Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 90

LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 90

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

ary 2026, CUI has raised $43M in gifts and pledges towards
these projects! Thanks be to God!
•

•

In 2025, CUI received a $5M pledge to support the building of new engineering and computer science labs to support
the expansion of new concentrations in these two majors,
including mechanical, electrical, and biomechanical engineering, and cybersecurity and robotics as concentrations in
computer science. Thanks be to God for this transformative
educational gift!
CUI’s partnership between Music and PBS SoCal and national PBS syndicates continues each year to produce a
made-for-TV special called “A Concordia Christmas.” Since
2021, CUI has created six award-winning broadcasts, sharing the Gospel through music and spoken word, which have
reached audiences in the millions throughout the U.S. During
the 2025 Christmas season, CUI led all of higher education
in reach and impact by delivering over 750 hours of nationwide programming, outstripping even St. Olaf College and
Belmont University, known nationally for music. We were
pleased to feature a song in the 2025 show that was filmed
and recorded at the LCMS Youth Gathering.
As part of our ongoing effort to communicate more boldly,
clearly, and widely that CUI is the premier Christian university in Orange County, Calif., the university entered into
a 12-year partnership with the National Hockey League
(NHL)’s Anaheim Ducks and OCVIBE, one of the nation’s
largest sports and entertainment locations (over 100 acres)
as the “Official Educational Partner.” Throughout this partnership, which includes extensive marketing through digital billboards throughout the complex and inside the Honda
Center, CUI will tell our story visually and orally. Additionally, this partnership includes guaranteed annual student
internships, performances at new venues, educational offerings for Ducks and OCVIBE employees, and community
events, prominently sponsored by CUI. This is a wonderful
opportunity to introduce CUI more fully to southern California and, through NHL broadcasts, to the nation.
Michael A. Thomas, President

R14.3

Concordia University, Nebraska
Greetings from Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE) where
we continue our joyful work of equipping men and women for lives
of learning, service, and leadership in the church and world. In the
spirit of the 2026 Synod convention theme, Christ Is Risen Indeed
(1 Cor. 15:20–22), we give thanks that hope in the resurrected
Christ continues to shape our students, strengthen our mission, and
sustain our shared service to families and churches of the Synod
and their neighbors who are sympathetic to our confession.

A. Enrollment
CUNE continues to experience significant enrollment growth,
reflecting a strong interest in Christ-centered higher education. Last
fall, the university welcomed 1,281 undergraduate students, along
with 422 graduate students pursuing advanced degrees. The university also celebrated substantial growth in its dual credit program,
which now serves 2,038 high school students across 43 schools in
the United States and internationally.
2026 Convention Workbook

Retention remains strong, supported by faculty mentorship,
comprehensive student services, and a vibrant, Christ-centered
community, reflecting CUNE’s distinctive mission and enduring
appeal.
This vibrant community life is especially evident in the growing participation in daily chapel among students, faculty, and staff.
As CUNE’s worship life continues to flourish at the heart of campus, the steady increase in attendance suggests that the university
may need to consider how to provide worship space that can fully
support a growing campus family and a shared life of Word and
worship through a stand-alone chapel.
Strategically, the university remains focused on recruiting mission-fit students seeking a Lutheran higher education. Recruitment
pipelines have been strengthened through partnerships with Lutheran schools, districts, and ministries, while marketing outreach
highlights CUNE’s Christ-centered academic excellence, academic communities, and pathways into church work vocations.

A.1. Academic Communities and Christ-Centered
Excellence
CUNE continues to focus on mission-driven student support,
as well as disciplinary catechesis and vocational discipleship. A
key thread of the strategic plan is strengthening our commitment
to Christ-centered academic excellence through the development
of distinct, inspiring, and holistic academic communities, including:
•

Luke Scholars Honors Program—a rigorous, Christ-centered honors community emphasizing academic excellence,
leadership, and service.

•

Micah Pre-Health Scholars Program—supporting students
pursuing medical and health-related careers through mentoring, advising, and service-learning grounded in Christian
compassion.

•

Paul Scholars Work Education Program—supporting students through meaningful classroom experience integrated
with vocational exploration.

•

Uzziah Ag Scholars Program—equipping the next generation of agricultural leaders through hands-on experiences,
industry engagement, and a theology of stewardship.

A.2. Church Work Recruitment and Support
CUNE continues its commitment to raising up faithful church
workers for the LCMS. The university’s current undergraduate
enrollment includes more than 300 students majoring in church
work with a goal to recruit 100 new church work students each
year. Recruitment initiatives include collaboration with districts
and Lutheran high schools, revitalized visit days for church work
recruitment, digital storytelling highlighting current church work
students and alumni, and a dedicated church work admissions recruiter.
CUNE’s Church Work Scholarships, together with church and
outside scholarships and federal aid, mean that church work students pay, on average, less than $3,500 in tuition per year, helping
students pursue their callings in ministry without undue financial
burden. As the number of students preparing for service in Christ’s
church continues to grow, additional gifts and ongoing support
will be essential to sustain and enhance the financial aid packages
that help make this formative preparation possible.