Continuing education

The continuing education (CE) efforts of the seminary will now operate under the program name, Grow in Grace: the Institute for Continuing Education at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. The name and tagline, Partnering in the Lifelong Pursuit of Spiritual and Professional Growth, were chosen because they summarize our desire to remain focused on our heritage as Christ-centered Lutherans. You will begin seeing the logo in future CE communications and on our CE Web site, now under construction.

Prof. Richard Gurgel, director of the institute, is also pleased to announce a pilot project that will make matching-grant tuition assistance available for called workers enrolled in a for-credit course any time from June 2011 through May 2012. The grants will be available to those taking courses on-campus or on-line, as well as those who attend satellite summer quarter courses offered in their district or conference.

To encourage congregations to invest in the lifelong learning of their called workers, the seminary will partner with congregations and match dollar for dollar whatever they contribute toward tuition costs for their called workers. The hope is to discover sufficient support to offer this matching-grant program long after the initial year has passed.

Work on other elements of CE program development continues. The first on-line course offered during the regular school year will be available starting in early 2011 with “The Apostle Paul and Leadership,” by Prof. E. Allen Sorum. A realignment of teaching duties will allow Gurgel to be available for presentations at circuit, conference, and district gatherings on CE and related topics as well as giving him time to focus on partnering with circuit pastors and conference agenda committees in planning and implementing continued growth for the pastors in their circuits and conferences. For the next two years he will also edit Preach the Word, a monthly newsletter produced by WELS Congregation and Ministry Support Group.