Benjamin M. Stewart will be installed as the Gordon A. Braatz Assistant Professor of Worship on Wednesday, September 23, 11:00 a.m., in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC.

From October 18-28, LSTC will be holding its second LSTC Phonathon, to raise money during the last year of our "Equipping the Saints for Ministry" Campaign.  We are looking for dedicated volunteers from the Chicago area to come to campus to join our LSTC student callers. As a volunteer, you will engage LSTC alumns and friends in conversation about LSTC's vision, and solicit donation to the seminary. We will provide training, snacks, and fabulous incentive prizes!  Volunteers need to be available for a training session on Sunday evening, Oct 18, plus three or more of our calling sessions which take place daily, October 19-28, from 5:15 until 9:00 pm, with an additional morning session on Saturday, Oct 24.   Please contact Jessica Nipp ( jnipp@lstc.edu or 319-541-3066) to volunteer your time or to receive more information.

 

A recent LSTC graduate couple designed the Creative Teaching Ministry Grant to provide LSTC with "a tithe of our ministries that combines our vocations."

 "We're not wealthy," the donors said, "but we understand that student aid is critical to LSTC's ongoing ministry, and God's ongoing mission.  We want to take the abundance of blessing that we received as students and 'pay it forward' to future generations of LSTC students."  They have committed to funding the CTMG with $1,000 a year.

The donors' hope is that the Creative Teaching Ministry Grant will inspire LSTC students to create arts-inspired Christian education curricula that will be useful to them in future ministry settings.  They also hope to inspire other recent (or not-so-recent) graduates to join them in supporting LSTC's students.

This year, the CTMG was open to incoming students, and three applications were received. The applicants each designed a four-week Christian education curriculum that drew on the creative arts in addressing a contemporary faith issue.  The 2009-10 winner will be announced soon. For the 2010-11 school year, the scholarship competition will be open to incoming and returning students in any degree program. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Dorothy Dominiak (ddominia@lstc.edu) for more information.

News you should know

LSTC alumni the Rev. Dr. Javier Alanis and the Rev. Dr. Eliseo Perez appointed as interim leaders of Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest 
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago alumnus the Rev. Dr.  Javier Alanis (1998, Th.M.; 2002, Ph.D.) has been appointed as interim executive director of the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest (LSPS). The Rev. Dr. Eliseo Perez (1993, Th.M.; 2000, Ph.D.) will coordinate the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) program and serve as professor of systematic theology for LSPS. [ Read more ]

 

 

George Cooper Jr., new LSTC Gospel Choir director, invites community to join choir 

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago has named Mr. George Cooper Jr. as the new director for its acclaimed Gospel Choir. Mr. Cooper brings to the position 45 years of experience in musical performance, studio production, song writing, and 11 years as an instructor. "LSTC is extremely honored and proud to have Mr. Cooper lead and continue the legacy of the Gospel Choir of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago," said President James Kenneth Echols.

This year, the choir invites singers from the Chicago area to join its ministry of praise and worship. No auditions are required. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings, from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. beginning on September 14 at LSTC, 1100 E. 55th Street, Chicago, Illinois (the corner of 55th and University in Chicago's historic Hyde Park community).  Rehearsal time will be adjusted as necessary to accommodate community singers. To join or for more information, please contact Patricia Bartley at 773-256-0717 or pbartley@lstc.edu.
 

Travel with LSTC Professors Esther Menn and Ray Picket to the "World of the Bible"

From January 5 - 18, 2010, you can be part of an in-depth travel seminary that will explore ancient sites and current struggles in the Holy Land. LSTC Old Testament Professor Dr. Esther Menn and LSTC New Testament Professor the Rev. Dr. Ray Pickett will co-lead this tour for students, alumni, pastors, and others eager to join a pilgrimage of study, archaeology, and faith reflection.

Travelers will journey to the Galilee, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jerusalem to visit sites holy to Christians, Muslims, and Jews. They will establish connections with their sisters and brothers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and hear many voices reflecting on the current situation, including leaders of peace and reconciliation movements.

Cost of the tour, including round-trip air fare, accommodations, breakfast and dinner, ground transportation and luggage handling, is $3,449 (shared rooms. Add $420 for a single room.)

A special three-day extension is available to St. Katharine's, a stone-built village at the foot of Moses' Mt. Sinai campsite in Egypt. Cost for the extension is $645.

Reservations for limited spaces should be made immediately by sending a deposit of $395 to Group Travel Directors. For a detailed brochure for the tour, see http://www.gtd.org/post/pdfbrochure/100105.pdf

 

Experience The Epic of Creation at LSTC
This fall, hear the story of our origins from a religious and a scientific perspective. The free lectures, sponsored by the Zygon Center for Religion and Science,  are Monday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30, from September 14 - December 7. For more information, visit http://www.zygoncenter.org, email zcrs@lstc.edu, or call 773-256-0760.
 
Through courses, conferences, and lectures, ZCRS relates religious traditions and scientific knowledge to gain insight into the origins, nature and destiny of humans and their environment to realize the common goal of a world in which love, justice, and responsible ways of living prevail.
 
           
Jazz at the Sem on September 27 kicks off Chapel Music Series at LSTC
Hear jazz bass player Kurt Schweitz and musicians from Chicago and Minneapolis as they explore musical narratives.  The quartet's music is steeped in the rich traditions of jazz and heavily influenced by the sounds of contemporary music. The 4 p.m. concert in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC, 1100 East 55th Street, is free. A freewill offering will be gathered. Read about the full series at: www.lstc.edu/music/

Earth Year at LSTC:

See details above, right column.

 
 
Experience a taste of LSTC at the October Seminary Sampler
For those considering seminary studies, LSTC offers a two-and-a-half day opportunity to visit Chicago and Hyde Park, sit in on classes, worship with the community, and talk with faculty and students. Be part of the Seminary Sampler October 25 - 27 to explore your call to professional ministry in the church. For more information about attending Seminary Sampler, contact the Office of Vocation, Admissions, and Financial Aid at 773-256-0726 or visit
http://www.lstc.edu/prospect_stud/visit/sampler.php.
 
Stewardship and Social Justice workshop sponsored by the Tithing and Stewardship Foundation
A one-day workshop on Stewardship and Social Justice will be offered on Saturday, October 31 from 9:00 am-3:00 pm on LSTC's campus. Keynote speaker will be Raymond Pickett, LSTC Professor of New Testament. This workshop is offered for pastors and other congregational leaders, particularly those serving on stewardship teams and church councils.
 
Programs offered through the Tithing and Stewardship Foundation at LSTC promote the practice of proportionate giving, encouraging greater spiritual growth in the sharing of all our talents and gifts.
 
Cost: $10/person or $25/ congregation