Both laity and clergy will find educational offerings here. Some are for laity only. Some are for clergy only. Some are for both.

ELCA Clergy and congregational leaders should note denominational encouragement for clergy (and even requirements for certain classes of clergy) to participate in continuing education. If you are ELCA clergy or a congregational leader, please review the general introduction for clergy continuing education on our Education for Clergy page.

The education event matrix below is a quick way to skim our offerings. Click on the linked text to learn about each. Check back periodically to find out what new thing is being offered.

Some educational events are recorded and available for viewing at a later date. Beneath the education event matrix, you find the archives matrix.

Be sure to take a look at the offerings from our colleagues across Region 8. Those are posted separately on Facebook (click here for more info).

Matrices

Upcoming Events	Date	Venue	Audience	Judicatories
Synod Clergy Cont. Ed: Bonhoeffer and Nationalism	5-6 Feb 2025	Cacapon Resort State Park	Clergy & Seminarians	All
Echoes of the Oratory: A Gregorian Chant-Along #2	8 Feb 2025	St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Cumberland, MD	All	All
SCALD IV	20 Feb 2025	St. Paul, Morgantown	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	25 Feb 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	11 March 2025	Zoom	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	18 March 2025	Zoom	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	25 March 2025	Zoom	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	27 March 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Sacred Places Transitions Seminar	April 2025 (TBD)	Gettysburg Seminary	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	1 April 2025	Zoom	All	All
North American Luther Forum	4-6 April 2025	Duke University	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	8 April 2025	Zoom	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	22 April 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
LARCUM: Nicæa at 1700	12-14 May 2025	John XXIII	All	All
Festival of Homiletics: "Preaching to Heal the Divide"	12-15 May 2024	Atlanta & Digital	Clergy, Preachers, and Seminarians	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	22 May 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	15 July 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	11 Sept 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	22 Oct 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Sixteenth Century Society Conference	30 Oct - 2 Nov 2025	Portland, OR	All	All
FCTE Region 8 Plenary	19-21 Nov 2024	Gettysburg Seminary	FCTE Cohort	Region 8

Don't forget to check out the offerings from the other synods of Region 8

Clergy Continuing Ed

All the clergy-specific education information has been moved to its own page. Visit our Education for Clergy page where you will find information on

• ELCA-wide policies and guidelines,
• the Biannual WV-WMD Synod Clergy Continuing Education Events,
• First-Call Theological Education,
• Boundaries Training,
• Sabbaticals,
• etc.

Synod Clergy Cont. Ed Event Winter/Spring 2025: Bonhoeffer and Nationalism

Our next Biannual Synod Clergy Cont. Ed Event will feature Dr. Teresa Smallwood on "Bonhoeffer and Nationalism," 5-6 February 2025. We now have an abstract from Dr. Smallwood as well as a bibliography. Click here for more information.

Region 8 Offerings

LARCUM

LARCUM 2025 will gather 12-14 May 2025 at the St. John XXIII Pastoral Center, the focus of conversation being the Council of Nicæa at 1700 years. Details are yet to be worked out. In the meantime, you can visit the LARCUM page for what we do know.

LARCUM 2024 gathered under the theme, "Holy Communion: Contemporary Questions," 20-22 May 2024, at the St. John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston.

LARCUM is the Lutheran-Anglican-Roman Catholic-United Methodist Conference of West Virginia. It meets annually, bringing together people from the four traditions (and beyond) who are interested in ecumenical conversation. Learn more from our LARCUM page.

SCALD

The Symposium for Central Appalachian Lutheran Dogmatics (SCALD) is designed as a day of theological discussion, employing the symposium model. Presenters give papers with discussion of those papers open to all participants. It is about providing an intellectually engaging and profitable opportunity for rank and file clergy and lay theologians (amateur and professional) to test their all too often private ruminations among those capable of being critical and convivial at the same time. For more information visit our SCALD page

SCALD IV

SCALD IV will be held 20 February 2025 in Morgantown, WV. Papers have been announced on the SCALD page with author, title, and abstract. You can also register for SCALD IV now on the SCALD page.

Bishop's Book Studies

Book Study Lent 2025

• ABE Books
• Amazon
• Christian Book Distributors
  
• Thrift Books
  

Other Opportunities

Echoes of the Oratory: A Gregorian Chant-Along #2

Continuing Mountainside Baroque’s mission to bring the experience of earlier music to our region, MBQ Board Member, Bishop Matthew Rigel, will again lead participants in an engaging experience learning to read and sing Gregorian chant—a further edition of last season’s well-received “Chant-Along.” Chant-Along #2 will be held Saturday, February 8, 2025, 3:00 p.m., at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 15 N. Smallwood, Cumberland, MD. No prior experience necessary. There is a snow date: Feb 22, same place, same time. This is a non-ticketed, free event. $10 donation suggested for adults; students are free.

North American Luther Forum

The North American Luther Forum (also called the North American Forum for Luther Research) provides a context for scholars in the United States and Canada who were engaged in Luther research (rather than the broader areas of research in SCSC and AAR, for example) to gather and discuss mutual interests, exchange research results, and collaborate in projects.

The next meeting will be 4-6 April 2025 at Duke University with plenary speakers Anthony Bateza, Cheryl Peterson, and Volker Leppin. $50 registration includes access to plenary addresses, work groups, round table, Friday evening reception and banquet, catered lunch on Saturday and Sunday; click here to register. Lodging may also be arranged through NALF (click here). For general information, schedule, etc., click here.

Festival of Homiletics: "Preaching to Heal the Divide"

Preachers today carry the weight of proclaiming the Gospel and helping their communities navigate through deeply divisive times. They need resources, wisdom, and support to serve as agents of healing and reconciliation. The 2025 Festival of Homiletics, meeting under the theme "Preaching to Heal the Divide," aims to provide exactly that—practical tools, theological frameworks, and spiritual nourishment for the vital work of bridge-building through preaching.

The 2025 Festival of Homiletics will meet in Atlanta, GA, 12-15 May 2025. There is an early bird registration for those registering by the end of November. While no scholarships are available this year, there is a reduced rate for seminarians. There is a digital option. More information and link to registration can be had at the Festival of Homiletics website.

The Festival of Homiletics began in 1992 with a gathering of 400 pastors from around the country for the purpose of learning and conversing about preaching in a contemporary context. The Rev. David Howell, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, created the festival as an extension of his preaching journal Lectionary Homiletics. The Festival’s ownership, leadership, and planning efforts have resided with Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota since 2012. Howell continues to consult in the Festival planning and production process along with a creative team committed to bringing together the finest preaching and the finest cutting-edge thinking about preaching, homiletics, worship, church, and culture.

Sixteenth Century Society Conference 2025

Standing Resources

Lutheran Basics: What's in the Catechisms?

Choice! That's one of things that makes religion in America so fascinating and challenging. Choice means that no one has to be Lutheran. Choice also means that no congregation has to be Lutheran. So, why be Lutheran when there are other options? Among all the possible criteria by which a person might choose a religious community—location, time, social class, familial relations, programming, etc.—is doctrine. What does a particular religious community teach and believe? Truth is: It is much more common that a person will not know the official teachings of a particular religious community than one might expect. Doctrine is rarely taught in detail from either pulpit or podium. Many also don't consider doctrine all that important.

To dig into Lutheran doctrine, Bishop Riegel offers an introduction to the catechisms of Martin Luther. Luther wrote the Small Catechism as the basic instruction in the faith for the laity. The Large Catechism was written as something of a teacher's edition for the pastors. If you would like this for your congregation, contact +Riegel. If you would like to get a head start with the catechisms, you can find the Small Catechism in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (the nu-cranberry hymnal). You can find an app for your smartphone at your phone's app source. You can also find both the Small Catechism and the Large Catechism at BookofConcord.org.

Polity for Councils

Not sure what the congregation council is supposed to do or how it is supposed to operate? Maybe we can answer your questions with our "Polity for Councils" workshop. First offered at in the Eastern Pandhandle on 16 April 2023, we are happy to reprise this in any conference or cluster of the synod. The course page has been uploaded under the title, "Polity for Councils: A Crash Course for Congregational Councilors." If you would like to see this offered in your area, contact +Riegel.

ULS: Kindling Faith

Aging Grace-fully

Thriving Ministries: Congregational Vitality Training

Sacred Places Transition Seminar

Fall Training Events for Rostered Leaders (Professional Boundaries, Cultural Competency, Racial Justice)

United Lutheran Seminary holds several educational events each year for clergy and for laity, many of them under the "Kindling Faith" umbrella of the Center for Sabbath Rest and Formation. There is way more than can be posted on this page, so we refer you to the seminary's website. Some of these events are held in person, some by Zoom. Some events are for just an hour or two while others run multiple days.

Aging Grace-Fully

United Lutheran Seminary will offer an eight-part author series examining "how to age with grace and live fully, with the physical, mental and social challenges that are often difficult to navigate and accept. These events will be offered in-person and by Zoom. Registration is required, and there is a registration fee. For details, click here.

Sacred Places Transition Seminar — Postponed until April 2025

Partners for Sacred Places is the only national non-sectarian, non-profit organization devoted to helping congregations and their communities sustain and actively use older and historic sacred places. Partners helps congregations and others with a stake in older religious properties make the most of them as civic assets in ways that benefit people of all faiths.

Fall Training Events for Rostered Leaders (Professional Boundaries, Cultural Competency, Racial Justice)

In collaboration with the Lower Susquehanna Synod, United Lutheran Seminary offers training for those rostered leaders who wish to learn more about racial justice, professional boundaries, and cultural competency. Register here for both in-person and online opportunities.

Living the Resurrection

Living the Resurrection offers a variety of resources (free and for purchase) and consultation services to congregations considering their future and interested in change. Their website states,

LtR workshops are for congregations that know they need to change, but don’t know how. We help people walk through their fears, and into new life. The philosophy of  Appreciative Inquiry (AI)  provides the foundational theory that encourages people to change. The four phases of the AI strategy (Initiate—Inquire—Imagine—Innovate) structure the process.

To learn more an explore LtR offerings, click here.

Beyond the Bulletin: A Communications Strategy for Congregations

Living the Resurrection is offering a workbook for the development of a communications strategy for the congregation. Here's the lead on their promo material:

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw said that a long time ago, and it’s still true. Congregational leaders communicate with members through newsletters and bulletins, but they still hear folks say: “How come I didn’t hear about that?” Bet you've heard that too.

Communication is about so much more than advertising, however. Abraham Maslow, motivational psychologist and pioneer in understanding human needs, established that people have a strong need to belong. Part of that need is the desire to contribute to the life of the group. When someone feels excluded, it threatens their need for belonging.

Beyond the Bulletin is a workbook that will help you guide your congregational leaders to communicate with their members in a way that demonstrates they are a valued part of the congregation.

The workbook is set up in three 90-minute sessions. Total cost is $95. For more information including sample pages, click here.

Select

Select Learning provides access to quality theological learning experiences for personal, congregational and professional learning. Using outstanding seminary and college instructors and ministry practitioners, Select Learning combines high quality DVD-based video courses, customized study materials, proven textbooks,and online learning to create effective and flexible theological exploration opportunities. Select Learning is a member of the Lay School for Ministry Network of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Archives

We started posting AARs (After Action Reports) during the pandemic as a way to let folks know what we have been doing. Well, that started cluttering up the Education for Laity & Clergy page, suggesting that those AARs needed a page of their own. Explore our Past Cont. Ed Events page to get a taste of what we've done for education offerings in WV-WMD.

There are, however, some items we want to continue to hold on this page because they have continuing relevance and can be accessed in recorded form.

Talking about Economics in Uncertain Times

A webinar was recently hosted by the ELCA Stewardship Team under the title, "Talking about Economics in Uncertain Times". It featured a speaker from the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving.  It may be viewed at this link:  https://vimeo.com/857657315/e2ad1f5a4c.

Dementia-Friendly Worshiping Communities

The West Virginia Council of Churches held a webinar on Dementia-Friendly Worshiping communities on 8 December 2021 with The Rev. Kathy Fogg Berry. Berry wrote the book When Words Fail: Practical Ministry to People with Dementia and Their Caregivers and co-authored, Dementia Friendly Worship: A Multifaith Handbook for Chaplains, Clergy, and Faith Communities.

The Rev. Kathy Fogg Berry received a Masters of Religious Education from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and a Masters in Patient Counseling and a postgraduate certificate in aging studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. During Kathy’s tenure at Westminster Canterbury Richmond, she provided spiritual care for residents with dementia diagnoses, their families, and the staff who care for them. For the last five years, Rev. Berry has offered the “When Words Fail” seminar for clergy and lay leaders throughout Virginia and she speaks regionally and nationally about spirituality and dementia.

A recording of the webinar can be watched on the WVCC Facebook page.

Anger Webinar

Barb Keller offered a webinar for clergy on anger for ELCA clergy, via Zoom, on 30 November 2021. A recording is available. Contact the bishop or the D.E.M. for access.