Embrace the opportunities

July 2021

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever."

-- Psalm 136

Dear alumni,

Every year millions of people attend fireworks displays as a big part of their Independence Day celebration. Most Americans spend time at picnics or meeting around backyard grills on July 4. Did you gather with family or friends to celebrate the national holiday this year? For many of us, our country’s birthday provides a fitting back drop to celebrate and reflect on the freedoms we enjoy and all that God provides. It’s good timing, a seasonal transition between spring and fall. It's halfway between January and December. One school year is complete and the next will soon begin.

The same is true at Concordia. Students graduate, start new jobs and launch careers. Alumni gather to serve, reminisce and reconnect. One academic year makes way for the next. New students enroll to embark on their college education. This year we welcome Dr. Cario as our interim president to lead during this time as we search for a new president. It’s a time of transition. As we face the transitions in life and the natural ebb and flow from season to season in all that we do, I invite you to join in giving thanks to the Lord for His enduring love. He provides a multitude of opportunities as He calls us to live the mission of service to Christ in the Church and in the world. God bless you as you embrace the opportunities He provides.

God’s peace be yours,

Greg Witto '94

Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

Grateful for your support as fiscal year ends

Thank you to our donors and friends who helped us close the fiscal year with a strong finish. Your support enables us to advance our mission and prepare the way for all of the good things the Lord will provide. You positively and directly impact our students as they seek to make a difference in the lives of others.

Play golf to support our students

September 20

Join us for an enjoyable day of golf and networking while supporting our uncommon students! All funds raised at this annual event support student scholarships. The President's Golf Classic will take place on Monday, September 20, at the West Bend Country Club and will include a networking reception with heavy appetizers and a silent auction. To learn more, register, and sponsor the event, click here.

Meet Interim President, Bill Cario, PhD.

Dr. Bill Cario continues his service to Concordia University by serving as our interim president while we search for a replacement for Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry, who retired at the end of June. Some of you may already know Dr. Cario. Those who want to get to know him better should click on the video at left. Enjoy this interview!

Take me out to the Chinooks game!

Summer brings us baseball and an opportunity to do some game watching with our fellow alumni at Kapco Park on campus. Last night we enjoyed spending time with alumni from the Schools of Nursing, Health Professions and Pharmacy. Next month, on August 5, alumni from the School of Business will join us. To learn more, click here.

Were you at the Mallards game?

Weather could not dampen our alumni's spirit! In spite of the heavy rain and delay, almost all of our 100 registered guests attended the Mallards game on June 25. We are glad our alumni and their families remained after the rain stopped to enjoy a pleasant evening at the ballpark, featuring a home run derby with a national anthem and opening pitch. It was good to be together again!

New Bible verse chosen for 2021-22 academic year

Each year, Campus Ministry student leaders get together to choose the theme verse for the next academic year. The 2021-22 theme is "Shaped with Purpose," and the accompanying Bible verse to help guide the year is Isaiah 64:8: "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand." Please keep this verse in mind as we pray it throughout the year.

Attention LCMS youth leaders! We need your help

As the Church’s school, Concordia University seeks to be a trusted support. Especially important is the next generation of the LCMS, our youth. We have this beautiful responsibility and privilege of strategically speaking God’s Word into the lives of our youth during their most critically “trajectory-setting” years of spiritual development. To that end, we are looking to create a tool youth groups can use to help deal with the pressures of a challenging age and culture. This tool would be distinctively Lutheran and uncommonly helpful as our youth face unprecedented pressures and struggles. By completing this survey, your input will help provide the information needed to help the Church broadly.