Reflections on LEA

It has been a while since I have posted on this blog. A new Call, a growing work load outside of this new Call, and the tensions of life have gotten in the way. But I was energized this week by attending the LEA Convocation in Milwaukee, where 3100 Lutheran educators met for three days. Here are a list of my highlights and takeaways from the event:

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Long conversations with a large number of Lutheran educators from all over the world -- so long that my sleep and rest have suffered! It was worth it, however! What a blessing it is to have such valued brothers and sisters in Christ as colleagues!
• The blessings of being asked to facilitate three different sessions at the conference (session notes may be found here). I really enjoy connecting with other educators in this way.
• The renewed sense of being a part of something larger beyond my school.
• The enjoyment of being back in Milwaukee, one of my favorite cities.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Kudos to LEA for embracing and inviting social media and digital conversations to the Convocation. Those definitely added value to the event and will, hopefully, serve as a springboard for ongoing conversations about innovation and the future of Lutheran education.
• There was significant discussion that we perhaps have reached the point of engagement by educators where we may be able to finally leverage that engagement to create artifacts of value for Lutheran schools, such as digital texts. Dr. Bull from Concordia University Wisconsin has raised this issue and challenge for all of us.
• I love tweetups, where those of us who use Twitter meet face-to-face at the Convocation. Our second event of this nature was a big success, and we had the opportunity to welcome some new leaders and educators to this virtual community.
• One question that Dr. Bull challenged me with and which I have been thinking about is how we ensure that Lutheran education does not cater only to affluent constituencies. There are some distinct financial pressures on our schools, but if Jesus is for everyone, then we need to explore new ways to ensure that our schools reach out with Jesus to all communities.

NEXT STEPS:

• To continue the momentum and conversations, please start using the hashtag #LuthEd when posting on Twitter when discussing Lutheran education resources and issues. We really want to encourage your continued participation.
• Dr. Bull has created a Google+ community entitled Future Lutheran Education as a place for additional work in forging a better future for Lutheran education.
• Be sure to thank LEA and their planning team for their work on our behalf in preparing Convocation events.