"Sing to the Lord, all the world!
Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:23-33
from the Good News Translation
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Dear fellow alumni,
Have you been hoping to read some good news? Then this month’s newsletter is for you!
God has blessed us mightily with another year of record-breaking enrollment. Even in the middle of a pandemic! Read more about the good news here and celebrate with us.
As Christians, we are called to share the good news about Jesus Christ with everyone. The word “gospel” literally means Good News. This month’s scripture verse (above) enthusiastically tells us to sing to the Lord and proclaim the good news of salvation. Our Concordia Choir chiefly exists to proclaim salvation through song. Plan to worship with us during Concordia Vespers when our professionally produced video goes live on Sunday, November 15, at 5 p.m. To quote a favorite spiritual, “Ain’t a That Good News”?!
Do you have something to share with us from your department of good news? I would love to hear about it! During this month of thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for each one of you.
God’s blessings,
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Linda (Schramke) Sproul ‘92
Director of Donor and Alumni Relations
(734) 995-7491
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Worship with Concordia Vespers November 15
November 15
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Light a candle in your home and join us for Concordia Vespers Sunday, November 15, at 5 p.m. This professionally produced video was a special project of our CUAA music department. You will be amazed at the quality, and won’t want to miss the incredible drone footage of our beloved campus and Chapel of the Holy Trinity. God bless your worship experience!
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Undergraduate enrollment
at all-time high amidst COVID
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Big news! We're turning the national enrollment trends upside down with the highest-ever undergraduate enrollment in CUAA's 57-year history; largest-ever incoming freshmen class; and highest average high school GPA since the merge! Click here to read more.
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Update on our beloved
Boar's Head Festival
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For the first time since 1978, we are unable to gather in person for our annual Boar’s Head Festival. We will miss seeing you! We plan to release a brief video that showcases important memories of the Boar’s Head Festival. Most of the video and audio will feature the work of this year’s Concordia Choir and theater students. Our communications, theater, and music departments are working together for the recording and editing.
From Dr. Brian Altevogt, Director of Choirs:
The Boar’s Head Festival is a tremendous undertaking of communications, rehearsals, and collaborative work, but in a year such as this that forces us to be creative in different ways, we are reminded of why our efforts are worthwhile. Our students have surpassed our expectations with their patience and flexibility this semester, but the thought of Christmas without our annual Boar’s Head Festival brought many students to a breaking point. Each year, when we distribute the musical scores in choir
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rehearsal, the mood lightens (we’re all pretty tired near the end of the semester) and the music bounces off the page as if it never left us from the year before. We hope that our video production provides hints of the joy, reverence, peace, and frivolity that you’ve come to expect through our annual productions.
WATCH THIS SPACE in the December alumni e-newsletter for the special Boar's Head video link!
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Social Work students,
families, and friends raise funds for hunger
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Last month, 20 CUAA students, staff, and families participated in the Ann Arbor CROP Walk for Hunger annual event. Collectively, participants walked 50 miles and raised more than $1,000. Click here to read more.
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Golfers!
Thank you for your support
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More than $30,000 was raised from our recent golf outing in support of scholarship assistance and facility development. About 146 golfers attended, and more than 60 organizations or individuals supported the event through donations or sponsorships. Please save-the-date for next year--Friday, June 11, at the Washtenaw Golf Club. We will be going back to a two-flight format. Details and info to come after the first of the year! |
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Pictured above: 2018 alumni Marshal Oetting, Ben Balgaard, Micah Oetting, and Trevor Travis. |
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Virtual choir gift
for Doc Foelber
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Thanks to all of our alumni who participated in our “Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow” virtual choir gift for Doc. Special thanks to alumna, Judy (Spencer) Overway (’81) for volunteering her time and talent for this special project. Judy shared that it was an extreme challenge to get everything encoded, trimmed, and put together. Although some submissions were incompatible, the final video is truly a gift of love. Judy and her husband Kurt were able to share a virtual visit with Doc and Mrs. Foelber and they watched the video together. Doc said, “Well, you got the right arrangement.” Judy said it brought them to tears to see Mrs. Foelber observe Doc watching the video. Doc even sang along on the final verse. Thank you all so much for this wonderful gift. They loved it! To watch the video, click here or on the photo .
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Alumni Participants:
Beth Elowsky-Gojkov
Dennis "Sheep" Sheppard
Erin Marcis
Linda Woolman
Ken Eichinger
Norm Schmook
Pam Schroeder
Ron Roth
Jim Couser
Sandy Davert Couser
Kevin Gross, (audio only)
Thanks also to Paul Naumann, Tom Schroeder, and Emily Garth whose videos were received, but unable to embed.
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Meet four Concordians promoting health among Detroit mothers and babies |
Have you heard about the life-changing mission of the The Luke Project 52 Clinic in Detroit, Michigan? Read here how these Concordians (all alumni and one student) are involved!
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Celebrating Veterans Day
November 11
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This year, CUAA’s Veterans Day will look different than years past out of safety and concern for our veterans and campus population. Although we aren’t able to invite visiting veterans to campus, we still have the ability to make this day a special one. We invite you to join us.
Take a moment on Wednesday, November 11, to say "thank you" to a veteran, wherever you may be. Perhaps it’s a student, family member, neighbor, or an employee at your local store. We hope you will join us as we make an effort and take the time to offer a veteran a sincere thank you.
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From CUAA Alumni Relations:
Happy Veterans Day, and THANK YOU for your service!
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In case you missed it ... |
Milwaukee County Sherriff Earnell Lucas sat down with Concordia President Patrick Ferry on October 22 for our fall Leadership Series event. The two had a candid discussion about a variety of topics, including faith on the job, leadership styles, and managing in a crisis. If you were not able to attend the Zoom event, or even if you did and would like to watch again, click here.
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The latest in new degree programs at CUAA |
Within the past year, the university took steps to officially start—or lay the groundwork for—multiple academic offerings for undergraduate and graduate learners at its Ann Arbor campus. Click here to take a look at some of the new additions.
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New PA program
needs your help
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Our new physician's assistant program has two needs.
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Preceptors: The new CUAA PA program is in search of preceptors for the students’ clinical rotations. Preceptors need to be American Board Certified healthcare providers with at least three years of experience in patient care. All disciplines of medicine are welcome. Please contact Director of Clinical Education, Kristin Halsell via email or phone number (734-995-4817) to learn more about this opportunity to serve your alma mater and the medical profession. Click here to read more about Kristin Halsell and our Physician's Assistant program.
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2. Affordable student housing: Our first cohort of 32 Physician Assistant students will be coming from all over the country to the Ann Arbor area to pursue their graduate education beginning in January 2021. Students are highly discouraged from working so they can focus on their rigorous coursework. Because of this, they are searching for affordable housing opportunities near CUAA. If you know of apartment complexes or condos that might be available to one or more graduate students please prayerfully consider letting the program know by contacting Elena Holley via email.
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Scholarship recipients humbled
by your generosity
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Without scholarship support, most of our students would not be able to attend Concordia University and receive an education rooted in Christian values. Thank you to all those who have supported scholarships and our students throughout the years. You have made a positive impact on our scholarship recipients as well as the many people they will serve in their lives.
You have helped these students follow in your footsteps so that they, too, could live out the Concordia mission.
On behalf of our students, thank you!
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"The mission here is lived out daily and makes me proud to be a Concordian – to be uncommon and go against the grain by showing everyone unconditional love as God shows us. Thank you for investing in me, in my education, and my faith journey." |
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Thoughts from
Campus Pastor Randy Duncan
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Each morning during the school year, our campus pastor, Randy Duncan, sends out an email full of inspirational thoughts, concepts to ponder, scripture, and prayer requests. We thought we would share some of his thoughts with you each month for us to contemplate.
Final thought: If you think your mess-up is bigger than God's grace, that's your second mistake.
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