High school youth from all parts of the United States participated in the Exploring Church Careers Event (ECCE), held August 2-6 on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. A total of 53 youth who had been nominated by church leaders to attend the event prayed and worshiped together, engaged in lively Bible study discussions, and traveled from the Seminary campus to various ministry sites in the St. Louis area where they heard presentations by numerous people currently serving in church vocations. Vocational topics ranged from the traditional to the technological, including pastoral ministry, Christian education, counseling, music, missions, and television/radio.

"This event is extremely significant because it helps identify future church workers," explained Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. "Sometimes our most gifted youth are never approached with the idea of serving in a church vocation. This event allows young people to see the many ways God can use the gifts He has given them to serve Him in these special ways."

Admission representatives from nine Concordia University System schools and Valparaiso University distributed information and answered questions about academic programs that lead to church careers. They also served as small group leaders and sponsored an information fair on the last evening of the event. Evaluation forms completed by the students expressed heartfelt enthusiasm for the event and indicated that the ECCE achieved its stated purpose of encouraging and informing youth regarding church careers. Many participants acknowledged that the event had become a major influence on their decision-making process and described it as a life-changing experience.

One participant commented, "This has been the greatest experience in my life. It has definitely put me on the right path to serving our Lord." Another stated, "I learned a lot, and my faith has been strengthened through this event."

Youth were nominated to attend the event by pastors, teachers, parents and others throughout The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). Concordia Seminary worked with Rev. Terry Dittmer, director of the LCMS Department of Youth Ministry, to design the event. Rev. Darrell Zimmerman, pastor of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Brentwood, Mo., also was instrumental in the development of the program.

The ECCE was 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 vocations. The grant is from Lilly Endowment, Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind. "This grant allows us to address the declining number of students who are preparing to serve as pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education and other church career positions," Thomas said. "Everyone who has watched the shortages in these vocations increase over recent years is alarmed. We plan to hold an ECCE again next year to assist our church in addressing this trend."

The 2004 ECCE is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 3. Nomination forms will be mailed to all LCMS pastors, high school principals, teachers and guidance counselors in February 2004. Prior to this, nomination forms may be printed from the Concordia Seminary Web site at www.csl.edu/nominati.htm. Registration will begin on March 1, 2004, and no registrations will be accepted prior to this date.

For more information, contact the Admissions Office at Concordia Seminary by e-mail at ECCE@csl.edu; by phone at (314) 505-7722; or by regular mail at Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105. Additional information and pictures are available on the Seminary's Web page at www.csl.edu/ECCEvent.htm.