Written by Dr. Phil Huebner

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)

Partnering in Ministry
What a joy it is when God’s people live and work together in his kingdom. How good and pleasant when teachers, principals, early childhood directors, pastors, and all other gospel servants live and work together in unity! When church and school are on the same ministry page, it is a joy for all involved, and many blessings follow. (For the sake of simplicity, the word school in this blog post will be representative of a Lutheran elementary school, early childhood center, or both.)

But where there are blessings, Satan seeks to rip them away. When there is joy, Satan seeks to bring heartache and heartbreak. And where there is unity, Satan surely seeks to provoke division.

Sadly, too many have experienced this in ministry. It can happen so fast that it’s hard to see it coming. But once division enters the scene, it’s easy to see some of the signs and symptoms that church and school are not on the same ministry page. Some examples:

• The pastor(s) is not actively engaged in the events or activities of the school. He’s rarely seen or present.
• The pastor(s) is not aware of the ministry needs of school families—either member families that need pastoral care or non-member families that might be prospects.
• The principal, early childhood director, and/or teachers are not actively engaged in church events or activities.
• Church leadership teams aren’t aware of or involved in school ministry plans, and vice versa.
• Church and school compete for budget dollars.
• School parents talk disparagingly of the church and its ministry, or church members talk disparagingly of the school and its ministry.
• People start talking in terms of “us” vs. “them” regarding the church and school.

There are many more examples. Sometimes you can not only see and hear such division between church and school, you can almost feel it. Indeed, few things are more heartbreaking than disunity and division in ministry. And once the waters of division break through the dam, it can be so difficult to patch it back up again!

What can be done to encourage and enhance living and working together in unity?

Getting on the Same Page
First, it is important to remember the purpose of a school. It is an arm of the ministry of the church. Its purpose is to disciple—first and foremost the students, but then also the parents of those students. Sometimes there are even opportunities to evangelize through the school. Therefore, since the school is an arm of the church used to shepherd and disciple families, it is essential that church and school be on the same page. But how can this be accomplished?

An easy yet essential first step toward this would be meetings between church and school leaders. That starts with the pastor(s) regularly meeting with the principal, early childhood director, or other school administrators. Such don’t have to be long. But they do need to be heartfelt, honest, and transparent meetings meant to create a united ministry front. While these meetings could cover a wide variety of topics, the most focused core objective would be a united partnership in shepherding the families in the school.

Similarly, the church council and school board (or similar leadership teams) ought not be autonomous teams that work for their own interests. Rather, steps can be taken so that each leadership team would be mindful of the entire ministry. For example, if the church is planning ministry events (fall festivals, Christmas for Kids, VBS, Bible study initiatives), will all the school families be made aware and invited? If the school is communicating with parents in weekly newsletters or messages, are encouragements to attend worship, Bible study, and other events included? Ideally, all ministry to children and parents would be part of a greater, comprehensive, and unified ministry plan.

Working Together in Unity
Next, school leaders—principal, early childhood director, teachers, assistants, etc.—can serve as key examples and encouragers to students and their families. When the church seeks to disciple or evangelize school families, there are no greater ambassadors than those who daily serve those people in the school. Thus, teachers can demonstrate what a life dedicated to worship and the Word can look like. Teachers can invite families to church and Bible study/Sunday school. Teachers can be present and visible at church events. Teachers can seek to converse with school families at church events and build relationships outside of the classroom. Teachers can also be key partners with the pastor(s) as they recommend and refer students or parents for Bible Information Classes, baptisms, and the like.

Much more could be said about how gospel servants in the church and school can work together. Perhaps a brief list can stimulate more thought and discussion in your ministry:

• Marriage workshops or retreats planned and offered by church and school
• Parenting classes planned and offered by the church and school
• The pastor(s) being a part of school chapel services
• Teachers coordinating with the pastor(s) to learn hymns that are actually used on Sunday mornings
• Teachers bringing classes into the church to teach about worship (for example, going to the font and discussing possible baptismal symbolism when teaching about John the Baptist)

On the one hand, the concept is simple. Church and school leaders ought to be working together in ministry. Yet Satan wants nothing more than to stop discipleship and evangelism by chiseling cracks in those who preach and teach Christ.

May God give to us all wisdom, diligence, and strength to live and work together in the ministry. Oh, what joy and blessings will follow such unity!

Dr. Phil Huebner has served as the campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran High School for five years.