Cross Cultural

Cross Cultural Mission Experiences are short-term immersion experiences in various cultural settings, satisfying degree requirements for M.Div. and M.A. students. As of June 1, 2013, there will no longer be a dedicated office of Cross-Cultural Education. The Contextual Learning office will be providing limited oversight for travel courses which fulfill the cross-cultural requirement.

Updates for the 2013-14 Academic Year and beyond:

The Cross-Cultural Mission Experience (CCME) course remains a requirement in Luther Seminary's current M.Div. curriculum for the 2013-14 Academic Year. The CCME courses are a curriculum requirement for M.Div. students and may fulfill requirements for certain M.A. students.There is not a CCME requirement in Luther Seminary's new curriculum, planned to be implemented for the 2014-15 academic year.

For the 2013-14 academic year, a number of courses have been approved to fulfill the CCME requirement (as listed below). You register for these courses through the office of the Registrar, unless indicated differently below (such as for international travel courses). Please note, the information listed below are current as of June 1, 2013. The office of the Registrar houses the official course listings; please click here to go to the "Current Course List" on their website.

When registering, please pay attention to the credit hours of the courses; a .5 credit course may meet only one curriculum requirement. If you've already taken one of the courses listed below and you would like to discuss modifying which curriculum requirement it fulfilled, contact the office of the Registrar. 

Courses which fulfill the CCME requirement for the 2013-14 academic year:

  • Fall (all weekend intensive courses):
    • EL 3539 - Christian Education and Dismantling Racism (Intensive, September 13-15)
    • RM 4510 - Exploring Small Town and Rural Ministry - New Challenges for Pastoral Ministry (Meets at Shalom Hill Farm in SW MN three weekends over the semester; Friday noon-Sundays at 6pm; October 7-9 and 21-13 and November 18-20, in addition to orientation Friday, Sept 9, 3-5pm at Luther Seminary and a final class presentation time - TBD).
    • SC H303 - Public Issues in Urban Ministry (SCUPE course; usually 3 weekends in November, in Chicago)
  • J-Term:
    • CC 1636 - Shalom Hill Farm & Small Town and Rural (STaR) Ministries; IA, SW MN, ND (2 weeks in January, dates to be determined). Contact Dr. Alvin Luedke for more information.
    • CY4540 - Children, Youth & Family Ministry in Urban Contexts
    • HC 6348 - Luther the Pastor; for January 2014, an international travel course to Germany. Click here for the informational flyer. Any questions about this course may be directed to Dr. Mary Jane Haemig who is leading the course. Trip applications are due by September 15, 2013.
    • SC M302 - Cross-Cultural Ministry & Interfaith Dialogue Intensive (SCUPE course; usually first 2 full weeks of January, in Chicago)
  • Spring:
    • EL 3530 - Religious Education in Relation to Creation
    • NT 4280 - Race, Ethnicity and the New Testament
    • PC 4520 - Cultivating Congregational Care
    • SC H305 - Restoring Urban Communities (SCUPE course; usually 3 weekends in May, in Chicago)
    • SC M304 - Christology and Culture (SCUPE course; usually 3 weekends in March, in Chicago)
  • Summer
    • SC M305 Dimensions and Dynamics of Urban Ministry (SCUPE course; usually first 2 full weeks of June, in Chicago)

Additional ways of fulfilling the CCME requirements may be through:

  • Alternative course (independent study): meet with a faculty member of your choice to craft an independent study that meets the requirements of the CCME course.
    • M.Div. DL students - please remember that it is possible to petition for residential credit for an independent study with 3+ students.
    • Past petitions include: added learning to a congregational companion synod trip, semester-long local immersion with new immigrants and more.
    • Click here for a memo sent to faculty in Spring 2013 about overseeing these independent studies.
  • Waiver based on past experience of theological reflection in an unfamiliar cultural context. Click here for more information about the petition for a waiver.
  • J-term reciprocity: contact the office of the Registrar for more details about course offerings at other ELCA seminaries after the beginning of the Fall semester.