BC Mission Boat

From May 20-29, nine students and Prof. Kraemer took part in a mission trip with the BC Mission Boat Society to two different First Nations communities on the B.C. coast.  This trip, sponsored by the Missionary Study Centre, was also to fulfill the requirements for a course entitled “Parish Ministry Immersion” and which focuses on the issues of ministering cross-culturally. Half of the students traveled to Kingcome, BC by water taxi where they observed Heritage Days and lead the youth and children of the communities in Soccer and other games.  The other half travelled to Klemtu, BC by Grumman Goose (an amphibious airplane).  There they led a VBS for the children of the community, participated in sports nights at the community’s gymnasium, led Sunday service and visited many people of the community in their homes.  Marcus Huff,  Program Coordinator of the BC Mission Boat Society, and Pastor Craig Tufts of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Parksville led the students through an orientation before going out and a debriefing on their return.  The students through this experience were able to wrestle with challenging and thought-provoking issues such as ministering cross-culturally, the relationship between mission societies and the congregations who found and support them, and the place of short-term missions and mission societies in Lutheran Church-Canada.  A special thank you goes out to Marcus Huff and Pastor Craig who made the many of the arrangements and preparations for the trip and the wonderful people of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Parksville who opened their homes, fed and transported the seminary group. 

Seminary Evaluates & Plans 2008-2009

The Seminary’s Second Annual Institutional Evaluation Meeting took place May 27nd at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Edmonton. The evaluation meeting was conducted in an open spirit of self-critical discussion and constructive encouragement, including lively conversation and good food.

The yearly meeting follows the individual staff and facultyself-evaluation process and results in reports that are orally presented and approved by the institution’s leadership and relevant governance bodies.  The review looked at short and long term objectives, weaknesses and strengths, and proposals for the coming year for the institution and each of its departments as well as the external and internal constraints under which it operates.

Opportunities and challenges wereidentified, and strategies were proposed for institutional growth and improvement. Faculty, Board members, staff, and volunteers participated. Personnel and departments asked for special focus on major concerns in their current development and areas of change.

Placements

Curtis M. Boehm	Pastor, Grace, Drumheller, AB
Murray R. Keith	Pastor, Zion, Melville, SK
Dan Barr	Vicar, Redeemer, Kitimat, BC
Jeffery B. Dul	Vicar, Redeemer, Waterloo, ON
Ling Pui Yeong	Vicar, Trinity, Abbotsford, BC

Sacred Convocation

The 24th Academic Year comes to a close tonight at the Robert Tegler Student Centre of Concordia University College of Alberta beginning at 7:00pm. Placement details will be posted here after the ceremony.

The Candidates for both the Degree of Master of Divinity and Theological Diploma are Curtis Mark Boehm of Langley, British Columbia and Murray Roy Keith of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Their research topics are The Practice of Spiritual Retreat and Defending the Truth to a Relativistic Culture, respectively.

The Vicarage class of 2008 is Dan Barr of Barrhead, Alberta, Jeffery B. Dul of Edmonton, Alberta, and Ling Pui Yeong of Hong Kong.

Our guest speaker is The Rev. Dr. Gerald Krispin, President of Concordia University College of Alberta.

For background on the tradition of the annual Sacred Convocation, click here.