A Christ-Centered
Lutheran Learning Community
Concordia University, Nebraska was founded in 1894. From its earliest documents, three central goals are evident—all of which direct our efforts today.
First, we were created to prepare future church workers, especially Lutheran teachers. While our graduates also become doctors, lawyers, business owners and leaders, accountants, scholars, scientists, and much more, church work programs are a significant and vibrant part of our community.
Second, we were designed to be a higher education institution that honors and builds upon the legacy of faith, which started at the baptismal font and continued in church and at home. At a time when over sixty percent of our church’s high school graduates are leaving the church by the time they are thirty, and many during college, our Concordias have never been more important. These are Lutheran universities where God’s word is present and prevalent, where students develop lifelong relationships with Lutheran and other Christian peers, and where faculty teach what it looks like to be a Christian and world-class biologist, doctor, lawyer, business leader or owner, accountant, musician, artist, and more.
Third, from our beginning, the vision was to create a Christ-centered learning community where we (faculty, students, and staff) point one another to “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
While the world around us changed since 1894, these three purposes remain central to who we are and what we do. Many inspiring stories and examples illustrate this fact, but for now, I offer six statistics about Concordia University, Nebraska for your consideration:
1. Sixty percent of the students who attend Concordia University, Nebraska come to us from LCMS congregations. Beyond that, we are honored to provide a Christ-centered education to those from other church bodies, and we practice Christian hospitality to a small portion of our students who are unbelievers and/or do not have a church home.
2. Over a fourth of our student body is in a church work program. By God’s grace, this includes future Lutheran teachers, church musicians, DCEs, deaconesses, and pastors.
3. The number of church work students continues to grow. Four years ago, we enrolled sixty to seventy new church work students a year, but that number is nearing one hundred in each of the last few years. It is truly inspiring to gather for lunch, as we do twice a year, with hundreds of future church work students.
4. Over eighty-five percent of our faculty are members of LCMS congregations, and over thirty percent of our faculty and staff are rostered church workers. I interview every potential full-time faculty and staff member to ensure they fully embrace our mission and shared confession and are committed to discipleship and being a Christian witness in their work. Having faculty and staff who embody our mission each day is a critical part of preparing students for lives of Christian convictions, character, and courage as they go on to be tremendous blessings in their families, churches, communities, workplaces, and throughout the world.
5. Even though the number of high school graduates in the United States is in decline, we have had the highest enrollment since the 1970s. Much of that growth is due to LCMS young people choosing a Christ-centered Concordia education. If this trend continues, we will reach capacity and may need to create a waiting list (although we will always do everything possible to reserve spots for young people from our churches who want a Concordia education).
6. Finally, thanks to the generosity of countless supporters, the average LCMS student at Concordia pays less in tuition than the cost of a private high school education, and our average church worker student pays less than $5,000 in tuition per year.
These are encouraging statistics, but God does not guarantee us earthly success. There are risks and challenges, but the nobility of our mission and its importance for the next generation is so great that the uncertainties pale in comparison. Instead, it is a great joy and honor to be part of God at work at Concordia. Lutheran higher education is a joyful and shared labor, so I ask you to prayerfully consider participating in one or more of the following ways:
1. Add us to your regular personal prayer list and the prayer list at your congregation. Ask that God continues to bless our efforts to His glory, the blessing of His church, and the benefit of those whom we serve and our graduates go on to bless. Pray that young people in your church consider making Concordia a part of their future education.
2. Please challenge every high school-age person in your congregation to visit our campus or one or more of the other Concordia campuses—and to place at least one Concordia among their top three college considerations.
3. Please ensure that the parents of teenagers in your congregations are keenly aware that university culture has changed drastically even in the last ten years. A Christ-centered university where God’s Word is present and prevalent, and Christian mentors are ready to guide and support each student could have a lasting impact on young people in our church and beyond. I realize that each family circumstance is unique, and other options may well be the best decision. My challenge is to start with the assumption of Concordia education unless there is a compelling reason to consider something else.
4. If you don’t have one, start creating a list of the young people in your congregations whom you can personally invite to prayerfully consider studying toward a church work vocation.
5. If you are blessed with financial resources and are prayerfully considering how to use those gifts in a way that is a blessing to others, consider making a gift to help remove financial barriers for those who want a Christ-centered Concordia education.
As is true for each school in the Concordia University System, please know that we are your Concordia University, Nebraska. We exist to serve and support congregations and families with Christ-centered higher education. As such, we thank you for your partnership in the Gospel.
Dr. Bernard D. Bull
President, Concordia University, Nebraska
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