After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.”
—Matthew 2:1b-2

What does it mean to be held in God’s hope? This text that we will hear on Epiphany in just a few weeks reminds us that our hope is in God through the Holy Spirit. God’s promises carry us all through the vicissitudes of complexity, struggle, despair, and injustice.

As we look back on a year full of hope, transition, and challenge for Luther Seminary, we are grateful for the good work done by our students, faculty, staff, board members, donors, and other faithful members of this community to steward as best we can the gift God has given us of educating future leaders for the church.

We trust the Holy Spirit continues to guide us along the way and that we are being transformed by the Spirit, even as we navigate the many changes to congregational and community life that are occurring today. So we hold onto the many opportunities we have to be in community together and to connect in a variety of ways, both in person and across time and space. And while we do not know where in the Twin Cities our next campus will be, we know that all of our research and planning next year and beyond for this upcoming move includes serving the needs of all our students, including our residential students.

December is always a time of holiday celebration here on campus, and we will continue to celebrate into the New Year as the full community convenes in January for our first intensive, in-person learning session of 2026. Part of that week of intensive learning includes hosting the Rutlen Lecture on Faith and Creation with renowned biblical scholar William P. Brown. We hope you can join us in person or online for this exciting event.

Luther Seminary is on the move, and we are following our hope in God’s promises into the new year. A blessed Christmas and happy new year to all!

Peace,
Robin Steinke
President

Read other installments in our series on why the church needs Luther Seminary in this moment:
A New Chapter for Luther Seminary – June 2025
Expanding Our Mission – July 2025
Our Mission Endures – August 2025
A Sense of Purpose and Place – September 2025
A Larger Story – October 2025
Scholarship for Service – November 2025