15

By Rev. William Beckmann (pictured at right)

First, a disclaimer. I come from a four-generation Lutheran-school family.My late wife attended a Lutheran elementary and secondary school as wellas Concordia Teachers College, River Forest. Her parents both attendeda Lutheran elementary school. Our two sons and three grandchildrenattended Lutheran schools, too. I missed out and attended an Episcopalgrade school because my parents wanted a solid education in a Christiansetting for me and my brother, and at the time there were no Lutheranschools on our end of Long Island where I grew up. So if my bias for theLutheran school shows, well, that was the plan!

That said, it’s important to ask thequestions:

Does it matter if Lutherancongregations establish andmaintain schools?

In the present economy,is it wise stewardship to channelprecious funds into the school?

Is the Lutheran school worth it?

Why theLutheranSchoolMatters

Martin Luther was deeply com-mitted to schooling the young,and the Reformation was as muchconcerned with schools andeducation as it was with churchand home. In his letter “To theCouncilmen of All Cities inGermany That They Establish andMaintain Christian Schools” in1524, Luther pressured civic lead-ers as well as parents to provideChristian schools and see thatchildren attended them. He wasconvinced that knowledge of theliberal arts—history, language andthe like—provides the bestcontext for the study of Scripture.One of his last acts was to establisha school in Eisleben, where hedied in 1546.

In the 1600s, as Swedes,Austrians, and Saxons arrived inthe United States, they often builtthe school before the church.Schools opened in New York, theCarolinas, Georgia, and NewOrleans. These schools usuallyhad two purposes: to teach thelanguage of the fatherland and totrain children in God’s Word andLuther’s Catechism.

When the LCMS was organ-ized in 1847, the first constitution

SupportingChange

16

provided for publishing books forChristian education and thatChristian education was to be acondition of membership.

The Handbook of the LCMSstates: “The most effective educationagencies available to the church forequipping children and youth forministry are the full-time Lutheranelementary and secondary schools,so that the Gospel of Jesus Christmay become even more effective inthe life of the individual Christianand of the congregation.”

Why is it important forLutheran churches to operateChristian schools?Over the courseof time, the answer hasn’t alwaysbeen the same. In the early days ofAmerica and Canada, churchmembers were immigrants wantingto preserve their language and

culture for the children andin so doing, bring

children up

in the faith they loved so dearly.Language and culture are notdominant reasons for establishingschools today, but the need to teachthe truths of God’s Word continues.

Missions and Christian educa-tion have always been importantpillars of every congregation. Bothproclaim the Gospel—that GoodNews of Jesus Christ. If missionrefers to sharing the Gospel withthose who have never heard it,Christian education is sharing thatsame Good News with those whohave heard it and by the power ofthe Holy Spirit believe it, but contin-ue to need to hear it for growth andnurture. As Peter wrote in his letter,“But grow in the grace and knowl-edge of our Lord and Savior JesusChrist.” (2 Peter 3:16 ESV)

How does this all take place?It happens in the Lutheran school,where the Gospel is shared in wordand action by more than the dailychapel service and religion class.

Certainly public schools do tryto teach morality and values. A pop-ular program, Character Counts, seeksto do just that. But like other similarprograms, it faces a major handicap:it cannot teach how morality can beattained. For example, a school canteach that greed is wrong, but itcannot turn to the Gospel whichfrees one from the power of self.With values changing as they do,public schools turn to clarifyingvalues rather than establishing them.The Lutheran school exists to helpparents, the primary communicatorsof Christian faith and values to theirchildren, do their job.

Professor at ConcordiaSeminary, St. Louis, from 1920-1953,Dr. John H. C. Fritz had this to sayabout why he wanted a Christianschool for his children: “A physicianwriting in the Journal of the AmericanMedical Association wrote, ‘I believethat in the child’s early start on an

unbalanced diet, in the longcontinued total

[Martin Luther] wasconvinced thatknowledge of theliberal arts–history,language and thelike–provides the bestcontext for the studyof Scripture.

17

or partial absence of essential foodelements, we see the explanation ofmany of the metabolic disorders ofmiddle life.’

“What is true in respect to thebody is true also in respect to thesoul. The spiritualdeficiencies and disorders in laterlife can, as a rule, be traced to thetotal or partial absence of essentialelements in early training or to anunbalanced diet in early life, that is,a training which did not take care ofthe whole man.”

What is the Lutheran schooladvantage?Milo Brekke1, drawingfrom data compiled for “A Study ofGenerations,” determined that stu-dents who attend Lutheran schools:� Evidenced greater clarity on the

way of salvation by gracethrough faith in Jesus Christ

� Have more biblical knowledge

� Report a much fuller devotionallife

� Are more active in witnessing toothers about Jesus and Hischurch

� Have a balanced doctrine(neither liberal nor ultraconservative)

� Practice reasonable respect forauthority

� Are more likely to be forgivingwith other people, yet know thatsuch acts will not earnthem salvation

The Lutheran school offers thecongregation and its pastor someunique opportunities for Word andSacrament ministry. The schoolprovides a powerful witness to thecommunity about support for chil-dren and youth. It offers opportuni-ty to teach the faith to children of allfamilies of the congregation and is amajor player in a congregation’sevangelism outreach. The educatorsand staff of the school provide alarger professional talent pool forthe many ministries and pro-grams of the congregation.The church’s musicministry isenriched

The Gospel isshared in wordand action bymore than thedaily chapelservice andreligion class.

RIVER ART BY BENJAMIN CHANDLER

18

Many churches have found thattheir best evangelism tool is theirChristian school.

How do congregations and theirpastors support the Lutheranschool? Does it make a difference inthe health and future of the churchthat congregations support schools?When church and school are unitedin ministry—a seamless ministry—outreach to the community is agiven. A seamless ministry looks atthe school as an outreach ministry ofthe congregation. As one family inthe congregation where I worshipsaid, “We came for the school andstayed for the church!”

The Lutheran school reachesout to families who do not have aliving faith in Jesus Christ, becominga mission outpost that shares thecaring Christ. It is amazing howchildren bring that message home

to their parents.

The Lutheran school reachesout with the Gospel, but it is also anarm that reaches in as well. TheGospel can become real when thechild reaches home and shareshis/her faith and parents have faithconversations with the family.Consider this: at the dinner tablethe first grader tells the family, “Welearned a new prayer to say when weeat. Can I say it now?” Or, at thefuneral home the fourth grader tellseveryone within listening distance,“Grandpa knew Jesus loved him.”

In the past Lutheran schoolsserved well to preserve the languageof the fathers and plant the faith inthe hearts of the young. TodayLutheran schools continue to plantthat same faith while reaching outinto the community. Bill Cochran,Executive Director of LCMS Schoolswrites, “Lutheran schools celebratetheir unique ministry to childrenand the families they serve. We havean opportunity to share the messagewith the community in which ourschools are located…that Lutheranschools are Christ-centered,academically strong, and respectfullyoperated.”

Rev. William Beckmann is Co-Directorfor Children’s Ministry at ImmanuelLutheran Church and School inBatavia, Illinois.

Endnotes:1. Milo Brekke, How Different Are People WhoAttend Lutheran Schools (St. Louis: ConcordiaPublishing House, 1974.)

See Review, Reflect,Resolve on page 38

for discussion questions about thetopics covered in this article.

RRR� � �

Many churcheshave found thattheir best evangel-ism tool is theirChristian school.

through involvement of childrenin the church’s worship life. Theschool offers opportunity forfellowship by gathering schoolfamilies for various school andchurch events, as well as additionalworship opportunities throughschool chapel, faculty devotions,and special school services.

Not the least of the blessings ofthe Lutheran school is its opportuni-ty for outreach. If early schools wereinterested in educating their own,the Lutheran school today is inter-ested in reaching parents who aresearching for a solid spiritual foun-

dation for themselves andtheir children.