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  • EmpoweringTheological exploration for all...

  • CommitmentProviding faith based learning resources since 1984 ...

Welcome to Select Learning

Select Learning provides access to quality theological learning experiences for personal, congregational and professional learning. Using outstanding seminary and college instructors and ministry practitioners, Select Learning combines high quality DVD-based video courses, customized study materials, proven textbooks,and online learning to create effective and flexible theological exploration opportunities. Select Learning is a member of the Lay School for Ministry Network of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Call: 1.877.675.6275

Email: info@selectlearning.org

How We Got the New Testament

Here is why you might be interested in learning more about How We Got the New Testament!

 

 

By What Authority: Rethinking Early Church History

Who is in and who is out?
How much diversity can we tolerate?
How do we fund our community?
 
Isn't it amazing how familiar these questions sound! These were some of the questions that needed to be answered in the first centuries of the church. Since Jesus didn't return as quickly as believers assumed, they had to figure out how to live as believers in their world. They ended up inventing the church. That the church is still alive after all these years is a testament to God’s faithfulness and patience, and gives us courage to wrestle with these and similar questions today.
 
We invite you to enter this series to see how the drama of the early church’s formation has direct connections to your life of faith today.
 
By What Authority: Rethinking Early Church History Trailer
 
 

Using Zoom with Select Learning Resources

Use Select Learning resources with Zoom
 
The ongoing COVID -19 pandermic has created a need to find alternate ways of meeting many needs including small group study in our congregations.  To help you with that process Select Learning created a user guide for using Zoom with our resources. (Other video conferencing platforms can also be used.)
 
CLICK HERE for the user guide.
 
Blessings on bringing people together!

Addressing the Opioid Crisis...

Knowledge to Power: Understanding and Overcoming Addiction
 
There is not one congregation and probably not one family that has not been affected tragically by the disease of addiction, whether that is by drugs, alcohol, tobacco, food, gambling, sex or computer/game/I-phone addiction.  There is now an understandable, yet comprehensive treatment of this problem in this DVD, "Knowledge to Power:  Understanding and Overcoming Addiction".  The presenter is Rev. Kal W. Rissman, who has worked with addictions his entire career as addiction counselor, nicotine dependency counselor, hospital chaplain and parish pastor.  The series is comprised of 21 sessions of about 18 minutes each on everything from the disease to codependency to intervention and to the role of religion in recovery.  This resource includes a study guide with synopsis of each topic and discussion questions. 
 
DVD format
Streaming format
FREE session on nicotine addiction.

Introduction to the New Testament (online course only)

$250.00

Introduction to the New Testament

 

Class orientation September 7-13, 2024
Orientation Zoom call: Tuesday September 9 at 7 PM Central Time
Class sessions: September 14 - Dec. 4, 2025

Facilitator: Rev. Dr. Rick Carlson 

Textbook: Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey by Mark Allan Powell (CLICK HERE to purchase on Amazon.)

 

Select's online companion courses provide wonderful input and support. In this course, newly completed in 2008, the lectures are done by Dr Ray Pickett, Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, Dr Sarah Henrich, Luther Seminary, St Paul, and Dr Rick Carlson, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. The Rev. Dr. Rick Carlson will be the facilitator for this course. He is one of the lecturers, faculty emeriti of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and currently co-pastor with his wife Michelle Carlson at First Lutheran in Kearney NE.

 

In this online course students will be introduced to key themes and issues in the study of the New Testament, and learn basic skills to equip them to be competent and creative interpreters of New Testament texts. The Introduction to the New Testament DVD presents a model for interpreting Scripture that emphasizes the importance of reading New Testament texts in their cultural and literary contexts with a view to relating them to contemporary cultural and ministry contexts. The course will focus on the practice of interpreting New Testament texts. Students will use the models and insights from presentations on the Select DVD to explore questions raised by the study of specific New Testament texts and then discuss how these texts continue to shape our faith and practice in today's world.

 

Access to the class website and orientation details will be available a few days before the orientation week. The course work will include readings, DVD lectures, online essays, online responses to classmates and facilitator, and work with specific biblical texts.

 

Sessions:

  1. Introduction, Dr. Ray Pickett, Dr. Sarah Henrich, and Dr Rick Carlson

  2. Gospel of Mark, Dr. Ray Pickett
  3. Gospel of Matthew, Dr. Rick Carlson

  4. Gospel of Luke, Dr. Sarah Henrich

  5. Gospel of John, Dr. Ray Pickett

  6. Acts, Dr. Sarah Henrich

  7. Letters of Paul I, Dr. Ray Picket

  8. Letters of Paul II , Dr. Rick Carlson
    1. 1 & 2 Corinthians

    2. Romans

  9. Letters of Paul III, Dr. Sarah Henrich,

    1. Philippians & Philemon

    2. Deutero-Pauline Epistles

    3. Pastoral Epistles

  10. Revelation, Dr. Rick Carlson

CLICK HERE for syllabus.

 

Getting Down to Basics (Online course only)

$250.00

Getting Down to Basics:

Augsburg Confessions and Small Catechism

Class orientation week of Sept. 7-13, 2025
Orientation Zoom call Monday Sept. 9 at 6 PM Central Time

Class Sessions Sept. 14 - Nov. 21, 2025

Textbook: Book of Concord, eds. Robert Kolb and Timothy Wengert, (2001) (click here to order)

 

Select online companion courses provide wonderful input and support. The lectures for this course are given by Dr. Timothy Wengert, Professor of Reformation History at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. The facilitator for this class is Dr. Eric Thompson. Erick  grew up in central Minnesota, attending Gustavus Adolphus for college. After college he received his MDiv and MTh at Luther Seminary in St Paul, and then earned a PhD in Systematic Theology from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He has been an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament since 2000, with over 20 years of parish experience. Erick has also been an adjunct professor, teaching over 25 classes at Thiel College, Augsburg University, and, most recently, Concordia College. He is married and has two daughters in middle school. His hobbies include reading, watching movies, writing, and cheering on the Twins and the Vikings. Access to the course website and orientation information will be available a few days before the orientation week of  the class.

 

For Lutherans, The Book of Concord provides the definitive collection of their confessions of faith, including the all-important Augsburg Confession (1530) and Small and Large Catechisms (1529).  This course provides an overview of the historical development of all the documents in The Book of Concord, as well as in-depth looks at their theology, focusing particularly on the Augsburg Confession and Luther's Catechisms.  Here participants will discover not only the basic doctrinal commitments of the Lutheran Confessions but also how they may apply in contemporary parish settings.  This course provides a lively, down-to-earth examination of such central Lutheran teachings as justification by grace through faith on account of Christ, the distinction between law and gospel, the theology of the cross, the church and public ministry, the sacraments, and Christian callings in daily life.  Here the students will gain new insight into the basics of Lutheran teaching and how it can strengthen their faith and witness today.

 

The students will:

1. Become thoroughly familiar with the Augsburg Confession and Small Catechism

2. Understand the historical and theological context out of which they speak

3. Discover new ways to apply these teaching to life in today's parish

 

Sessions:

  1. Confessing Justification (Augsburg Confessions Articles II, IV, XX)

  2. Law and Gospel; Theology of the Cross (III, V, XII)

  3. God's Two Hands (XVI, XVIII)

  4. Good Works and Christian vocation (VI, XVI, XX, XXVI)

  5. The Sacraments (IX-XIII; XXII, XXIV)

  6. Church and Ministry (V, VII, XIV-XV, XXVIII)

  7. Other Confessional Documents

  8. The Small Catechism: 10 Commandments and Creed

  9. The Small Catechism: The Lord's Prayer, Baptism, and Confession

  10. The Small Catechism: The Lord's Supper with Luther's Preface, The Household Chart of Bible Passages, and Liturgies for the Christian Household

Textbook: Book of Concord, eds. Robert Kolb and Timothy Wengert, (2001) (click here to order)

 

CLICK HERE for the syllabus.

 

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About Select Learning

Select Learning has been providing faith-based learning resources since 1984. Since its beginning, we have made some of the finest teachers of the church available to rostered ministers and leaders of congregational ministries. Our courses are also being used in congregational learning programs for young adults and adults.

People want to make a difference in their world. Our resources can help you put faith into practice in your life.

Opportunities are available on DVDs that are accompanied by reprintable study guides. The DVDs and study guides are being used by thousands of volunteer teachers in thousands of congregational settings.

Learners can also participate in regularly scheduled online courses. These courses combine the use of presentations on DVD and interaction with a group of online learners. All online courses are led by trained course facilitators.

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