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
Sacred Places Transitions Seminar	24-26 Apr 2025	Gettysburg Seminary	All	All
Everyday Stewardship: Consecrating the Ordinary	30 Apr 2025	Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	6 May 2025	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 2025	Atlanta & Digital	Clergy, Preachers, and Seminarians	All
Listening with Love: Foundations of Pastoral Care	17 May 2025	St. Peter's Lutheran, Shepherdstown, WV	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	20 May 2025	Zoom	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	22 May 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	28 May 2025	Zoom	All	All
Tending the Vineyard: A Conference on Church Growth	5-7 June 2025	Louisville, KY	All	All
Scouting in the Lutheran Church	6-12 July 2025	Philmont	All	Lutheran
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	15 July 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
Listening with Love: Foundations of Pastoral Care	19 July 2025	Grace Lutheran, Petersburg, WV (ten.)	All	All
Listening with Love: Foundations of Pastoral Care	26 July 2025	Trinity Lutheran, Charleston, WV	All	All
Network in the East	7-9 Aug 2025	Gettysburg Seminary	Congregational Youthworkers	ELCA
Listening with Love: Foundations of Pastoral Care	23 Aug 2025	St. Mark Lutheran, Wheeling, WV	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	2 Sept 2025	Zoom	All	All
National Workshop on Christian Unity	8-11 Sept 2025	Chicago	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	9 May 2025	Zoom	All	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	11 Sept 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
WV WELCA Retreat	12-13 Sept 2025	John XXIII	TBA	TBA
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	16 May 2025	Zoom	All	All
Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid-Atlantic: Program and Annual Meeting	27 Sept 2025	Gettysburg Seminary	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	30 Sept 2025	Zoom	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	14 Oct 2025	Zoom	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	21 Oct 2025	Zoom	All	All
Synod Clergy Cont. Ed Event: "Spirits, Angels, and Demons in the Bible"	21-23 Oct 2025	TBD	Clergy	All
Aging Grace-Fully Author Series	22 Oct 2025	Hybrid: Gettysburg Seminary & Zoom	All	All
WVCC Annual Assembly	27 Oct 2025	John XXIII	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	28 Oct 2025	Zoom	All	All
Sixteenth Century Society Conference	30 Oct - 2 Nov 2025	Portland, OR	All	All
Bishop's Book Study: Kierkegaard's Works of Love	4 Nov 2025	Zoom	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.

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 and what the council might mean for us today and our ongoing ecumenical conversations. Details are posted on the LARCUM page, including agenda, registration, and presenters.

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 was held 20 February 2025 in Morgantown, WV. Visit the SCALD page for details.

SCALD V is expected to be held in the fall of 2025. Visit the SCALD page to register for SCALD notices.

Bishop's Book Studies

Book Study Lent 2025 — Join for Part II

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

Digital versions may be secured at Internet Archive, and don't forget your local library.

To register for this book study (in order to receive the zoom links), click here.

We also have a Facebook group (Kierkegaard Reading Group) that you are invited to join.

Podcast

From the DEM's Office

Listening with Love: Foundations of Pastoral Care

This Christian ecumenical class is facilitated by The Rev. Marti Steiner Unger, RCP, and The Rev. Dr. John R. Unger II, RCP, on various dates and places throughout the synod, all sessions beginning at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 4:00 p.m.

The class is free, but each participant will need to purchase and bring the textbook, “Listening with Love: Foundations of Pastoral Care,” prior to class from Amazon for $10—https://a.co/d/dgvCT99. You will receive a certificate upon completion of the class.

"Listening with Love" is designed to equip faith leaders (both lay and clergy) with practical skills and perspectives to provide Christ centered, compassionate, effective pastoral care with those in congregations and communities who are struggling: from trauma, health issues, mental illness, loss, financial issues, addiction, etc.

Jesus himself modeled the utmost compassion for the brokenhearted, the outcast, and the afflicted. He listened without judgment, offered hope and healing, and always pointed people to God’s unfailing love. As his disciples, we too must learn to listen with love—with genuine empathy, patience, and grace.

Imagine the transformation in your church and community as you and your ministry leaders gain competence and confidence in providing pastoral care. Envision the unique opportunity to embody the compassionate and restorative love of Christ, The Good Shepherd, by providing hope and support for healing and transformation of individuals and communities.

As we look to the future of ministry in the WV-WMD Synod, we’re called to embrace a powerful truth: The church is not a building—it is the people. Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine how we nurture faith, care for one another, and serve our communities with even greater creativity and compassion.

The Listening with Love workshops are the first step in a transformative journey to equip our congregations with tools that honor the gifts of every member. By training and empowering lay leaders to form strong Pastoral Care Teams, we’re not just preparing for change—we’re building a foundation for ministry to thrive in bold new ways.

This opportunity isn't only for the Lutheran church. Many of our Ecumenical partners and other faith communities have the opportunity to reimagine how they care for each other in compassionate, Christ-centered ways. Please share the registration link and attached flyer with them. Also, feel free to download the flyer to share with others.

REGISTRATION LINK: https://forms.gle/YnCg75T1Q8QLzS1w8

If you aren't able to attend this workshop, one will be offered at Grace Lutheran Church in Petersburg on July 19. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to DEM Sherri Schafer. Additional sessions are planned for

• 19 July 2025
• 26 July 2025
• 23 August 2025

Other Opportunities

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.

Tending the Vineyard: A Conference on Church Growth

Hosted by The Living Church and St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, this conference offers refreshment in thinking and planning theologically, realistically, and hopefully about church growth and health in the Episcopal Church (though there is enough affinity to make it potentially valuable to Lutherans). Speakers will include top thinkers and pastoral voices in leadership, mentoring, evangelism, and spiritual nurture. Topics will include growth and decline, leadership development, global perspectives, and agrarian and monastic wisdom on work, place, and community. The conference will be held in-person only, 5-7 June 2025, in Louisville, KY, but select portions of the talks will be available post-conference through online content. For details, click here.

Scouting in the Lutheran Church

National Lutheran Association on Scouting is holding an event 6-12 July 2025 for anyone who would like to learn more about scouting and how to connect it to the life of Lutherans and their congregations. Click here for more.

Network in the East

A three-day gathering in Gettysburg for congregational youthworkers (staff and volunteer) is being offered 7-9 August 2025. Details the synod's Youth page.

National Workshop on Christian Unity

The National Workshop on Christian Unity will hold its annual meeting at the Lutheran Center in Chicago, IL, 8-11 September 2025. This year's program will be the second of a series on networking and practical ecumenism with an intentional emphasis on dialogue.

The National Workshop on Christian Unity has advanced unity and reconciliation among various Christian communities for more than 50 years. The Workshop continues to be the only gathering of its kind at a national level in the world. The annual event brings together ecumenical representatives, ecumenists, and interested members from all churches who share one faith, one baptism in Jesus Christ. Learn more about the history of the National Workshop on Christian Unity, past workshops, partners in church unity, inter-religious relations, and more by browsing our website (https://www.nwcu.org).

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.

Bonhoeffer Curriculum

Lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in a House Divided and a World on Fire is a curriculum developed by Dr. Lori Brandt Hale, president of the International Bonhoeffer Society/English Language Section. Designed for congregational use, the curriculum includes facilitator’s guide, participant workbook, and accompanying slides for each week can be found below. There is also an accompanying midweek liturgy and prayers available. Click here to access this resource.

ULS: Kindling Faith

Aging Grace-fully

Sacred Places Transition Seminar

Stewardship: Consecrating the Ordinary

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

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. The seminar will be held 24-26 April 2025. Click here for details.

Everyday Stewardship: Consecrating the Ordinary

This year's Spring Convo at Gettysburg Seminary will focus on stewardship. One of the main principles of the Stewardship of Life Institute at ULS is the idea that stewardship is part of our day-to-day decisions. It’s so much more than simply increasing the sum total of our monetary offerings (though this is a direct result of a person’s stewardship philosophy). Stewardship relates to understanding our place in the world and God’s call for us to be caretakers of it from how we choose to spend our time to how we cultivate relationships with other people. Join us for a day of discovering how to consecrate the ordinary moments. This one-day event will be held on the Gettsyburg Seminary campus and by Zoom on 30 April 2025. Click here for details.

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.