` Lutheran Education in Kenosha?

Lutheran Education in Kenosha?



Lutheran Education in Kenosha?

This past month, the Spiritual Life Council appointed a special committee to explore the possibility of starting a Lutheran School in Kenosha.  We invited members of Lamb of God and Good Shepherd Lutheran Churches to attend.  Three members of Lamb of God plus Pastor Berg, and two members of Messiah plus myself attended.

Lutherans care a great deal about education.   At the time of the founding of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, congregations were required to start a parochial school as soon as possible.  There were a number of reasons for this, but the chief reason was so that the Lutheran faith would be passed on to their children.

After being your pastor for seven months, several things about Messiah stand out in my mind, and many of them are connected to education:

First, there is a love for children.  Messiah has over 70 members on the books who are under 18 years old.  Of course, we don’t see many of them on Sunday, but these are children God has entrusted to our care as a congregation.  Our care for these children is one of our chief priorities as a church.  This is demonstrated in the Little Lambs Learning Center, in our Sunday School Program, the Nursery, the Youth Group and in many other ways in our church.
Second, there is an anxiety about how to keep children in the faith.  As I look out at the pews on Sunday morning, I see many parents with grown children who no longer attend our church, or any church.  Please understand, I am in no way placing blame.  Why someone chooses to leave the church is a complicated question.  That this is an ongoing struggle for families is an indication that passing on the faith in a way that is meaningful and will sustain a young person through their life is hard, very hard.  As a result, I have spoken to many parents who want to know what we as a church can do to help connect to their children, and how we can teach the faith to our young children so that they know what great things God has done for them.
Third, we have lost members, or not received members because we don’t have a Lutheran school.  I know that there have been families that have either transferred or have not joined because we do not have a Lutheran school.  This may have a serious impact on our ability to minister to families with children.
Fourth, there is a great interest in Lutheran education.  I don’t know how many parents of young children have spoken to me of their interest and support for the idea of a Lutheran school in Kenosha.  There have been several.  In fact, I would go so far to say that no one has spoken to me and said it was a bad idea.  Some have expressed concern about money, facilities, time, and everything else that is involved with starting a Lutheran school.

I write these things to you, because it is important for us as a congregation to know what is happening.  We are meeting on a monthly basis.  The members from Messiah are Debbie Davidson, Todd Giese and Kent Thomas, with Ted Scholz as an ex officio member.  Our intention right now is to spend several months simply studying the theology of Lutheran education, and then branch into feasibility committees.

If you have any questions, insights, concerns or other comments to make about this process, please speak with Ted Scholz, a member of the committee, or myself.  This is an exciting possibility for Messiah, but it is a big step.  It is something that we want to be very careful about, and it is something that needs the full support of the congregation in order to happen.

May God continue to bless the ministry at Messiah Lutheran Church, as we seek to serve the people entrusted to our care.

 
+ The Lord be with you +

Pastor Peperkorn

From the May 2000 Messiah’s Messenger
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This page was created on 02/08/2007 and last edited on: 02/08/2007
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