"School is Where You..."

I recently had the opportunity to overhear a conversation that melted my heart.

I have 3 children.  My oldest, Luke, is a kindergartner, and my youngest, Jonah, is about 6 months old.  As the oldest brother, Luke was - in his most mature, caring, brotherly voice - explaining to his fairly new brother what school is and what happens at school.   (After all, he is an expert, now that he's in kindergarten.)

How would you describe the purpose of school?  What happens there?  Why do students go there?

Here's the part that put a smile on my face.

Luke whispered, “Jonah, school is a place where you learn about Jesus.”  No mention of recess...or math...or science...or reading.  It's not that those important parts of the school day were lost on Luke. Instead, it's that the MISSION of his school - one of our federation grade schools - is unbelievably evident to this 5-yr-old!  Praise God!

I thank and praise God that my children - and hundreds of others - are able to sit at the feet of their Savior in our federation preschools & elementary schools as they learn about God's world and what he's done for them on a daily basis.

And I'm thankful that the same mission is evident at your high school as well.  Shoreland trains students in math, language arts, science, PE, fine arts, etc.  But ultimately, what is Shoreland Lutheran High School?  "It's a place where you learn about Jesus."

~Pete Gumm, Mission Advancement Director

Disciples make Disciples make Disciples make...

7000 miles away, a friend of one of our international students is hearing about Jesus.  Why?

Because this SLHS student, who flew across the ocean to come to the strange and foreign land of the USA to receive an excellent American education, learned about something that she couldn't help but share with her friend back home:  Jesus saved her from her sins.

Becoming a disciple of Jesus makes a person want to share that message with others.  Disciples make disciples make disciples make disciples.  Plant the seed in all sorts of places, and let the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting!

It's exciting to learn of this international gospel-sharing stemming from the biblical teaching at SLHS. Now the question is...who else in your life (in or out of the country) needs to hear that same message?

Secret Love

I've been blessed to witness an invisible, yet powerful connection between people that have never met.

I know Jenny pretty well.  She’s in my math class.

I know Sarah, too.  She sat across the table from me and told me about a very sizable donation that she was excited to make to ensure that the Christian education at Shoreland continues at a high level.

Sarah and Jenny have never met.  But even without this personal knowledge, Sarah has a deep 

Christian love for Jenny in a way that moved her to sacrifice quite a bit for Jenny (and the many other students that she loves). 

Does Jenny have any idea about this?  Probably not.  But some day she will, and someday she will look back and truly appreciate Sarah and the multitude of people who made an impact on these crucial years of her life.

There are plenty of “Sarahs” that donate their financial blessings (If it’s in your heart to do the same you can do so through our online donation site).  There are also many “Sarahs” that give in different ways: through prayer, through service at an event; through spreading positive word of mouth, etc.  

Thank you to all of you “Sarahs.”  You impact Jenny, too!

The beauty of all of this comes when I get to look at Jenny’s face…a child of God; Looking at Sarah’s face…a child of God.  It’s wonderful to see such a connection (unknown, yet powerful) that comes through love in Christ.

~written by Pete Gumm, Mission Advancement Director

(For the sake of anonymity, the real names of the student and donor in this story were not used.)

SLHS cares

“This is the first place anyone has cared about me.” 

Powerful words coming from one of the students at Shoreland Lutheran High School!  After experiencing the loving, compassionate, and patient instruction of one of her teachers in the Student Educational Excellence (SEE) Center, she was reflecting on the past couple of years… a variety of schools, a variety of classes, and a lot of instability.  She recognized that she had not been given a chance; she had not been set up for success.  Until now.

Whether you’re heavily involved with the daily happenings of SLHS or connected in a more distant way, it’s wonderful to hear such appreciation for gospel-centered teaching coming from a student.  We care because Christ cared enough to die for us.  Thanks to those SEE Center teachers and all of our SLHS staff that reflect the love of Jesus on a regular basis so that our students can learn to do the same in their lives of service.  That’s “good news” worthy of sharing!