The Christensen Center for Vocation (CCV) equips and affirms 21st-century leaders to flourish in their callings by living fully into their Christian faith, rooted in radical acceptance, justice, service, and neighbor-love. CCV staff accompanies Augsburg’s intentionally diverse student body, staff, and faculty by cultivating practices of radical hospitality, sabbath keeping, and belonging. As a University of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Augsburg’s Christensen Center also accompanies congregations and the wider church in publicly and courageously embodying the love of God in Jesus Christ.
The Christensen Center for Vocation is named for Bernard H. Christensen, who served as president of Augsburg College and Seminary from 1938—1962. These five lessons, attributed to Dr. Christensen, guide the Center’s work:
- Christian faith liberates minds and lives.
- Diversity strengthens vital communities.
- Interfaith friendships enrich learning.
- The love of Christ draws us to God.
- We are called to service in the world.
What’s Vocation?
Vocation is an idea rooted in the same Lutheran theological tradition as Augsburg University’s origin. Within this tradition, it has been used to describe the ways each person partners with God to heal the world through their various roles—partner, employee, student, sibling, roommate, co-worker, neighbor, offspring, parent, spouse, etc. This tradition believes we are each called to work for sustainability, justice, equity, reconciliation, and restoration in every aspect of life. At Augsburg, we talk about vocation as thriving. It is how you are inspired, equipped, and empowered to promote thriving in your own life but also in the lives of those around you—your neighbors, family, friends, community, the earth, the water, the critters—all living things!
Campus Ministry
Ministry at Augsburg isn't just about sitting in a pew; it’s about serving each other within the community. Campus Ministry is deeply involved in peace, justice, and hunger concerns. Students can get involved in community service and advocacy work right in the heart of Minneapolis, as well as Alternative Spring Break trips around the country.
Riverside Innovation Hub
At Augsburg University, we believe that education should ripple far beyond the edges of campus. The Riverside Innovation Hub (RIH) serves as a dynamic community incubator, bringing students, faith leaders, and local neighborhoods together to solve real-world challenges and build a more just, flourishing world. Through hands-on learning communities, an interactive online network, and leadership development programs, we empower the next generation to become active, impactful changemakers right where they live.
Christensen Scholars Program
The Christensen Scholars Program is a small group of ten academically accomplished students who share an interest in the theological and practical exploration of Christian community and vocation. The experience promises to be intellectual, communal, theological, dialogical, challenging, and practical.
Programs and Services
Our work is facilitated through a variety of programs. Each program is uniquely designed to accompany members of our community through vocational discernment and discovery in creative and engaging ways.
The Christensen Scholars Program engages ten selected students in a deeper interdisciplinary exploration of Christian theological reflection and vocational discernment related to their personal lives and social realities of the world they live in.
The Christensen Symposium provides an annual opportunity for the Augsburg community to gather with an influential thought leader who will challenge and inspire us to live in deeper alignment with our individual and collective calls to promote thriving in our lives and communities.
“How We Thrive” is a collaboration between CCV and Campus Ministry and takes place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 12:00-12:20 p.m. in Hoversten Chapel. It is a time when members of the Augsburg community share their own stories of how they thrive and live out their calls.
In collaboration with other campus departments, the Christensen Center for Vocation helps first-year students articulate strengths and passions, identify core values and sources of inspiration, and learn ways to practice self-care, all as ways to live into thriving and vocation.
Stephen '27
I grew up in Liberia where community was an important part of everyday life. I never realized how much I missed that sense of community after moving here until i became involved with the Christensen Center for Vocation. I found community again through The Confluence and the Christensen Scholars. I remembered what an important part of my life it ways. My involvement in these programs has helped me realize I want to be a leader who is always creating community, places where people know they belong.