The first Tour de Sem of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will take place on May 7. Approximately 25 participants, including faculty, staff, students, spouses and friends from the Seminary community, will bicycle 95 miles from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, Ill., to the original site of Concordia Seminary at Trinity Lutheran Church, Altenberg, Mo. Although the event is geared primarily towards members of the Seminary community, all riders are welcome to participate.

The trip will take place on the liturgical day for the commemoration of Dr. C.F.W. Walther. Beginning in Columbia, Ill., at 7:30 a.m., the ride ends with dinner and tours of the original Seminary site and other historical sites of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, provided by the Perry County Lutheran Historical Society.

Prof. Jeffrey Kloha, assistant professor of exegetical theology at the Seminary and an avid cyclist, will lead the ride. “This is important as another example of the fellowship that exists among the student, the participation of the faculty with the students and the emphasis on good health that is encouraged by the Seminary’s Health and Wellness Center,” Kloha commented. “The students learn that the professors can ‘school’ the students on the bikes, as well as in the classroom.”

Many voluntary fitness groups are active on the Seminary campus, including the Multi Sport Fellowship, a group that promotes spiritual development, mutual encouragement and relationship-building between amateur walkers, runners and cyclists.

Registration for the Tour de Sem is due on April 30 and will cost $20. For more information or a registration form, contact Prof. Jeffrey Kloha at (314) 505-7566; klohaj@csl.edu; or Brandt Klawitter at (314) 505-7433; bcklawitter@yahoo.com.