In late August, incoming students participated in First Week, an orientation to the Luther Seminary community. During the event, students got an idea of how they might thrive during their time here. In reflection of this year’s First Week, Krista Lind, associate dean of student resources and candidacy, and Jeff Olsen Krengel, associate dean of students, shared, “The goals of First Week were to expose new students to the wholeness wheel and give them a chance to explore how they will connect to all areas of wellness while they are in seminary. In addition, students were given the chance to explore their responsibilities as students academically and in this community as well as seek out resources to help them succeed in seminary.”
Throughout the week, students spent time in conversation and in fellowship with each other as well as current students, staff and faculty. They also attended a variety of informational sessions, such as Smart Seminary Economics 101, Attentive Companions: An Introduction to Spiritual Direction and Effective Time Management. Each session related to either the wholeness wheel or to student responsibility in this academic and communal setting. In addition, students spent one day exploring a particular context in the metro area, including urban ministry, intercultural ministry and chaplaincy/spiritual care.
First Week was full of engaging conversations, meaningful experiences and rich learning opportunities. To view photos from this event, visit our Flickr page.