2019 Season
For a complete list of sites and topics for 2019, please check out the flyer for continuing education opportunities!
Complete information and online registration for individual sites will be available as it is finalized.
2019 Continuing Education Flyer
Contact Information
Kara J. Mertz
Administrative Assistant
Continuing Education
CE@ctsfw.edu
260.452.2103
Elberta, Alabama
Preaching Matthew
Dr. David P. Scaer
November 20–22, 2019
A detailed study in the First Gospel as instruction manual for the early Church will be presented. Attention is paid to the organization of the teaching materials into five discourses and the progression from one to the other in preparation of the catechumen to join himself to the church in Baptism and to meet Christ in the Eucharist. Also discussed is the Evangelist’s placement of the episodes from the life of Jesus between each of the discourses. Special consideration is given to the Lord’s Prayer and the relationship of the miraculous feedings to Christ’s offering Himself to the Church in Holy Communion. Along with isagogical materials, the role of Matthew in the fathers of the Church in the first centuries A.D. is discussed to show how Matthew is rightly understood as “The Church’s Gospel.” (1.5 CEU)
Denver, Colorado
Luther’s Theology in Today's World
Dr. Cameron A. MacKenzie
August 19–23, 2019
Is Lutheran theology as Luther himself developed it still relevant today? In a post-modern world that challenges the very existence of truth, can Lutherans still make use of Luther? After reading some of Luther’s most significant writings and recalling their context in Luther's life and career, students will explore the reformer’s insights that are still important and discuss ways in which Lutherans today can demonstrate their relevance to contemporary society. (3.0 CEU)
Pensacola, Florida
Christianity in Conflict: 2nd Century Faith as Model for the 21st Century Church
Dr. James G. Bushur
August 6–8, 2019
This course will consider the acts of early Christian martyrs and the theology of the second century, including Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, the martyrs of Lyons, Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, Irenaeus of Lyons, and others. Special emphasis will be placed on their relevance for today. As our contemporary American culture progresses toward a pagan worldview, questions of Christian identity become of paramount importance. In this study, we will have the opportunity to consider these questions and benefit from the wisdom of our early Christian fathers as they preached the Gospel in a hostile environment. (1.5 CEU)
Carlyle, Illinois
Making Music for the Lord: The Role of Choral Music in the Divine Service According to Chronicles and the New Testament
Dr. John W. Kleinig
September 17–19, 2019
The use of instrumental music in the Divine Service has always been regarded with some suspicion because it was not authorized in the Pentateuch or in the New Testament. This course considers what Chronicles has to say about its divine institution, its liturgical function, and its theological significance and how this has influenced the New Testament and the use of choral music in the Lutheran Church. (CEU 1.5)
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Zechariah
Dr. Reed Lessing
July 29–31, 2019
Based upon Dr. Lessing’s forthcoming CPH commentary on Zechariah, this seminar includes a historical overview of the prophet’s setting, his visions, and especially his theology. All participants will receive a Lenten series based upon Zechariah that includes sermons, orders of worship, and a Bible Study. (1.5 CEU)
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Making Music for the Lord: The Role of Choral Music in the Divine Service According to Chronicles and the New Testament
Dr. John W. Kleinig
September 23–25, 2019
The use of instrumental music in the Divine Service has always been regarded with some suspicion because it was not authorized in the Pentateuch or in the New Testament. This course considers what Chronicles has to say about its divine institution, its liturgical function, and its theological significance and how this has influenced the New Testament and the use of choral music in the Lutheran Church. (CEU 1.5)
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Luther, Gerhardt, and Bach: Giants of the Christian Faith
Kantor Richard Resch
August 5–8, 2019
This study will look at the contributions of Martin Luther, Paul Gerhardt, and Johann Sebastian Bach to the hymnological, musical, and theological heritage of the Christian Church. As towering pillars of Confessional Christianity, what does each man bring to this glorious heritage that so identifies us? And how can we as pastors and church musicians still make faithful use of their good gifts in the Church of today? (3.0 CEU)
Davenport, Iowa
The Gospel of John
Dr. William C. Weinrich
July 29–31, 2019
Although the Gospel of John is frequently interpreted to be without sacramental meaning or reference, the manner in which the story of Jesus is told reveals a pervasive Christological, sacramental, and ecclesial perspective. The narrative about Jesus is a narrative about the life of the church grounded in and instantiated in Baptism and the Eucharist. Thus, the story of Jesus is descriptive of the “Way,” that is, of the manner of life begun and sustained through the Sacraments of the church. It is descriptive of the "Truth," that is, of the reality of grace and faith established in the Sacraments of the church; it is descriptive of the "Life," that is, of the life of God which in Jesus has become the life of man. (1.5 CEU)
Le Mars, Iowa
The Role of the Old Testament in the Church Today
Dr. Dean O. Wenthe
September 16–18, 2019
How does the Old Testament guide the Church today? How can the laws and history of ancient Israel speak relevantly and authoritatively to the community of faith in the modern world? To answer these questions, it is crucial that the Old Testament be interpreted properly. Hermeneutics, the art and science of interpretation, becomes the key step in appropriating the Old Testament text. This course will survey the various efforts, both in academic circles and in parish setting, to formulate an adequate answer. It will seek to formulate a Lutheran and confessional perspective with a view to the actual use of the Old Testament in the preaching, teaching, and larger life of the parish. (1.5 CEU)
Marengo, Iowa
The Gospel in Philippians
Dr. John G. Nordling
August 19–22, 2019
Written to thank Christians at Philippi for their generous gift to him, Paul gives hearty utterance in the letter to the Gospel of Christ Jesus: his thanksgiving to God for the Philippians’ “partnership” in his ministry (1:5), his being torn between going on and living in the body or departing to be with Christ (1:21-24), his “joy” amid the imprisonment (throughout), the Christ hymn (2:5-11), and the nature of their gift itself and its implications for their life together (4:14-19). The present course covers all these themes and then some, and relates them to practical considerations in the parish and ministry. (3.0 CEU)
Flathead Lake, Montana
Luther on the Church
Dr. Naomichi Masaki
August 5–9, 2019
Today’s society would say: “We like Jesus but not the Church.” How about our understanding of the Church? Our confession of the Church becomes drastically different depending on where we choose as a point of departure. We may proceed from our point of view, such as faith, holy living, church organizations, like-minded small groups, or from the Lord’s words, His means of grace, and His means of grace office. In this course, we will examine how the confession of the Church comes from our Lord. Ubi Christus, ibi ecclesia. (3.0 CEU)
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Early Christian Preaching and Catechesis in a Pluralist Society
Rev. Chad Kendall
August 5–7, 2019
What does preaching and catechesis look like in the New Testament and in the Patristic period? The Church is entering a period of time which looks more and more like the early days of Christianity. What must pastors consider as they engage in preaching and catechesis in a pluralist society? What does the hearer need to hear? The course will consider major ideological shifts which have taken place in the Western world and how these shifts have affected the piety and faith of Lutherans today. Major Greek themes predominate in the New Testament as the apostles preach and teach. These themes will be examined in the Greek New Testament. Further, select Patristic homilies will be studied with some consideration as to how Patristic themes may aid our preaching and catechesis today. (CEU 1.5)
Charlottesville, Virginia
The Book of Acts: The Church Comes into Being
Dr. Peter J. Scaer
August 5–7, 2019
This class will look at how the Church, as we know it, came into being. Special attention will be paid to Christ’s continuing work through the Holy Spirit. Topics also include the church’s apostolic foundation, its sacramentology, missiology, the place of martyrdom, and the relationship between Peter and Paul. (1.5 CEU)
Seattle, Washington
Today’s Options in Sermon Form
Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher II
August 5–9, 2019
A practical preaching course that presents, critiques theologically, and illustrates a variety of sermon forms available on the contemporary homiletical scene. Forms include several inductive and narrative options, phenomenological preaching, and others. (3.0 CEU)