Thursdays, July 9 -August 13, 12–1PM, CT

What makes for an exceptional Lutheran school? School Advancement: Identity, Mission, and Growth equips educational leaders to strengthen and advance their schools by developing a clear, compelling identity rooted in mission and identity. With particular attention to our distinctly Lutheran identity, participants will explore how adherence to your why shapes school culture, informs vision, and guides strategic decision-making. Participants will examine best practices in mission clarity, vision casting, and sustainable growth, while also developing practical skills in marketing, enrollment management, stakeholder engagement, and of course, a joy-filled school culture rooted in Jesus! Emphasis is placed on aligning internal culture with external messaging so that a school’s story is both authentic and effective. The course also introduces frameworks for continuous improvement, helping leaders assess impact, adapt to changing contexts, and pursue long-term vitality.

Course Objectives:

• Develop practical tools for improving school culture and growth.
  
• Lead school advancement efforts that are mission-driven, culturally grounded, and strategically focused on growth and sustainability.
• Where/when necessary, usher in transformational change.

Individuals affiliated with eligible preferred partner organizations receive exclusive tuition discounts for Concordia Nebraska Studia Vitae courses. Please visit cune.edu/partnerdiscount to view a list of current preferred partners and verify your membership to receive your discount code.

Tuesdays, July 7– August 11, 2026, 7 – 8 PM CT 

In the Large Catechism, Martin Luther cautioned that "what must be enforced with rods and blows only will not develop into a good breed, and at best they will remain godly under such treatment no longer than while the rod is upon their back." The alternative he proposed was to teach "in a childlike way and playfully in the fear and honor of God." While this was written with children in mind, playful teaching is relevant to the catechesis and faith formation of people of all ages.  

This course takes Luther's caution and explores ways that we can use play and playfulness to bless and benefit people of all ages. This is designed to be a course that participants can apply to a variety of settings, supporting teachers, DCEs, pastors, parents, Bible study and Sunday school leaders and teachers, and anyone else who is involved in the faith formation of others. Drawing on Scripture and the ancient art of ludology (the study of games and play), we will explore a wide array of playful approaches to teaching and learning.  

We will give special attention to riddles, fables, proverbs, parables, lessons from past and present treasure hunts and adjacent forms, along with an overview of using simple games and game design. Whether you work with children, teenagers, young adults, adults in midlife, or those moving into retirement, this course will offer you a variety of ideas for how to use playfulness in faith formation while also granting it the care and seriousness that it warrants. 

Course Objectives:

• Articulate a biblical foundation for the use of play and playfulness in catechesis and faith formation.  
• Apply riddles as a tool for stimulating curiosity and deeper engagement with God’s Word. 
• Use fables to help learners explore and better understand biblical truth.   
• Employ proverbs as a form of concentrated wisdom that opens genuine conversation in teaching and faith formation. 
• Incorporate the form of parables in teaching the faith, drawing on the teaching practice of Jesus himself. 
• Design treasure hunt or adjacent experiences that play a meaningful role in catechesis and faith formation.  
• Construct simple games and game-based learning experiences suited to specific ministry settings. 

Individuals affiliated with eligible preferred partner organizations receive exclusive tuition discounts for Concordia Nebraska Studia Vitae courses. Please visit cune.edu/partnerdiscount to view a list of current preferred partners and verify your membership to receive your discount code.

Tuesdays, July 7– August 11, 2026, 4 – 5 PM CT 

Reading and analyzing a novel as a class is a cornerstone of intermediate and middle school instruction. To prepare students for high school and lifelong reading, we must teach them how to thoughtfully engage with an entire text (examining characters, themes, and authorial choices) while also nurturing their excitement for story.

But how do we select novels that challenge students academically, support strong literacy growth, and also provide opportunities for meaningful, faith-centered discussion? How do we identify books that both enrich students’ understanding of literature and allow for natural connections to Scripture and the Christian life?

In this course, we will explore best practices for choosing novels for grades 3–8 with intentional Christian discernment. Together, we will examine how to evaluate texts through a Biblical lens, how to recognize and utilize moments of faith intersectionality, and how to guide students toward thoughtful reflection grounded in Lutheran theology. You’ll leave with practical strategies, curated resources, recommended reading lists, and ready-to-use tools you can immediately implement in your classroom.

Course Objectives:

• Evaluate a wide range of novels across genres to determine their appropriateness for classroom use in grades 3–8. ·
• Use Christian discernment when selecting literature, applying Biblical principles and faith-based criteria to guide novel choice. ·
• Identify where plot, characters, themes, and conflicts intersect with Scripture and create opportunities for faith-centered conversations.
• Support students in making meaningful connections between the literature they read, their personal faith lives, and the teachings of the Bible.
• Integrate practical teaching strategies and resources that promote engagement, critical thinking, and spiritual growth within novel studies.

Individuals affiliated with eligible preferred partner organizations receive exclusive tuition discounts for Concordia Nebraska Studia Vitae courses. Please visit cune.edu/partnerdiscount to view a list of current preferred partners and verify your membership to receive your discount code.

Tuesdays, July 7– August 11, 2026, 2-3 PM CT 

Analyze your school’s current retention efforts. Join in reviewing recent research about what helps educators love their schools and want to remain employed at them. Use your analysis and review to develop an educator retention plan for your school.

Course Objectives:

• Explore the concepts of a research-based framework to support educator retention.
• Compare your school’s current retention efforts to a research-based framework.
• Build an educator retention plan for your school setting.
• Develop a strategic educator retention plan.
• Explore and apply concepts of career development for educators.
• Explore and apply concepts of leadership development for educators.
• Explore and apply concepts of positive employee experience and well-being.
• Effectively communicate educator compensation and benefits.
• Develop a culture of recognizing and appreciating educators.

Individuals affiliated with eligible preferred partner organizations receive exclusive tuition discounts for Concordia Nebraska Studia Vitae courses. Please visit cune.edu/partnerdiscount to view a list of current preferred partners and verify your membership to receive your discount code.

Mondays, July 6 – August 10, 2026, 6 – 7 PM CT 

This six-lesson course examines sport through the lens of the Christian Theology of the Body, inviting participants to see athletics not merely as competition or entertainment, but as a profound arena of spiritual formation. Together, we explore the body as a gift from God, the role of discipline in shaping virtue, the temptation to idolatry in performance-driven culture, the power of teamwork and community, the meaning of sacrifice and suffering, and the theological significance of male and female embodiment in competition. Rooted in Scripture and Christian anthropology, the course equips believers to engage sports—whether as athletes, parents, coaches, or fans—with deeper wisdom, gratitude, and faith, recognizing that the playing field can become a place where embodied life points beyond itself to Christ and the hope of resurrection.

Course Objectives:

• Develop a Biblical Theology of the Body and Sport 
  •  Participants will articulate how Scripture and Christian anthropology (especially the Theology of the Body) provide a coherent framework for understanding athletics as an expression of embodied life, sexual difference, discipline, suffering, and resurrection hope.
• Cultivate Spiritual Discernment in Athletic Culture 
  •  Participants will learn to identify both the formative power and the spiritual dangers of sport—recognizing opportunities for virtue, community, and worship while resisting idolatry, identity distortion, and cultural confusion about the body.
• Integrate Faith and Practice in Real-World Contexts 
  •  Participants will apply theological insights to concrete settings—as athletes, coaches, parents, and fans—so that training, competition, leadership, and spectatorship reflect gratitude, integrity, compassion, and a Christ-centered understanding of embodied life.

Individuals affiliated with eligible preferred partner organizations receive exclusive tuition discounts for Concordia Nebraska Studia Vitae courses. Please visit cune.edu/partnerdiscount to view a list of current preferred partners and verify your membership to receive your discount code.

Mondays, July 6-August 10, 2026 4-5 PM CT

The root of our English word for school is the Greek term scholé, meaning “leisure” or “rest.” Sustained, satisfying, and successful teaching is not well suited to harried and exhausting environments. Yet modern educational pressures, such as workload demands and behavioral disruptions, often create fragmentation, haste, and anxiety. This six‑week course invites Christian educators, parents, and church workers to recover a more restful, humane, and biblical way of teaching through seven specific principles that have shaped teaching from antiquity through the Christian tradition and have nurtured restfulness. Participants explore the following principles: the best teacher is a good book; repetition is the mother of memory; make haste slowly; employ much, not many; by teaching, we learn; return to the sources; and leisure. Each is introduced with explanation, practical implications, and concrete examples for contemporary circumstances. The course offers Christ‑centered learning that enriches participants’ lives and strengthens the communities in which they lead and serve. Participants will complete the course with renewed vision, practical tools, and a restful posture toward their vocation as Christian educators.

Course Objectives:

• Evaluate modern teaching pressures through a humane and biblical lens
• Reflectively assess personal teaching in light of the principles shared
• Interpret and apply the seven principles to contemporary educational practice
• Implement learning endeavors that embody rest, adeptness, and humane pacing

Individuals affiliated with eligible preferred partner organizations receive exclusive tuition discounts for Concordia Nebraska Studia Vitae courses. Please visit cune.edu/partnerdiscount to view a list of current preferred partners and verify your membership to receive your discount code.

Mondays, July 6– August 10, 2026, 2-3 PM CT 

This course, designed for new teachers in Lutheran schools, but open to all, provides learners with a solid foundation of the multi-century and global legacy of Lutheran schools. Participants will learn what is distinct about Lutheran schools, and what it means to be an engaged teacher or leader in a Lutheran school. Six sessions will include topics like the history and legacy of Lutheran schools, what it takes to be a faithful and flourishing Lutheran school, what is distinct about Lutheran schools, and how to be active and engaged in advancing the mission of your Lutheran school. This can be completed as a stand-alone course or as part of a four-course Foundations of Lutheran Education Certificate.

Course Objectives

• Describe the legacy and distinctives of Lutheran education.
• Connect practices of the LCMS School System with its History, Mission & Legacy
• Explain what characterizes a faithful and flourishing Lutheran school.
• Use these insights to inform classroom and school culture, climate, traditions, and practices.
• Support and amplify the mission and culture of their Lutheran school community.

Individuals affiliated with eligible preferred partner organizations receive exclusive tuition discounts for Concordia Nebraska Studia Vitae courses. Please visit cune.edu/partnerdiscount to view a list of current preferred partners and verify your membership to receive your discount code.