Adult Continuing Ed Course: How is it that the pastor preaches the Word of God and, at the same time, speaks for the Church as the Body of Christ? This study examines the relationship between the Scriptures, the preacher, and the prayer life of the Church as the holy conversation where heaven and earth meet.

God gave strength to His people under totalitarian oppression in East Germany and other countries behind the Iron Curtain. Using original artifacts and authentic stories, we will see how Jesus guided His people under the Cross and even to triumph over these evil regimes.

In contexts often marked by poverty, conflict, unemployment, and social uncertainty, young African Christians wrestle with profound questions of faith, justice, and resilience. Drawing from biblical narratives, especially the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ, we’ll highlight how African youth see their trials not as signs of abandonment but as opportunities for deeper trust in God’s promises. Their testimonies and insights reveal a vibrant theology of hope rooted in Scripture, shaped by community, and sustained by the Spirit which speaks to the global church. Come listen, learn, and be encouraged by the witness of African youth who carry their crosses with eyes fixed on the risen Christ.

We live in a culture that is entrenched in a battle over pronouns, sexuality, and the nature of man and woman. God has created us male and female but there are many people who wrestle with the truth. This session will talk briefly about the L,G, and B elements of LGBT, but will focus on the T part of the acronym. What is “Transgenderism” and how do we approach it as Christians? We’ll approach the topic through the lens of Christ who makes all things new. We’ll talk about how we got where we are today, how we can more faithfully articulate this through the lens of Christ and bring the mercy and forgiveness of Christ to those who are broken and hurting in the world.

Jesus says, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Yet this statement alone produces even more anxiety. But that’s not all He says! There’s no off switch for anxiety just because Jesus tells you not to be anxious. It isn’t a question of whether you should have anxiety. It’s a question of what to do with the anxiety you have. By contrasting worry and imagination, we’ll tackle anxiety, what it is, what Jesus promises for those who struggle with it, and what to do with it when you have it.

This breakaway will challenge the new man within you and you will love it. If you attend, come hydrated from the font and eager to sweat. You'll embrace theological negative reps with David and the Psalms, threshold endurance training with St. Paul, and earn brain callouses from the Table of Duties. You're a Christian. Already, you train on being new. We work. We train. We shoulder a cross and march on. If you need an edge, blood doping and HGH are available. Jesus lives and you are baptized. Let's get to work.

Have you thought about what career you want to pursue after high school? Have you considered how your gifts, talents and abilities will inform how you can make a positive impact in this world? Have you heard the Lord asking, “Who will I send?” (Isaiah 6: 8) Come and hear about LCMS church work vocations and listen to current Concordia University church work students as they talk about how they made the decision to be sent to serve the Lord. Learn to their pathway toward a church work vocation to help you to decide upon your own vocational journey.

Jesus declared that the Scriptures (Old Testament) were more than a guidebook for holy living, they are a testimony to Him. We will begin with Genesis 1 and open our eyes to see Jesus. Bring your Bibles.

Love is a word used to defend and encourage sin against God today. This presentation will explore the love that is ever new in Christ in scriptural terms, comparing it to how unbelievers sinfully use the term. The world sees love as transitory and focused on the sinner. Christians see love for what it is in Christ’s death and saving will for mankind. True love is from, like, and rooted in God—good, eternal, and unwavering—in Him who does not change. We will consider love in God, who is love, contrasted with the sinful perversion of true love.

Love. We think about it. We want it. We wonder when we’ll find it. We wonder IF we’ll find it. And if we do, how long will it last . . . because, let’s be honest, relationships break. Hearts break. People break. Is love really all it’s cracked up to be? The simple answer is, YES! God desires to give His people life-affirming love, and one of the ways He provides the blessing of love is through marriage. Learn how to spot real love, how to grow it, and how to give it as you abide in the love of Christ. Interested in learning more about REAL LOVE and how it upholds LIFE? Join this session, young lover

“It was the best times, it was the worst of times. . . .” This famous line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is only the beginning. A few pages in, a mysterious message gets delivered and the return message is simply: “Recalled to life.” What does this mean? A Tale of Two Cities helps us to grapple with life in the “now, but not yet.” With Dickens, we’ll ponder the baptismal realities of daily dying and rising as we live out our vocations this side of heaven.

No one likes to suffer. Yet sometimes you can't avoid it. Is there any comfort when you hurt? Can anything good come from suffering? Come meet a historic Lutheran pastor who also suffered much: Pastor Paul Gerhardt. We will hear what Gerhardt suffered, and see the comforting hymns that came out of it. Only one who suffered as much as Paul Gerhardt could write hymns as comforting as he did.

Who would have thought? Carrie Underwood and the Gospel? You bet! Come learn about these topics from some of her most famous videos: that heaven is our home, that there will be a happy reunion in heaven for all believers in Jesus, that the blood of Jesus atones for all sin, and that holy baptism gives you God's divine and saving name! What joy! Come and enjoy!

Revelation can be a confusing and scary book. Some people make Revelation more confusing and scary than it really is! The Book of Revelation is actually a comforting book meant to give you hope and strength for your earthly pilgrimage. In this breakaway we will be doing a Bible study on Revelation chapters 21-22 on the New Jerusalem along with the new heavens and new earth that Christ will usher in. Be sure to bring your Bibles as we go verse by verse through these two chapters and dive into the comfort that Christ gives you about the joys of eternal life with Him!

What comes to your mind when you hear someone mention the "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America?" If asked, could you give a brief summary of what they believe, teach, and confess? How are they different than the LCMS? Are they even Lutheran? In this breakout, we will study the history of the ELCA, what they believe, teach, and confess, and how to talk to your ELCA friends and neighbors about the truth of God's Word, and what it truly means to be a Lutheran.

Congratulations, you have depression! There are a million contradictory ideas about how you got depression, why you have it, and how to deal with it. Some say that medication will fix all your problems. Some say that just praying more will make it all better. How does a baptized child of God deal with depression? How should we view those who struggle with depression when their disorder leads to doubt or despair? How can a Christian faithfully suffer with depression? Short answer: Through the work of the Holy Spirit. But for a slightly longer answer, come on over!