One Voice for Public Policy - Reaching Out to Our Communities

Lutheran schools are an integral part of many LCMS congregations. In fact, early in our history, any congregation wishing to join the LCMS was required to operate a Christian day school. And why were schools deemed so essential? Well, certainly they were viewed as a primary means of assuring the children of the congregation were well grounded in God’s Word and helping them to mature in their faith. But, just as importantly, they were seen as an effective means of reaching out into the community at- large, inviting others to come and experience the good news of God’s love in Christ. Indeed, to this day, our schools continue to serve this dual purpose.

That said, the reality is that many people in our communities don’t know our schools exist, or that our schools are open to serving the needs of their kids. It’s with that reality in mind, that a group of five Lutheran schools recently decided to join forces in order to extend a very public invitation to all families in their community.

The result of that effort is this newly erected billboard located along Highway 5 near Green Isle – a heavily traveled corridor from southwest Minnesota into the Twin Cities. With it, they are intending to send two clear messages: 1) our Lutheran schools are an integral part of the communities in which they are located, and 2) our schools are there to serve the needs of any family who would like a high-quality, Christ-centered education for their children.

So why do this now? What makes this the right time to extend this kind of public invitation? Certainly, any time is the right time to reach out with the Gospel. This, however, seems like an especially good time because now, more than ever, parents are actively looking for alternatives to the public schools. Plagued as public education is with poor academic performance and various alien forms of social indoctrination, parents are searching for schools they can trust to provide not only a well-rounded academic program, but also a deep spiritual grounding, anchored in the timeless truths of the Bible.

Also, the timing is right because the national momentum toward greater parental choice in education has been increasing dramatically. With at least a dozen states now choosing to empower parents with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and other forms of school choice, families are now being given the financial means to choose the schools that best meet the needs of their child(ren). And, with the federal government now actively considering instituting a tax credit scholarship program that would apply to all 50 states, this is clearly a time for our schools to be raising their public profile, assuring parents they are welcome in our schools.

Of course, that welcome can be extended in a wide variety of ways besides billboards. In fact, such efforts are limited only by the imagination. The important thing is simply to be intentional about letting people know we are here and we are open to partnering with them in guiding their children into become faithful Christians, productive workers, and good citizens. Indeed, as Lutheran Christians, this has always been, and continues to be, our baptismal calling: to proclaim Christ and to love and serve our neighbor in whatever ways we can.

In Christ,

Rev. Fred Hinz
Public Policy Advocate
Minnesota Districts
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod