We are grateful for our network of pastors and ministry partners who have supported us and provided thoughtful reflections about their experiences as students.  Pastor Andrea Taphorn was ordained in September 2023 and now serves a congregation in sunny San Diego, CA. She shared her insights with us as a recent graduate of our Kairos program.  We’re grateful for Andrea’s service to her community and her gracious testimonial. Check out what she had to say below! Tell us a bit about yourself and your path to Lutheran ministry.  I was ordained in September, and I’m currently servin ..read more

Reading excellent theology is naturally a key element of the educational experience here at Luther House.  We sat down with Sarah Stenson to discuss one of our foundational texts, Where God Meets Man by Gerhard O. Forde.  Sarah shares some of her takeaways and explains why this text stands as a cornerstone in Lutheran education, offering clarity and depth to students at any level.  She also recounts the powerful influence Forde had on her own theological understanding, solidifying her confession through his honest perspective rooted solely in Scripture.  Check out the Q& ..read more

Understanding vocation and the call to Lutheran ministry Have you ever wondered about the possibility of attending seminary? Perhaps people in your life have mentioned it to you, or you simply feel a tug toward Lutheran ministry.  The decision to attend seminary is one rooted in the value of education and the Lutheran understanding of vocation. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at these elements and demonstrate the purpose of a seminary education. We pray that you find this information helpful if you are considering seminary. Prospective students are always welcome to reach out to us ..read more

If you’ve explored the Luther House of Study website, you may have come across our Resource Library — a collection of all the educational resources we have created, including videos and study guides.  These are available to you at no cost, to use in a ministry setting or as individual resources. This library is a wealth of knowledge on Lutheran theology, with hundreds of videos on various topics, including the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Supper, Baptism, Lutheran Vocabulary, Vocation and so much more. These resources have been collected and assembled over years of teaching; some are ..read more

ELW 665 — “Rise, Shine, You People!” — ᴡᴏᴊᴛᴋɪᴇᴡɪᴇᴄᴢ Selecting suitable hymns for a Reformation Day service seems like a straightforward task, right? A simple Google search tells us that Martin Luther himself wrote over 35 hymns. Surely one or two of these should be worth singing, especially for those who brand themselves Lutheran. In fact, Luther’s popularity as a poet and composer extends even to the most devout Roman Catholic parishioner, whose hymnals list his most popular tune — “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” — alongside ancient chants of the faith. With what seems like an open-and-sh ..read more

Here at Luther House, we are grateful to have a strong network of pastors and ministry partners across the country, and internationally as well.  Pastor Craig Wexler serves a congregation just a few hours away from us in Pierre, South Dakota at Lutheran Memorial Church, and he recently shared a bit of his story, as well as some of the things he appreciates most about our ministry.  We’re grateful for Pastor Wexler’s service to his community and his gracious testimonial. Check out what he had to say below! Tell us a little about yourself and your path to becoming a pastor. I was orda ..read more

ELW 799 – “Come, Follow Me, the Savior Spake” – MACHS MIT MIR, GOTT Previous hymn studies as part of this blog seemed to form something of a series, beginning with a hymn of Christmas and later, a hymn of Easter — both major festivals in the life of the Church. This post is shared as Christians experience the long “green” season — a time we call “after Pentecost” and a period the Roman Catholic branch of our Lord’s Church labels “ordinary time.” In contrast to festival seasons and festival days, it is admittedly more difficult to choose an all-purpose summer hymn to study around this time of y ..read more

If you follow us on Facebook, you may have seen a recent post announcing our collaboration with the Unite Leadership Collective (ULC).  The ULC is a nonprofit LCMS (Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod) based organization that teaches leadership development to congregations across denominations throughout the United States. Their focus is on connecting the dots between theology, ministry, and leadership.  “A lot of churches struggle with understanding that leadership is very important in the context of building and starting new ministries,” said Tania Hilton, the Director of Engagement D ..read more

As many of you know, here at Luther House of Study (LHOS), we offer more than just our seminary programs for prospective pastors. We also have a variety of free educational resources for congregations and lay people. These include our video series, podcasts, and the focus of today’s blog — our monthly community education classes. If you’re local to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, you’re welcome to attend these classes which focus on a specific topic over a period of 6-9 months. Currently, we are hosting classes on Paul’s letter to the Romans, with the next two meetings taking place on April 18 and ..read more

“Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds” — LASST UNS ERFREUEN The last time this blog featured a hymn study, we spent time thinking about the hymns of Christmas, and more specifically, the well-known carol “Silent Night.” Lest you think that — like certain parishioners — musicians only appear in worship (or on this blog) around Christmas and Easter, let me assure you that both festivals provide ample and extended time for singing together as God’s people. In the case of Easter, the church calendar offers Christians 50 days to sing the good news of Jesus Christ. For centuries, Christians have gat ..read more