
Lutheran Teaching Minor
Share your faith in the classroom by becoming a called Lutheran Teacher
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Teach Future Generations in the Lutheran Church
If you have a heart for Jesus and a passion for the ministry of teaching in a Lutheran school, consider a minor in Lutheran church teachings. Paired with an appropriate major and a teaching credential, it prepares you to teach in Lutheran schools at either the elementary or secondary level.
Successful completion of the Christ College certification requirements makes you eligible for a call to teach at a Lutheran school. And upon graduation, Christ College will help you navigate your first call as a Lutheran teacher.
The Lutheran Teaching minor has additional requirements:
- Teachers at the elementary level are best prepared by being a Liberal Studies major.
- Future high school teachers will major in a state-approved, single-subject content area such as English, history, or physics.
Undergraduates who wish to become Lutheran teachers must apply to the Christ College Church Work program before declaring the Lutheran Teacher minor. Students in Lutheran teaching programs must also complete the requirements for a California teaching credential. (Your student teaching assignments will include both public school settings and Lutheran schools.)
View the Concordia University Irvine Online Catalog for a full list of courses.

“One piece of advice that I would give students who are interested in Concordia University Irvine is to get ready to play your part in the Great Commission. Because regardless of what profession you choose, you’ll be challenged to make a difference in the world for Christ.”
Stephen Puls ’12
Meet Our Faculty
FAQs
Is there a need for Lutheran teachers?
According to the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, it oversees more than 140,000 students in almost 1,900 Lutheran schools in the United States (in 2020-21, the most recent data available).1 Lutheran elementary schools and high schools are seeking called Lutheran teachers to share the Gospel with those students in the classroom. The Lutheran teaching minor opens the door to a lifetime of ministry with these children.
What will I learn in the Lutheran Teaching minor?
The Lutheran Teaching minor gives you a Biblical and theological foundation for sharing the Gospel with students in the classroom. You will also learn about ministry and the LCMS, and you will have the opportunity to do a practicum and student teaching for hands-on experience.
Related Programs
Sources
1The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, Lutheran School Statistics: 2020-2021 School Year [PDF], on the internet, at:
- https://files.lcms.org/file/preview (viewed Oct. 28, 2024).
- https://files.lcms.org/file/preview/9kyvqrREQl6ghxFv3L8GqS9eayOEkQJD (viewed Oct. 28, 2024).
Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.


























