Registration for the second Exploring Church Careers Event (ECCE), a retreat designed to identify, inform and encourage high school youth with respect to a church career remains filled with 120 registered. The ECCE will take place Aug. 5-8 on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. It will emphasize not only the pastoral ministry, but virtually all church careers.

The 120 high school youth registered include 83 males and 37 females. In addition, 34 are high school seniors, 36 are juniors, 28 are sophomores and 22 are freshmen. The registrants live in all areas of the United States including three who will be traveling from Alaska to attend.

"We are grateful that the response has been so overwhelming and we look forward to a very beneficial event for the 120 high school youth who will attend" commented Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. "I am also delighted that representatives from 9 of the 10 Concordia University System schools and Valparaiso University will be participating. We value this partnership and feel that these schools will provide an effective means of follow-up with youth who attend."

The four-day ECCE includes Bible study, presentations by recognized leaders in youth ministry and on-site visitation opportunities featuring a wide variety of church career professionals. "We want youth who attend the ECCE to see the many ways God can use the gifts He has given them to serve Him in a church vocation," said Thomas. "We also want youth to hear of the inherent joys and challenges they will face as they serve in a church vocation."

A $40 registration fee is the only charge youth pay, in addition to travel costs, to attend the ECCE. All activities, meals during the event and on-campus lodging are provided at no cost to participants. Travel scholarships also exist to ensure that travel costs do not prevent youth from attending.

The ECCE is made possible by a $150,000 grant Concordia Seminary received to assist in the process of identifying, informing and encouraging high school youth toward service in church work careers. The grant is from Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind.

For more information, contact the Admissions Office, Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105; 314-505-7722; ECCEvent@aol.com.