December 8, 2025

December 8, 2025

MLC’s new brand is here:

You: Knighted for Ministry

This rebrand is an outcome of MLC’s Project Sunrise, a multi-year effort to improve the college in three key areas, one of which is branding and outreach. 

Through the new brand, we want to tell the beautiful story of gospel ministry training at MLC more boldly and widely. This beautiful story — our purpose, our mission — has not changed! We’re just sharing it in a new, stronger way.

Check out the brand landing page on our website. It contains more explanation and videos to help you explore all aspects of our brand, including the design intention behind the new logo.

Martin Luther College’s highly anticipated Christmas concert will be presented

Saturday, December 13, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 14, at 4:00 pm in the MLC Chapel of the Christ.

The combined choirs of Martin Luther College, the Wind Symphony, and the Hosanna Ringers invite you to join them for this musical celebration of the birth of Christ.

Under the theme For Us and For Our Salvation — drawn from the Nicene Creed and especially fitting as the Christian church commemorates the creed’s 1700th anniversary this year — the program reflects on the profound mystery that the Savior, God from all eternity, took on flesh and became truly human for the redemption of the world.

All are welcome as we rejoice in the hope of Advent and celebrate the Christmas message with this cherished campus tradition!

Can't make it? Watch it on our livestream!

All Things New is our newest devotion book for you! These 25 Advent devotions are available online, or you can still sign up to receive them by email.

As we gather around the manger this year, we’ll ponder Jesus’ words in Revelation 21:5: “I am making everything new!”

Is that even possible? How can God fix this world, so marred by sin? How can he possibly make something good out of so much evil, something new out of so much brokenness?

In these devotions, we’ll see that through the coming of Christ – his birth at Christmas, his presence in our hearts through faith, and his triumphant return at the end of the world – God indeed makes all things new.

During International Education Week (November 10-14), our campus came alive with languages, flavors, and songs from around the world!

In chapel, students read Scripture in Korean, Chinese, German, Spanish, and Hmong, and a multicultural praise ensemble shared the Word in song. We also enjoyed themed dinners, crafts, and games throughout the week.

We love our 10 international students and thank God that we can learn together — about our Savior and how we can share the gospel with every “nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9).

Pictured: German student Nelly Düll (Faith-Sharpsburg GA) teaches students how to make a Fröbelsterne, an Advent star, at the German craft night.

The days are a little shorter and colder, but the bright white blanket of snow has made campus even more beautiful. And MLC campus life is as vibrant as ever! Check out a few highlights below, and see even more in our photo gallery.

The cold weather didn’t keep students from one of their favorite intramurals — ultimate frisbee! They took the fun into the Betty Kohn Fieldhouse.

New Friends, a group that connects MLC students with people with special needs, hosted a Thanksgiving craft event in the MLC cafeteria.

Prancing with the Stars (pictured), floor hockey, and a chess tournament were just a few of the events in the 2025 MLC Cup, boosting morale in the lead-up to exams.

The faculty got in on some of the cold-weather fun with a Jeopardy-style competition.

On November 8, the MLC cross country team celebrated Parents’ Day and hosted its annual Fall Finale 5k, along with a .05k for little runners.

It’s recital season! Students demonstrated their learning in guitar, piano, organ, and applied instrument performances. For more on the Advanced Piano Recital, see the December 5 KnightWatch Weekly.

On November 23, the MLC Wind Symphony performed its concert Elements, a musical exploration of the defining characteristics of creation — expressed through sound.

This year’s one-acts, I Have a Bad Feeling About (This)Mas, took December 6-7 audiences on a whirlwind adventure through the unexpected and absurd realms of speed dating and holiday pandemonium.

Our Knights softball team and their coach, Professor Becca Kvam (physical education), look for opportunities to serve WELS congregations and community organizations. Recently, the team partnered with B the Light, an organization that supports breast cancer patients and survivors.

Touched by the story of B the Light’s founder, local WELS member Amber Melby, and the mission of the organization, the MLC softball team has volunteered to help with B the Light’s annual gala for two consecutive years.

For many players their service is motivated by their personal stories. “I know within the softball family there are many former players and family members that have fought breast cancer,” says team member Ava Schroeder (Good Shepherd-Burton MI). “Both of my grandmothers fought breast cancer and survived.”

And as future called workers, these young women simply want to serve. Ava says, "Being a servant is at the heart of ministry."

Pictured: Professor Kvam, Ava Schroeder, Kaylee Pickering (Living Word-Gray TN), Chloe Berg (David’s Star-Jackson WI), Kieghtan Rank (Faith-Fond du Lac WI), Emma Frey (Foundation-Las Vegas), and Emily Laupichler (Emanuel Redeemer-Brockway MI) at the B the Light gala.

Knights basketball has begun! Players on both the men’s and women’s teams earned UMAC recognition in November. Read about their achievements below, and find more highlights at MLC athletics.

Adam Loberger (Mt. Olive-Appleton WI) was voted the UMAC Player of the Week (November 10-16) for MLC men's basketball. Adam earned the achievement after his excellent performance in three games that week, including the Knights’ first win of the season.

Lydia Feidt (St. Paul-Appleton WI) was rewarded for her performance on November 25, as the senior was named the UMAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week (November 24-30). Lydia was instrumental in MLC’s 59-40 victory against St. Olaf College.

Could one of our professors visit your congregation for an MLC Sunday?

Our profs love to join parish pastors for a special Sunday where we focus on the gospel of Jesus and how MLC is training future pastors, teachers, and staff ministers to share that gospel. We can preach and give presentations on what's new at the college.

Interested? Please contact Allison Bovee at boveeae@mlc-wels.edu to request a visit from us!

Calls Extended:

• Mr. Kevin Walker (Bethlehem-Germantown WI) accepted the call to MLC to serve as director and professor of the Staff Ministry program.
• Pastor Mark Parsons (Truth in Love-Nampa ID) accepted the call to MLC to serve as professor of English.
• Mrs. Holly Dannecker (Mt. Olive-Appleton WI) received a call to MLC to serve as a professor of special education.
• Ms. Alyssa Warnke (Grace-Oshkosh WI) received a call to MLC to serve as a lead teacher in the infant room of the ECLC.

Calls Received:

• Martín Santos (admissions counselor) received a call to serve as teacher at Manitowoc LHS.
• Professor David Biedenbender (athletic director) received a call to serve as teacher, coach, and athletic director at Minnesota Valley LHS.
• Professor Brian Dose (English) received a call to serve as pastor (3/4 time) at St. Peter-Globe AZ.
• Professor Luke Thompson (theology) received a call from the Western Wisconsin Mission Board to start a church in downtown/urban Madison WI.
• Professor David Scharf (theology) received a call to serve as 1LA (One Latin America) Church Planting Director to help plant 1,000 churches in Latin America in 10 years.
• Professor Tim Grundmeier (history) received a call to serve as pastor at Peace Lutheran Church (ELS) in North Mankato, Minnesota.