The Story

Third Quarter, 2008

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Notes from the Mission Field: Marked for Mission Luther Seminary’s strategic plan is a response to the challenges that face our church and world. It’s that important! Our focus is on educating evangelical public leaders who are capable of providing a hungry and needy world with a spirit-driven apostolic witness. This high calling entails three important dimensions: We are called to be servants of evangelical renewal; We are called to be heralds of hope; We are called to be catalysts for change and mission.

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Our Savior’s Lutheran Shares Resources, Gifts With Multiple Congregations What’s the best course of action for a congregation seeking to make the most of its resources: Renewal? Reimaging? Investing in the future? At Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in East Mesa, Ariz., it’s all of these things.

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Donors Help Luther Seminary Surpass Fundraising Goals Showcasing the strong support of Luther Seminary donors, the Sustaining Fund and Scholarship Fund again passed fundraising goals for the year. During the 2007-2008 fiscal year 6,474 donors gave generously to support the mission of educating leaders for Christian communities. Strong support through two challenge matches was instrumental in accomplishing these goals.

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Gifts from the Heart Program Honors Loved Ones If finding the perfect gift in honor of a special occasion feels like a daunting task, consider a Gift from the Heart. Luther Seminary’s Gifts from the Heart is a tax-deductible gift program that will honor and/or remember a loved one while supporting the seminary’s mission to prepare strong and effective church leaders.

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Give Green Program Promotes Good Stewardship of the Earth As Christians, we are called to be good stewards of the natural resources that God has given us. In Genesis 2:15 it is written, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

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Pampered Chef Founder Relates Mission of Business, Philanthropy Doris Christopher is many things: mother, daughter, entrepreneur, steward. Here, she discusses how all these roles have woven together to form a remarkable life of service. On June 26, Christopher was the featured speaker at Luther Seminary’s Women in Philanthropy Tea.

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Internship Supervisor Mark Johnson Retires; Former Interns Reflect with Gratitude Internship can play a significant role in the life and call of an M.Div. student. Academics and classroom learning are consistently paired with contextual learning throughout the degree program, but internship is a unique opportunity for students to leave campus for a congregational setting that asks them to consider ministry in new ways.

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Brothers Jerry and David Hoffman Share Stewarding Gene When pastors Jerry and David Hoffman talk about their upbringings, they each say, “If you don’t have time to worship, you are busier than God ever intended you to be.” This motto of their mother’s profoundly shaped them into the Christian leaders they have become.

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Fund Teaches Stewardship, Fiscal Education Minus 16. It may sound like the temperature on a brisk Minnesota morning, but it’s actually a much more chilling statistic: Negative 16 percent is the current savings rate of young adults ages 25 to 34, according to Share Save Spend, an organization dedicated to helping youth and adults develop and maintain healthy money habits.

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Recent Graduate Puts Cross-Cultural Program to the Test Students are often drawn to Luther Seminary because they hear about a program that connects with their deepest callings as servants of Christ. When Linda Webster, ’08, compared seminaries, she noted the abundant potential for cross-cultural education flourishing at Luther.

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Incarnation Lutheran Committed to Nurturing Culture of Stewardship Where does a generous spirit come from? In some people, it’s a natural part of who they are. But for many, it is cultivated—through example, encouragement and time. Rev. Glenn Taibl, ‘72, of Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview, Minn., sees the congregation as a primary means by which those spirits can be nurtured. His call as pastor for stewardship ministries reflects his—and his church’s—commitment to that work.

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Commencement Honors 170 New Graduates Luther Seminary bestowed degrees on 170 students at the 139th Commencement on May 24 at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

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Prodigal Son Book Receives Awards A book honoring a collection of artwork gifted to Luther Seminary has won two 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. “And Grace Will Lead Me Home: Images of the Prodigal Son from the Jerry Evenrud Collection” received a bronze medal in the art book category. Selected as one of the outstanding books of the year, it also received a bronze medal in the most original concept category.

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Former Recipient of the Christus Lux Mundi Award Dies Marjorie Bly, a faithful friend of the seminary and recipient of the 2000 Christus Lux Mundi Award, died April 8, at the age of 88, in Makung, Penghu, Taiwan.

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Lutheran Quarterly Creates Endowment Fund In Memory of Emeritus Professor An endowment fund supporting evangelical theology has been created by Lutheran Quarterly in memory of Gerhard O. Forde, a professor emeritus of Luther Seminary.

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Alum Spotlight: Letha Wilson-Barnard Five years ago, Letha Wilson-Barnard would never have guessed that she might one day introduce herself as Niam Plig Hli Nra Her. Now, as the associate vicar at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles in St. Paul, Letha has not only acquired a new name, but is practicing faith and doing ministry in a whole new culture.

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