Lay Bible Institute
The Lay Bible Institute, offered three times a year by Seminary faculty members, is an ongoing study of the Bible and how it relates to today’s life and events.
Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025
And He Spoke Many Things to Them in Parables
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sieck Hall 202
Registration: $25 ($18 boxed lunch)
Registration deadline: July 21, 2025
Dr. James Fickenscher
The parables of Jesus are among the most beloved passages of Scripture yet are notoriously difficult to interpret. What, exactly, are these parables? Are they “earthly stories with a heavenly meaning?” How should Christians read and apply them faithfully in their lives today? In this workshop, Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology Dr. James Fickenscher will explore what kinds of stories parables are — and will construct a reading method faithful to the parables’ literary form and usable by all of God’s people. Finally, participants will apply the reading method as they walk through multiple parables together to see how Jesus uses this literary form to teach His people more about who He is and what it means to belong to His Kingdom.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025
“Behold…the best creation of God!” Martin Luther on Marriage and the Married Life
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sieck Hall 202
Registration: $25 ($18 boxed lunch)
Registration deadline: Sept. 22, 2025
Dr. Jason Lane
The year 2025 marks the 500th anniversary year of Martin and Katie Luther’s marriage. Luther’s embrace of married life ushered in a new and joyful way of thinking about marriage and family in the 16th century and helped restore married life to its rightful place in the world. Luther once wrote to a friend that a wife is “the best creation of God!” Today in the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of lifeless sexuality, the God-given estate of marriage between one man and one woman has become increasingly distorted and despised. Fewer young men and women are marrying and among those who do, more than 40% end in divorce. In this workshop led by Dr. Jason Lane, associate professor of Historical Theology, participants will study Martin Luther’s view of marriage and married life to deepen their understanding of God’s will for marriage, children and domestic life today.
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026
The Unambitious Ambition: Leading Quiet Lives of Hope
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sieck Hall 202
Registration: $25 ($18 boxed lunch)
Registration deadline: Jan. 26, 2026
Dr. Ryan Tinetti
The psalmist declared, “When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers… what is man that you are mindful of him?” (Ps. 8). In this vast cosmos, it’s natural to wonder if our lives truly matter. Some strive restlessly to leave a mark, while others resign themselves to insignificance — both risking the quiet desperation Henry David Thoreau described.
Scripture offers a better way. St. Paul writes, “Make it your ambition to live quietly, tend your own business, and work with your hands…” (1 Thess. 4:11-12). This paradoxical “unambitious ambition” reveals the greatness of God’s grace in life’s small moments. Rather than being pulled into despair, we can live in peaceful hope.
For those who feel their lives don’t measure up, this Lay Bible Institute will show why you don’t need to make a name for yourself — the triune God has already given you His.
Additional Continuing Education Opportunities
Faith and Writing Workshop
Concordia Seminary’s “Faith and Writing” workshop explores various forms of creative writing — starting a blog, creating a sermon or devotion, “traditional” forms of creative writing (story, nonfiction, drama, poetry) — and everything in between.
Multiethnic Symposium
The Seminary’s annual Multiethnic Symposium brings together Lutherans and mission leaders of various ethnicities from across the country for workshops, discussions and worship.
Pre-Lenten Workshop
The Pre-Lenten Workshop includes sermon manuscripts, textual notes, orders of service for midweek services and also suggestions for the Sundays of Lent to help pastors in developing their own worship resources.
Theological Symposium
Parish pastors, LCMS district and Synod officials, Seminary and Concordia University students and faculty, and interested laypersons attend each year to delve into some of the most pressing issues of our time. One CEU is available for attending the Symposium.
Workshop Series
Hosted by congregations across the country May through August, and led by Seminary faculty, these workshops offer an opportunity to delve deeply into topics ranging from the teachings of Martin Luther to pastoral tools, such as preaching, responding to conflict and teaching confirmation.