University Lutheran Center at SDSU

University Lutheran Center at SDSU YOU are welcome as YOU are. Bring your gender, sexuality, ethnicity, faith background, social class, political affiliation, or lack thereof.

There is a place here for sinners of all types. In God's name, ALL are welcome; ALL are beloved.

NINE-BEAN SOUPWhen Melissa first stepped onto the campus of South Dakota State University in 2004, she was far from her ...
06/04/2026

NINE-BEAN SOUP

When Melissa first stepped onto the campus of South Dakota State University in 2004, she was far from her home in Iowa. Like many students arriving at a sprawling university, she felt the weight of being alone. "I was looking for a place to belong," she remembers. Having spent her summers at Bible camp, Melissa arrived with a vibrant faith and a hope of finding a similar community to keep it alive during the school year. She spent her early college days "bouncing around" between different campus ministries, searching for a connection that would stick.

Everything changed when she was invited to the University Lutheran Center. It offered the Lutheran theology she had known since childhood and a pattern of worship that felt comfortable. The connection deepened during her sophomore year on a spring break service trip to New Orleans, and the next year, as she stepped into leadership as a peer minister. From the "gross" but memory-making nine-bean soup fundraisers to the friendships formed, the University Lutheran Center provided the vibrant faith community that caught Melissa during her most formative years.

Today, Melissa’s life has come full circle. You may know her as an academic advisor on campus, a busy wife and mom of three, or an active member at Ascension Lutheran Church. She also serves as a council member for our community of faith. She returned to leadership because she knows firsthand that college is a critical time for identity formation. "I appreciate the University Lutheran Center because it is a physical place where," Melissa says, "you can find community." She now works to ensure that the same sanctuary that provided a place for her is ready and waiting for the next student arriving on campus.

We are so thankful for your support of the University Lutheran Center. For the next generation of students like Melissa, you make it possible for young people to find their faith identity and a lifelong sense of belonging. Thank you for being part of this shared ministry.

It was great to visit Lake Whitewood Lutheran Church this morning!
06/01/2026

It was great to visit Lake Whitewood Lutheran Church this morning!

The ice cream at the South Dakota Synod assembly is campus pastor approved!
05/30/2026

The ice cream at the South Dakota Synod assembly is campus pastor approved!

Hey, South Dakota Synod, ELCA! Come learn about campus ministry and refer a student!
05/29/2026

Hey, South Dakota Synod, ELCA! Come learn about campus ministry and refer a student!

As this academic year ends, your support of the University Lutheran Center at South Dakota State University will help pr...
05/14/2026

As this academic year ends, your support of the University Lutheran Center at South Dakota State University will help propel us into the next one. This campus ministry is making an amazing impact on the lives of God’s young adults, like Rylie.

When Rylie arrived in Brookings, she described her first weeks with one word: awful. Rylie came here on a whim seeking her third degree. As the first in her family to attain a master’s degree, she moved 1,300 miles from home. The transition was not easy. Being this far from family, stepping back into a classroom after three years of working post-bachelor’s degree, and the cultural differences that exist in South Dakota made it difficult. “It was really hard,” Rylie remembers, “really awful actually.”

Because of supporters like you, Rylie didn’t stay isolated for long. Her counselor encouraged her to look for a campus ministry to connect with, and she found the University Lutheran Center.

The immediate welcome of the open and caring community here made Rylie feel at home and safe. “I was actively looking for a faith community,” Rylie shared, “because I missed my campus ministry back home.” The connections she made here helped her balance her master’s degree work and her life. It also helped her make friends, as she isn’t someone who finds meeting people an easy task. As a graduate student, she overcame the notion that overextending and overcommitting were necessary for success, and, in that balance, found a faith community that cared about her and the faith experiences she had to offer. “I don’t feel like I need to be anybody else or have any certain beliefs,” Rylie said, “I can share what I believe.” The ministry of the University Lutheran Center turned those first awful feelings of transition into a place where Rylie belonged. “This place,” Rylie expressed, “made my life a lot better.”

There are more students arriving on our campus this fall, feeling exactly like Rylie did. Your generosity provides a campus ministry rooted in belonging, authenticity, and community. We invite you to consider a gift of $50, $100, or even $250 or more, which will make sure students don’t have to navigate that transition alone. Thank you for your support of the University Lutheran Center!
Give today: https://sdsulutheran.ddock.gives

🎓 Cheers to our graduates! Here’s all their MUG shots. May you carry the memories of the ULC with you into the next chap...
05/11/2026

🎓 Cheers to our graduates! Here’s all their MUG shots. May you carry the memories of the ULC with you into the next chapters of your lives.

Help us give thanks for this incredible team’s leadership over the past academic year!
05/09/2026

Help us give thanks for this incredible team’s leadership over the past academic year!

PEOPLE LISTENED Sarah is a 2025 alum with a degree in electrical engineering. She works as a power systems engineer in F...
05/07/2026

PEOPLE LISTENED

Sarah is a 2025 alum with a degree in electrical engineering. She works as a power systems engineer in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Her sidekick and four-legged friend, Odin, was also well known within our campus ministry community, often providing stress relief for all the pet lovers missing their pets from home.

Sarah began her freshman year at South Dakota State University in the pandemic-laden fall of 2020. She remembers Pastor Cassandra, a familiar face from her hometown, texting her in January of 2021 to let her know that she had been called to serve the University Lutheran Center on campus and to invite her to the first worship service. Sarah was steeped in Lutheran tradition from her childhood, yet not naive enough to think every church was the same. Her college experience had her without a community, wondering where she fit in, and starting to think “religion wasn’t for me.”

Embracing her uncertainty and nerves, she showed up one time and then consistently for her whole college experience. It wasn't just a building; it was a judgment-free sanctuary where she could navigate the stresses of her electrical engineering degree and the complexities of young adulthood. “No matter what was happening in life, friendships, or classes,” Sarah says, “at the University Lutheran Center I could be myself.” She continues to be thankful for the community she formed here and the way they anchored her.

At the ULC, Sarah learned that her voice mattered in the life of the church. Here she found her voice and claimed her own narrative. She fondly remembers the experience of sharing her senior sermon in our worship service. “I could share how my story impacted me as a person of faith,” Sarah said, “and people listened.” The people who listened weren’t strangers; they were Sarah’s friends, part of Sarah’s community. They were the people who helped her to recognize that there is a place for her in the community, that her voice matters, and that there are others who care deeply about her. This community helped Sarah deepen her faith and change her perspective. “Without this community,” Sarah says, “I don’t think I would be an active Lutheran today."

We are so thrilled to have this team of students on our leadership team next fall!
05/06/2026

We are so thrilled to have this team of students on our leadership team next fall!

Congratulations to our four recipients of the Joan Liebenstein scholarship award!
05/04/2026

Congratulations to our four recipients of the Joan Liebenstein scholarship award!

Address

1404 8th Street
Brookings, SD
57006

Telephone

+16056924880

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