October 13, 2025

Homecoming 2025 blended beloved traditions with plenty of new activities for visitors of all ages, making the weekend all kinds of fun!

Friday night’s volleyball game kicked off the weekend’s events with a win for the Knights, who swept North Central.

Then the campus family and visitors were up early on Saturday for the 15th annual Sprinter Fun Run. This year’s run had over 500 participants completing their mile on campus or “virtually” at their homes around the country.

The rest of the weekend included an alumni breakfast; new activities for children, teens, and adults (squid dissection, anyone?); an alumni mixer; and several other events.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams played at UM-Morris on Saturday, while the football team played at home against Crown College.

A special Homecoming highlight every year is the on-campus worship service. The entire campus family, Homecoming visitors, and members of the community were invited to worship together in the Chapel of the Christ and hear President Rich Gurgel preach on Romans 5:6-11 under the theme “Can you be certain that Christ is for you?”

See pictures from the week in our photo gallery!

Fall at MLC is packed with fun events. From tailgates to dorm events, there’s something for everyone to enjoy—plus plenty of new experiences to try! Check out a few highlights below, and see even more in our photo gallery.

Football player Phillip McCaskill (St. Marcus-Milwaukee) is happy to be supported at the Appleton WI tailgate before MLC’s game against Lawrence University.

Sophia Thiel (Peace-Boulder CO) and Cassie Peil (Prince of Peace-Salt Lake City) are ready with smiles and prizes at the football tailgate before MLC’s game versus UW-Eau Claire.

Myra Liermann (St. John-Manitowoc WI) shows off her creation at the Augustana “Mocktails and Mood Boards” dorm event hosted by her RAs.

Together with the MLC Cultural Engagement Center, Manuel and AnaCristina Iglesias (St. Mark-Watertown WI) put on a delicious Mexican dinner for our campus family during Hispanic Heritage Month.

With amazing weather in September and early October, our students are outside enjoying intramural sports like sand volleyball!

Pickleball is another intramural growing more and more popular on campus. Ella Walz (David’s Star-Jackson WI) and Jonah Uhlenbrauck (St. Peter-Appleton WI) place first in the Homecoming pickleball tournament!

The Martin Luther College Wind Symphony began their new year of making music together on October 5 with their concert “Autumn Colors.”

The concert was inspired by the changing of the season—the excitement of new experiences and fresh starts. Each piece celebrated this feeling in a unique way.

The student musicians, like saxophone player Joseph Schroeder (St. Paul-North Mankato MN), feel that same excitement about starting a new year at MLC. “MLC is a great environment to grow your faith, be encouraged by others, and find various ways you can serve the Lord,” said Joseph. “Our focus is always on Christ first, and then we can recognize the great gift of music we can use to glorify him.”

View the concert stream on the MLC YouTube channel.

We celebrate four Knight athletes who were named UMAC Player of the Week in September! Read more highlights at MLC athletics.

Katie Schoeneck (Beautiful Savior-College Station TX) was awarded the UMAC Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week (September 2-7) for her role in the Knights' September winning streak.

Brady Turriff (Grace-Charlotte NC) was awarded the UMAC Football Offensive Player of the Week (September 8-September 14) for his performance against Luther College in the Knights’ 34-0 win over the Norse.

Andrew Esmay (Trinity-Temple TX) was awarded the UMAC Football Defensive Player of the Week (September 8-September 14) for his performance in MLC's 34-0 win over Luther College. Drew recorded six tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.

Priscilla Boehm (Shepherd of the Hills-La Mesa CA) was awarded the UMAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week (September 8- September 14). Priscilla led the Knights' comeback against Waldorf, scored a penalty kick goal, and had the assist on the tying goal in the final 15 minutes of the game.

In September, the MLC Admissions Office met with liaisons from 27 of our area Lutheran high schools and prep schools. These liaisons are bridges between their schools and MLC, sharing MLC info and helping students discover how their gifts and abilities fit into the bigger mission of making disciples of all nations.

Hope Christian Academy liaison Hannah (Midthun) Uher MLC ’17 was thankful for the opportunity to connect with individuals from other high schools to discuss the joys and challenges of recruiting for the public ministry. Hannah came away from the conference excited to share the MLC story with prospective students.

“Being a liaison at our school is more than just talking to students about their gifts for ministry,” Hannah said. “It's also promoting MLC to all of our students, sharing the way MLC serves all of the schools in our synod by training top-tier pastors, teachers, and staff ministers.”

Where’s my magazine?



We are moving from three to two issues of MLC InFocus magazine every year. So watch for them at the end of each semester—one in January and another one in June! 

See last summer’s issue here!

Join us again this year for another series of lectures from our campus family. Lectures are free, open to the public, and take place at 10:30 am on home football game days.

Visit our website to read more and register.

• October 16-17 - Minnesota District Teachers’ Conference @ MLC
• October 24-26 - College Choir Fall Tour
• November 5 - Evangelism Day
• November 7-9 - Little Women: The Broadway Musical
• November 23 - Wind Symphony Concert

Calls Received:

• Professor Nicolas Schmoller (theology) returned a call to serve as pastor at Risen Savior-North Liberty IA.