SMP Field Seminars: Recommended and Suggested Opportunities
(10/2014)
The following provides a source for various field seminars as required by the SMP
program. What is offered by our synod or its districts and its auxiliaries (such as
LHM) and RSO’s will usually qualify under the guidelines (see the SMP Policy
Manual for fuller explanation), of which the following are highlighted here:
1. The seminars should be helpful to the student in terms of formation for his
specific ministry context.
2. Seminars are above and beyond normal professional requirements for clergy,
such as district pastoral and/or professional church work conferences.
3. The seminar must primarily engage instruction from credentialed teachers
with expertise in topics areas of needed learning and otherwise qualify as
professional continuing education. While experiential learning may well be a
part of the seminar, simply participating in experiential learning (e.g., going
on a mission trip or service project) will not qualify.
4. Seminars should have a minimum of 10 hours “seat-time” (cf. 1 CEU).
The resources listed below are generally approved for field seminars, and this list
will continue to expand as we become aware of and gain familiarity with additional
opportunities. Events and organizations not listed will need to be approved by the
SMP program director.
LCMS Synodical Resources
Our synodical offices coordinate a large number of workshops and conferences in
the various areas of national mission.
Go to the home website: lcms.org
Note calendar and featured conferences
For specific ministry areas, go to lcms.org > right tab “Learn about our work “
(http://www.lcms.org/whatwedo)
Note under “National Mission” for information and workshops in
various ministry areas, such as:
Campus Ministry
Black Ministry
Hispanic Ministry
Ministry to the Armed Forces
Rural & Small Town Mission
Urban & Inner-City Mission
Witness & Outreach Ministry
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Church Planting
Center for US Missions (LCMS RSO)
Churches Planting Churches (CPC) – a Daughter Church Planting Seminar
Most intentional new starts are ultimately daughter church plants or multi-site plants or
missional community plants, sponsored by local congregations and/or circuits. We provide highquality training for established (“mother”) congregations, empowering those courageous
congregations to give birth to daughter and/or multi-site churches with Biblical, missional, and
organizational integrity.
Church Planter Assessment Center (CPAC)
C4USM provides indigenous CPACs at a location chosen by sponsoring partners. The CPAC
stimulates identification and assessment of appropriately gifted church planters who are eligible
to serve as Lead Church Planters in one or more church plants. Planter and spouse participate in
this event as a team.
Church Planter Training – Church Planting Essentials & Planting the Missional
Church.
(1) Church Planting Essentials is intensive on-site training for church planters, which
focuses on how to plant a new church and develop a Mission Initiation Plan for the new church.
Church planters are encouraged to attend with their team.
(2) Planting the Missional Church is a distance-learning course for church planters,
complete with a live Church Planter Mentor, hosted on the Concordia University Irvine
blackboard.
Mentoring Church Planters
Mentoring Church Planters is delivered either as a distance-learning course, or as a two-day
intensive training for missional leaders to do effectively what a Church Planter Mentor does:
Provide a Church Planter with modeling, close supervision on special projects, plus individualized
help in discipline, encouragement, correction, confrontation and a calling to accountability.
Regional Church Planter Learning Forums
We also offer one-day Church Planter Learning Forums, held on-site, which allow planters to (1)
access and learn new trends and “best practices” in Biblical church planting, (2) network, share,
and engage in peer coaching in their unique challenges and concerns in church planting, and (3)
receive ample encouragement for their church planting ministry.
FiveTwo Wiki Conference:
LCMS mission planters
last week of September in Katy, Texas (http://fivetwo.com ).
Exponential Conference (not LCMS, but LCMS “NAME” [district mission leaders]
meets during this conference0
largest gathering of church planters of all backgrounds, held in April
( http://www.exponential.org/2015east) )
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Evangelism/Witness/Outreach:
Lutheran Hour Ministries (lhm.org):
Regional Outreach Conferences (ROC) encourage and equip God's people
to be mission-minded witnesses for Jesus Christ! ROCs are designed to
empower you to live every day in the joy of the Gospel.
http://www.lhm.org/roc/
LCMS: The 72: http://www.lcms.org/the72
Family Ministries
Family Friendly Partners
Over the course of three years, partner church leaders gather ten times to be
trained to led a process to move their congregations toward a Family
Friendly Church. They will explore topics of marriage, parent education,
human sexuality, step-parenting, and training parents in faith formation. In
the end, a church will include in its mission, program and structure a church
wide passion, knowledge, and resource base for building strong Christian
homes and marriages. http://www.familyfriendlypn.com/
Family Shield Ministries
Bible studies and educational programs.
http://www.familyshieldministries.com/educational.html
Pastoral Care (post ordination)
Doxology (LCMS RSO)
Training in advanced pastoral skills while offering ongoing spiritual care
opportunities for Lutheran pastors. Participants will be refreshed and
equipped as a result of their participation in a program of soul care grounded
in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. The Center provides an
excellent setting for clergy to reflect on their own spiritual health and offers a
program carefully crafted to help them review and enhance their
professional competencies and skills. DOXOLOGY strengthens pastors so
they can more faithfully pastor others. http://www.doxology.us
Youth Ministry
LCMS: http://www.lcms.org/YouthSymposium
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Care-Giving:
Stephen Ministries https://www.stephenministries.org
See under “Workshops and Training Courses
https://www.stephenministries.org/stephenministry/default.cfm/1557)
Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshops
Half-day introductory events for people who want to learn about Stephen
Ministry. Workshop participants catch a powerful vision for this lifechanging ministry!
Stephen Series Leader’s Training Courses (LTCs)
One-week training events for pastors, church staff, and lay leaders from
Stephen Ministry congregations. LTC participants are equipped and inspired
to serve as Stephen Leaders.
(
Theology/Pastoral Issues
Seminary Symposia
Concordia Seminary (St. Louis) csl.edu
Theological Symposium (September)
Note: Plenary Sessions available online,
for ca 5 hours (x2 = 1 field seminar)
Concordia Theological Seminary (Ft. Wayne)
www.ctsfw.edu/Symposia (January)
Preaching
Various Workshops at seminary and district levels
(e.g., Lenten Preaching Workshop)
Day of Exegetical Reflection, Day of Homiletical Reflection
Concordia Seminary (May) csl.edu
Cross-Cultural Ministry
Multi-Ethnic Symposium (January in even numbered years),
Concordia Seminary csl.edu
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