Concordia University, Nebraska hosts Great Plains Lutheran Educators Conference

Concordia University, Nebraska hosted the inaugural Great Plains Lutheran Educators Conference (GPLEC) October 14-16, 2023. More than 400 educators, administrators and others attended the event. 

“What a fabulous joy to welcome so many Lutheran educators to our campus,” said Concordia Nebraska Director of Dual Credit and School Partnerships and conference director, Dr. Beth Pester. “Concordia Nebraska is a premier professional church work preparatory institution. What a great opportunity for us to host our Lutheran school colleagues for a time of fellowship, networking and enrichment!” 

The 2023 Great Plains Lutheran Educators Conference included industry experts from many disciplines presenting on education and teaching topics, school advancement, student health and more.  The event featured keynote speakers Rev. Dr. Justin Hannemann, CEO and therapist at GracePoint Institute for Relational Health, Concordia Nebraska President Dr. Bernard Bull and incoming Concordia Nebraska Chief Operating Officer Kim Boyce. The event also included ample fellowship opportunities, exhibitors, a Scholastic Book Fair and sectional presentations tailored to elementary, middle school and high school audiences.  

“This conference is a wonderful resource for our educators in Nebraska,” said Concordia Nebraska Board of Regents member Krista Barnhouse, who is also a Concordia Nebraska alumnus and principal of Faith Lutheran School in Lincoln. “Educators strive to continue to learn and grow in our profession, and this conference is a huge opportunity to come together and learn from one another through sectionals, time in fellowship and more. It also serves as a ‘cup filler’ as our educators have the opportunity to worship and be lifted up by the Holy Spirit through our time together.” 

Lutheran educators and church workers around the country are familiar with the traditional cycle of conferences that many educators attend, which includes district-level church work conferences, the Lutheran Education Association conference and others. The Great Plains Lutheran Educators Conference will take place once every three years and is intentionally scheduled in order to include attendees from the Great Plains states, including Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and hopefully in the future, even beyond. Concordia Nebraska worked with The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) Nebraska district to coordinate the conference schedule to allow this year’s GPLEC conference to be convenient and accessible to as many educators as possible. The next Great Plains Lutheran Educators Conference will take place at Concordia Nebraska in October 2026. 

Are you interested in learning more about the many education programs offered at Concordia Nebraska? Read more here.