WINTER 2007
In This Issue... Ministry-Based Instruction International Teaching Campus Then and Now
Seeking Treasure I have always been impressed by gold miners. These people left behind family and friends, house and home—all that was known and comfortable for them—to go to the remotest places on the face of the earth. What drove these people to pursue such burdensome and often dangerous paths? It was gold! With this in mind, let us read Proverbs 2:1-8, for, in this text, the Lord offers us treasures much more valuable than gold.
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So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
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My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you,
Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift your voice for understanding,
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An Evening Chapel Devotion by MLC student Chris Ewings*
If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield for those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of his saints. In this Word of God, the LORD points out to us the path of true wisdom. He exhorts us to “receive his words and treasure up his commandments.” He makes it clear that this is to be both a daily and a lifelong pursuit, one full of eagerness and joy, for the LORD unlocks the treasures that he has stored up in his heart. When we do search for wisdom, we find God himself. The Lord shows us, once again and in a magnificent way, that he is the God of grace. In the words of a gold miner, the Lord brings us to the mother lode. “Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” Both of these jewels, the fear of the LORD and the knowledge of God, have wrapped up in their essence the confident faith that Jesus is Savior. Jesus is what gives them all their radiance and all their beauty. Whenever you pull out those Bible History and Literature binders or prepare your Sunday school material, whenever you go through your Hebrew flashcards or crack open your Greek Bible, each and every time that you study the Word of God, do it with diligence and dedication and devotion. Make it your lifelong pursuit to excavate these treasures of God’s Word. Not only will you find wisdom and knowledge and understanding, but you will gaze upon the heart of God and see him in all his grace. And not only will you see him, you will have him, for the LORD offers you this promise: “You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Amen! *MLC senior men deliver evening chapel devotions to the student body.
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Martin Luther College
On our cover:
Alex Chworowsky teaches Mandarin to fellow students.
Table of Contents Devotion................................................................2 Here on the Hill..................................................4-9 Ministry-Based Instruction.............................10-11
Page 14: Dozens of MLC Knights are serving around the globe.
(D)MLC Alumni News........................................12 Page 10: MLC is different from other colleges. The distinction lies in “Ministry-Based Instruction.”
Northwestern College Alumni Society News......13 Touching the World.......................................14-15 Campus Then and Now.................................16-17 MLC Forum Presents...........................................18 Tribute to Coach Drew Buck...............................19 Mission Advancement Report ............................20
Page 16: Have things changed on our campus? Unbelievably so.
President Theodore Olsen...................................21 Faculty Notes.................................................22-23 Thalassa Prize.......................................................24 Page 21: A tribute to retiring president Theodore Olsen.
MLC In Focus is published by Martin Luther College Public Relations Office and is distributed free of charge to the college’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends. Owned and operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), Martin Luther College trains both men and women to serve as teachers and staff ministers in WELS and also prepares men for pastoral training at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI. MLC President Public Relations Director Editor Photographer
Rev. Theodore Olsen Bill Pekrul Laurie Biedenbender Bill Pekrul
All correspondence should be directed to MLC In Focus Martin Luther College 1995 Luther Court • New Ulm, MN 56073 mlcinfo@mlc-wels.edu 507-354-8221 ext. 295 • FAX 507-354-8225
Visit our website at www.mlc-wels.edu To subscribe to our weekly news update, send an email to mlcupdate-subscribe@mlc-wels.edu Martin Luther College
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Unique
form of service
Alumni Times Three Visiting alumni at MLC’s Homecoming / Fall Festival October 6-7 received free T-shirts and wrote their graduating school and class on the sleeve. Here our own Professors Dan Balge, Sarah Zahrt, and Steve Thiesfeldt proudly represent Northwestern College, Martin Luther College, and Dr. Martin Luther College.
MLC Student
Helps Produce Regional Play
Senior Chelsey Hintz has worked with the developmentally disabled in New Ulm for four years, but few experiences compare to her role as a “shadow dancer” for the “United We Stand” play group that performed recently on the MLC stage. Hopesville, Minnesota was performed by 16 developmentally disabled adults with the assistance of five shadow dancers—Chelsey and four others, inconspicuously dressed in black, on stage to help the performers with lines and movements when necessary. “There will be people in my classroom someday who have disabilities,” Chelsey reflected. “I want to help them express themselves, including their love for Christ.” 4
Martin Luther College
After Isaiah Degner graduated from MLC in 2005, he decided to serve God by working with people with disabilities in New Ulm, something he’d done part-time throughout his college career. Recently, he has devoted time to Nancy Anderson, a 56-year-old woman with a dream to become a writer. Due to paralysis resulting from a childhood case of measles, however, she cannot speak, and she can only write by rubbing her cheek against a sensor mounted on her head and scrolling through the alphabet, letter by letter. It takes about 15 minutes to write one sentence. In the five years he’s known her, Nancy repeatedly mentioned to Isaiah that she’d like to attend college, so he helped her enroll in English classes at MLC, and he continues to help her with classes, one sentence at a time. “She’s inspirational,” Degner says. “I know she’s never going to give up on her dream.”
Touching the World Get Your Master’s
Degree
While You’re Teaching
Students sharing their talents to benefit the church: this is one of the great blessings so common on the MLC campus. Three nights each week Alexandra Chworowsky shares her first language, Mandarin, with 20 other MLC students. “Chinese is such a prominent language right now,” Alex says. “It would be useful in whatever vocation people chose. My students will get great firsthand experience with this growing population.”
Through Translation “I like the independence of the online courses. I can do the work early in the
Rev.morning P.B.or late Ravi Prasad, President of the Luther Study Center in India, has at night.” sought and received permission to translate Luther’s Small Catechism with illustrations by Donald Muth, a book prepared by two MLC professors emeriti, Arnold Koelpin and Theodore Hartwig, as well as Pastors Lloyd Hahnke and Carl Henkel. Rev. Ravi Prasad (pictured) writes: “The Luther Study Center in India is promoting Lutheran Literature in the People’s Language, and we would like to translate the book and publish it in Telugh, the Language of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, where the large Lutheran churches are.” Prof. em. Hartwig also went on to write The Picture Catechism Explained, a book still in use at MLC. Mike Koestler Principal, St. Paul’s, New Ulm MLC Graduate Student
Martin Luther College 1995 Luther Court New Ulm, MN 56073
Learning Chinese
CONVENIENT
Students in Preparation—
This program is designed for educators who may already have a full schedule of family, church, and school duties. Most courses are online, which means you can do your coursework when it’s convenient for you. The program’s 36 required credits (10 courses and a capstone project) may be finished in three to four years.
MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION If you’d like to raise the level of your professionalism by pursuing an advanced degree, now is the time! Martin Luther College is offering a Master of Science in Education degree intended especially for teachers in WELS schools.
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Your Master’s Degree is Now Within Reach.
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The Master of Science in Education program is off and running, with dozens already enrolled in courses. What makes this program distinctive is Ministry-Based Instruction:nWeehdattThe courses are do oa I geared specifically to the needspply?of the WELS school system, the professors have real ministry experience, and the program allows teachers to continue in their current ministries while pursuing their graduate degrees. For more information, go to www.mlc-wels.edu/go/grad.
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MLC Student Speaks at Veterans’ Day Marine Captain Andrew Lang, an MLC junior who served the United States in Iraq, was asked to speak at the MLC Veterans’ Day ceremony. “I wore the uniform of a Marine Corps officer for six years,” he said in his address. “I took an oath when I joined the Marine Corps, to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Personally, I believe that the best thing you can do for us combat veterans is to enjoy your freedoms—don’t take them for granted.”
Team SOAR
Back to New Orleans
Touching the World
Last year, over 70 MLC students—dubbed Team SOAR (“Standing on a Rock”)—traveled to New Orleans to assist Hurricane Katrina victims. In October, four SOAR members returned to New Orleans for the rededication of Crown of Life Lutheran Church. Pictured with Pastor David Sternhagen and holding a banner they created for the church’s worship space are Shannon Umphrey, Paul Micheel, Aaron Goetzinger, and Erika Schreiner. “It was neat to see how the community was doing and to make connections with people,” said Erika, “especially people whose houses we gutted but didn’t get to meet when we were there.”
Through Online Teaching Students from Zambia, Malawi, India, and Brazil are enrolled in MLC Professor James Grunwald’s (pictured) course, Teaching Online. In fact, seven of ten students in the course have a connection with WELS World Missions. A student in Guntur, India, commented to another student in Lilongwe, Malawi: “I’m so glad I took this course. Not only am I learning something about online education, I’m learning, relearning, or rethinking what I write for or what happens in my classroom every day. Had I not been able to take this course, it would surely have been my loss, and my students would not have benefited from the talent the Lord has brought together in this forum.”
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Martin Luther College
Ladies’ Auxiliary Offers Continuing Support The MLC Ladies’ Auxiliary exists to promote greater interest in MLC and to give financial support to MLC. If you are interested in contributing to any projects on this ambitious list, contact the MLC Mission Advancement Office.
1. Centennial second-floor lobby refurnishing $3,000 2. Carpeting and furnishing Concord/ Augustana lobby
$3,500
3. DVD duplicator
$1,500
4. “PrintMusic” computer program 5. Cross trainer for Fitness Center
Service to the Community Students enroll at MLC to prepare for service in the public ministry; however, many MLC students apply their talents and interests long before they graduate. MLC students can be found coaching, assisting the handicapped, visiting shut-ins, and tutoring students throughout the New Ulm area. Caitlin Ulrich (pictured) tutors at-risk students at the New Ulm Public Library. “It’s a nice ‘down-time,’” says Caitlin, “to spend with a wonderful child—talking, interacting, and learning from each other. It’s most certainly a great help for my decision to continue in my study for the teaching ministry.”
Have You Seen the New $720 $4,200
6. Electronic Personal Student Response system $4,260 7. Dormitory artwork
$1,000
8. Commissioned choral work
$3,000
MLC Update-High School Edition? This brand-new e-publication, edited by freshman Dan Albrecht, goes out to all area Lutheran high schools and prep schools every week, reporting what their alumni are doing here at MLC. The publication relates the serious and the not-so, everything from who made All-Conference Volleyball and who won the Presidential Scholarships to whose car was wrapped in cellophane on her birthday. To subscribe, email your request to biedenlf@ mlc-wels.edu.
Decem
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2006
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A PUBLI CATION MARTI OF N LUT HER CO LLEGE NEW ULM, MN
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Martin Luther College
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Urban Ministry Focus
here on the
Students of St. Marcus, Milwaukee, visited our campus in November and presented the poem “Be Strong” at chapel. Their MLC student teacher Sarah Detro said MLC’s Urban Ministry Focus had prepared her well for her work in the city: “I took our Minority Cultures class and did an early field experience in Milwaukee. And what I learned at MLC about adapting to change and about different kinds of learners—auditory, visual, kinesthetic— was helpful too.” MLC’s Urban Ministry Focus includes specific coursework, convocations and seminars, and field experiences in urban areas.
Buxtehude Masterclass Sponsored by the American Guild of Organists, Dr. Leon Couch III presented a lecture and master class on composer Dietrich Buxtehude November 19 in the MLC Music Center. Our campus is an appropriate venue for such an event: we have more pipe organs and more organ students than anywhere else in the country.
Evangelism Day Dozens of speakers—teachers, pastors, and missionaries from all over the world, as well as synod leaders and our own faculty—helped our students examine evangelism from every angle at our second annual Evangelism Day January 17. From “Small Talk and Listening Skills” to “Various Witness Methods,” our students concentrated on witnessing, both in their personal lives and in the public ministry for which they are training. Presentations were augmented by panels and small-group discussions. 8
Martin Luther College
Go Straight to
The Back Page I F r o m y o u r f r i e n d s a t M A RT
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BACK PAGE Vol. 1 Issue 2
Celebrate Advent at School
Hymn Writing Contest
Did you know that December 3 was the first Sunday in Advent? Advent means "coming." In Advent we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Try this prayer at lunchtime to help you focus on the
The Back Page invites grades 5-8 to enter a Christmas writing contest! Write a Christmas hymn stanza to the tune of hymn 38 ("From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"). Send your entry to thebackpage@mlc-wels.edu. Include your name, grade, and school. Due date: Thurs., December 14.
and his coming again at the end of the world: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. Let these gifts to us be blessed. Come, Lord Jesus, down to earth. We are waiting for your birth. Come, Lord Jesus, come again. Take us home to you. Amen.
Your kids can make a simple Advent wreath to prepare for Christmas at home. They'll need: •
A plate or tray
•
Five candles: three blue, one pink, one white
•
Fresh or artificial greens (pine branches)
They should place the pink and blue candles around the outside of the plate and the white candle in the middle, and then arrange the greens around the candles. They can also add red berries or ribbons. This week, light a blue candle every night and say with your children: "Jesus Christ is the Light of the world." Then continue with your table prayer. Or pray the prayer written above, which is an Advent extension of the common table prayer.
The Back Page will publish two winning entries (grades 5-6, grades 7-8) and send the writers a prize! Here's a tip: If you have a little writer's block, try using one or more of these rhyme pairs: earth/birth; above/love; gave/save.
Advent Candle Quiz Pastor John Boeder is the Martin Luther College campus pastor. He plans our worship services at the college, and he’s wondering if you know the meanings of the Advent candles. See if you can draw lines to match the candle for each week with its meaning. 1st -Blue Shepherd Candle (Joy) 2nd -Blue Angel Candle (Peace) 3rd -Pink Prophecy Candle (Hope) Bethlehem Candle (Faith) 4th -Blue Christmas-White Christ Candle (Love)
NEWS
from our
SCHOOLS
The 93 students of St. John's Lutheran Elementary School, Lomira, WI, recently raised $4,439.35 for the American Heart Association's "Jump Rope for Heart" and "Hoops for Heart" programs. Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Jennifer Adelmeyer was the director for this event, and Principal William Vilski oversaw "Hoops for Heart." Way to go!
The new e-publication The Back Page is sent weekly to all WELS elementary school teachers in the country. Directed to students, parents, and classrooms as a whole, it’s filled with educational tips, games and activities, and news from our elementary schools. Principals and teachers are invited to print it out and attach it to the back page of their newsletters.
To receive this publication, send a blank email to backpage-subscribe@mlc-wels.edu.
For Unto Us A Child Is Born Several sections of Handel’s Messiah, including the chorus “For Unto Us a Child Is Born,” highlighted the Christmas Concert December 17. Silent Night, in its original form as penned by composer Franz Gruber, was also featured. The Wind Symphony, Handbell Choir, Women’s Choir, Men’s Choir, Chorale, and College Choir presented the concert.
PictureThis Star of Bethlehem, New Berlin, Wisconsin, is one of many churches and schools for whom the MLC Graphic Arts Department has printed a 3-by-4-foot poster/bulletin board. Entitled “Partners in Christian Education,” the poster pictures Star of Bethlehem alumni who are attending MLC. If your church is interested in a similar poster, please contact Public Relations Director Bill Pekrul at 507-354-8221 ext. 367.
Wind Symphony Performs Professor Miles Wurster and the Wind Symphony performed Sousa, Bach, and Dvorak, among others, at the fall concert November 19. The Wind Symphony will tour the Midwest February 1-4.
Martin Luther College
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“Unique in Purpose— Unique in Preparation” Unique. We’ve been saying that about Martin Luther College, The WELS College of Ministry, for a long time. And it’s true. MLC is different from other colleges and universities, even from other Lutheran colleges. The distinction lies in “Ministry-Based Instruction.” Our purpose is to train public ministers of the gospel—the pastors, teachers, and staff ministers your congregation will be calling when the need arises. Every professor and student, therefore, is dedicated to public ministry, and every course and learning experience points to public ministry. We could summarize it like this: • MLC PROFESSORS have real ministry experience.
MLC PROFESSORS have real ministry experience.
You’ll find no career professors here. Before coming to MLC, our professors were in your pulpits and classrooms. Now they are training their students to do what they have already done. They teach with a depth, realism, and practicality that can only come from experience, and their instruction is enhanced with personal stories that convey wisdom, respect for public ministry, and love for souls.
Ministry-Base at M MLC COURSES
are keyed to the needs of the church and the world. • MLC COURSES are keyed to the needs of the church and the world.
• MLC EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING allows our students to begin their service now. • MLC STUDENTS are ready to serve wherever they are called.
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Martin Luther College
Primarily, that means we teach our students to see the soul first. Every person they will meet, serve, or work with has an eternal future, and nothing is more important than that. In addition, we take note of changing and emerging ministry needs and opportunities—due to an aging population, for instance, or globalization, or the growth of preschools—and we target those in our curriculum. We also remain in step with the world of educational research, gauging the trends and passing on whatever will help our students in their future service to you. The result: our graduates are prepared to be the congregational leaders you desire, with a training that is thorough and practical, wide-ranging and forward-looking.
MLC STUDENTS are ready to serve wherever they are called.
By enrolling at MLC these men and women are offering themselves to the church—to you—and will serve at the congregation or school chosen specially for them and assigned to them on Call Day.
Ministry-Based Instruction
in the life of Chris Ewings, an MLC senior in pre-seminary training.
The anticipation of this shared future creates a special bond among our students, and they encourage one another daily on the path to this high calling.
ed Instruction MLC
By Laurie Biedenbender
MLC EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
allows our students to begin their service now.
“Experiential learning” is a buzzword in post-secondary education today, but few colleges can say that 98% of their students engage in an early field experience—a sort of mini-internship—every single year of college. In addition, 200 students per year volunteer for Daylight service/ ministry projects in churches and schools all over North America (see “Team SOAR Back to New Orleans,” page 6), and dozens teach abroad through MLC International Teaching Opportunities (see “Touching the World,” page 14). These experiences are not simply add-ons. They correlate with our coursework, and they contribute to a deeper understanding of the world and a more thorough ministry preparation.
The PROFESSORS who’ve taught Chris his general courses, religion courses, and foreign languages (Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, and German) have spent years in pulpits and classrooms. They continually explain the practical applications of their course content. “When will I ever use this?” is a question Chris never asks. The COURSES Chris has taken are keyed to the needs of your church. He’s studying the Bible in Greek and Hebrew, for instance, so that your need for sound preaching and teaching is met. He’s studying Symbolics to be grounded in confessional Lutheranism. He’s studying Spanish to prepare for Hispanic outreach. We could go on and on. Chris’s EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING has been extensive: Daylight trips to canvass for Texas and California congregations, and Hispanic outreach every summer at Faith, Anchorage, Alaska. Locally, he’s done liturgy, delivered absent pastors’ sermons, and taught Bible classes. And that’s just his North American experience. Dourados, Brazil, was the site of his international service. For six months, he assisted in worship, Bible class, evangelism, and music. Chris, like all MLC STUDENTS, knows that by enrolling here, he has offered himself to the service of the church. Because he’s a pastor candidate, his training will continue at seminary. Chris is ready. And when he graduates from seminary, he’ll be ready too—ready to be called to your congregation, perhaps, and be the pastor you need. Martin Luther College
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DMLC Alumni and Friends submitted by John R. Schultz, President
New projects for 2006-2007 were adopted by the Executive Board last fall to benefit MLC. (See the list below.) Thanks be to God for the generosity shown to worker training through our DMLC Alumni and Friends. For the last several years, discussions have been held regarding the future of DMLC Alumni and Friends. At the alumni banquet in May 2006, a resolution was passed asking the Executive Board to seek input from alumni and others, and to present a recommendation to the alumni gathered at the May 2007 banquet. The recommendation is that DMLC Alumni and Friends be dissolved after the May 2007 banquet. DMLC alumni are encouraged to join the new MLC Alumni Society to support our school of ministry. All DMLC Alumni and Friends are urged to attend the banquet in the MLC cafeteria on May 18, 2007, from 4:00 pm to 6:45 pm. A special banquet mailing with opportunities to support MLC projects and scholarships is scheduled for March 2007.
John R. Schultz, President DMLC Alumni and Friends
Ongoing DMLC Alumni and Friends Endowment & Scholarships Albrecht’s of Eshenau Fund A & F Library Endowment Schweppe Scholarship Sievert Scholarship Voecks Scholarship
Projects • Assist toward purchase of 50-inch Fontanini nativity manger scene • Artwork for the Music Center • Cross trainer for the Fitness Center • Digital camera for filming
Martin Luther College
Heckmann Scholarship Engel Scholarship Conrad Frey Scholarship DMLC Alumni Scholarship
Northwestern College Alumni Society News
Submitted by Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Professor Alan Siggelkow, President
Noted Wildlife Ecologist and NWC Alumnus Dies Several relatives and friends of Hilbert Siegler gave a $100.00 memorial gift to the Presidents Endowment Fund of Northwestern College in his memory on November 17, 2006. He had such an interesting career and influenced so many people that we thought it might be helpful to highlight some items from his obituary. Noted wildlife researcher Hilbert (Bandy) Siegler was taken to heaven at the age of 97 years on October 15, 2006, in Woodstock, Vermont. He is survived by his wife, Sarah; his children, Ted and Gretchen; and three grandsons. He was predeceased by his son Paul. Bandy, as he was known to family and friends, was born in 1909 in Bangor, Wisconsin, to the Rev. and Mrs. C. W. Siegler. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern College in 1931 and a Master of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1936. Bandy was one of wildlife ecologist Aldo Leopold’s first students and became an apprentice to him in 1936, studying wildlife management in the Faville Grove Wildlife Area in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. He was a wildlife research assistant with the Texas A & M Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit; a game manager in eastern Texas for the Texas Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission; and the chief of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Management and Research Division, a position he retained until he retired in 1976. He served on several New Hampshire ecological committees, councils, and boards. He was a member of four scientific societies and had papers published in their journals. Perhaps most notably, he was the author of three books, New Hampshire Nature Notes, Yankee Wildlife, and Evolution or Degeneration— Which? The latter was published by Northwestern Publishing House.
Looking Ahead! Annual Meeting: The NWC Alumni Society Annual Meeting will be held in the Chapel at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary on Friday, May 25, 2006, 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The banquet location will be announced in our spring letter. We will try to hold the cost to about $15 per person. We hope you can attend. The graduation service for the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary seniors will be held that morning at 10 am. All alumni are invited to attend. Reunions: We would encourage alumni to begin planning for their reunions as soon as possible. Address labels are available from the NWC Alumni Society Office Secretary, Mary Siggelkow, at 262-242-8147 or by email at siggelka@wls.wels.net.
NWC Presidents Endowment Fund This past year the NWC Alumni Society funded eleven $1,000 scholarships through its NWC Presidents Endowment Fund. Recipients were . . . Kyle Bitter Paul Bowe Timothy Grundmeier Caleb Kurbis Jonathan Loescher Philip Moldenhauer Keith Schleis Brian Schmidt David Sigrist Jason Strong Daniel Westendorf
I remember reading Evolution or Degeneration—Which? as a young man and being intrigued by its basic premise. We mourn the passing of a brother alumnus. Perhaps his thinking and his writing have also influenced you in some way. Martin Luther College
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World Views Touching the Ben and Becky Foxen teach in Czech Republic.
More than 40 Martin Luther College Knights are teaching around the world through our International Teaching Opportunities, an effort that facilitates connections between our students and international schools. We also work in cooperation with WELS Kingdom Workers and WELS World Missions. We’re grateful for God’s enormous blessings on this ministry. MLC Knights teach at all levels—preschool to high school—and in all subjects. Some teach Word of God at their schools. Some work with WELS missionaries. Some hold Bible studies in their homes. Some teach native pastor candidates. International schools may receive hundreds of applications from all over the world, but many now come directly to us, specifically requesting MLC students and graduates. In recent months, in fact, we’ve received such requests from Thailand, Mexico, Japan, and Malawi.
Miracles in Czech Republic An email excerpt from MLC grads Ben and Becky Foxen
“Last Sunday was an important one for the mission. One of the seventh-grade students was baptized, and a ninth grader and a recent graduate were confirmed. It’s amazing to see these things happen here because they are so rare. The parents often prevent their children from being baptized or confirmed, so we rejoice at the times that the parents give their consent in the midst of the majority around them who would never think of doing such a thing. God is definitely working miracles here.”
Reaching
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Mexico
Dominican Republic Columbia
International TEACHERS! Share your ministry experiences with us through the Thalassa Prize.
Brazil
Chile
See the back page for details.
Katie Lange teaches preschoolers in Thailand.
World Russia By MLC student April Alonte
“This one time in Russia . . .”
Czech Republic
I have used that phrase many times to describe the events that took place on my 19-day mission trip this summer to Siberia to teach vacation Bible school. Through translators, we had the privilege to teach about 40 children in Iskitim, and, despite the difficulties in advertising our VBS in Tomsk, we had an attendance of about 10 children.
Japan
Thailand Malawi
Why travel across the world to teach children Bible stories? When I attended my first Russian church service it became clear to me. Because I could not understand the language, the service was hard to follow. After the sermon there was communion. The words of institution and the distribution of communion were all in Russian, but after we received communion, the pastor turned to the Americans and said in English, “Your sins are forgiven.” It was then that I came to the realization that no matter what language or country, no matter if you hold church services in an actual church or in a basement of an apartment building, the message is still the same: Your sins are forgiven, and Jesus has saved you.
Charlotte Edwards and Teri Rust spend Easter with friends in Southeast Asia.
What could be better than teaching that to children through Bible stories? April Alonte has gone on mission trips to Sonora, Mexico (twice); Siberia, Russia; and Colorado Springs, a trip she chaperoned. “I thank God,” she says, “for the opportunities I have received to share my faith all over the world.”
Jessica Rhode is teaching at the Kumon Schools in Ashikaga, Japan.
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Our Campus
Then and Now Bill Pekrul, MLC Director of Public Relations, responds to a letter from a fellow DMLC alumnus. Bill, I had an interesting conversation with Jordyn the other day. I was slyly trying to work in the idea of her going to MLC, but, as so often happens, she saw right through me. (Is that just the natural characteristic of daughters, or am I so transparent?) Anyway, she interrupted my well-rehearsed speech on the benefits of MLC and said, “Why would I want to go to the same school you went to? It’s probably exactly the same as it was 50 years ago.” After I explained to her that 1980 was not 50 years ago, I had to think, What is different about MLC from when we were there? As an alum I’m a bit embarrassed that I don’t know what has changed. Can you help me out? Dave, I know exactly what you mean. I had a similar conversation with Leah a few years ago, and even though I work here at MLC, I had to think about how our years in the 70s compare to today. This prompted me to take a little trip down memory lane in our photo archives. Here’s what I found.
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CAMPUS Of course the campus has changed. You’ll no longer find West Hall, the Men’s Annex, Waldheim, or the houses on Waldheim Drive. The Wittenberg Collegiate Center is connected to Old Main, and the library looks totally different. These are only a few campus changes, but the feel of family is still strong here. We know each other, and the fact that we all are here for the single purpose of training for the ministry creates a bond that is hard to find on other campuses. STUDENT LIFE College students are still college students. They enjoy good food and company, and I think the changes in our cafeteria with its solarium are impressive. But our students also study hard. Many of the dorms have new furniture that give students more places to study, and there’s also Starbooks in the lower level of the library where students can grab a cup of coffee and cram for finals. I’m daily impressed with our student body. Their dedication to the Lord’s work is evident in their preparation, but also in their personal lives as they actively participate in ministry in area congregations and communities.
MUSIC AND CO-CURRICULARS One thing that has not changed is our love for music. Our instrumental and vocal music programs are aimed specifically at the needs of our churches and schools, providing a wide range of training and experiences that will serve our church well in years to come. Our co-curricular offerings are also strong: five drama productions each year, intramurals and clubs that serve hundreds of students each year, and a full Division III athletic program. Athletic contests like basketball remain the same, but the man that was at the free throw line in the 70’s is now our Athletic Director! And that is another unique strength of our program: those who went through our training, who served as pastors and teachers, are now training the next generation for our synod. They’ve walked the path our students are walking now. TECHNOLOGY AND PROGRAMS As on other campuses, the technological advances are unbelievable. But we’ve changed other aspects of our programs as well. Students graduate today with much more experiential learning. Our education students do a formal field experience every year, and our pre-seminary students do ministry in local congregations and their home churches as well. Add to that the hundreds of students who do Daylight ministry trips across the country and the dozens who serve abroad
through our International Teaching Opportunities, and it’s clear that our ministry preparation is far and away more hands-on than 30 years ago. So, Dave, we’ve changed in our preparations, but not in our purpose. MLC is still the WELS College of Ministry, fully dedicated to providing our churches and schools with the best-trained workers possible—a purposeful training for a changing world. Give my best to Jordyn. In Christ, Bill
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MLC Forum Presents Bye Bye Birdie!
In this famous musical, Conrad Birdie, played by Sam Kleinke, wowed Sweet Apple, Ohio—and New Ulm, Minnesota, too. Phil Eich directed and Jaymie Bergmeier produced this show that hit the MLC stage October 27-28 and November 3-5.
This Sweet Apple girl played by Heidi Schone is smitten with Conrad Birdie, played by Sam Kleinke.
Sweet Apple teens played by Ellen Lueneburg and Dan Johnston smile for the cameras.
Dan Zuberbier shows the other Sweet Apple kids how it’s done.
Upcoming Forum Productions Nightwatch February 16-17 7:30 pm February 18 2:00 pm
Cinderella
King Lear
School performances: April 19-20 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm
(Performed outdoors at German Park, New Ulm)
May 4-5 6:00 pm May 6 2:00 pm
Public performances: April 20-21 7:30 pm
The Things They Carried
All MLC Forum productions are student-directed and student-produced. This fall’s drama, The Things They Carried, was even student-written. MLC student Brad Snyder adapted Tim O’Brien’s novel on the Vietnam War for an MLC Readers’ Theater production. Brad was motivated to produce the show after reading the novel in his Literature and Writing class at MLC. “A couple of decades ago college students actively protested against this war,” Brad said, “and today college students strive to find out what this war was about.”
Josh Shandor, Brian Wrobel, and David Zuberbier portray soldiers contemplating the weight of war.
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Dan Niemi and Kevin Boushek assist wounded soldier David Zuberbier.
Coach Buck with 2006 Player of the Year Rachel Meyer and her sister, Professor Sarah Zahrt
s d r o W o t It’s Hard to Put in
A Tribute to Coach Drew Buck
by Professor (and former player) Sarah Zahrt
When people retire, their success is usually judged by what they accomplished at their particular position. Numbers are crunched, scores are recorded, titles are given, and rewards are handed to the individual. Professor Drew Buck—“Coach”—is retiring after this school year. While he has amassed successful records and prestigious titles as a volleyball, baseball, and basketball coach at (Dr.) Martin Luther College, this is not what his former players and students will remember him by. I could throw the facts at you: That his overall record in volleyball was 491-285. That between baseball and volleyball, he had five NSCAA titles, six conference titles, and seven Coach of the Year honors. That he is the most successful coach in MLC history. That he’s ranked 20th among Division III coaches for career wins.
to let our faith shine. And this fall Coach and his wife, Sharon, let their faith shine brighter than ever. On October 26, their son Russell was killed in a car accident. At a time when others usually lend words of comfort, Coach and Sharon lifted us up with their strength in the knowledge that their son is in heaven. It was at that time that I admired Coach far more for the man he is than for the successful coach he has always been. Coach, on behalf of your former players and students, I want to say congratulations on all those records, yes, but thank you for everything else. Well done, Coach. Well done!
But what surpasses those facts by far is the fact that for 24 years Drew Buck has been an amazing Christian example on and off the court. It’s hard to put into words the respect, admiration, and thanks we all have for a man who so quietly and humbly led and encouraged us as we prepared for ministry. He taught us how to play and work as a team (a great asset for ministry) and that there is more to life than just the game. He taught us that the students in our classrooms come first and that it’s incredibly important to listen, to lead by example, and Coach Buck and the 2006 championship volleyball team
Memories of Coach Drew Buck from former players: He and his wife were such a strong example. I know he has influenced me not only in my “coaching life” but also in my day-to-day life. Kathy (Radue) Stern, Waco, Nebraska I broke my back senior year in football. I will always remember his kind words, empathy, and care. He was a blessing to me, and I thank God for his faithful and humble service to me and to so many others. Dan Johnson, Phoenix, Arizona I am able to “live” my volleyball experiences through my high school teams. The knowledge, leadership, compassion, fun, and understanding taught by Coach Buck I am able to share with the young Christian ladies I coach. Kari Rosenberg, Onalaska, Wisconsin There is not enough space or words to say thanks, Coach. So much of who I am today is because of you. You were so much more than a coach, and that’s how I try to coach my players today. Mark Heckendorf, Kewaskum, Wisconsin
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MLC
MISSION ADVANCEMENT
Scharlemann Named MA Director Jon Scharlemann has been named Director for Mission Advancement at Martin Luther College. Scharlemann most recently held a similar position for The Lutheran Home Association in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. He brings 34 years of financial expertise to the position, including 19 years of development experience. His responsibilities at MLC include strategic planning, cultivating and maintaining major donors, supervising the advancement staff, working with the public relations director, and providing planning and leadership for alumni program development. Jon is excited to work with the newly established Mission Advancement Office and to apply his experience to the role of leader and visionary. MLC President Ted Olsen said, “We are thrilled to have Jon Scharlemann in this new position, which will help to maintain MLC’s strong presence as the WELS College of Ministry. He has long had significant positions in the fields of finance and development, and he will play a vital role in helping us meet our strategic goals, especially as they relate to establishing a strong financial foundation that we can build on in years to come.”
$100 Available
Thanking God
for Your Support
Gifts rec’d through Nov. 2005-‘06
2006-‘07
Operating Budget Gifts Scholarship Gifts
$469,000 $113,000
$365,000 $174,000
Total Operating Budget Need - 2006-’07 $3,080,000 Current Operating Funding Gap $2,611,000 Total Scholarship Need - 2006-‘07 $700,000 Current Scholarship Funding Gap $587,000
to Help with Estate Planning Thanks to a grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Martin Luther College can reimburse up to $100 to anyone who incurs expense while remembering MLC with a gift. If you include a gift to MLC in a new or revised will, MLC can reimburse up to $100 for the attorney fee. Likewise, if you incur expense from gifting stock or other assets to MLC, we can reimburse up to $100 for the accountant fee. To request a reimbursement form, please call the Mission Advancement Office at 1-866-397-4627 ext. 220 or email tohalkj@mlc-wels.edu.
Estate Planning Seminars MLC will be hosting Estate Planning/Charitable Gifting Seminars in the following locations:
March 27: Milwaukee, WI
May 24: LaCrosse, WI
For those unable to attend a seminar, a folder of seminar information is available upon request. Please call the Mission Advancement Office at 1-866-397-4627 ext. 220 or email tohalkj@mlc-wels.edu. 20
Martin Luther College
By Steven Thiesfeldt, MLC Vice President for Administration
President Theodore Olsen The Man, His Ministry, and a College’s Mission It’s not everyone who can say he’s had the privilege of serving four different ministerial education schools in four decades. Assigned as a tutor in 1963 to Northwestern Lutheran Academy in Mobridge, South Dakota, Rev. Theodore “Ted” Olsen began a public ministry that will end this summer when he retires from his role as Martin Luther College’s first president.
Under Ted’s leadership, the college recently completed a strategic plan that looks to 2010 and beyond. “A strong mission advancement effort will be necessary to provide future financial stability,” he says. “I’d like to see completion of the master plan with a chapel and field house. Our WELS constituency expects MLC to provide future church workers and educational leadership. Under God’s blessing, I expect MLC to fulfill that mission for years to come.”
President Olsen was called to serve the newly amalgamated college in 1994. Prof. Phil Leyrer, then a member The Olsens have purchased a retirement of the Governing Board, describes home in Spooner, Wisconsin. Ted the board’s action as a strategic hopes to maintain some involvement in move: “We realized that MLC’s Ted and his wife, Joanne—who has served church work. And it’s no coincidence first president had to fulfill one as a keyboard instructor at DMLHS, MLPS, that the home is adjacent to a golf criterion before any others: the and MLC for a total of 31 years—have course, six blocks from a lake, and that ability to bring two colleges together three children, Theodore (Melanie), Andrew (Jane), and Carolyn. a pickup truck stands poised to pull under one administration. The his boat. Holy Spirit led us to see Ted’s gifts and experience as a good fit, and God has blessed To the next MLC president, Ted offers advice that was his leadership. Presiding over amalgamation will be given him years ago: “Be who you are, use the gifts God his legacy.” has given you, and know that you can’t do it alone—it’s the Lord!” That advice has served President Olsen well Ted sees his prior ministry experiences as an throughout his ministry, and an entire church body says, apprenticeship for the presidency. “I got my feet wet “Thank you, and Godspeed!” as a teacher at NLA. When I served in Brown Deer, I was also principal of the school. At DMLC I learned the ropes of higher education. And MLPS provided President Olsen’s Ministry valuable experience in administration.” As one might expect, Ted has seen some changes. “Today’s student is more inquisitive and has higher expectations. Technology has expanded education beyond the walls of the classroom and the confines of the school day. Students have opportunities we never dreamed about years ago; in recent years, more than eighty MLC graduates have volunteered for international service in our mission fields.” But there have also been some constants. “The faculty is as gifted as ever—I marvel at the diversity of gifts God has given,” Ted says. “The students are the best anywhere. And the mission and message haven’t changed. We still train future church workers to teach the Word in all its truth and purity.”
Northwestern Lutheran Academy, Mobridge, SD 1963-1964 Tutor Siloah Lutheran School, Milwaukee, WI 1965-1966 Grade 5 St. Mark Lutheran Church & School, Brown Deer, WI 1966-1970 Pastor and Principal Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN 1971-1978 Professor Zion Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL 1978-1982 Pastor Christ Lutheran Church, Keystone Heights, FL 1979-1980 Pastor Martin Luther Preparatory School, Prairie du Chien, WI 1982-1994 President Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN 1994-2007 President
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Faculty
NOTES
Professor Paul Bases has been named a Spanish program reviewer for the Minnesota Board of Teaching PEPER (Professional Education Program Evaluation Reports). He also was invited to a statewide discussion on the Productive Language Spanish Test, which is used for state licensure, and he is serving as a consultant/reviewer for a Spanish textbook to be published by Prentice Hall.
Professor Mark Gnewuch is a December 2006 graduate who has been assigned to serve as an admissions counselor for the remainder of this school year. We welcome him and his new wife, Elizabeth (Fritze), to our campus family.
Professor Jack Gronholz presented “Early Childhood Physical Education,” a two-day workshop in West Bend, Wisconsin, as part of the Wisconsin State Teachers’ Conference.
Dr. Roger Klockziem presented “Eight Basic
Dr. Kermit Moldenhauer served as choral adjudicator at the “Big Sing” in Marshall, Minnesota, a National Association of Male Choruses event featuring men’s choirs from the Midwest. Dr. Moldenhauer also presented the workshop “Weight Reduction for the Male Choir: Taking the Heaviness Out of the Sound.”
Professor Thomas P. Nass recently published the elementary Hebrew course Let’s Study Hebrew (Northwestern Publishing House), designed for the WELS Pastoral Studies Institute and WELS world mission seminaries. The course includes two instructional books, worksheets, lesson plans, a CD, and 6 DVDs, all produced at MLC with the assistance of MLC students.
Dr. Lawrence Olson presented the Law and Gospel seminar at the Congregational Assistant Program for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Methods of Effective Science Instruction” at the South Atlantic District Teachers’ Conference as well as “The Bible and Science” in the St. John’s Lutheran Church Community Lecture series. He has also been elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors for Christian Life Resources.
Professor James Unke earned his Master of Science in Educational Leadership at Minnesota State University. He also presented “The Role of Parents in High School Athletics” at the Minnesota Lutheran High School Teachers’ Conference.
Professor Lyle Lange delivered the keynote
100 new Higher Learning Commission Team Chairs and Consultant-Evaluators in Lisle, Illinois. The Higher Learning Commission is the Midwest accreditation agency for colleges and universities.
address, “The Confessional Lutheran Worldview,” at the Christian Worldview Seminar at King of Grace Lutheran Church, Golden Valley, Minnesota. Professor Lange is also a regular writer for “Living Water,” a devotional bulletin produced by WELS Prison Ministry.
Dr. Mark Lenz delivered a paper on Luther and Religious Education at the Wisconsin Lutheran State Teachers’ Conference. He has made several contributions to the Lutheran Study Bible, soon to be published by Concordia Publishing House, as well as transcribing some music of Flavia Gag (sister of Wanda Gag, best known as the author of Millions of Cats) in preparation for publication. Professor Lenz has also been asked to serve on the Friends of China Board of Directors.
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Professor John Mattek delivered a paper on late-19th-century Lutheran schools in Wisconsin to the New Ulm Pastoral Conference.
Martin Luther College
Dr. David Wendler was a trainer and mentor for
Professor Keith Wessel spoke on the history and archaeology of Herod’s Temple at the Minnesota Lutheran High School Teachers’ Conference.
In memoriam Harold A. Kaiser 1926 – 2006 Harold Kaiser served as a professor at Dr. Martin Luther College; Dr. Martin Luther High School; Martin Luther Preparatory School, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; and Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wisconsin.
Eickmann Legacy Lives On at MLC by Thomas P. Nass, MLC Professor of Hebrew Northwestern College graduates from 1970 through 1995 undoubtedly remember
Prof. Paul Eickmann. As professor of Hebrew, he left a profound impact on his students—with his careful scholarship, his Lutheran convictions, and his Christian character. Most of all, students may remember his care and concern for them as individuals.
of training that we have received from those who have gone before us—people like “PE.” We are happy to continue, as we can, in their stead. Professor Eickmann did not live to see his book published, but Professor Nass took it through the publication process, and it is now available through Northwestern Publishing House or here at Martin Luther College.
Since God took “PE” home on June 15, 2006, he no longer is present among us. But his legacy lives on at MLC. In Professor Eickmann’s last year at NWC, he authored a Hebrew textbook entitled Biblical Hebrew for Beginners. This textbook has been used by all MLC juniors in pastoral studies since 1995. Biblical Hebrew for Beginners presents Hebrew in a simple way and allows students to read Bible stories— and the entire book of Jonah—in Hebrew from the very start. Students at MLC often comment on how they appreciate this textbook and how it helps them to enjoy Hebrew in their first year. We at MLC are thankful to God for the fine traditions
Professor Thomas Nass teaches Hebrew, using Eickmann’s text.
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[THAH-lah-sah : THE SEA]
This $1000 award is given to recognize a Martin Luther College Knight who expresses clearly and beautifully, in image and word, a personal reflection on their ministry overseas. Purposes of the MLC Thalassa Prize • To express gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve him in international venues. • To provide an opportunity for MLC Knights in international ministry to share their reflections, including human interest stories, blessings received, and lessons learned. • To motivate and inspire current MLC Knights to consider serving overseas. • To bring glory to God through excellence in the arts of photography and creative writing. • To reaffirm through image and word the dignity of the entire human race and the desire of God to save all people.
Entrance Requirements • Open to all MLC Knights, undergraduate and graduate, who are doing ministry outside the United States (or who have done ministry outside the U.S. since 2004) • Each entry must include o A completed entry form (found at www.mlc-wels.edu/go/thalassa) o A color digital photograph taken in a foreign mission field o A personal reflection on ministry in that foreign mission field • Entrants may submit as many entries as they wish. Deadline: April 30, 2007 • Photo and essay specifications, judging criteria, and tips for entrants may be found at www.mlc-wels.edu/go/thalassa.
Prize • The Thalassa Prize recipient will be announced in May 2007. • The $1000 prize will be divided equally between the winning MLC Knight ($500) and an international mission of the Knight’s choice ($500).
MLC expresses gratitude to the anonymous donor who has chosen to support our global mission and ministry through this prize.