Program Focus

ACFL Focusing Strategies and Desired Outcomes

Serving as a steward of the College’s mission and identity and pursuing directions set by the Christensen legacy, the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning organizes its work around the following focusing strategies and desired outcomes:

1. Enhancing vocational awareness—Infusing a sense of vocation throughout the College, among students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae:

• Offer every member of the Augsburg community the opportunity to participate in a gift discovery process.
• Increase awareness of vocation among faculty and staff and enhance their ability to articulate it.
• Feature the exploration of calling in every alumni gathering.
• Incorporate a clearly defined vocation component in every Keystone class.

2. Nurturing congregational partnerships—Developing synergistic alliances with local congregations and the wider church:

• Promote youth development around vocation and community engagement
• Advocate for a vocationally-aware, mission-oriented Church
• Advance the vocation of leadership
• Facilitate dialogue between congregations and the community

3.  Promoting an ecology of Lutheran higher education—Enhancing Augsburg’s leadership among Lutheran colleges and universities in the theological exploration of individual and institutional vocation:

• Host annual conference of Lutheran colleges and universities on individual and institution callings.
• Develop international immersion program in collaboration with the Center for Global Education for Lutheran college faculty and staff.
• Partner with Lutheran colleges and universities to offer Vocation for Life gatherings serving Lutheran college alumni.

4.  Building interfaith alliances—Developing interfaith relationships, particularly in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood and broader community:

• Establish an interfaith dialogue series.
• Implement interfaith community service program.
• Achieve national recognition for teaching and scholarship in interfaith studies.