WEBVTT 1 00:00:23.700 --> 00:00:27.900 Hello and welcome to Word and Work an Intersection. 2 00:00:27.900 --> 00:00:31.900 I'm your host Dale Meyer. Joining us today is Dr. 3 00:00:31.900 --> 00:00:33.000 Mark Thompson. 4 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:33.700 Dr. 5 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:38.100 Thompson is associate professor of Practical Theology and the Director 6 00:00:38.100 --> 00:00:40.800 of the Specific Ministry Pastor program. 7 00:00:40.800 --> 00:00:46.100 He has recently become a faculty adviser to the Life Team here at 8 00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:47.200 Concordia Seminary. 9 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:51.000 So we've got a lot to talk about I thank you Mark for joining us. 10 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:54.800 One of the things I'd like to lead off with is is to let you our 11 00:00:54.800 --> 00:00:59.100 audience understand that in one way or another everything we do here 12 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:05.000 is about telling more people about Jesus and one of the ways we do 13 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:06.500 that is through the SMP 14 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:10.300 Program. You're the director of that and you're going to fill us in on 15 00:01:10.300 --> 00:01:14.300 all the ways of the SMP is serving a great need in the church, but 16 00:01:14.300 --> 00:01:16.300 first tell us about yourself. 17 00:01:16.300 --> 00:01:17.500 Where did you grow up? 18 00:01:17.500 --> 00:01:19.700 What's your background.... 19 00:01:19.700 --> 00:01:24.600 Well, I grew up in Springfield, Missouri in Southwest, Missouri and 20 00:01:24.600 --> 00:01:27.000 was raised in a Lutheran home. 21 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:32.700 But being a pastor wasn't on my radar screen at the time, but got 22 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:35.200 involved in the Lutheran Student Center at Missouri State, 23 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:40.500 it was SMSU at the time, and through that experience and then meeting 24 00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:41.600 my wife there as well. 25 00:01:41.600 --> 00:01:47.900 It moved me into that the ministry path from at Missouri State 26 00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:53.200 I received a degree in Antiquities with an emphasis and ancient near 27 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:58.100 East and classical studies, which was actually a great preparation for 28 00:01:58.100 --> 00:01:59.600 for the Seminary. 29 00:01:59.600 --> 00:02:03.300 How did you plan to market yourself with a degree like that? It pretty much meant I was going to the seminary with that degree 30 00:02:06.700 --> 00:02:11.800 or on to some other graduate school program. It was a great 31 00:02:11.800 --> 00:02:14.100 preparation and course 32 00:02:14.100 --> 00:02:18.400 I didn't have much of a choice of where to go to the Seminary because 33 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:19.500 my wife is from St. 34 00:02:19.500 --> 00:02:19.600 Louis. 35 00:02:19.600 --> 00:02:25.800 So that was where where we ended up and we're here in the 80s. 36 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:33.200 I graduated in 1988 from Concordia Seminary and then after that we 37 00:02:33.200 --> 00:02:38.600 received calls first was it campus ministry setting and a rural parish at 38 00:02:38.600 --> 00:02:41.700 the same time in Minnesota. Describe that a little bit? 39 00:02:41.700 --> 00:02:46.200 Well, I was the vicar at the campus Lutheran Chapel at Mankato State 40 00:02:46.200 --> 00:02:47.100 University. 41 00:02:47.100 --> 00:02:53.900 And after I graduated I think the folks there decided that having a 42 00:02:53.900 --> 00:02:58.800 vicar in what was called the student assembly was not the best idea 43 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:02.900 because you have the ministry to a parade which is kind of what campus 44 00:03:02.900 --> 00:03:06.200 ministry is with the parade of church workers. And so 45 00:03:06.600 --> 00:03:12.400 they called me out of the Seminary then to serve as the pastor but 46 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:15.800 in order for the district to afford that they had to tie that to a 47 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:17.100 rural parish. 48 00:03:17.100 --> 00:03:21.400 And so it was actually an interesting dual parish. Fascinating, 49 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:21.700 fascinating. 50 00:03:21.700 --> 00:03:22.700 How long were you there? 51 00:03:22.700 --> 00:03:26.600 Was there are four and a half years 5 and 1/2 counting vicarage. 52 00:03:26.600 --> 00:03:32.800 And from there went to Monett, Missouri and served. Balding and Monett 53 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:43.200 weren't they a dual parish once upon a time? I don't about know about, maybe. They pop into my head together. Monett down in the Bootheel. 54 00:03:43.200 --> 00:03:45.000 No in the other direction Southwest. Forgive me, Dale just ask the expert. 55 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:54.300 It was in Southwest Missouri and was there eight years and then was a 56 00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:54.900 wonderful experience 57 00:03:54.900 --> 00:03:57.500 there are children with to Freistadt 58 00:03:57.500 --> 00:04:02.400 Lutheran School, which is that a town with a much bigger church then 59 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:05.800 population in the city. But 60 00:04:06.600 --> 00:04:08.400 then we came to to St. 61 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.100 Louis and around 2001. 62 00:04:11.100 --> 00:04:15.600 I was installed here at the Zion Lutheran Church in Pevely, Missouri 63 00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:17.000 and the Greater St. 64 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:22.500 Louis area. And it was during that time that I decided to go back to 65 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:27.300 the Seminary and started looking into the PHD route. 66 00:04:27.300 --> 00:04:33.500 But at that time they required you to be a a resident a residential 67 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:34.800 student for PhD. 68 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:39.700 We've been since change that now there is a distance option for a or 69 00:04:39.700 --> 00:04:42.500 forget the exact term for the PHD. 70 00:04:42.500 --> 00:04:43.800 Reduced residency. Reduced residency. 71 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:46.200 I believe. That's a great program. 72 00:04:46.200 --> 00:04:52.700 We do have a lot of pastors who who are interested in advanced degrees 73 00:04:52.700 --> 00:04:54.100 including the PhD. 74 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:57.800 Just for the sake of enhancing their Ministry. 75 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:00.200 It's not about becoming a professor. Right. 76 00:05:00.200 --> 00:05:00.700 Yeah. 77 00:05:00.700 --> 00:05:04.700 Well at because I couldn't go that route at the time. 78 00:05:04.700 --> 00:05:05.700 Dr. 79 00:05:05.700 --> 00:05:08.900 David Peter said why didn't have you ever thought about the Doctor of 80 00:05:08.900 --> 00:05:10.000 Ministry programming? 81 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:11.000 I'm really thankful 82 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:15.200 he suggested that because it was a great blessing to me the seminaries 83 00:05:15.200 --> 00:05:20.000 Doctor of Ministry program. And it serves in a way similar to what you 84 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:25.600 said about the PHD program, especially enhancing the Pastoral practice 85 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:29.600 that you exercise as a pastor in the field. 86 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:36.800 So I really enjoyed my time in that and after I completed that some 87 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:41.100 folks here asked me if I consider doing some guest lecturing being 88 00:05:41.100 --> 00:05:41.800 an adjunct professor. 89 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:46.500 So I did that for a number of years and really enjoy that while still 90 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:48.200 being a full-time Parish pastor. 91 00:05:48.900 --> 00:05:50.300 And then about four years ago 92 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:55.100 I received a call to as you said to become a professor in the 93 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:59.200 Practical department and to direct the Specific Ministry 94 00:05:59.200 --> 00:06:00.700 Pastor program. That's great 95 00:06:00.700 --> 00:06:01.400 and I'm glad you're here. 96 00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:02.200 You're doing a great job. 97 00:06:02.200 --> 00:06:05.800 Will you share with me and with our audience? 98 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:16.700 The fact that we as a faculty stress pastoral Ministry and we look to 99 00:06:16.700 --> 00:06:20.300 a good number of our professors to have significant pastoral 100 00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:25.400 experience in congregations. And we do have some professors 101 00:06:25.400 --> 00:06:30.800 who are they have world reputations and they are Scholars, but the 102 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:35.700 faculty as a whole is very focused on experiencing congregations. 103 00:06:35.700 --> 00:06:37.700 Could you just talk about that from your perspective? 104 00:06:37.700 --> 00:06:39.700 That's a great question. 105 00:06:39.700 --> 00:06:43.900 In fact, I remember the first time I was asked to consider this. 106 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.200 Having much more experience in the parish than Academia. 107 00:06:50.200 --> 00:06:55.300 I was told that that's one of the reasons they asked me to consider 108 00:06:55.300 --> 00:07:00.100 this was the amount of pastoral experience that I had, almost 30 years 109 00:07:00.100 --> 00:07:05.500 full-time as a parish Pastor. And I found that in teaching courses 110 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:08.700 I in the Practical Department. 111 00:07:08.700 --> 00:07:14.300 I could draw on those experiences from campus ministry to rural to small 112 00:07:14.300 --> 00:07:20.600 town to large city, and it enabled me to provide kind of a perspective 113 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:24.200 that the students I think appreciate. Knowing that, 114 00:07:24.200 --> 00:07:24.500 okay, 115 00:07:24.500 --> 00:07:29.500 this is somebody who has been there and and we're we're learning from 116 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:34.300 some of his experiences mistakes as well as the things that maybe 117 00:07:34.300 --> 00:07:36.300 went better. I do the same thing 118 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:37.800 I do share my mistakes. 119 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:40.600 You learn a lot more from those than anything else. 120 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:48.200 Yeah, so now you are the director of the SMP program you mentioned 121 00:07:48.200 --> 00:07:52.000 what that stands for, but would you repeat that and and and describe 122 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.000 what the SMP program is? 123 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:54.500 Sure. 124 00:07:54.500 --> 00:08:03.000 Well SMP stands for Specific Ministry Pastor and it's aptly titled 125 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:10.000 because it is a a ministerial formation program that forms of Pastor 126 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:18.700 to serve in a specific Ministry. And a good portion of his education is 127 00:08:18.700 --> 00:08:24.800 what he learns by applying what he experiences in online classes or 128 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:31.300 on-campus intensive classes in his local Ministry setting. And there he 129 00:08:31.300 --> 00:08:35.900 has a mentor Pastor who works for us here at the Seminary. 130 00:08:35.900 --> 00:08:42.000 We actually stipend a local Ministry Pastor who is trained he comes to 131 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:42.400 orientation 132 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:47.600 and receives training and he helps that that student apply what 133 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:52.800 they're learning in real life situations in the parish. And it 134 00:08:52.800 --> 00:08:58.100 really enhances his education the specific Ministry Pastor has a 135 00:08:58.100 --> 00:09:03.700 certification called SMP certification, which means that his ministry 136 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:07.800 will always be in that Ministry setting or that type of ministry 137 00:09:07.800 --> 00:09:11.900 setting. And he is very well qualified for that. 138 00:09:11.900 --> 00:09:17.000 If he chooses to go on he can earn a general Pastor Ministry 139 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:17.300 certification. 140 00:09:17.300 --> 00:09:22.300 It requires additional courses either online or on-campus. 141 00:09:22.300 --> 00:09:24.300 He can come to the Seminary for that. 142 00:09:24.300 --> 00:09:30.500 But for the purposes of the SMP program, we find that it is definitely 143 00:09:30.500 --> 00:09:35.500 meeting the needs of the church at large and providing pastors. 144 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:40.600 So so let's take a look at what you just said by contrasting it 145 00:09:41.300 --> 00:09:45.700 to the residential program and the residential program is I believe 146 00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:50.300 what most people think about when they think Seminary. I remember a 147 00:09:50.300 --> 00:09:51.500 great supporter to the Seminary 148 00:09:51.500 --> 00:09:54.800 said this is wonderful the boys come to St. 149 00:09:54.800 --> 00:09:56.800 Louis to learn how to become pastors. 150 00:09:56.800 --> 00:10:00.100 Well, they're not boys anymore, but they do come to St. 151 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:02.300 Louis often often with their families. 152 00:10:03.300 --> 00:10:09.200 It's residential SMP is contextual 153 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:17.700 meaning John Doe SMP student is in Upstate New York in a situation 154 00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:20.600 that needs a specific needs a pastor. 155 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:24.200 So is that is that contrast correct? 156 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:31.300 Yeah. So we like to describe it as a Ministry needs focused program. 157 00:10:31.300 --> 00:10:37.600 So it's focused on the specific Ministry needs in a local congregation 158 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:40.000 or maybe a mission planting situation. 159 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:46.000 We also have chaplains that are formed to this program either high 160 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.300 school or prison chaplains things like that. 161 00:10:48.300 --> 00:10:52.000 And what are the advantages than is is let's let's say that we have an 162 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.100 SMP student who's in the chaplaincy situation. 163 00:10:56.100 --> 00:10:58.800 So so they are already doing some Ministry. 164 00:10:59.400 --> 00:11:03.100 Which is different from the residential who was to start to learn how 165 00:11:03.100 --> 00:11:08.200 to do ministry. These SMP students are already doing it and I would presume 166 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:14.000 that the fact that they are doing it but but receiving an advanced 167 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:19.800 education is really a blessing as as as they think they take the 168 00:11:19.800 --> 00:11:22.000 theory and they wed it with their practice. 169 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:23.600 Is that true that is very true? That is very true. 170 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:25.700 I hear that from students all the time. 171 00:11:25.700 --> 00:11:32.700 They'll say that when I walked out of my office maybe where I was 172 00:11:32.700 --> 00:11:38.600 taking a class online from a seminary Professor I walked into where I'm 173 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:42.500 going to be applying that and teaching confirmation or preaching a 174 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:47.700 sermon or leading worship or doing visitation Ministry those kind of 175 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:52.000 things. And the nice thing about having the local Mentor Pastor. 176 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.900 I remember back when I first graduated from the seminar, you know to 177 00:11:55.900 --> 00:11:59.300 get out there and you you you learn God's word. 178 00:11:59.300 --> 00:12:03.000 You learn the doctor in at the Seminary and then you go into the 179 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:07.000 classroom of the congregation and you learn about people and how to 180 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:11.500 apply that and we can sometimes called that school of experience the 181 00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:15.800 School of Hard Knocks. And I always tell the students, you know, the 182 00:12:15.800 --> 00:12:17.600 tuition is pretty high in the school of experience. 183 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:25.700 In the SMP program the nice thing about contextual education and the local mentor these 184 00:12:25.700 --> 00:12:30.600 mentors have been given coach training they've been taught how to how 185 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:33.200 to do this mentoring work with these students. 186 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:39.800 They help you along in that school of experience in ways that it 187 00:12:39.800 --> 00:12:40.600 might be nice 188 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:44.500 I think a lot of times we feel it might be nice if I could have that 189 00:12:44.500 --> 00:12:47.700 when I'm just out of the Seminary as a residential student. 190 00:12:47.700 --> 00:12:52.400 Now, I don't want to sell the residential program short it is we we 191 00:12:52.400 --> 00:12:55.000 sometimes save the gold standard because 192 00:12:55.900 --> 00:12:59.400 the amount of coursework in the residential program is is is 193 00:12:59.400 --> 00:13:05.100 definitely greater and enhanced. And the other thing is as you learn in 194 00:13:05.100 --> 00:13:10.700 the biblical languages you learn Greek and Hebrew and apply those in 195 00:13:10.700 --> 00:13:16.100 your your exegeting as we say or interpretation of the Old and New 196 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:16.800 Testament. 197 00:13:17.900 --> 00:13:22.700 So when a student in the SMP program goes on for a general passer 198 00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:27.200 certification, he gets those additional classes and coursework that 199 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:33.000 qualifies him to be a general pastor. But it still doesn't that mean 200 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:37.100 that the SMP program with its contextualized education isn't very 201 00:13:37.100 --> 00:13:40.800 effective and doing what it was designed to do cuz it really does a 202 00:13:40.800 --> 00:13:41.400 good job of that. 203 00:13:41.400 --> 00:13:49.800 I taught an SMP class last January and it was wonderful and and one of 204 00:13:49.800 --> 00:13:53.900 the things that struck me is these students really want to learn. 205 00:13:53.900 --> 00:13:59.500 I mean, they were like sponges they were very respectful of the 206 00:13:59.500 --> 00:14:00.700 residential program. 207 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:04.500 In fact, I think to a man they said if they could have come 208 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:09.300 residentially they they would but then that was at just a wonderful 209 00:14:09.300 --> 00:14:10.800 teaching experience for me. 210 00:14:10.800 --> 00:14:12.400 I certainly hope that I get to do it again. 211 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:17.600 You mentioned that SMP is a certificate program. 212 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:21.200 How is that different from residential program? Great question. 213 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:30.100 So in order to be an ordained Pastor in in the LCMS, you need to be 214 00:14:30.100 --> 00:14:32.100 certified by the faculty. 215 00:14:32.100 --> 00:14:39.800 And so that certification enables you to receive a call and to 216 00:14:39.800 --> 00:14:45.400 become the pastor of a of a specific Ministry pastor congregation or 217 00:14:45.400 --> 00:14:46.300 general pastor. 218 00:14:47.700 --> 00:14:53.500 The degree that many of our residential students receive is called a 219 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:59.600 Master of Divinity degree, MDIV, as we sometimes described it. That 220 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:07.600 degree also goes along with certification but in the SMP program, you 221 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.000 can be certified without getting the Master's Degree. 222 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:15.800 Now a lot of our students will go on to get a master's degree. 223 00:15:15.800 --> 00:15:20.100 They have to take some additional courses, but they can go on and get 224 00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:25.300 a Master of Arts degree after the SMP program. And that's a nice degree 225 00:15:25.300 --> 00:15:29.700 to have but as far as the church is concerned they're looking for that 226 00:15:29.700 --> 00:15:34.300 certification for ordination, which is what the certificate program 227 00:15:34.300 --> 00:15:38.200 provides for you. And one of the realities is that it's our residential 228 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:43.200 program that gives the MDIV that that is going to provide the 229 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:44.600 professors like yourself. 230 00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:52.300 Who are the scholars who who are going to help resource in church and 231 00:15:52.300 --> 00:15:53.300 teach in the years ahead. 232 00:15:53.300 --> 00:15:56.600 They're not going to come out of SMP most likely correct? 233 00:15:56.600 --> 00:16:00.700 So so one of the things that I just have to share this with the 234 00:16:00.700 --> 00:16:04.600 audience and you and you can comment and tell me I'm all wrong, but I 235 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:08.000 have heard and maybe you have heard a few people say, well the only 236 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:13.900 way you can you can become a full-fledged Lutheran Pastor the real 237 00:16:13.900 --> 00:16:18.400 trustworthy Pastor is by going to the residential program. And my 238 00:16:18.400 --> 00:16:21.500 reaction is residential program is great. 239 00:16:21.500 --> 00:16:25.800 That's the preferred option if you can go residential by all means go 240 00:16:25.800 --> 00:16:30.200 residential but here's what I want you to react to and and here's 241 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.300 where I'm coming from because in retirement the filters are starting 242 00:16:33.300 --> 00:16:37.800 to go. How in the world do you and I stand before the Lord Jesus on 243 00:16:37.800 --> 00:16:42.300 Judgement Day and say there was a situation there was a congregation 244 00:16:42.300 --> 00:16:45.000 there was a Ministry that could only 245 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:50.600 be filled by an SMP student and are we going to stand before Jesus on 246 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:54.300 Judgement Day and say no, we didn't send anybody there because we 247 00:16:54.300 --> 00:16:56.300 didn't have a residential graduate. 248 00:16:57.000 --> 00:16:57.800 Dr. 249 00:16:57.800 --> 00:16:59.700 Thompson, would you please correct me? 250 00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:06.800 Well no, what you said is generally correct that. 251 00:17:08.300 --> 00:17:17.090 That SMP Pastors serve in a place where a pastor who is receiving a 252 00:17:17.090 --> 00:17:23.000 full-time salary who has the general Pastor certification would not 253 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:28.500 probably fit there and I'll explain why that is. Over half of our 254 00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:34.100 people in the SMP program and those who have completed that will never 255 00:17:34.100 --> 00:17:38.600 receive a full time salary as a as a pastor. 256 00:17:38.600 --> 00:17:42.000 They're going to be serving a small congregation that can't afford a 257 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:46.700 full-time Pastor or they'll be serving a congregation perhaps that had 258 00:17:46.700 --> 00:17:50.700 two full-time Pastors in the past, but now can only afford say one and 259 00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:58.000 a half. And so they have identified local men who have the gifts and 260 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.400 the talents to be a pastor. And they are vetted. 261 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.700 It's not like some guy wonders in off the street and says, I want to 262 00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:07.700 become a. Exactly in fact if you can imagine 263 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:12.900 a congregation is not going to put a student forward to become their 264 00:18:12.900 --> 00:18:17.900 SMP Pastor there Specific Ministry Pastor if they don't have a lot of 265 00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:20.200 confidence in him upfront. They know him, 266 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:25.700 they said I can envision you being our pastor and if it's not like in 267 00:18:25.700 --> 00:18:29.800 the you know that traditional route, we're well, we're going to get to 268 00:18:29.800 --> 00:18:34.300 know you as soon as your you arrive here and are installed and and 269 00:18:34.300 --> 00:18:39.600 then become our pastor. You already know the person and you have a lot 270 00:18:39.600 --> 00:18:43.300 of confidence in him and so because of that we have very few problems 271 00:18:43.300 --> 00:18:49.400 with placement. And in the SMP program that person ends up serving in 272 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:55.000 that Ministry for their career unless extenuating circumstances arise 273 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.800 which are rare but sometimes they do but they will serve their for 274 00:18:59.800 --> 00:19:01.300 their career. Audience, 275 00:19:01.300 --> 00:19:03.700 this is why I said at the start Concordia Seminary 276 00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:10.300 in one way or other is is focus on telling people about Jesus. Tell me 277 00:19:10.300 --> 00:19:12.800 about the enrollment right now right now? 278 00:19:12.800 --> 00:19:16.500 Right now we have a hundred nine students in the program. That's pretty full up 279 00:19:16.500 --> 00:19:20.400 is it is. Pretty full up, yeah. Ever since the program started we've 280 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:23.400 been we've had a robust enrollment. 281 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:29.900 We have over 30 new students this year coming to Spring and Fall 282 00:19:29.900 --> 00:19:30.600 cohorts. 283 00:19:30.600 --> 00:19:35.000 I'll be heading out or I already have started but I'll be going and 284 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:39.200 doing vicarage visits this fall for our second year students. 285 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:44.400 I have 33 visit scheduled over the course of the next few months 286 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:45.600 all over the country. 287 00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:50.100 So yeah, the program enrollment is strong and that all happens without 288 00:19:50.100 --> 00:19:53.700 us doing this is the biggest promotional piece I've ever done with the 289 00:19:53.700 --> 00:19:54.400 SMP program. 290 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:59.700 We have a website and word-of-mouth and people come to us because it's 291 00:19:59.700 --> 00:20:01.300 meeting and need that is out there. 292 00:20:01.300 --> 00:20:04.600 That's wonderful, wonderful and and then this program 293 00:20:04.700 --> 00:20:08.200 it was initiated by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in convention. 294 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:08.800 That's right. 295 00:20:08.800 --> 00:20:12.600 Tell me about how COVID has impacted the instruction? 296 00:20:12.600 --> 00:20:20.300 Well, we are built as an online distance education program with 297 00:20:20.300 --> 00:20:23.200 state-of-the-art distance learning strategies. 298 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:27.600 So in one way, it's not really affected us too much at all, because 299 00:20:27.600 --> 00:20:30.500 we've been teaching people in the way 300 00:20:30.500 --> 00:20:36.000 a lot of folks have just learned to to to receive education for a long 301 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:36.200 time. 302 00:20:37.600 --> 00:20:42.500 But it has impacted us because the guys can't come on campus right now 303 00:20:42.500 --> 00:20:43.800 for orientation. 304 00:20:43.800 --> 00:20:45.200 So we do that online. 305 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:47.800 They can't come for intensive classes. 306 00:20:47.800 --> 00:20:52.100 And so all of those are online and they love being on campus. 307 00:20:52.100 --> 00:20:56.400 They feel like they're part of the Seminary and their loved here and 308 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:57.100 they love being here. 309 00:20:57.100 --> 00:21:02.300 It's just a wonderful program and I'm so thankful the Lutheran Church 310 00:21:02.300 --> 00:21:06.900 Missouri Synod in convention quite a few years ago established 311 00:21:06.900 --> 00:21:07.400 program. 312 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:10.500 I'm going to I'm going to tease you now, we're going to take a break 313 00:21:10.500 --> 00:21:11.200 when we come back. 314 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:17.900 I'm wondering what your most favorite classes are to teach as a 315 00:21:17.900 --> 00:21:18.800 professor here. 316 00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:25.800 And then when we were back in after we find out what he likes, maybe 317 00:21:25.800 --> 00:21:30.300 doesn't like, we're going to talk about your work with the Concordia 318 00:21:30.300 --> 00:21:33.000 Seminary his Life Team. You know 319 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:34.700 Jesus came to bring us life 320 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:36.700 and this is a cultural issue today. 321 00:21:36.700 --> 00:21:40.300 So I'm looking forward to that discussion with with Pastor Thompson. 322 00:21:40.300 --> 00:21:41.200 Stay with us. 323 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:43.380 Concordia Seminary St. 324 00:21:43.380 --> 00:21:48.180 Louis provides continuing education resources for pastors and lay 325 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:53.280 people. To discover all the Concordia Seminary has for you visit us on 326 00:21:53.280 --> 00:21:55.780 the web at CSL. 327 00:21:55.780 --> 00:21:56.580 EDU. 328 00:21:59.080 --> 00:22:02.480 Welcome back to Word and Work an Intersection. 329 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.880 I'm your host Dale Meyer. Today 330 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:08.680 our guest is Doctor Mart Thompson who is associate professor of 331 00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:12.480 Practical Theology and Director of the Specific Ministry Program. 332 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:18.480 He has also recently become faculty advisor to the Life Team at 333 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:19.780 Concordia Seminary. 334 00:22:19.780 --> 00:22:22.580 Our professors are busy. 335 00:22:22.580 --> 00:22:30.280 You're busy. At the end of the first segment I teased a second section by 336 00:22:30.280 --> 00:22:33.180 saying what are your favorite classes to teach? 337 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:37.380 I'd love teaching so in one sense 338 00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:42.580 all the classes are are in that category, but I think pastoral 339 00:22:42.580 --> 00:22:45.380 theology is perhaps my favorite class. 340 00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:46.180 What does that mean? 341 00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:49.780 What we now call it pastoral leadership and theology. 342 00:22:49.780 --> 00:22:56.480 But it's where you learn to apply what you have from your study of the 343 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:01.580 Bible and those classes and the study of Doctrine and those 344 00:23:01.580 --> 00:23:07.480 classes to the the art of pastoral Ministry and pastoral care and 345 00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:12.280 Leadership with your people individually and corporately in the 346 00:23:12.280 --> 00:23:17.780 congregation. And it's just where that we talked about the intersection 347 00:23:17.780 --> 00:23:18.980 of word and work. 348 00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:20.980 It's kind of that. 349 00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:26.580 It's where where the word of God does its work in the lives of the of 350 00:23:26.580 --> 00:23:30.780 the congregational members. Students have four years on campus this is residential, 351 00:23:30.780 --> 00:23:33.380 when does this course come up? 352 00:23:33.380 --> 00:23:34.780 It is the last 353 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:38.980 course they take. It's kind of the Capstone course if you will for 354 00:23:38.980 --> 00:23:44.280 the Master Divinity or residential alternate route program. It 355 00:23:44.280 --> 00:23:48.680 takes what you've learned on vicarage. What you've learned in seminary 356 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:53.880 classes. And it debriefs those reflects on those says, okay, what do we 357 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:58.880 need to work on and learn and then prepares the student for their 358 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:03.780 first call. And at the end of that course, we we do what we call the 359 00:24:03.780 --> 00:24:04.980 threes plan. 360 00:24:04.980 --> 00:24:10.380 Not not that it will you can script this so much but you you do what 361 00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:14.780 you can. What will be your first 3 days like as a pastor, first 362 00:24:14.780 --> 00:24:18.680 three weeks, first three months and then I usually have them try and 363 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:23.080 project what the first year might be as well. And that becomes their 364 00:24:23.080 --> 00:24:28.980 portfolio project for that course. Portfolio means what? If some 365 00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:33.980 you know highfalutin academic term as you all of your work. 366 00:24:34.780 --> 00:24:40.980 That kind of is as a summation of your work in this program preparing 367 00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:45.980 you to carry out this particular in a task in this case the task of 368 00:24:45.980 --> 00:24:50.080 pastoral ministry. That but I think this is significant when I 369 00:24:50.080 --> 00:24:50.680 graduated 370 00:24:50.680 --> 00:24:51.880 I don't know how it was for you. 371 00:24:51.880 --> 00:24:54.280 There was no such thing as called a portfolio. 372 00:24:54.280 --> 00:24:56.380 I was sent to my first congregation. 373 00:24:56.380 --> 00:24:56.780 There 374 00:24:56.780 --> 00:24:57.280 he is. 375 00:24:57.280 --> 00:25:01.880 You know, what does he have to do to be a pastor here. 376 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:07.180 I had no document no portfolio to show that. 377 00:25:07.180 --> 00:25:13.780 So the portfolio now is is a student reflecting on himself reflecting 378 00:25:13.780 --> 00:25:17.280 on his progress actually having documentation. 379 00:25:17.280 --> 00:25:22.380 I think mainly mainly for him his sake and also for our accreditation. 380 00:25:22.380 --> 00:25:23.180 Right. 381 00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:28.180 That that yeah I have progressed in these four years is it is that 382 00:25:28.180 --> 00:25:32.680 accurate description? Yeah, that is and it is nice to have that because you put 383 00:25:32.680 --> 00:25:37.780 in all this time and effort and and it's all in your head, but maybe 384 00:25:37.780 --> 00:25:42.480 not that well organized and by having this portfolio, you know, you 385 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:43.380 can look back on it. 386 00:25:43.380 --> 00:25:46.880 Like you said you and I didn't have that we came to the Seminary but 387 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:47.780 you can look back on it. 388 00:25:47.780 --> 00:25:48.080 And oh 389 00:25:48.080 --> 00:25:52.880 yeah, that's what that's what I did and that that's how I progressed 390 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:57.780 from this point to to where I was at at the end of the Seminary. Yes, 391 00:25:57.780 --> 00:26:00.480 someone once said this is not your grandfather's Seminary anymore. 392 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:05.680 The word of God is the same our commitment to Lutheran theology in 393 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:06.380 the Confessions 394 00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:11.280 that's the same. But the portfolio and the SMP are examples of how we 395 00:26:11.280 --> 00:26:17.780 are trying to tell Jesus bring Jesus to people today with quality with 396 00:26:17.780 --> 00:26:22.880 credibility and within the integrity. Now shifting gears put on another 397 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:23.680 hat Mart. 398 00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:30.980 Tell us with a Life Team is the Life Team is a really a student-led 399 00:26:30.980 --> 00:26:41.280 and student organization that prays that plans that engages our our 400 00:26:41.280 --> 00:26:47.680 Seminary community in life affirming gospel-centered activities. 401 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:52.780 So we want to find ways and in our culture and some people have at 402 00:26:52.780 --> 00:26:56.680 times called this a culture of death right that we live in today cuz 403 00:26:56.680 --> 00:27:02.580 life is not always held up as this gift from God that it is. And that 404 00:27:02.580 --> 00:27:09.280 has kind of seeped into the lives of people in our culture. And we want 405 00:27:09.280 --> 00:27:13.780 to affirm the gift of life from those who are pre-born you know before 406 00:27:13.780 --> 00:27:18.380 birth after conception before birth up until the very end of 407 00:27:18.380 --> 00:27:18.880 life. 408 00:27:19.480 --> 00:27:23.880 So our Life Team is here to raise awareness for students. 409 00:27:23.880 --> 00:27:30.080 I was just talking to student the other day from a rural Midwestern 410 00:27:30.080 --> 00:27:35.580 area whose now very involved in our Life Team said, I wasn't really 411 00:27:35.580 --> 00:27:38.780 aware of these things where I was at because it wasn't really talked 412 00:27:38.780 --> 00:27:43.080 about there. And to some of us who've lived in then I may be larger 413 00:27:43.080 --> 00:27:43.480 cites 414 00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:48.480 it's at a little bit of a wake-up call to me to say, oh we do need to 415 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:51.980 get this word out because he's a real issues that our students will be 416 00:27:51.980 --> 00:27:55.780 facing and their their members will be facing out in congregations. 417 00:27:55.780 --> 00:28:00.180 So this is not a course, but it is a club. 418 00:28:00.180 --> 00:28:08.380 I mean. That might be a good way to say it. It's not a course it doesn't give credit but I mean club sounds too, 419 00:28:09.080 --> 00:28:14.680 clubby but but it's a volunteer. It's a volunteer organization 420 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:20.080 from and one of the things that I also teach here our pedagogical or 421 00:28:20.080 --> 00:28:25.680 teaching classes. How to teach pastors how to teach. And from my background 422 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:26.080 in that 423 00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:30.380 I see this is very much still formation of our Seminary students and 424 00:28:30.380 --> 00:28:30.580 their families. 425 00:28:30.580 --> 00:28:36.580 In fact as a Practical Theologian the Life Team materials that we share 426 00:28:36.580 --> 00:28:40.280 with students when we train them on how to be a part of the Life Team 427 00:28:40.280 --> 00:28:48.480 are great for pastors to use in any kind of committee or board or 428 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:52.080 group within the church that is serving a particular emphasis of 429 00:28:52.080 --> 00:28:55.180 ministry. The strategies that we teach them here 430 00:28:55.180 --> 00:29:00.080 they can translate that into all sorts of different ways to enhance 431 00:29:00.080 --> 00:29:04.880 Parish Ministry. Especially in equipping lay people because the Life 432 00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:08.980 Team is designed to be lay run. Pastors 433 00:29:09.080 --> 00:29:14.580 have a lot to do and you know, we we learn in the book of Acts that 434 00:29:14.580 --> 00:29:19.680 it's important for them to devote their time to pastoral Ministry the 435 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:24.680 word of God and prayer and a lot of practical hands-on 436 00:29:24.680 --> 00:29:25.480 stuff as well. 437 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:30.680 But if they try to do all of the hands-on stuff, then then those 438 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:33.180 things will be neglected and and so will the ministry. 439 00:29:33.180 --> 00:29:38.280 Well, we know that with Life Teams and so it's built in a way that we 440 00:29:38.280 --> 00:29:42.780 have a lay people very involved and we teach pastors or students 441 00:29:42.780 --> 00:29:48.480 training to be pastors how to use these resources in in their 442 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:49.280 congregations. 443 00:29:49.280 --> 00:29:57.480 You said we teach, your wife Cheryl is involved. Yeah she is. Tell us about Cheryl and her involvement wit Life Team? Yeah thank you for asking. 444 00:29:57.480 --> 00:29:59.580 She's kind of the driving force here for me. 445 00:29:59.580 --> 00:30:03.480 I've always been passionate about this but not as passionate as she 446 00:30:03.480 --> 00:30:07.780 has. Cheryl's a Licensed Professional Counselor, and she has her own 447 00:30:07.780 --> 00:30:08.780 private practice, 448 00:30:08.980 --> 00:30:15.880 Christian Counseling private practice. And they're in her she calls it, 449 00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:20.980 Concord Counseling, there and in her practice she deals with people who 450 00:30:20.980 --> 00:30:25.180 are struggling with life issues. Like for example maybe someone 451 00:30:25.180 --> 00:30:29.480 who is what we call post abortive. There dealing with the guilt of 452 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:35.880 having had an abortion or multiple abortions. And she has been involved 453 00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:40.080 and interested in this even before she became a certified counselor 454 00:30:40.080 --> 00:30:44.480 way back in our first Parish that I mentioned in the first segment in 455 00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:45.180 Minnesota. 456 00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:49.380 She was a counselor for Birthright and worked with young ladies who 457 00:30:49.380 --> 00:30:53.280 were who are pregnant and who were contemplating the best way to go 458 00:30:53.280 --> 00:30:58.080 forward. And she got involved there and then over the years in the 459 00:30:58.080 --> 00:31:00.080 congregations where we've served. 460 00:31:00.080 --> 00:31:03.980 She's been involved in different Life Ministry activities. 461 00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:10.980 But we were drawn to this in part because of that another Seminary 462 00:31:10.980 --> 00:31:12.180 couple, Dr. 463 00:31:12.180 --> 00:31:17.780 Jeff Gibbs and and his wife Renee who are kind of the founders of the 464 00:31:17.780 --> 00:31:22.880 Life Team here at the Seminary. We were drawn to it because they 465 00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:28.480 heled us see that there's a way to organize this in congregations that 466 00:31:28.480 --> 00:31:32.180 we were never aware of. Because it's a new concept then if you would 467 00:31:32.180 --> 00:31:36.180 like I'd love to tell you the story about how the Life Team concept 468 00:31:36.180 --> 00:31:40.280 was given birth year at Concordia Seminary and is now used all over 469 00:31:40.280 --> 00:31:41.380 the country. 470 00:31:41.380 --> 00:31:45.680 I thought I'd love to hear that and while you're mind is getting 471 00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:47.080 ready to do that for us. 472 00:31:47.080 --> 00:31:50.480 One of the things that that I have appreciated about the Life 473 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:57.880 Team here at the campus is that it's not just against abortion, you 474 00:31:57.880 --> 00:32:01.980 know, and I think that that's singular emphasis and we're certainly 475 00:32:01.980 --> 00:32:05.380 not for abortion, but that's singular emphasis 476 00:32:05.280 --> 00:32:09.280 can turn off some people. What I have come to like 477 00:32:09.280 --> 00:32:15.280 it is literally about life. Right. Life, one of the things that 478 00:32:15.280 --> 00:32:20.280 that y'all do is a yearly service for those who have lost a child 479 00:32:20.280 --> 00:32:25.980 through miscarriage, stillborn. Whoa that that no kidding 480 00:32:25.980 --> 00:32:31.080 that is the most powerful service of the yea. And the mea culpa when I 481 00:32:31.080 --> 00:32:33.880 went through the Seminary we were not sensitized to that. 482 00:32:33.880 --> 00:32:40.980 So so, you know, the fact that this is affirming life from before the 483 00:32:40.980 --> 00:32:46.880 cradle from conception to the grave is is just wonderful and it's such 484 00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:48.980 a great great group. So now 485 00:32:48.980 --> 00:32:52.580 tell us how did it get started here and how is it spread through the 486 00:32:52.580 --> 00:32:52.980 country? 487 00:32:52.980 --> 00:32:57.780 Thank you for pointing that out to and will return to that if you will 488 00:32:57.780 --> 00:33:00.780 cuz I thought I'd like to talk about our Bullseye image where we 489 00:33:00.780 --> 00:33:02.880 talked about affirming life in different ways. 490 00:33:04.180 --> 00:33:11.380 Well about 10 years ago Renee Gibbs who had been involved in life 491 00:33:11.380 --> 00:33:17.180 affirming activities on campus since the probably that the 90s. 492 00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:17.580 Okay. 493 00:33:17.580 --> 00:33:22.080 She happened to be down at the local Planned Parenthood, which is 494 00:33:22.080 --> 00:33:25.580 three blocks from where Cheryl and I live so we drive by that all the 495 00:33:25.580 --> 00:33:25.680 time. 496 00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:27.780 Do you know forgive me audience? 497 00:33:27.780 --> 00:33:31.480 My milk truck is being restored just a few doors away from there. 498 00:33:34.180 --> 00:33:39.280 It's a more pleasant topic to think about when it down to it. Renee was down 499 00:33:39.280 --> 00:33:44.780 there praying and doing what we call sidewalk counseling if people 500 00:33:44.780 --> 00:33:45.580 wanted to talk. 501 00:33:45.580 --> 00:33:51.080 Who were coming to consider what to do, you know, if they if they had a 502 00:33:51.080 --> 00:33:55.180 pregnancy that they were wondering about how they could be directed. 503 00:33:55.180 --> 00:34:02.680 And she met a local Pastor there and they got to talking and it led to 504 00:34:02.680 --> 00:34:05.080 this idea that it would be great 505 00:34:05.080 --> 00:34:09.780 if there was some kind of a structure that could be used in 506 00:34:09.780 --> 00:34:14.580 congregations with lay people as I refer to before. 507 00:34:15.480 --> 00:34:20.480 To facilitate more of these life-affirming activities. And out of that 508 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:24.280 initial meeting on the sidewalk at Planned Parenthood in St. 509 00:34:24.280 --> 00:34:28.280 Louis was born this idea of a life team and this pastor went on and 510 00:34:28.280 --> 00:34:35.480 did a lot of Developmental work. And he then sought to introduce it to 511 00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:40.480 some Churches and they were not sure that they were ready for that, 512 00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:44.480 but they introduced it here at Concordia Seminary instead and started 513 00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:46.480 a Life Team at Concordia Seminary. 514 00:34:47.680 --> 00:34:53.780 And after that it was so successful that it started to be used by a 515 00:34:53.780 --> 00:34:54.680 group in St. 516 00:34:54.680 --> 00:34:58.280 Louis called churches for life, which goes around and tries to start 517 00:34:58.280 --> 00:35:03.480 Life Teams at Lutheran Churches any church that will be in the life 518 00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:08.580 affirming community. And then later on Lutherans for Life a National 519 00:35:08.580 --> 00:35:13.980 Organization received the materials and further develop them into 520 00:35:13.980 --> 00:35:18.780 training modules that then are used to start Life Teams all over the 521 00:35:18.780 --> 00:35:23.280 country and it's me, a major part of the work of Lutherans for Life. 522 00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:25.280 And that's the history. 523 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:26.780 Wow, that's impressive. 524 00:35:26.780 --> 00:35:27.980 I guess 525 00:35:27.980 --> 00:35:30.880 I must have been in the president's office pushing papers. 526 00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:36.480 I didn't realize that. I do know just a very personal level that you 527 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:39.980 know, I mentioned that one special service each year, but it often 528 00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:43.580 happens and we will walk out of chapel and the Life Team is passing 529 00:35:43.580 --> 00:35:47.580 out a flyer about this that or or whatever is coming up. 530 00:35:47.880 --> 00:35:54.480 And just that is a tremendous witness to me and and I'm sure to all of 531 00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:56.680 us who who who worship in Chapel. 532 00:35:56.680 --> 00:35:58.680 So if so, yeah, this is great. 533 00:35:58.680 --> 00:36:02.680 So tell us about your some of the things that the Life Team does I 534 00:36:02.680 --> 00:36:09.880 mention that one service but what else. So we think of it in terms, I mentioned before, kind of a bull's-eye 535 00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:11.280 or concentric circles. 536 00:36:11.280 --> 00:36:17.380 So at the center are things like, you know end-of-life issues. 537 00:36:17.380 --> 00:36:22.280 Sometimes he called mercy killing or euthanasia bad term probably. 538 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:28.880 Abortion those kinds of things that and we're certainly concerned to 539 00:36:28.880 --> 00:36:36.280 protect and help heal people that have suffered in that and that area 540 00:36:36.280 --> 00:36:38.980 and that that is always a big part of what we do. 541 00:36:38.980 --> 00:36:42.980 But as you go out from there, there are other things that are part of 542 00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:47.280 the gift of life that that we really focus on as well. And 543 00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:53.380 some of those might be a adoption which which helps to support life 544 00:36:53.380 --> 00:37:00.380 for or Hospice Care end-of-life issues or the dealing with 545 00:37:00.380 --> 00:37:07.880 sexual purity, you'd mention miscarriage before. Mental health issues. 546 00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:13.180 One of the ways we help desensitize that the students here to those 547 00:37:13.180 --> 00:37:17.180 needs as well have a mental health panel, where will have counselors 548 00:37:17.180 --> 00:37:20.680 come in and talk about how to work with people who are struggling in 549 00:37:20.680 --> 00:37:21.080 that way. 550 00:37:21.080 --> 00:37:25.680 There's a variety of different things and the students at the 551 00:37:25.680 --> 00:37:26.580 beginning of the year. 552 00:37:26.580 --> 00:37:30.980 In fact that our next meeting, we meet on the second Saturday of the 553 00:37:30.980 --> 00:37:35.480 month, and at the next meeting will be the time of we take this list 554 00:37:35.480 --> 00:37:39.480 that they came up with at the last meeting and prioritize that and 555 00:37:39.480 --> 00:37:42.680 determine what will be our emphases for this year. 556 00:37:43.180 --> 00:37:45.480 Of course, the miscarriage service will be there. 557 00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:49.280 It's always there because it's I think it's the most popular Chapel 558 00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:54.580 service. Awesome. On campus and I will add to that a lot of the students 559 00:37:54.580 --> 00:37:58.280 who have experienced that go on in and use that as a template and take 560 00:37:58.280 --> 00:38:02.580 it out into their parishes and do the same thing in their churches and 561 00:38:02.580 --> 00:38:06.780 which really gets that kind of the purpose of our life team here. 562 00:38:06.780 --> 00:38:10.580 Yes, we want to affirm life and all these ways we want to touch 563 00:38:10.580 --> 00:38:16.080 faculty and staff and students. But we want to equip students so that 564 00:38:16.080 --> 00:38:20.280 they can go out into their Ministries either as a Deaconess or as a 565 00:38:20.280 --> 00:38:27.080 pastor and and enhance this ministry there this affirmation of life. 566 00:38:27.080 --> 00:38:31.080 This is obviously open to the Seminary Community. 567 00:38:31.080 --> 00:38:32.580 Does it go beyond that? 568 00:38:33.480 --> 00:38:37.580 It does. It goes beyond and kind of the way I mentioned before 569 00:38:37.580 --> 00:38:41.880 especially when these students disperse out as they receive their 570 00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:46.280 calls and and so it it it serves in that way. 571 00:38:46.280 --> 00:38:50.880 But we've had people who will come for our events from local 572 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:51.880 congregations. 573 00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:55.980 They can even come and be part of the of the team if they want to hang 574 00:38:55.980 --> 00:38:59.880 out with these awesome Seminary students. And we've had some that are 575 00:38:59.880 --> 00:39:03.880 starting a Life Team and they'll come and observe our Life Team and see 576 00:39:03.880 --> 00:39:04.570 how it works. 577 00:39:04.570 --> 00:39:08.680 Don't you often meet on Saturday mornings? Saturday evening. Saturday 578 00:39:08.680 --> 00:39:09.380 evenings okay. 579 00:39:09.380 --> 00:39:14.980 So it's doable. It's doable and we feed you and we provide childcare. 580 00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:23.280 So the single students really love it because that's one of the times that the dining hall isn't open so we know they're 581 00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:26.380 there just for Life Team, but they don't mind getting feed. Whatever 582 00:39:26.380 --> 00:39:27.080 it takes. 583 00:39:27.080 --> 00:39:27.580 Whatever it takes. So it's very practical and a very positive vibe and a very supportive 584 00:39:33.480 --> 00:39:37.180 community. If a person wanted to join one of your events, I mean 585 00:39:37.180 --> 00:39:40.380 join, attend one of your event because of that I don't think this is 586 00:39:40.380 --> 00:39:44.080 something you actually join and sign on the dotted line, but to attend 587 00:39:44.080 --> 00:39:50.880 one of these events, how can that person learn. Great question. So our Facebook page if 588 00:39:50.880 --> 00:39:55.080 you just look for Concordia Seminary Life Team on Facebook we have 589 00:39:55.080 --> 00:39:55.280 there. 590 00:39:55.280 --> 00:39:58.980 We have a lot of pictures and information. We put things in the Daily 591 00:39:58.980 --> 00:40:03.080 Announcements here at Concordia Seminary and then on the Seminary 592 00:40:03.080 --> 00:40:08.880 website, they actually gave us a page on the official CSL website 593 00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:12.380 where you can learn about the Life Team and get contact information 594 00:40:12.380 --> 00:40:17.580 for myself or our current student leaders, and we'll be happy to share 595 00:40:17.580 --> 00:40:19.280 any information we can with you. 596 00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:21.180 Thank you. 597 00:40:21.180 --> 00:40:25.080 What are some of the resources that you have available for the for the 598 00:40:25.080 --> 00:40:25.780 church at Large? 599 00:40:27.080 --> 00:40:30.980 Well in addition to the actual Life Team materials, which is now 600 00:40:30.980 --> 00:40:32.680 distributed through Lutherans for Life. 601 00:40:32.680 --> 00:40:41.280 We also have you can access it on Facebook, testimonies of young people 602 00:40:41.280 --> 00:40:46.580 who have gone through miscarriages students here and they talk about 603 00:40:46.580 --> 00:40:52.880 the pain and it becomes healing for people to see that. We connect with 604 00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:57.980 other local organizations. One that is extremely powerful here in St. 605 00:40:57.980 --> 00:41:02.580 Louis called the Coalition for Life and a number of our Seminary 606 00:41:02.580 --> 00:41:06.980 students and student wives have participated as sidewalk counselors 607 00:41:06.980 --> 00:41:10.080 being trained by them and employed by them. 608 00:41:10.080 --> 00:41:14.680 We also have one of our Deaconess students right now. 609 00:41:14.680 --> 00:41:19.780 Well, actually she may has completed the program Rachel Highley 610 00:41:19.780 --> 00:41:24.480 she is kind of in the management now this organization and working to 611 00:41:24.480 --> 00:41:24.880 support 612 00:41:26.080 --> 00:41:32.480 women who are who have chosen life but need extra help to it to make 613 00:41:32.480 --> 00:41:37.980 that work for them and their family. So our partners are a big source 614 00:41:37.980 --> 00:41:39.380 of support. 615 00:41:39.380 --> 00:41:43.480 But like I said, the Life Team materials were really focused on that 616 00:41:43.480 --> 00:41:48.680 that is our goal and in establishing Life Teams, and then providing 617 00:41:48.680 --> 00:41:52.980 educational events here at the Seminary and we try to publicize those 618 00:41:52.980 --> 00:41:54.280 to area churches as well. 619 00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:55.880 I think this is so wonderful. 620 00:41:55.880 --> 00:42:01.080 So let's let's let's say your congregation is without a pastor and and 621 00:42:01.080 --> 00:42:05.080 and you go through the processes and a and a graduate of Concordia 622 00:42:05.080 --> 00:42:11.180 Seminary is sent to serve you and and he comes in with this knowledge 623 00:42:11.180 --> 00:42:16.580 of the Life Team how affirming that is how he will be able to hold up 624 00:42:16.580 --> 00:42:19.780 in a positive way the message of life. 625 00:42:19.780 --> 00:42:20.880 I just think it's wonderful. 626 00:42:20.880 --> 00:42:25.380 I thank you and Cheryl for doing it just as we think Jeff and Renee 627 00:42:25.380 --> 00:42:26.080 Gibbs for 628 00:42:26.080 --> 00:42:27.080 getting this thing going. 629 00:42:27.080 --> 00:42:31.380 It is a strong component of the culture of Concordia Seminary. 630 00:42:31.380 --> 00:42:32.580 So thanks. 631 00:42:32.580 --> 00:42:32.980 Dr. 632 00:42:32.980 --> 00:42:37.380 Thompson for joining us today and and ensuring this this insight about 633 00:42:37.380 --> 00:42:43.580 your your work and you are a busy professor professor SMP director and 634 00:42:43.580 --> 00:42:45.280 advisor to the Life Team. 635 00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:48.780 This has been Word and Work an Intersection. 636 00:42:48.780 --> 00:42:52.980 I'm Dale Mayer and I thank you for joining us today. May the 637 00:42:52.980 --> 00:42:57.180 intersection of word and work really be busy on your corner.