Thankfulness and praise

Welcome Back Weekend included a lot of family fun and Concordia spirit!

November 2021

“Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever.”

Psalm 100:4-5

Dear friends,

My wife and I were returning from a quick getaway last weekend when we discovered one of our favorite satellite radio stations had changed programming since our last listen. It began playing Christmas tunes 24/7...Holiday Traditions.

Although we do not normally listen to Christmas music this early, we allowed ourselves to listen to a few songs and very quickly they brought to mind some of our family, well, ah… Holiday Traditions. Soon we found ourselves walking down memory lane and getting excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday, only a few short weeks away.

The thought of Thanksgiving was still on my mind as I returned to the office and began preparing for this newsletter. I reflected on so many experiences in the last month at Concordia for which we can be thankful and it was easy to see God’s hand of blessing.

We hosted Welcome Back Weekend, which combined Homecoming and Family Weekend, bringing together families, students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Many reunions occurred as we hosted the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The classes of 1970 and 1971 gathered for a reunion and the class of 2020 returned for a special in-person commencement ceremony. We also celebrated the life and ministry of long-time employee and friend of Concordia Evelyn Hutchins, who after so many years of faithful service was called home to her heavenly rest.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Concordia has much for which to be thankful. As we prepare to celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday, I want you to know that we are thankful for you as an important part of the Concordia family. Thank you for your continued prayers and support as together we carry out the mission and raise up new generations to grow in mind, body, and spirit to serve Christ in the Church and the world!

May God richly bless your Thanksgiving this year!

God’s peace be yours,

Greg Witto '94

Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

Mark your calendars for Christmas at Concordia

December 3-4

Celebrate this glorious time of love, community, and music with the talented music students of CUW. This event features all of our instrumental, vocal, and handbell ensembles. Welcome in the glory of Christmas with all the hard work put forth by Concordia's music students! HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Due to COVID, seating is limited to friends and family of musicians. We encourage you to tune in via livestream. If you are a friend or family member of a CUW musician, and you would like to attend in person, please reach out to a musician directly for the ticketing link. Tickets are $20 per seat.

Catch up on Chapel sermons ‘on demand’ online

The newly reorganized CUW Chapel YouTube Channel makes it easy to access and listen to a treasure trove of past Chapel sermons. We all know the best way to experience a sermon from one of CUW’s gifted preachers is to physically attend our daily campus Chapel service. But we know that's not always possible, so that’s where the newly revamped CUW Chapel YouTube channel comes in handy. Click here to learn more.

Long-time employee passes away

An exemplary model of Christ's love and one of Concordia's beloved former employees, Evelyn Hutchins, recently passed away. She was known for her ability to make everyone she encountered feel valued and uplifted, which is why CUW decided a few years ago to name a new student stress management resource after her. Click here to learn more.

The perks of CUW’s multi-disciplinary approach to learning

There are distinct advantages that come with having more than a dozen health care disciplines under one roof. One is that our Bethesda College at CUW students are able to receive individualized wellness assessments and plans, courtesy of our PT and athletic training students. Click here to learn more.

Watch Leadership Series on recorded link

Were you able to be at the Leadership Series Breakfast in person or via Zoom? What an incredible event filled with so much interesting information from Timothy Sheehy, president of MMAC. If you missed it, don't worry. We recorded it and you can watch it here.

On a related topic: Take a look here to learn more about earning a CUW Master of Science in Leadership.

Classes of 1970 and 1971 gather to celebrate milestone reunions

We recently welcomed the classes of 1970 and 1971 for their 50th and 51st reunions. A lot of fun and reminiscing took place among alumni and even former faculty. Take a look here to see our photo album. Recognize anyone?

"The reunion was like going home for a visit. Our time together at Concordia was like being

with family. In our short 2 years (for the women anyway) we counted on each other.

We grew together in our faith, emotions and love."

--Shirley Piepenbrink, class of 1970

Thank you, classes of 1970 and 1971

Thank you for supporting the Alumni 50^th Reunion Scholarship Endowment, which helps prepare students to become church workers. The class of 1967 started the scholarship four years ago, and it now has a value of more than $41,000 through the generosity of subsequent reunion classes. Thanks to you and a matching gift, the value has increased by nearly $4,000 -- and we're not done yet! Because of your kindness, we will be able to help more students pursue their life's goal of working within the church. For that, we are very grateful.

Join the virtual 5K to support CASPT

November 13-20

Go grab those running shoes and join us for the Virtual Falcon 5K, an event put together by Concordia's Association for Students of Physical Therapy. This organization is made up of students in CUW’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. The money raised during this event will go toward the students of this organization to assist them in preparation for their clinical rotations. Complete your race anytime Saturday, November 13, through Saturday, November 20. To register and learn more, click here.

Welcome Back Weekend was a great homecoming event!

Did you make it back for Homecoming or the Athletic Hall of Fame? Welcome Back Weekend was full of lots of fun for alumni and their families. Click here to take a look at photos from the event.

Congratulations, Hall of Fame inductees

Each year, CUW celebrates our most accomplished athletes by inducting them into the Hall of Fame for their contributions to CUW Athletics. Congratulations to this year’s honorees! Take a look at the inductees here. Pictured left: 1990 Football Team.