Reflections of a Lutheran Elementary School Principal
by Christi Lines

Part of the Web companion guide to Our Calling in Education: A Lutheran Study

I am a product of Iowa schools. I grew up in a community where the elementary school still has a Christmas program for the parents, the pre-kindergarten program is taught in the Methodist Church, Wednesday is “Church Night”, and graduating seniors wear their caps and gowns to Baccalaureate. The school is not immune to the challenges of poverty, drugs, mental illness and other social concerns, but dedicated staff members develop personal relationships with the students, and school personnel reach out to the families in advocacy. Almost eighty percent of the students are proficient in math and reading, and interventions are implemented to support the rest. 

At the same time, I grew up and attended church less than twenty miles from the only ELCA elementary school in Iowa. Yet I never knew that school existed until someone encouraged me to apply for the administrator position there. St. Paul's Lutheran School is a K-6 elementary school of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America serving 134 students and 76 preschool children. Families from 18 congregations in the area choose St. Paul’s for their children’s elementary experience despite the excellent public school option. As I began to discern my call to this Lutheran school, I had to ask myself, “What makes the difference for these families? Why choose a Lutheran school?”

As I soon learned, St. Paul’s Lutheran School is a special place to grow and learn.  The school’s mission is “to provide high quality education in an environment where Christian faith is taught, learned, and lived.”  Like other Lutheran elementary schools, a strong tradition of academic excellence is enhanced by special programs, weekly worship, and a unique relationship with the local retirement center, Bartels Lutheran Home. A devoted staff, strong family involvement, and support from the congregation makes St. Paul’s School a place where faith and learning connect. Quality education begins in the classroom. Faith development is an integral part of school life, nurtured through prayer, devotions, music, religion instruction, local and global ministry projects, and weekly worship. Everywhere you look, from books and projects to prayer and devotions, you see reminders of God’s love. The weekly highlight is when students lead worship, sharing the Bible stories and celebrating the liturgical seasons. Students come from 18 different congregations, and the pastors from those congregations are invited to provide the worship message sometime during the year. One Thursday each month is a Baptismal Remembrance service led by the St. Paul’s pastors. Students and adults who celebrate their baptismal anniversary that month are invited forward for a blessing at the font. Members of the congregation are encouraged to worship with the children on Thursdays.

Although St. Paul’s is the only elementary school in Iowa affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, we are blessed to be close to Wartburg College and the offices of the Northeast Iowa Synod. We have many resources in the larger church, both here in Waverly and in Chicago through the Division for Schools of the ELCA. Membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association also provides a network of support.

St. Paul's Lutheran School is an exciting ministry of the church, and progress continues in the area of mission outreach. Gifts from weekly worship are sent to EWALU, the Lutheran school in Bethlehem, and Holy Family Lutheran School in Chicago. Special projects support mission work in Cameroon and the Navajo Mission School. Locally, the scholarship program for tuition assistance continues to expand each year, serving 52 children in 2003-2004 and making enrollment at St. Paul’s School an opportunity for all families.

Parents choose this Lutheran school because they know the difference it can make in the lives of their children: “As a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church you know firsthand the power of the school ministry. Graduates of St. Paul’s School have lived out their faith and serve God in the community and around the world as doctors, lawyers, laborers, teachers, and farmers. We feel truly blessed that our two children are in an exceptional learning environment that also helps them to understand and grow their faith.”

Dan, parent and School Board member

Despite a disparity in salary (about 80% of the public school), teachers choose St. Paul’s because it is their vocation: “As I reflect on the decisions I made over the last six years, I realize I didn’t make those decisions on my own. It is not a coincidence I chose Wartburg, a school named after the castle where Martin Luther hid from his enemies. It is also not a coincidence I was assigned to do my student teaching and later was hired at St. Paul’s, the only ELCA elementary school in Iowa. God obviously had a plan for me and led me to St. Paul’s. I discuss these experiences often with my sixth grade students. As they finish their last year at St. Paul’s and move on to the junior high and high school, they will face many decisions. These students understand that by placing their lives in God’s hands, they can be confident in the difficult choices they make; the Lord already has a magnificent plan for each of them.”

Mr.  Mitchell, sixth grade teacher 

So what are the challenges?  The school has been an integral part of the church for over 130 years, and sometimes it is difficult to look beyond its borders. The congregation does not always see school as a mission outreach. We have only begun to reach out to a more diverse student body, and the opportunities for global mission must be strengthened. 

Limited curriculum support for religion instruction is a constant challenge. Despite the connections with Wartburg College and the ELCA, we struggle to find quality elementary religion materials.

Diversity among Lutheran school experiences makes it hard to network on practical issues, such as staff compensation. In some ways, we are more like other Iowa elementary schools than we are like other Lutheran elementary schools. We must learn to make better connections within the Lutheran network.

Financial challenges continue to face the school and congregation. We struggle to maintain programs, to keep up with technology, and to compensate staff adequately.

Despite the challenges, God’s presence in this small Lutheran elementary school is lived out in service, hope and love. Faith and learning will go hand in hand here for many years to come.