Registration is still possible for the eighth annual Exploring Church Careers Event (ECCE) to be offered for high school youth July 29 - Aug. 1 and for the Exploring the Pastoral Ministry (EPM), offered for young men in high school Aug. 1-4. Both events will be held on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

“We still have room in both events, but we encourage anyone considering either of these events to respond soon,” commented Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for Seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. “

The two events are designed to identify, inform and encourage youth with respect to church work vocations. They will include Bible study, on-site visitation opportunities with those serving in the featured work vocations and opportunities for youth to gain college and seminary information pertaining to each of the featured vocations. While the ECCE will include information regarding a wide variety of church work vocations, the EPM will focus exclusively on the pastoral ministry.

The ECCE includes visiting a wide variety of Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod sites and having pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, deaconesses, directors of music and many others address the youth. Admission counselors from the Concordia University System schools and Valparaiso University are also included in the program to inform youth concerning the preparation that leads to service in these vocations.

The EPM allows participants the opportunity to study theology with Seminary professors, worship with the Seminary community, hear pastors discuss the joys and challenges of the pastoral ministry, take part in a Servant Event and attend a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.

A $70 registration fee is the only charge youth pay to attend the ECCE, in addition to travel costs. All activities, meals during the event and on-campus lodging are provided at no cost to participants. Travel scholarships are available to ensure that travel costs do not prevent youth from attending. ECCE registration is limited to 80 high school youth. A $70 registration fee is the only charge for youth to attend the EPM. All meals and lodging at the event are provided free of charge.

Additional information and nomination forms are available on the Seminary’s Web site (www.csl.edu/Admissions_HighSchoolYouth.aspx). Those who attended a previous ECCE will not be eligible to attend ECCE 2006 so that the largest number of youth possible are able attend this event over the years. However, those who have attended a previous ECCE or EPM are able to attend this year’s EPM.

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 on the ECCE or the EPM, contact the Admissions Office, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105; 1-800-822-9545; ECCE@csl.edu.