Reformation 500 Student Contests Winners
In celebration of 500 Years of God’s Blessings through the Lutheran Reformation, students participated in three campus competitions, an art contest, a hymn contest, and a T-shirt design contest—all on Reformation themes.
Anniversary Series
Martin Luther: Radical Reformer
by MLC Professor Emeritus
Arnold Koelpin WLS ’58
Reformation Lectures
Theme: The Lutheran Reformation
was an Educational Movement
Watch with Us!
A complementary showing of
the critically accliamed movie
2018 Alumni Tour
Luther Lands
An international tour with destinations to include the Luther Lands of Germany, the Austrian Alps, and Rome
MIA Lecture
Art and the Reformation exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Devotion Booklet
I Shall Not Die, But Live
MLC’s newest devotion book.
Catechism with Pictures
The MLC Print shop is pleased to offer this Christian’s daily pocket companion
Luther’s Christmas Pageant
By Martin Luther
Adapted by Professor Emeritus Arnold Koelpin
Campus Statues
Two statues of Martin Luther can be found on the MLC campus
Wittenberg Diorama
Our campus model of Wittenberg, the “Cradle of the Reformation”
More information coming soon!
Mall Banners
Throughout 2017, the campus walkways will be adorned with banners that remind us of the special 500-year observance.
Videos
Check out these Luther/Reformation
videos on YouTube.
More resources comes soon!
Check out the WELS Reformation 500 page
to view activities and educational materials available through the synod.
Martin Luther: Radical Reformer
A Reformation Anniversary Series
by MLC Professor Emeritus Arnold Koelpin WLS ’58
Featured in InFocus
A Radical Reformer Speaks Out on . . .
Devotion Booklet
Shall Not Die, But Live is MLC’s newest devotion book. As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, please accept this devotion booklet containing thirty-one uplifting messages as a gift from the Martin Luther College campus family. We pray that our Lord would strengthen your faith through his Word.
Upcoming Reformation 500 Lectures
Commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, a plan to offer a series of Reformation lectures under the theme “The Lutheran Reformation was an Educational Movement” during the 2017-18 school year is underway. A list of speakers have been developed for the three topics:
Lecture 1:
Educating Youth at the Time of the Lutheran Reformation
(Wednesday, November 1, 2017, 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. by Pastor Paul Prange)
The focus of this lecture will be the concrete ways the Lutheran Reformation impacted the education of young people. We have heard Luther speak out in support of Christian education in texts like “A Sermon on Keeping Children in School” and “To the Councilmen of All the Cities of Germany that They Establish and Maintain Christian Schools.” The goal of this lecture is to explore in a concrete way what exactly this meant for grade school instruction, curriculum, and teacher preparation in those lands that adopted the Lutheran Reformation. How was school different for a child because of the Lutheran Reformation? How have these changes been a blessing to elementary education in our Lutheran schools down to this very day?
Lecture Available Here:
“Schooling for Life — Martin Luther Educator”
Lecture 2:
Educating Pastors at the Time of the Lutheran Reformation
(Sunday, February 11, 2018, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. by Dr. John Brenner)
The focus of this lecture will be the concrete ways the Lutheran Reformation impacted the training of Lutheran clergy. In his “To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation” in 1520, Luther had laid out proposals for educational reform at the university level. This was followed by very specific suggestions in “Instructions for the Visitors of Parish Pastors in Electoral Saxony” in 1528. The goal of this lecture is to explore what exactly this meant for the university courses that prepared the next generation of Lutheran pastors in lands that adopted the Lutheran Reformation. How was training for the pastoral ministry different for a student after the Lutheran Reformation? How have these changes been a blessing to pastoral training in our college and seminary down to this very day?
Lecture Available Here:
“Educating Pastors at the Time of the Reformation”
Lecture 3:
Educating Society at the Time of the Lutheran Reformation
(Sunday, April 15, 2018, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. by Dr. Gottfried Herrmann of the Evangelisch Lutherische Freikirche of Germany)
In his treatise of 1524, “To the Councilmen of All the Cities of Germany that They Establish and Maintain Christian Schools,” Luther had argued that Christian schools are essential not only for the welfare of the church, but also for the welfare of the home and the world. The goal of this lecture is to explore in a concrete way how exactly the changes in the educational system brought by the Lutheran Reformation, along with Luther’s doctrine of the two kingdoms, impacted homes and the world as schools sought to train the whole person of God. How did Luther’s push for a well-educated Christian citizenry, increased financial support for Christian schools, and his doctrine of the two kingdoms impact day-to-day life in lands that adopted the Lutheran Reformation? And what was the impact in everyday life of a Bible in the vernacular, doctrinal texts aimed at the home, and treatises written to and for the common man?
Lecture Available Here:
“Educating Society at the Time of the Lutheran Reformation”
Watch The New Luther Movie With Us!
Join us in the MLC Auditorium for two showings of the A Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 – 1:00 pm
Monday Nov. 6, 2017, 7:45 pm
This new film follows the great adventure of Luther’s life, packed with political intrigue, kidnappings, secret hideouts, and life-or-death showdowns. At the same time, it’s a story about the most important questions of life. Who am I? What is my purpose? How do I get right with God?
A must-see for any Lutheran and a chance to share the message of your Lutheran heritage with others. Invite your friends and neighbors!
Luther’s Christmas Pageant
By Martin Luther
Adapted by Professor Emeritus Arnold Koelpin
Martin Luther liked to celebrate Christmas with the freshness and spontaneity of a child. He composed the Christmas hymn “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” to be enacted as a family Christmas pageant. Published in 1535, it may well have been written for the previous Christmas, when his son Hans was 8 and his daughter Lenchen was 5.
You can reenact this inclusive and intimate family Christmas pageant in your home, whether you have just a few people or a large group.
MIA Lecture
This presentation by Prof. Em. Arnold Koelpin will provide an overview of the Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It also aims to assist in understanding the world of Martin Luther, his boyhood and training, his struggle as a monk with church reform, and his main contributions to our world from lecture-stand to the pulpit (both reassembled in the exhibit for our real-life insight into the Reformation).
2018 Alumni Tour – Luther Lands
June 18-July 4, 2018 – Luther Lands & Rome (16 days/15 nights)
Flights to Frankfort and back from Rome
Motor coach service through Germany, Austria, and into Italy
Cities we plan to visit include: Worms, Eisenach, Erfurt, Eisleben, Mansfeld, Wittenberg,
Leipzig, Salzburg, Venice, Florence, and Rome!
Details and registration coming in Summer of 2017
Approximate cost of $4000/person based on double occupancy
Lord willing, guides for the tour will be MLC professors Jim Danell, Paul Koelpin, Keith Wessel and President Mark Zarling.
Space is limited. To be included in the promotional/registration mailing, email Steve Balza at alumni@mlc-wels.edu
Statues and Historical Sign
Two statues of Martin Luther can be found on the MLC campus.
Click on the images below to learn more about them.
A historical sign about Luther is being produced thanks to a generous gift from the DMLC Class of 1966. It will educate campus family members and visitors about why we honor this man, focusing on his commitment to doctrinal purity, Christian education for the youth, and music that supports those efforts.
Wittenberg Diorama
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Begun as a class project in 1970, this model of the city of Wittenberg, “Cradle of the Reformation,” was constructed primarily by Mr. Theodore Pelzl with the assistance of students in Professor Emeritus Arnold Koelpin’s course, Modern Church History & The Reformation, from 1970 to 1982.
It was dedicated in 1983 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Luther’s birth. A revamping project is underway.
Luther/Reformation Videos
Check out these Luther/Reformation videos on YouTube.
We are considering offering a Film Festival featuring them on a campus “big screen” this fall.
Catechism with Pictures
On the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s birth, the Picture Catechism Committee of the Minnesota District of the WELS published a familiar book as a small, 120-page paperback.
From the beginning, at the Reformer’s own insistence, his catechism was published with pictures. But pictures did not follow the catechism to America. [It’s a good question, “Why not?”] A catechism illustrated with pictures was published in 1983 – – the first of its kind in America. (The Picture Catechism Explained, p 1).
The booklet printed a generation ago has been edited ; its art will be both familiar and brand new to those familiar with “the little green catechism,” sold in the Martin Luther College bookstore for 35 years.
Re-sized now to fit in pocket or purse, this one might be useful for a friend or relative who has drifted away from what they once learned as a student. Martin Luther’s Catechism with Pictures is available in quantity for $5 from the MLC Print Shop.
Here’s an idea for 2017, the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation: purchase 5 copies of the pocket catechism, and make it your goal to get them into the hands of 5 acquaintances. God bless it … and you!
Mall Banners
Throughout 2017, the campus walkways will be adorned with banners that remind us of the special 500-year observance.
The banners are a gift from the DMLC Class of 1961.
