Introduction
Good morning! I am Marissa Engelhard, a fourth-grade educator at The King’s Academy in Lake Ozark, Missouri. Some of you may know this school growth ministry story from Teach by Faith, but I wanted to share it with you today in hopes that it might inspire you in ministry. I grew up in a German Lutheran community with a very traditional upbringing – in church every Sunday and a student of Lutheran education. Most people in my circle had grown up in a church. After attending Concordia, I accepted my first Call to this lovely little ministry in Tucson, Arizona.
The Beginning of My Experience in School Growth Ministry
Two weeks into the school year, a sweet girl with blonde braided pigtails raised her hand and asked, “Why can the snake talk?” Taken aback, I went home that evening to give more careful consideration to my faith lessons. In sharing the moment with my administrator, she gently explained that many students in this ministry were unchurched. That was the beginning of my experience in outreach ministry. From the little boy who loved to sing “I will make you fishers of men” in his sweet, off-key voice as I worked with him in aftercare to the young man who learned that faith is not about good works, I can no longer count the mustard seeds that have been planted in the ministries where I have served. These seeds get taken home to their families and shared by these small witnesses that we teach every day.
In addition to my classroom experience, I was extremely blessed by the leaders in the first district that I served in – the English District. It is a lesser-known district of the Synod that was founded based on the desire to move away from German-speaking services and reach more people. This diverse district gave me blessings and training in its philosophies in outreach ministry that I will never forget. The lessons I learned about faith and character in this service still guide me today. They lead me to be well-equipped for ministry today.
My Ministry Today
In my current ministry, I was called to a school of about fifty preschool students and twenty-nine students in the K-8. I only had five students in my room upon acceptance of my Call, but my background in school growth ministry led me here. School growth ministry is a little different than traditional Lutheran school ministry, but the philosophies can be applied anywhere. First of all, it requires authentic connections with families and people in ministry. It is what Jesus talks about in the story of the five loaves of bread and two small fish. When you are first starting a school, you are listening to families and meeting needs. There is a lot of effort and interpersonal skills that go into it.
Second of all, quality education is a must. In today’s day and age, that is the five loaves of bread and two small fish that parents are looking for. They want to know that their kids are cared for, happy, safe, and learning in their classrooms. Finding a balance of all of those things with the perspective of all different parents is a difficult balance. As teachers, we know that means diversifying our classroom instruction and management. Sometimes, there are days we probably wish that all we had to offer was that simple meal to meet the needs of the people we serve. However, I am blessed to work with some talented people who know how to serve with their God-given gifts.
Finally, school growth ministry requires the ability to get things done and communicate well. All Lutheran school ministries are different, but growing a successful and quality school from scratch is another thing. It requires the backing of the pastors and the congregation, everyone going above and beyond the call of duty, and marketing the school on very little to spread the word in the local community. All three of these components lead to helping kids learn about Jesus in our Lutheran schools.
Fly Blind, God’s Got This
It’s almost the end of the school year, and this devotion might find you when you are a little weary. You’ve worked hard all year, prepared your lessons, loved your students, and served in your ministry. Taking all of this in might feel a little overwhelming or might leave you defeated. Imagine how the disciples must have felt on that Good Friday. Yet, we are entering into a new phase of the church year. As we celebrate Pentecost, I want to encourage you to remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 28. He calls us to go and make disciples of all nations.
As you come to the end of the year, call upon Him to give you strength. Be there for your students and make their day. Have a little fun and choose your attitude. That can happen in your classroom – no matter what type of ministry setting you serve in. About ten years into my current ministry, we are now blessed to serve one hundred eighty students and their families. We are at a capacity that we never could have imagined when we built the school. Sometimes, God blesses ministry in ways that only He sees fit.
I’ll end today with a little wisdom from my pastors. School growth ministry is a little bit like flying blind. You can’t always see the result, but God does. It is not our works that bless schools, but God. If we forget this, we labor in vain. God calls us to remember that He’s got this. Ministry is always in his hands. As you head to your classroom today, I’d like to close in prayer.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please bless the churchworkers who serve children through school ministry. You know their needs and how to guide them. If ministry is a little tough right now, help them to remember to fly blind and trust in You. May You give them strength to serve, refreshment for the end of the school year, and Your everlasting promise to be with them wherever they go. Help them to know that God’s got this. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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