WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CONCORIA'S EMPLOYEES?

What does it mean for employees that Concordia's mission shapes all activities?

All Concordia's employees share in using their activities, time, and talents to promote Concordia's mission, "to prepare students for service to Christ in the church and the world.'   Employees most readily promote Concordia's mission through their efforts to model Concordia's values to our students, to each other, and to our associated communities.  A closer look at those values indicates ways to model them:

Truth

Higher education is an opportunity to search for truth.  While our students often come looking for skills and occupational opportunities, Concordia's goal is to encourage them toward an education of the whole person.  Of course, an integral aspect of that education is the opportunity to relate faith and learning, especially from a Lutheran perspective with particularly Lutheran questions.

Our efforts at CUW all point toward providing the right environment for that search for truth.  Our own examples model the respect for truth in what we say and do.  We respect others' ideas and listen to what others have to say.  We also model for our students our recognition of Jesus as the Truth.

Beauty

The Concordia experience is an opportunity for our students to experience the beauty of the world God has made.  Our goal is to provide an appropriate physical, psychological, and spiritual setting for that to occur.  We are here to provide the appropriate environment for students to learn.  Whether that means cleaning hallways, providing educational or spiritual advice, or anything in between, our mission is to prepare that environment.

Our efforts at CUW honor beauty by recognizing the wonder of God's creation, by our activities to be good stewards of that creation, and by our striving to identify and lift up examples of beauty in our community.

Goodness

God calls us to goodness.  He demonstrated that ultimate goodness when He sent His Son to die for us.  We can pursue goodness as we work out our vocations, those particular callings where God has provided for us to serve other people.  Everyone in Concordia's employ has a vocation to serve others in this community.  While we have unique and individual responsibilities in our jobs, we share in the vocation of preparing students young and old for their own vocations.

Our efforts at CUW strive toward goodness by exhibiting an attitude of service toward all who are in Concordia's community.  That means that we respect and honor all individuals in our community.

Unity

The unity found at Concordia is based on two facts, first, that our Creator has uniquely made humans and, second, that Jesus' death and resurrection give Christians a particular unity, the communion of saints.  That unity shows itself in many ways in the CUW community.  There is an equality that all humans share, whether they are faculty, staff members, students, or others.  Each individual has worth in God's eyes, and thus we need to uphold the dignity of all who share in our community.

Our community must also recognize and honor the diverse nature of humans.  We are each individuals, with specific strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, goals and fears. Therefore, we respect those who are different from us, and strive to find areas of commonality, so that we can work together to fulfill Concordia's mission.