Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
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On January 16, the MLC campus family came together for MLK Day 2023: a day dedicated to learning to serve God’s diverse kingdom.
The activities focused on 1 Corinthians 12:12: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” Each session encouraged attendees to prepare for the diversity they will experience in their ministries.
Students, faculty, and staff especially enjoyed speaker Ronald Kelly’s keynote address. Kelly, a pastoral assistant at St. Marcus-Milwaukee and a student in the Joshua Urban Ministry Program, shared his experiences and the ministry he and his wife Shavanaka are leading in the community. He engaged the campus family with humor, stories, and lessons for them to carry into their own ministries.
Another favorite was the panel discussion at the conclusion of the day. Keynote speaker Ronald Kelly, Professor Aaron Robinson (cultural diversity coordinator), and Admissions Counselor Martín Santos answered audience questions on race, diversity, and ministry. Panel speakers shared both frustrating and uplifting experiences and discussed the ministry lessons they learned from those situations.
MLC thanks the organizers, speakers, and attendees for an enlightening experience on MLK Day 2023.
Pictured: Keynote speaker Ronald Kelly presenting to the campus family on MLK Day.
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Jim Unke Memorial Scholarship |
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On January 28, supporters packed the MLC gym to celebrate the establishment of the Jim Unke Memorial Scholarship.
This new scholarship will honor and carry forward Coach Unke's legacy of gospel ministry by financially supporting the training of future pastors, teachers, and staff ministers.
Jim’s players, friends, and colleagues remember the former athletic director for his faithful service and heart for ministry. “As an MLC graduate, I can't thank Coach Unke enough for what he has done for all of us,” says Jiacheng (Nicholas) Liu MLC ’20. “Coach Unke was always approachable, encouraging, and caring. He set a perfect example for us on how to be a faithful servant.”
To honor Jim's 25 years of service to MLC, the scholarship committee set a goal to raise $25,000 in 25 days. They met that goal and more! Over $47,000 have been donated to the scholarship fund, and the donations are still coming in. Visit the scholarship's GoFundMe page to give to the training of future called workers.
MLC is thankful for the support that allowed the Jim Unke Memorial Scholarship to be established!
Pictured: Head Men’s Basketball Coach Greg Holzhueter MLC ’10, scholarship committee chair; MLC VP Scott Schmudlach DMLC ’85, Jim’s brother-in-law; Julie Schmudlach DMLC ’86, Jim’s sister; MLC Admissions Counselor Lori Unke DMLC ’84, Jim’s wife; Dan Cline, scholarship committee member; MLC VP Mark Maurice.
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Lunar New Year Celebrations |
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Happy Lunar New Year!
The campus family heard this greeting from January 21 to February 3 as international students celebrated the Lunar New Year.
The Lunar New Year is part of many Asian cultures, and Chinese international student 刘文达 (Wenda Liu) (First German-Manitowoc WI) believes it is important for the campus family to experience.
“It is not enough to just know the aspects of a culture, but also we have to really learn, understand, and connect with others from this culture to respect and admire it,” Liu says. “For me, I have a very diverse and beautiful culture, and I want to share this with our campus family so we can appreciate it together.”
On January 22, students from Introduction to Minority Cultures and Teaching World Language and Culture classes joined with international students at Professor Tingting Schwartz’s house for Chinese hotpot.
The Cultural Engagement Center (CEC) and the Craft Society also hosted a Lunar New Year event on January 24. MLC students, faculty, and staff did 窗花 (traditional Chinese paper cutting). Chinese international students demonstrated the paper cutting technique and explained the meaning of the symbols included in the designs.
To celebrate the Lantern Festival, the final day of the Lunar New Year, Professor Tingting and Wenda Liu went to the MLC Early Childhood Learning Center to read children's books about the holiday for the preschoolers.
Thank you to Professor Tingting, our international students, the CEC, and the Craft Society for holding these events!
Pictured: Wenda Liu reads The Nian Monster by Andrea Wang to ECLC students.
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What does a college student do when the temperature is minus 10 F? Broomball, painting, ice skating, hockey, trivia, and more!
During Winter Carnival, students willing to embrace the cold competed in broomball, played hockey against Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary students, and went ice skating.
For those more interested in escaping the frigid weather, indoor activities included badminton, Iron Chef, speedball, trivia night, and a talent show.
Students enjoyed the best of both worlds in a favorite event: Bob Ross Night. They painted a wintry scene while staying warm, eating snacks, and relaxing with friends.
Pictured: Naomi Bridgemen (St. Mark-Eau Claire WI), Yu Geng (Jerry) Yang (St. Paul-New Ulm MN), and Jacob Leyrer (St. John-Wauwatosa WI) show off their Bob Ross Night creations.
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New Face on Campus: Kayte Gut |
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Professor Kayte Gut (early childhood) is originally from Wausau WI and attended Northland LHS. Her ministry has involved many roles in various regions, which is a blessing to her current work at MLC.
When Professor Gut graduated from MLC, she was assigned to Lambs of Grace-Charlotte NC as a lead teacher and assistant director. From there she served at Abiding Word-Houston and Shepherd of the Valley-Westminster CO. In addition to her congregational ministries, she served as the early childhood district coordinator for the Nebraska District.
“Being able to share God's Word with the littlest of God's children is a blessing that looks different depending on the type of ministry you serve,” says Professor Gut. “Every early childhood ministry (ECM) in our synod is unique. The variety of ministries I have been blessed to serve allows me to bring firsthand knowledge and experience to our teacher candidates to better prepare and equip them for the unique opportunities our ECMs offer.”
At MLC, Professor Gut teaches several early childhood courses, including Teaching Literacy, The Arts and Movement in Early Childhood, and Teaching Religion in Early Childhood Education. She also observes student teachers in the early childhood education program and is the assistant women's soccer coach.
“The best part of preparing called workers for public ministry is seeing them learn how to teach young children,” says Professor Gut. “I get to see them apply what they are learning in class and do what they have ultimately come to MLC to do: teach young children about their Savior's love for them while preparing those same children for the world they live in.”
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From February 23 to March 3, the MLC College Choir looks forward to sharing the gospel in song on the West Coast. Concerts are planned for Washington, Oregon, and California under the theme, “Christ Is All in All.”
Please plan to attend a concert near you, or follow the choir on Facebook to see videos from the concerts and stories from the students.
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Support Your College of Ministry |
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MLC Day is May 3!
Join MLC supporters across the globe in celebrating and promoting ministerial education on MLC Day. Your support and encouragement help MLC meet two goals of Pursuing Excellence Under the Cross: expanding our family's reach and endowing our family's home.
Check out mlcday.com to see how you can pray, share, and give to support the training of future called workers. You can . . .
- Write a prayer for our students and staff.
- Submit photos and videos celebrating students and graduates.
- Download signs and materials.
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Give to your WELS College of Ministry. Your gifts on MLC Day will help fund the Congregational Partner Grant Matching Fund, directly supporting MLC students.
We're excited to share how the Congregational Partner Grant Program (CPGP) has been expanding. For several years, students received up to $2,000 every year: $1,000 from their congregation and a $1,000 match from MLC.
In 2022-23, we increased the annual maximum to $2,400—$1,200 from the congregation and a $1,200 MLC match. In 2023-24, the max will be $2,650.
We will continue to increase the max by 10% every year in order to decrease the financial burden on our students and their families.
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MLC is excited to offer two different Commencement activities on May 12!
Please join us for an Honors Recital at 4:00 pm in the Chapel of the Christ and a Commencement Concert at 7:30 pm in the auditorium.
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Want to share MLC news with a high schooler who’ s considering preparing for gospel ministry? Share our recruitment newsletter, the Knightwatch Weekly, found here!
Want to see more about our athletics? Follow this link to read the latest SportsPage! |
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Calls Extended by MLC
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Mr. Duane Vance (Illinois Lutheran Schools) accepted a call to MLC to serve as professor of education and middle and secondary student teacher supervisor.
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Pastor Aaron Dolan (Fox Valley LHS) accepted the call to MLC to serve as theology professor and coach.
Calls Received by MLC Faculty
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Professor David Scharf (theology) received a call to serve as pastor at Gethsemane-Davenport IA.
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ECLC Lead Teacher Catherine St. John received a call to be the early childhood ministry director at Abiding Love-Cape Coral FL.
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Professor Matthew Pearson (PE) returned a call to teach 7th grade, religion, English, and PE at Mt. Lebanon LES-Milwaukee.
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Professor Timothy Grundmeier (history) returned a call to serve as pastor at Victory-Lexington KY.
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Professor Timothy Grundmeier (history) returned a call to serve as pastor at Pilgrim-Minneapolis.
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Admissions Counselor Martín Santos returned a call to serve at Huron Valley LHS and Palabra de Vida-Detroit.
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Contact us today:
507.354.8221
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