In This Issue

Light shines through them

Alum helps undergrads connect careers and faith

Alumni, faculty at LWF conference

Nominate outstanding alumni/ae

Seminary Sampler Night

Martin Marty lecture

LSTC at Lutherbowl

Visit Luther sites

Listen to recent podcasts

Follow Phil

Be a tither!

Barnwell workshop

Quicklinks

LSTC Homepage

Make a Gift to LSTC

Recent sermons

"E.tcetera ..."

Find us on Facebook.

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Mission Statement

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago forms visionary leaders to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Light shines through them

From the All Saints window in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC

They were a great couple.From the start, they just seemed to belong together. They got married, had two children. We exchanged Christmas cards for a few years. We lost touch.

Two weeks ago, a friend called to tell me that Lisa had died. I was stunned. She had battled metastatic breast cancer for the last four years. She was 41.

On the way to the funeral I rehearsed comforting things to say to Geoff. But when I saw him, all I could blurt out was "I had no idea that you were going through all this."

He said, "We really relied on our faith through it all. Growing up in the church I heard 'Jesus loves you! Jesus loves you!' and that always made me feel like a winner. When you're going through stuff like this, you don't feel like a winner, but that's when you really understand that Jesus loves you. I give thanks to God for being God, if that's something you can do."

The simple lessons he learned in Sunday School: Jesus loves you. Give thanks to God. I came trying to offer some comfort by my presence on that difficult day. Instead, I received a powerful witness of the love of God as the source of strength at all times and in all circumstances.

In his sermon for All Saints Day worship at LSTC, Professor Peter Vethanayagamony told a story about a little boy brought to church on that feast day. During the sermon, the boy looked at the stained glass windows which included figures of some of the saints the pastor talked about in his sermon. On the way home from church, the boy's father wanted to find out how well his son had listened.

"It was about saints," the boy said.

"And who are saints?" the father asked.

"The ones light shines through," the boy answered.

For the light of Christ that shone through Lisa, that shines through Geoff, that you nurture in others through your ministry, thanks be to God.

Blessings,

Jan Boden, Director of Communications and Marketing

jboden@lstc.edu

Zach Parris

Alum helps undergrads connect careers and faith

LSTC alumnus and Alumni Board member Zach Parris, is helping students at the University of Colorado Boulder, connect their faith and values to their studies and career paths.

"Students desire the space to consider the meaning of their work," Parris says. "The primary thing we're doing is developing a mentoring program patterned on the adult catechumenate. A student is paired with a non-student to meet once a month to do structured work together: inquiry in the fall, intense preparation in lent, affirmation of baptism/vocation on Easter evening, and a period of mystagogy post-Easter and pre-graduation."

Already there are twice as many students than expected in the mentor program. Parris says it has quickly become a 'have to' and not an 'if I have time to,' activity for them. Learn more here.

The program is funded through a $100,000 Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation Initiative grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. In addition to the mentoring program, students can be part of vocational retreats, alternative spring break trips, and on-campus events that give them "dedicated opportunities for vocational reflection and conversation."

Lutheran Campus Ministry, ELCA at CU-Boulder also recently received a $40,000 award from the Youth/Young Adult Component of the Campaign for the ELCA for a project called TinyPianoClub. It is a YouTube channel for students and by students with the goal of developing a community that can be leveraged to create real change in the world. New videos are posted every Tuesday and Friday. Check it out here.

Alumni, faculty at LWF conference in Namibia

Mary (Joy) Philip and Barbara Rossing

Mary (Joy) Philip, Mercedes Garcia-Bachmann, Tomas Fabiny, and Miho Yasukawa were among the LSTC alumni who recently attended the Lutheran World Federation Conference "Global Perspectives on the Reformation: Interactions between Theology, Politics, and Economics," held in Winhoek, Namibia. Philip and Fabiny presented papers and LSTC New Testament Professor Barbara Rossing filmed two short videos which will be available on the LWF website. One is on gender justice and the other is about the conference and LWF. Watch for them here.

Nominate outstanding alumni

Don't miss your chance to nominate an LSTC who is doing outstanding ministry for the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. The deadline to submit nominations is Dec. 31, 2015. Details and nominating forms are here.

The only caveat is it can't be someone currently serving on the LSTC Alumni Board or someone who has already received an award.

The awards will be presented October 12, 2016, during the Leadership Conference.

Seminary Sampler Night

Those discerning a call to ministry or to theological studies can get a taste of life at LSTC at Sampler Night, Nov. 17. Visitors will sit in on classes, share a meal, talk with faculty and students, and talk about how afford seminary. For more information go here or contact Scott Chalmers, director of admissions, at schalmers@lstc.edu or 773-256-0726.

Martin Marty to deliver G�len lecture Nov. 19

Dr. Martin E. Marty will present the fall Fethullah G�len lecture, "Religious Responsibility in Humanitarian Involvement." The free lecture is sponsored by the Niagara Foundation, A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice, Catholic Theological Union, and LSTC. The event is from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 19 at LSTC. For more information, contact Sara Trumm at 773-256-0708 or strumm@lstc.edu.

LSTC at Lutherbowl 2016

Over the Reformation/All Saints Day weekend, LSTC's flag football team travelled to Gettysburg, Pa., for the 50th Lutherbowl. The stellar team, made up of students from every class (and a few spouses) triumphed over Trinity Lutheran Seminary 39-6. They went on to beat Virginia Theological Seminary 27-14. They shut out Union Presbyterian Seminary 19-0. In the championship game against Trinity School of Ministry (Pittsburgh), LSTC led at the half but lost in the final minutes, 18-14.

LSTC is proud of its team (pictured above): Amy Lohendorf, Chris Michaelis, Drew Yoos, Sara Yoos, Elise Anderson, Mathew Berger, Nathan Klein, Bridget Jones, Brent Ellerbee, Josh Branchaud, Liz Frey, Erik Thone, Ang Remmers, Adam Joraskie, Eric Joraskie, Alex Witt, Josh Evans, and Analyse Triolo.

Visit Luther sites with Hendel in 2016

You may have had an 8 a.m. Reformation history class with Kurt Hendel when you were at LSTC. Now you have the opportunity to get up early and travel with him to Luther sites in Germany, May 30 - June 8, 2016. Yes, that's the year before the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. You'll avoid the crowds of 2017 as you visit Berlin, Wittenberg, Torgau, Halle, Leipzig, Eisleben, Buchenwald, Erfurt, Eisenach, and the Wartburg. The travel brochure is due any day now and we'll get the details posted on www.lstc.edu as soon as we get them. Meanwhile, if you're interested, contact Dr. Hendel at khendel@lstc.edu.

You can hear what we hear

Plug in or download recent sermons and guest lectures on LSTC's Soundcloud or through iTunes.

Follow Phil

Phil Hefner

Keep up with what Phil Hefner is thinking about and sharing on his blog, "Liftthescreen." Recent topics include identity, our ambivalence about science and technology, and his thoughts about what he's reading these days.

Be a tither!

Maybe you tithe out of your current income. Have you considered tithing using other assets?

By changing your life insurance and/or retirement plan beneficiary designation to distribute 10% to your estate as a gift to ministry you can be a tither.

Your planned gift will strengthen LSTC's ministry, forming visionary leaders for for the future church. Contact Clyde Walter at 773-256-0714 or cwalter@lstc.edu to learn how.

Workshop by former member of "Sweet Honey in the Rock"

Dr. Ysaye Barnwell

Masterfully led by Dr. Ysa�e M. Barnwell, the "Building a Vocal Community" workshop is a chance for singers and non-singers alike to learn in the oral tradition and singing rhythms, chants, traditional songs from Africa and the Diaspora, and a variety of songs from African American culture. Participants will explore, from an African American world view, the values embedded in the music, the role of cultural and spiritual traditions and rituals, ways in which leadership emerges and can be shared by and among community members, and the significance of a shared communal experience in ones' personal life.

This unique opportunity will be held in Augustana Chapel at LSTC on Sat., Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Entrance fee is $20. For more information or promotional materials, please contact fherrera@lstc.edu.

Coming up at LSTC

More details about events and opportunities are available here.

Zygon Center Fall Lectures - Mondays thru Dec. 7, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Find a full list of lectures and speakers here.

Manz Organ Series

Dec. 1 - David Ritter, organist and music coordinator at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago
Jan. 5 - Daniel Schwandt, LSTC cantor to the seminary community and cantor at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chicago

Advent Lessons and Carols

Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

Jan. 18 - Worship at 11 a.m. followed by lunch and discussion. Let the Pero Multicultural Center know if you plan to attend by emailing mc@lstc.edu.

Trinity Institute at LSTC: Listen for Change: Racial Justice

LSTC is a partner site for the Jan. 21-23 Trinity Institute Conference "Listen for Change: Racial Justice." Go here for more detail or contact Dr. Cheryl Pero at cpero@lstc.edu.

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