. This is how I started my life as a minister in America.

In 2007, I was asked to translate Life with God by Dr. Laurence L. White into Arabic. For over two months, I lived and interacted with this book. While working on this project, I realized that I had been living “under the law.”

I had been trying to please an angry God through man-made rituals, regulations and traditions. This project inspired me to become a certified pastor in The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod (LCMS).

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FACULTY FOCUS

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YOUR WORK HAS GIVEN YOU A WINDOW NOT ONLY INTO CHRISTIANITY BUT OTHER WORLD RELIGIONS. WHAT DO NORTH AMERICAN CHRISTIANS NEED TO KNOW TO GIVE THEM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE? The message of the Gospel never changed; Jesus commanded us to disciple and baptize all nations.

The Lutheran Confessions remain the same anywhere we go. The challenge is translating the unchanging Gospel message into the “mother language” of the people with whom we are engaged.

Over the years, missionaries have gone to the mission field with a colonial mentality. They have imposed their own religious agendas on the people they wanted to reach without studying and respecting the culture they were in. Instead, we should be motivated by simply being with other people, learning their stories and sharing the story of Jesus with them. We need to let the Gospel convict the hearts of others. It is not our job to convert people. We are proclaimers. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts and converts hearts.

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HAT ROLE DOES THEOLOGY PLAY AS W WE MOVE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM? We must remember that the words “mission” and “encounter” belong to each other. “Encounter” means a deliberate effort to engage genuinely and respectfully with another person. An encounter expresses a desire to relate to, communicate with and be understood by another person.

Whether in our neighborhoods and families or in a totally different cultural context, here are four practices that can help seminary students, pastors and all believers apply faith in encounters beyond the classroom: 1. B e committed to fostering good, neighborly relationships. Opening our homes to others goes a long way. So does practicing kindness in daily contact.

2. P ractice serving others. Whether casual or professional, demonstrate a spirit of respect and love to others without discrimination.

3. Be ready to listen. Listening is a form of hospitality.

4. B e inviting. Christ invited people to follow Him. A real encounter cannot exclude such an invitation (provided that it fits with the spiritual climate of the encounter). This invitation must be extended respectfully, knowing that faith trusts in God and not to a particular group.

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WHAT ARE SOME “PRACTICAL” IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE? For the past 15 years, I have been involved in the field of evangelism among Muslims. The most common question I am asked is, “How can we reach out among our Muslim neighbors, coworkers and students?” I can tell you one thing for certain: No approach will work unless we take the initiative to become a neighbor to them — to tend to their needs and see where they are in their spiritual journey. Mission work is most effective when it meets the needs of the whole person, encompassing spiritual, emotional, physical, medical and educational areas. The Gospel of Christ is practical in this way. Its message heals and renews the heart of each person, and it also can heal and renew communities.

HOW DOES THEOLOGY HELP US ENCOUNTER AND SERVE A HURTING WORLD? The biblical idea of the image as recorded in Gen. 1:26-27 helps us to see theology from a global perspective. God has created everything; the highest creation of God is man, for only man was created in God’s image and likeness.

Based on this idea, as baptized children of God, we share a common humanity with all mankind.

All human beings are created in God’s image, and are seen as our neighbor, our fellow creatures and sufferers. Second, as children of God we proclaim to the world by our deeds and actions the gift God has given us through our Baptism, that is, we have been raised by God, through Jesus Christ, from spiritual death to spiritual life. Serving the world, full of death, encountering hurting people from different religions, ethnic and social backgrounds, is to share with them the joy and hope of being alive in Christ! (Cf. 1 John 1: 1-2; 1 John 5: 11-12) This is what we learn when we read Martin Luther’s theology of the cross. Luther called it a “theology to live by,” and he challenges us to “go and live it.”

Dr. Travis Scholl is managing editor of Seminary Publications at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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ONE PASTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COMMITMENT TO DISCIPLING VICARS TO PRESERVE A LEGACY OF FAITH

BY MIA MAUSS

Photo courtesy of Immanuel Lutheran Church

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ALUMNI AND FRIENDS The decision to break ground was a calculated one, and there was no time to lose. It was mid-winter when the 11 men held their first organized meeting. Though the frozen earth would not be penetrable for weeks, the men were planning for the future. Many were farmers, after all, and they knew winter wouldn’t last forever.

What they hoped to accomplish by June had to begin in February.

Besides, they faced an obstacle even greater than the weather: building the church would cost $3,500 — roughly $65,000 in today’s economy. But the men were motivated by a shared vision: to provide the citizens of Seymour, Ind., with a Lutheran house of worship.

They wasted no time. Immediately following their first meeting, trustees scouted the surrounding area for a site.

Four months later, the snow and ice melted and ground was broken for the Deutsche Evangelisch-Lutherische Imanuels Kirche. The year was 1870.

As the years passed, the founders of the church put their hands to other endeavors. Among them were merchants, landowners and local officials. But they all had one thing in common: commitment to their faith and community. Just four years after the church opened, its members were building again. This time, they had set their sights on opening a parochial school, and it was clear that the community was in favor. Within the decade, the school offered instruction in both German and English to nearly 100 students, and members were considering expansion of both church and school.

Over the past 148 years, leadership of the church has passed through the hands of 11 faithful Lutheran pastors. Today, Dr. Ralph Blomenberg reflects on how much has changed (including the church’s name) even as the essentials have remained the same.

“We share a remarkable unity of purpose here at Immanuel Lutheran Church,” Blomenberg says. The mission statement of the church has long been “to connect people to the life, calling and community of Christ.” This was the guiding principle four years ago, when the church continued in the tradition of its founders and decided to start a full-time infant daycare ministry in addition to its grade 1-8 Lutheran school. Members have also heartily supported the vicarage program from its infancy.

“My goal is to give vicars opportunities to put theology into practice,” Blomenberg says. Third-year seminarian Tyler Werner can attest to this; he is the current vicar serving at Immanuel. Werner says that he has had ample opportunities to grow as a servant-leader.

In fact, Werner recently launched a ministry called “Holy Hops,” a weekly gathering at a popular tavern.

Werner says that the purpose of Holy Hops is his attempt to live out Immanuel’s mission. “Holy Hops is a way for us to connect with people in a comfortable setting, where they can add to the discussion on pressing topics and issues,” Werner explains. “Most importantly, Holy Hops offers people a way to hear Jesus’ Gospel message!”

Leading the Holy Hops group has been rewarding, but Werner says the best thing about his vicarage has been watching Blomenberg lead by example. “Pastor Blomenberg has shown me what it means to serve,” Werner says. “He models how to care for each member as well as how to be an integral part of the broader community.”

The vicarage experience at Immanuel is rigorously tailored to the individual needs of each student, and it requires sacrifice and intentionality on the part of the vicarage supervisor.

“Some years ago, we implemented a ‘rotation’ program based on how training is done for physicians,” Blomenberg explains.

In this program, vicars explore and participate in many aspects of parish ministry. Each month the vicar is exposed more intensively to a specific facet of ministry, such as funerals and grief support, weddings and counseling, administration and stewardship. And every vicar serves the broader community in some way. “By preparing students through vicarage, we are connecting with and edifying the churches and communities they will one day serve as pastors,” he says. “The training our vicars receive today ripples into the next generation.”

Today, Blomenberg says that vicars are an instrumental part in serving the broader community. Since he accepted the call to Immanuel in 1985, Blomenberg has mentored 21 aspiring pastors and says they have each made a unique contribution to the church and community.

When the original members of Deutsche Evangelisch-Lutherische Imanuels Kirche first walked through its doors, they were united by their commitment to faith and community. Today’s members are reaping the harvest planted nearly 150 years ago. Just as the 11 founders faced harsh conditions, so subsequent members have faced their own periods of hardship. Immanuel has served the citizens of Seymour through times of economic upheaval and social change. The members have proven that unity, faith and service will stand up to the test of time.

“Each student is different,” he says. “Each one comes with his own experiences in family, work and church.” Blomenberg makes it a point to discover and draw out the strengths of each student.

Vicars serve both church and community as an extension of this legacy. And when students walk out the doors of Immanuel for the last time, they do so prepared for a future of service.

Mia Mauss is a former communications specialist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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Seminary celebrates anniversaries FACULTY, EMERITI, STAFF HAVE SERVED THE CHURCH 445 COMBINED YEARS

Pictured, back row, left to right: David Berger (55 years), Dr. Travis Scholl (10 years), Dr. David Peter (30 years), Dr. Jeffrey Oschwald (30 years) and Dr. Francis Rossow (70 years). Front row, left to right: Rev. David Lewis (20 years), Dr. Mark Rockenbach (20 years), Dr. Daniel Mattson (50 years), Dr. David Maxwell (15 years) and Dr. Leopoldo A. Sánchez M. (15 years). Photo: Melanie Ave

With combined service equaling nearly a half a millennium, the significant ordination and commissioning anniversaries of seven faculty, four emeriti faculty and two staff members were recognized in a chapel service Dec. 5, 2018, on campus.

In total, the men have served a combined 445 years.

The following Concordia Seminary faculty were recognized: • Dr. David Maxwell — 15 years • Dr. Leopoldo A. Sánchez M. — 15 years • Rev. David Lewis — 20 years • Dr. Mark Rockenbach — 20 years • Dr. Jeffrey Oschwald — 30 years • Dr. David Peter — 30 years • Dr. W. Mart Thompson — 30 years The following emeriti faculty were recognized: • Rev. William Carr — 35 years • David Berger — 55 years • Dr. Horace Hummel — 65 years • D. Francis Rossow — 70 years

Dr. Dale A. Meyer exhorts those gathered to stay the course of faith at every stage in ministry. Photo: Mia Mauss

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The following staff members were recognized: • Dr. Travis Scholl — 10 years • Dr. Daniel Mattson — 50 years

NEWS WORTH NOTING

Rev. Todd Peperkorn

Pictured, front row, left to right: Walter Dissen, Dr. Herbert Israel, Paul Hegland, Bruce Paradis, Dr. John Wille and Dr. LeRoy Wilke. Back row, left to right: Dr. Dale A. Meyer, Rev. W. Max Mons, Rev. Bruce Keseman, Rev. Todd Peperkorn, Mark Stern, Dr. Paul Edmon and Dr. Douglas L. Rutt. Photo: Sarah Maney Rev. W. Max Mons

New Board of Regents chairman, members named The Seminary’s Board of Regents recently elected new officers and added two new members to its ranks.

During their September 2018 meeting, the regents elected Rev. Todd Peperkorn, who has served since 2015, as chairman. Peperkorn replaces former Chairman Rev. Shawn Kumm, who resigned from the board effective Sept. 1 citing commitments to his family and congregation.

Walter Dissen

The regents also elected Rev. Max Mons as vice chairman, filling the vacancy created

by Peperkorn’s assumption of his new duties. Walter Dissen remains secretary.

The board also welcomed Mark Stern as a new member. Stern was appointed to the board by the regents at their August 2018 retreat. Stern is an attorney with Witt Law, which has offices in Chicago and Barrington, Ill. Stern practices in the area of business law, assisting closely held businesses and individuals with a variety of legal matters. Since 2010, he has served on the Board of Regents of Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill. In January 2019, Rev. Bruce Keseman was named to the Board of Regents. He was appointed by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Board of Directors to complete the remaining term for Rev. Shawn Kumm. Keseman serves as the sole pastor of Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Freeburg, Ill. He earned a Master of Sacred Theology in 1999 and a Master of Divinity in 1990, both from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. His bachelor’s degree in Biblical Languages is from St. John’s College in Winfield, Kan. According to the LCMS Bylaws, the Seminary’s Board of Regents may have up to 13 members, which includes three ordained members, one commissioned member and three lay members, all elected by the Synod in convention; one Synod vice president appointed by the LCMS president; one district president selected by the LCMS Council of Presidents; and up to four members who have been appointed by the board itself. The president of the LCMS Missouri District also attends as an advisory member.

Mark Stern

Rev. Bruce Keseman

CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS 21

APR

25-26

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SHAME AND HONOR: GOSPEL PROCLAMATION IN THE MAJORITY WORLD

2019 Multiethnic Symposium Thursday, April 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday, April 26, 2019 $50 REGISTRATION FEE Visit www.csl.edu/multiethnic for more details and registration information.

MAYAUG

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SUMMER

WORKSHOP

2019 Summer Workshop Series

SEMINARY

FOR PASTORS, CHURCH WORKERS & CONGREGATION MEMBERS

For more information or to register, go to www.csl.edu/summerworkshops

AUG

TO YOU

REGISTER

BY JULY 15

3 2019 Summer Lay Bible Institute Saturday, August 3, 2019 $25 REGISTRATION FEE 22

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Featuring Dr. Anthony (Tony) Cook Vice President, Global Ministries, Lutheran Hour Ministries

Visit www.csl.edu/lbi for more information and to register today!

SAVE THE DAT E Concordia Seminary, St. Louis’ 30th Annual Theological Symposium

Sept. 17-18, 2019 Learn more: www.csl.edu/symposium Questions? Contact ce@csl.edu or 314-505-7286

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Participants of Concordia Seminary’s Winter Lay Bible Institute, “The Greatest (OT) Story Ever Told,” held Jan. 16, 2019, on campus, figuratively walked through the book of Exodus. Photo: Rebekah Lukas

Workshop participants explored what the Exodus means for Christians, what it demonstrates about the character of God and how it paints a picture of who Jesus is and why He came to save His people. Photo: Sarah Maney

Pre-Lenten Workshop

Winter Lay Bible Institute

Led by Rev. Tom Egger, assistant professor of Exegetical Theology, participants learned how the vivid episodes in Exodus stand as an enduring revelation of the character of God and of His ways with His people. Exodus is foundational to the Bible’s story of salvation, which finds its conclusion and fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Photo: Rebekah Lukas

A record number of pastors attended Concordia Seminary’s Pre-Lenten workshop, “Let My People Go!,” Jan. 25, 2019, on campus, which was led by Dr. R. Reed Lessing, senior pastor at St. Michael Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Ind., and noted biblical scholar. Photo: Sarah Maney

CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS 23

Rev. Benjamin Haupt and his wife, teacher Celina Haupt, encourage students before the school day begins. Photo: Mia Mauss

Loving our littlest neighbors On the brisk morning of Feb. 15, 2019, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Library Services Rev. Benjamin Haupt spoke to a unique audience. Bundled in coats and wrapped in scarves, a crowd of first through fifth graders, along with their parents, gathered around Haupt to hear him speak on the playground of nearby Captain Elementary school.

Haupt was invited by the Captain Character Committee to participate in their Fist-Bump Friday event in which community leaders speak to students about Captain's “brain-growing stances,” which include: optimism, empathy, flexibility, persistence and resilience.

Pointing to Luther Tower in the distance, Haupt said, “Concordia Seminary students and their families often move three times before they get to the churches where they will serve. That takes persistence and resilience, just like you're learning here!”

Haupt expressed pride in the students for their hard work, concluding his short talk just as the morning bell rang. As students poured into the halls of Captain, Haupt and his wife, Celina (who serves as a teacher at Captain and Women's Coordinator at Concordia Seminary) gave high-fives and fist-bumps to the students — including their own son, Noah. The Haupts were joined by Assistant Professor of Practical Theology Dr. Peter Nafzger and his wife, Katie, along with third-year student Paul Dickerson and his young daughter.

As pupils at Captain prepared to start their school day, students just a stone’s throw away at Concordia Seminary were doing the same.

“This was a fun way to love our neighbors,” Haupt said. Indeed, it was a great way to start the day — for students and speaker alike.

APRIL 16 | 6:30 P.M.

APRIL 27 | 3 P.M.

Zion Lutheran Church Bethalto, IL

St. John's Lutheran Church Westfield, MA

APRIL 26 | 7:30 P.M.

For more information, please visit: www.csl.edu/gospelofmark

Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church The Bronx, NY

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NEWS WORTH NOTING

Concordia Seminary community participates in St. Baldrick's for childhood cancer research For the eighth time, Concordia Seminary students, staff and faculty members “braved the shave” and participated in the St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving fundraiser Jan. 31, 2019, in Koburg Hall, raising over $5,000 for childhood cancer research. Since partnering with St. Baldrick’s in 2012, members of the Seminary community have raised more than $71,460 for the cause. Director of Ministerial Recruitment and Admissions Rev. Bill Wrede serves as the event’s site coordinator.

“We’re thrilled that we’ve been doing this for eight years and been able to support the foundation in this way,” he said. “We look forward to the day when childhood cancers are a thing of the past.”

Third-year seminarian Connor Wondrasch braves the shave. Photo: Sarah Maney

Students experience Winkel meeting Second-year students had a first-ever experience as they joined 30 local pastors from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) for their Winkel meeting held on campus Feb. 13, 2019.

Rev. David Meggers, associate pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church, Kirkwood, Mo., kicked off the event by preaching in the morning chapel service. LCMS Missouri District President Dr. R. Lee Hagan led the majority of the Winkel, and there was plenty of time for fellowship and conversation between the pastors and the students.

pages Concordia Pages, a new Concordia Seminary publication, features articles and essays that are accessibly written and culturally relevant.

DOWNLOAD PDFS

https://concordiatheology.org/category/congregations/concordia-pages

PRINTED COPIES

Can be ordered in bundles of 10 for $10 in the online store at www.csl.edu/store

CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS 25

The Aulicks share the benefits of giving through their IRA. Photo courtesy of Dean and Jo Ann Aulick

Giving through your IRA BENEFITING THE SEM AND YOU!

BY EMILY PERINO

Dean and Jo Ann Aulick of Silver Spring, Md., recently gave a gift to Concordia Seminary through their Individual Retirement Account (IRA). IRS provisions make it possible for persons age 70 ½ and older to make charitable gifts of up to $100,000 from their IRA. The donated amount is not included in the donor’s income for IRS purposes so the gift is made without being subject to IRS taxes or penalties that are usually applicable to IRA withdrawals. For the Aulicks, who consulted with their financial planner on their charitable giving options, a gift from their IRA made the most sense.

“Our intent was to make the gift regardless. If one approach gives you somewhat improved tax treatment, then you do it that way!”

Dean says.

With an understanding driven by their own experience, the Aulicks wanted their gift to be used for student financial aid.

“Dean received scholarships and loans to help get through school,” Jo Ann says. “You remember that. The money was available when you needed it, so we want to be able to do that for students now.”

Jo Ann and Dean both went to Indiana University (IU) as undergrads,

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but that’s actually not when they got to know each other. “We shook hands at IU — Jo Ann remembers meeting me, but alas, I do not remember meeting her!” Dean laments.

After college, Dean went to law school in New Haven, Conn., where Jo Ann was getting her Master’s degree in Education. “We bonded because we were both from Indiana. We were two fish out of water on the East Coast,” Dean recalls.

The Aulicks have another link to the Seminary that drives their motivation to give. “My father graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 1939 so I feel a personal connection,” Dean says. “Since then we’ve had the blessing of wonderful pastors at our home church, The Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, who came through the Seminary system [including former Associate Pastor Stephen Miller, ‘13].”

“There are many reasons to give to Concordia Seminary, including our belief in its mission. Our main hope is that the Seminary can increase the number of students and that the availability of financial aid might make that more possible for potential students,” the Aulicks say.

Emily Perino is a St. Louis-based freelance writer.

SUPPORT YOUR SEM

Benefits of making an

IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER GIFT

If you are over 70 ½ you may transfer up to $100,000 each year to a charity/ ministry without IRS taxes or penalties.

Concordia Seminary Guild Who are we?

The Concordia Seminary Guild — better known as the Sem Guild — comprises individuals, women’s organizations and congregations dedicated to providing support to Concordia Seminary and its students and their families.

What do we do?

The Sem Guild works to cultivate interest in the Seminary and enhance the lives of students on campus.

What are some of our current projects?

You may use the IRA account gift to satisfy your required minimum distribution.

BOOKS FOR INCOMING STUDENTS $2,000

Because the IRA gift transfer is not included in your taxable income (and is not a tax deduction), you receive the tax benefits of the IRA gift without affecting your ability to take other deductions whether you use the standard deduction or itemize.

FOOD BANK $1,000

CAMPUS LANDSCAPING $2,000

The IRA gift is not included when calculating the IRS limits of your charitable deductions.

STUDENT INTRAMURAL PROGRAMS You may apply the IRA gift to your current pledges.

Charitable gifts from an IRA must be made directly from the IRA account manager to the ministry/charity. Please consult with your personal tax or financial adviser who can further inform you on how to take advantage of this gifting opportunity in your particular circumstances and also advise you regarding the implications of the laws of your state.

For more information on all of your giving options to Concordia Seminary, please visit www.csl.edu/support or contact Seminary Advancement at 800-822-5287 or advancement@csl.edu.

$1,000

STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND $500

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS $1,000

How do I donate, learn more or become a member?

To learn more about the Sem Guild or to see the complete project list, visit www.csl.edu/semguild.

CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS 27

801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105

CAN’T BE AT CALL DAY? WATCH IT ONLINE! Join us live for Concordia Seminary’s biggest news of the year:

WHERE ARE THEY GOING? #CALLDAY2019 WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2019 3 p.m. CDT – Vicarages & Internships 7 p.m. CDT – Calls Watch free live streaming of Call Day services at callday.csl.edu.

Calls, assignments and placements will be shared on Twitter in real time.

Join in the celebration by using hashtags #CallDay2019 and #CallDayWatchParty.

PLAN TO JOIN IN THIS YEAR

callday.csl.edu