Greetings!
Welcome to the October edition of ePilgrimage!
Information and inspiration for the future as you consider
the seminary . . . this is ePilgrimage.
Where do 175,000 books and hundreds of seminarians call home? The expanded and renovated Walther Library here on our campus! We are proud to announce the public phase of fundraising for the eight million dollar expansion and renovation of Walther Library. The project will add more than 48,000 square feet of shelf space along with reading rooms, study areas, small group classrooms for classes such as Greek Readings, and ample space to simply enjoy works of theology, classic and modern.
(But don't worry, you can visit any time. E-mail admission@ctsfw.edu and we'll take care of everything.)
Click on a picture to see the slide show:
The Three Things That Make Concordia Theological Seminary Second to None:
1. Worship Life 2. The New Curriculum 3. Our Community
Worship: Forming servants in Jesus Christ means immersing ourselves in the very gifts of God pastors and deaconesses will be called to share with the church and world. Every day at Kramer Chapel, we gather around God's Word—sung, read, and preached—and weekly we receive the Lord's Supper together as a community of God's people united as we are formed as servants in Jesus Christ.Click here for a glimpse of our daily chapel life.
The New Curriculum: After being shaped by God's Word as we worship, we move into the classrooms where we delve deeply into the study of the theology we find at the heart of our service. We are being formed as servants in Jesus Christ who will teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all. Our new curriculum is centered on Jesus Christ and the Gospel that is the source and content of all all our teaching, reaching, and caring.
Read "A Curriculum from and for the Church" by Prof. John T. Pless and get a full picture of this new direction for forming servants in Jesus Christ.
Our Community: The students, faculty, staff, and their families make Concordia Theological Seminary second to none. Whether we're gathering around God's Word and singing His praises, having a lively conversation over coffee after chapel, or sharing a meal together in our cafeteria, we are a vibrant community committed to one another. Soon after becoming a part of our campus community, you will find lifelong friends among your classmates and their families. These friendships are built upon the blessed tie that binds us all together in the one Body of Christ.
Formation: Essays for Future PastorsGet your free copy: formation@ctsfw.edu
E-mail us your name and address.
AND
A Set of Six Catechism PostersGet your free set: posters@ctsfw.edu
E-mail us your name and address.
Financial Aid: We Can Help and You Can Help
Every student has to deal with two kinds of expenses: direct educational expenses (tuition, books, and fees) and living expenses.
Most CTS students receive a grant-in-aid equal to 55 percent of their tuition. With a tuition rate of $445 per credit hour and an average load of fifteen credits per quarter, one’s tuition bill would be $20,025, of which $11,014 would be seminary grant-in-aid money. That leaves $9,011 still to be paid. Adding books and fees will raise the remaining educational expenses to about $11,000.
Where does the seminary get its grant-in-aid money? It comes from God’s people – people who set up endowments for student aid and people who simply send checks for student aid.
Students, both married and single, can expect to pay their living expenses through summer jobs, work study, a working spouse, or a combination of these, and student loans.
At this point, outside resources and one’s own initiative enter the picture. Some seminarians and deaconess students receive enough additional gifts and scholarships to pay all their remaining educational expenses; for others, it’s a much more modest portion.
The list of such outside resources is nearly endless. It includes district student aid, support from your home congregation, and scholarship foundations such as Munderloh, Siebert, and Bretzlaff.
Besides these, there are fund sources that only the enterprising and determined students will find. They look and ask in their communities. They comb through the “Outside Scholarship Resources” page of our Web site. They even track down Internet sources.
Is the hunt worth the time spent? To answer that, ask yourself this question: Would it be easier and would it take less time to earn the money? It’s a question worth pondering.
Where does the seminary get its grant-in-aid money? It comes from God’s people – people who set up endowments for student aid and people who simply send checks for student aid.
Students, both married and single, can expect to pay their living expenses through summer jobs, work study, a working spouse, or a combination of these, and student loans.
At this point, outside resources and one’s own initiative enter the picture. Some seminarians and deaconess students receive enough additional gifts and scholarships to pay all their remaining educational expenses; for others, it’s a much more modest portion.
The list of such outside resources is nearly endless. It includes district student aid, support from your home congregation, and scholarship foundations such as Munderloh, Siebert, and Bretzlaff.
Besides these, there are fund sources that only the enterprising and determined students will find. They look and ask in their communities. They comb through the “Outside Scholarship Resources” page of our Web site. They even track down Internet sources.
Is the hunt worth the time spent? To answer that, ask yourself this question: Would it be easier and would it take less time to earn the money? It’s a question worth pondering.
Rev. George H. Lange
Office of Financial Aid
Office of Financial Aid
Pre-Sem? Rev. Zielinski is Coming to See You Soon!
Portland: Tuesday, October 14 – 15
Seward: Wednesday, October 22 – 23
Bronxville: Wednesday, October 29 – 30
Austin: Tuesday, November 11 – 12
Irvine: Thursday, November 13 – 14
Saint Paul: Monday, December 1 – 2
Rev. Zielinski will be visiting all the Concordia University System schools to meet with pre-pastoral and pre-deaconess students interested in coming to the seminary. He will have the information you need to know what makes Concordia Theological Seminary second to none. Stop by and pick up some CTS freebies. Hear about Christ Academy College and Phoebe Academy College, two free retreats that are just right for you!
Check with your pre-seminary program director about events. Dinner out is always a must. Pre-pastoral and pre-deaconess students are welcome. Spouses, fiancees, and serious relationships are welcome to join us.
Well, it's not so much a blog as a daily devotion. Rev. Scott Murray of Memorial Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas, has been providing daily e-mail devotions to countless subscribers. With a theological depth seldom found in brief devotional works, Rev. Murray draws on the best of Lutheran writings and also provides snippets from the writings of the church fathers. His devotions are certainly worth a look . . . and a subscription.
