At graduation this May on the campus at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., Richard Gurgel, a professor at the seminary, said good-bye to another group of seniors who just received their first assignments. But he hopes he won't lose touch with these new graduates.

As the new director of continuing education at the seminary, Gurgel will be working toward offering these new pastors—and the more than 1,400 already in the ministry—additional opportunities to continue their education and grow in their knowledge and faith. "The apostle Paul talks to Timothy about fanning into flame the gifts that were given to you," says Gurgel. "I don't see that as being done when you're handed a diploma at Martin Luther College or Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. That's really a ministry-long pursuit."

Although providing continuing education opportunities has long been a part of the seminary's mission, it hasn't had the resources in the past to create a comprehensive program. This spring, however, the seminary received two grants that will provide for the additional manpower and technology resources needed for the program to succeed. The seminary is calling a new professor, which will allow Gurgel to devote half of his time to coordinating the program as well as give other seminary professors time to prepare or teach online continuing education courses during the year.

That first online course will be presented this summer. Gurgel says he hopes this will open up learning opportunities for those who can't make it to campus for Summer Quarter classes. "[An online class] is not a replacement for face-to-face and in-person discussion and study, but it is a wonderful partner," he says. "It's another tool, another arrow in the quiver, so to speak, to pull out and advance continuing education.

Besides working to improve the technological infrastructure to make online courses available, Gurgel will be gathering existing materials and ideas, developing new resources, and reexamining current continuing education offerings at the seminary.

"The goal for us as a seminary would be that called workers see our continuing education program as fitting beautifully with what they need to do day by day," says Gurgel. "They won't see a disconnect between the seminary and the parish."

To help the seminary accomplish this, Gurgel says he will be putting together a group of called workers as a think tank that will keep the seminary informed about real continuing education needs throughout the synod.

He also will be working with the synod's newly reestablished Committee for Continuing Education for Called Workers and other synodical agencies to coordinate a comprehensive, yet flexible, program for all called workers.