Pastors, lay leaders and commissioned church workers are invited to register for a new continuing education course offered this spring in partnership by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and Concordia University, Saint Paul, Minn. (CSP).

The course, “Missional Leadership in the Urban Context,” begins April 20. The course will be taught by Dr. Leopoldo A. Sánchez M., the Werner R.H. Krause and Elizabeth Ringger Krause Professor of Hispanic Ministries, professor of Systematic Theology and director of the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; Dr. Mark Koschmann, associate vice president of Faith and Ministry and chair of the department of Theology and Ministry at CSP; and Dr. Gerard Bolling, associate pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Mo., and assistant professor of Leadership and Theology at Concordia University Texas, Austin.

The course will cover the following topics: the Gospel for the city, perspectives from the city, historical and cultural issues in urban studies, pursuing justice in the city, connecting people to the city and integrative ministry in the city.

The course is fully online and features six modules over six weeks, with video lectures, optional readings, recommended assignments and peer discussion activities. Especially appropriate for those in urban and metropolitan settings, the course assumes a general familiarity with U.S. cities, interest in reaching people in urban areas with the Gospel, and some experience serving or ministering in urban areas.

“Bringing quality continuing education opportunities to pastors and other church and lay leaders is our priority, and with innovative courses like this one, we are continuing to fulfill that goal,” said Erika Bennett, director of Continuing Education at Concordia Seminary.

“We are thrilled to partner with Concordia Seminary, St. Louis for this course,” Koschmann said. “With the Gospel as our starting point, Dr. Sánchez, Dr. Bolling and I will describe opportunities for Christian witness as the people of God in our broken cities. We will share theological and missional insights for doing urban ministry today, so we can better communicate the Gospel to people unfamiliar with God and the church.”

The course costs $100, which includes one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit for pastors. Registration closes April 4, 2022. To register, complete the form provided on the CSP website.

For more information, contact Concordia Seminary’s Continuing Education department at ce@csl.edu or 314-505-7286, or contact Koschmann at koschmann@csp.edu or 651-641-8254.

About Concordia Seminary

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit csl.edu.