“Learning to Love Lamentations”

Fall Pastors Conference

October 6–7, 2025

Giant City Lodge & Our Savior, Carbondale

460 Giant City Lodge Rd.
Makanda, IL 62958

Mark your calendars to join together for worship, learning, and fellowship at this year’s fall conference.  Dr. Reed Lessing of Concordia University, St. Paul will serve as keynote, presenting on his Lamentations commentary.  The conference will begin with registration and opening service at Our Savior Lutheran Church (700 S University Ave.  Carbondale, IL 62901).  After worship, the remainder of the conference will take place at Giant City Lodge.  Participants are encouraged to book lodging ASAP.  See below for additional information.

Lodging

Conference attendees are encouraged to call and reserve their cabins ASAP as there is limited on-site lodging. We also strongly encourage pastors to find a roommate rather than booking as a single, to ensure that we have enough space for everyone. There are two tiers of rooms, both tiers have two beds.

“Historic Cabins” available at a rate of $90/night
“Prairie Cabins” that have a rate of $110/night

If cabins are no longer available, a secondary location for lodging is the Holiday Inn in Carbondale (2300 Reed Station Pkwy, Carbondale, IL 62901). Note, there isn’t a block of rooms reserved at the Holiday Inn. Everyone is responsible for their own lodging if the cabins fill.

Speaker Information

Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing

Dr. Reed Lessing is a professor of Old Testament Studies at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also serves as the university’s Pre-Seminary Director as well as its Director of the Center for Biblical Studies. Previously, he taught for fourteen years as a professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Dr. Lessing has written six commentaries in the Concordia Commentary Series – Isaiah 40-55, Isaiah 56-66, Amos, Jonah, Zechariah, and Lamentations. A seventh, on Genesis 12-36, is in progress. He has three children and four grandchildren. In his spare time, he enjoys jogging, biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

Schedule

Monday, Oct 6

The conference begins at Our Savior Carbondale.

8:00 – 9:00AM – Registration
8:30AM – 9:00 AM – Confession and Absolution available
9:00AM – 10:00AM – Divine Service

Travel to Giant City Lodge.

11:00AM – 12:00PM – District President’s Report
12:00PM – 1:00PM – Lunch
1:00PM – 2:00PM – Lamentations Session 1
2:00PM – 2:15PM – Break
2:15PM – 3:15PM – Lamentations Session 2
3:15PM – 4:00PM – Break “Check-In to Cabins”
4:00PM – 5:15PM – Lamentations Session 3
5:15PM – 6:00PM – Break
6:00PM – 7:00PM – Dinner
7:00PM – 7:45PM – Evening Prayer
8:00PM – ?? – Gemutlichkeit

 

Tuesday, Oct 7

8:00AM – Breakfast (cold items provided, or hot breakfast available for purchase)
9:00AM – 9:45AM – Matins
9:45AM – 10:00AM – Break
10:00AM – 11:00AM – Lamentations Session 4
11:00AM – 11:15AM – District Business
11:15AM – 11:45AM – Break/Check Out
11:45AM – Lunch
12:30PM – Itinerarium