Lutheran Conferences, Camps, and Retreats

Who here would be interested in attending a Lutheran homeschool conference? We would! Actually, all sorts of Lutheran conferences interest us. Hence this page for Lutheran conferences, camps, and retreats.

Lutheran homeschooling conferences have happened. Back in 2012, a Lutheran co-op hosted a very informative homeschooling conference in Wichita. In July 2020, the Wyoming District of the LCMS hosted one. Now an ELS group holds regular symposia. Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Carlisle, Iowa, holds one annually!

If you are ever inspired to do the same, let us know and we’ll help spread the word about it! (Please try to give people at minimum three months notice if you want more than locals to attend. Thanks!)

The folks at LutheranHomeschool.com are not planning our own Lutheran homeschooling conference at this time. Still, we are happy to let you know about as many Lutheran conferences and retreats as we can!

Meanwhile, here is a list of Lutheran conferences and retreats, along with a prayer that these programs and offerings can be helpful to you and your family.

For more free Lutheran educational resources, go here. For more free Lutheran resources of a more general nature, go here. And suggestions for more are always welcome! Thanks!

Lutheran Conferences, Camps & Retreats

Camps

  • Lutheran music camps
    1. Bethany Lutheran College offers Honor Choir Camp for high schoolers.
    2. Lutheran Summer Music (an independent Lutheran organisation) offers orchestra opportunities for grades 8-12.
    3. Some regional camps offer band camps, such as Camp LuWiSoMo in Wisconsin, for fifth through eighth graders.
    4. Also see “Organist Workshop” below.
  • Regional Camps
    1. The National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association (NLOMA) works with regional LCMS camps throughout the United States. Go here to see which camps may be close to you.
    2. For WELS camps, look here.

Confirmation Retreats

Disaster Response

LCMS Disaster Response offers an annual Disaster Response Conference, often in October.

Deaf Interpreter Training

Lutheran Friends of the Deaf

Education

European and/or International Lutheran Conferences

Family Retreats

Life Issues

Men’s Conferences and Retreats

  • Evanguard, which comes from “evangelical” and “vanguard,” is focused on biblical masculinity and manhood for all boys 8 and older.

Organist Workshop

Pastoral

  • The Bugenhagen Conference: A three-day conference for pastors on practical theology in Racine, Wisconsin, at the end of July.
  • Doxology: A series of advanced study retreats to strengthen pastors for the task of faithfully shepherding souls.
  • Grace Place Wellness offers programming for church workers, pastors’ wives, and ministry teams.

Theological, Catechetical, or Worship-Focused

Youth Conferences (Also see Youth Programs)

Youth & Young Adult Programs

  • Concordia Seminary, St. Louis offers the following:
    • Taste of the Sem in February for high school gentlemen
    • Vocatio for high school ladies and gentlemen in June
    • Green & Gold Days for college students and second-career ladies and gentlemen in February, April, and November
    • Contemplate for college students and second-career ladies and gentlemen in March and October
  • Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana offers “Christ Academy” programs.
    • Christ Academy College provides undergraduate men and women interested in pastoral or diakonal service an opportunity to discover what CTSFW has to offer.
    • Phoebe School is a two-week summer conference for high school ladies interested in theology and liturgical worship. During that time, they also learn about becoming trained as a deaconess to share “the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of mercy and human care.”
    • Prayerfully Consider visits allow men and women, along with their families, to explore pastoral and diakonal formation and contemplation on the vocations of pastor and deaconess.
    • Timothy School is a two-week summer conference for high school gentlemen interested in theology and liturgical worship. It is an opportunity to explore the Office of Holy Ministry for those considering seminary and pursuing ordination.
  • Lutheran Young Adult Corps: Young adults can serve for 10 weeks in the summer or 10 months as a gap year.

(For what it’s worth, the national LCMS convention is every three years, and LCMS districts typically have two church worker or pastoral conferences at year.)

image sources

  • Lutheran_Homeschool_2: Owned by the author