LEAven Blog
Why Attend LEA Convocation
Greetings friends!
As I write this, we are about a week away from LEA 2025. I will not be attending this year because my son is getting married in early October! However, were it not for such an important family event, I would be at LEA!
It’s easy to figure out why a new Lutheran teacher should invest the time and effort to attend LEA conferences. However, I want to take a few minutes to consider why a 63-year-old, mostly retired, many-year veteran of the Lutheran pulpit and classroom (such as myself) would want to invest in attending LEA. The list could be long! Here are four reasons, in no particular order, as to why I eagerly attend LEA.
1. Be careful! You might learn something! Let’s look at the bigger picture for a moment. Even in our chosen field, none of us knows anywhere close to all there is to know. This becomes especially true when we consider the vast range of knowledge and services that can be found represented at an LEA convocation. Broadening the scope of our expertise and attending sessions where we AREN’T experts is a good thing. Besides, how many times have we heard, or even said ourselves, “I never thought I was cut out for teaching in a foreign field, or tutoring pre-schoolers, or working as a dedicated support professional for parents, or (fill in your own blank!) until I went to that LEA session, and, well, God tapped me on the shoulder, and just look at where He has me now!”
2. Learning from our Lutheran foundation. We are well aware that within our actual area of educational and/or administrative expertise, we need to continually learn and evaluate new ideas and methods. Where better than at an LEA conference to do this? At LEA, Christ comes first! We approach our own learning and discovery through the lens of our Lutheran faith. We grow professionally within the dual framework of a kind of Venn diagram, where we stand at the intersection of new knowledge and our confessional Lutheran faith. Christ is at the center of who we are and what we do!
3. You’re not alone! In my days as a full time teacher who (like the rest of us) wore a lot of other hats, I found myself going back through my LEA notes for ideas, clarifications, and sometimes even for a phone number, so I could call a presenter even three or four months later, to get clarification about using that good idea I had heard about at LEA. Having that library of support, expertise, and experience in our corner is a great and most useful blessing!
4. Blest be the tie that binds our network of fellow workers in the Kingdom!
It is always a joy to run into old friends and classmates at LEA! We can catch up on life, encourage one another, and create new memories that continue to be cherished parts of our bond together in Christ. This is also true in our relationships on the staff of the church and school where we serve. Such things are very precious, and we wouldn’t trade those relationships for the world’s gold! LEA provides us a place to strengthen our ties with our brothers and sisters in the Faith who are also our brothers and sisters in our profession!
May your LEA experience be a great blessing to you and your colleagues!
In His Service,
John Greene
