Category Archives: Healthy Schools

Building a Collaborative Relationship: The Crucial Bond Between WELS Principals and Pastors

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Written by Adam Bilitz
MLC ’20, ’24 and is the principal of Emanuel First Lutheran School-Lansing MI

Building a Collaborative Relationship: The Crucial Bond Between WELS Principals and Pastors

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

A recent survey revealed a common belief among Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) principals and pastor teams: collaboration plays an essential role in successful ministries (Bilitz, 2024). Both parties see the value of a unified relationship that promotes a strong spiritual and educational foundation for students, congregation, and community.

This study examined the professional relationship dynamics between pastors and school principals, identifying factors that support collaboration or lead to challenges. Data were gathered through an initial survey and follow-up interviews. CLS distributed the survey to 962 participants, and 249 completed the survey.

The research found that the pastor-principal relationships are overwhelmingly positive. Survey results revealed that WELS pastors and principals largely recognize the importance of a collaborative partnership. The findings allowed current pastors and principals to reflect on their relationship status and identify areas for improvement. Through interviews, participants shared experiences with both collaborative and challenging interactions. It became clear that WELS principals and pastors share a strong understanding of their joint mission and the critical need to build and sustain effective collaboration.

Huebner (2021) highlighted that the benefits of working together are practical, emotional, and spiritual, thus demonstrating that collaboration is beneficial for everyone. However, the journey to a truly collaborative relationship is not without challenges.

Follow-up interviews showed that both pastors and principals have encountered instances of conflict and camaraderie. This finding underscores the need for intentional efforts in nurturing these relationships and highlights the specific strategies that facilitate effective collaboration.

Mutual Support and Understanding of Roles: The Foundation of Collaboration

In interviews, WELS pastors and principals emphasize the importance of a shared understanding of their respective roles. While both people aim to serve their congregation and school, achieving unity requires mutual support and an appreciation for each role’s unique responsibilities.

Typically, principals handle the day-to-day operations of school life, focusing primarily on academic growth and student well-being. Pastors concentrate on spiritual guidance for all congregation members and school families. Recognizing the complementary nature of these responsibilities creates a foundation of respect, which is crucial for a smooth partnership and collaborative spirit.

Schuetze (2017) emphasized the critical role that trust plays in leadership, particularly in fostering relationships with those under one’s care. This principle is evident in the strong commitment to mutual support observed between pastors and principals, even in challenging situations. In interviews, principals expressed a desire for pastoral guidance to help maintain the school’s spiritual values, while pastors appreciated principals’ dedication to academic success and student development. This shared trust underscores how deeply understanding each other’s roles not only strengthens their professional bond but also amplifies the positive impact of their work on both students and the congregation, a shared mission that brings trust to both roles. To cultivate and sustain this trust, both pastors and principals are encouraged to embody qualities like compassion, patience, resilience, and a sincere commitment to serving others, as noted by Schuetze (2017).

Addressing Issues When Problems Arise

While the survey and interviews highlighted many positive aspects of principal-pastor relationships, they also revealed challenges, particularly around communication gaps, conflicting priorities, and physical separation. Principals and pastors often juggle busy schedules, which can lead to missed meetings or miscommunication.

Additionally, differing perspectives on priorities can sometimes strain their relationship. For instance, a principal might prioritize academic outcomes, while a pastor emphasizes spiritual growth. These challenges require open dialogue and a commitment to understanding each other’s perspectives.

To address these challenges, respondents suggested solutions such as setting up regular check-ins and maintaining flexibility in their schedules to ensure consistent communication. When differences arise, both parties have found that taking time to clarify roles and listen to each other’s concerns helps resolve misunderstandings effectively. Some even recommended engaging in occasional team-building activities to strengthen personal bonds, which can help during periods of tension or misalignment. It’s important to tackle these issues to ensure that the church and school work well together (Huebner, 2021).

Building a Path Forward

The findings from WELS schools underscore the importance of fostering a collaborative relationship between pastors and principals. Through mutual support, open communication, shared activities, and a commitment to addressing challenges respectfully, pastors and principals can build a relationship that not only serves their immediate needs but enhances the mission of their ministry. Building strong relationships within leadership teams is crucial (Osborne, 2010).

By prioritizing these strategies, WELS schools can create a united front that effectively supports both academic and spiritual growth, setting a positive example for students and fostering a cohesive and supportive community.

References

Bilitz, A. (2024) The principal-pastor relationship. [master’s thesis, Martin Luther College]

Huebner, P. (2021, December 7). Church and school working together in Unity. Issues in Lutheran Education. November 25, 2023.

Osborne, L. W. (2010). Sticky teams: Keeping your leadership team and staff on the same page. Zondervan.

Schuetze, J. D. (2017). Doctor of Souls: The art of pastoral theology. Northwestern Publishing House.

Academic and Career Planning: The School Mission Implementation Plan

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Part 2

Written by Grey Davis

Putting ACP into Practice

Post-secondary readiness has undergone significant changes over the past decade. The traditional model of providing a college preparatory education is no longer sufficient. This outdated approach limits the potential of young adults and does not align with the modern-day need to prepare students comprehensively for life beyond high school.

While preparing students for college remains important, there is a growing recognition that a holistic approach is necessary to equip students for various aspects of adult life. Schools across the United States are adapting to this trend by focusing on broader life skills and readiness (Redefining Ready, 2017). Continue reading →

Academic and Career Planning: The New Post-Secondary Plan

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Part 1

Written by Grey Davis

The Paradigm Shift

There is a change happening in the way young people and their parents in the United States view the purpose of education. Previous generations saw bachelor’s degrees as a means to economic achievement and a way to secure a better future than their parents. In that climate, a college prep focus in high school was coveted. From 1950 to 2010, the percentage of people in their twenties with a bachelor’s degree grew from 7.7% to 31.7% in the U.S. (Horowitz, 2018).

More recently, the proliferation of college degrees and the lack of practical application for many majors results in college graduates filling low-paying, unskilled positions or retraining for useful trades. At the same time, salaries in skilled trades are rising due to a shortage of workers in these fields. Critical skilled job hiring in the U.S. could be more than 20 times the projected annual increase in net new jobs from 2022-2032 (McKinsey and Company, 2024). Continue reading →

Empowering Parents as Family Spiritual Leaders

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A Role of Growing Importance for WELS Teachers

Written by Brad Gurgel

The number of Americans who don’t practice any form of religion in their homes is growing rapidly. Today, a staggering one-third of all U.S. adults under age 30 consider themselves religiously unaffiliated (Pew Research, 2020). Premier Christianity magazine reported that only 13% of adults ages 18-35 who identify as Christian read Scripture individually or with their families at least a few days per week (Hailes, 2019).

An ever-increasing number of children from these biblically disconnected homes are showing up in Lutheran school classrooms. Many parents today fully outsource any religious instruction for their children to church leaders or Christian teachers.

It’s tempting to react to this societal shift by offering more programs where children can hear the Word of God and to find solace in such thoughts as, “Well, at least they are getting the gospel message when they are with us at school.” Continue reading →

Foundations for a Strong Staff Culture

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Written by Charles Galecki

A positive, strong staff culture requires ongoing meaningful investment from school leaders and staff members.

The devil works tremendously hard to create and tear open cracks in our schools that distract us from our mission. We need hard work and God’s blessings to keep our strong foundation. The goal of this blog is to equip the reader with practical tools to invest in their staff culture to better serve the Kingdom. Staff culture is divided into three areas:

  1. Spiritual Foundation
  2. Fellowship Foundation
  3. Professional Foundation

Continue reading →

Cracks and All, We Stand in His Strength-Part 2

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Written By Dan Nommensen, LPC, NCC, BC-TMH, CEAP
Christian Family Solutions

This is the second of two blog posts written by Dan Nommensen. The first blog post reminds us that we are all fragile jars of clay and that we need to focus on what is inside the jars.

Support for Your Fragile Jar
A few years ago, after Christmas was over, I was packing away the decorations, and I broke one of our favorite glass stars. It slipped right out of my hand and onto the hard floor and it shattered into many pieces. It was one of a set of six stars that stood on the fireplace mantel. My wife was able to find all the pieces and through a long process of restoration and a bottle of glue, she was able to get it back together—but it is extremely fragile. Now, when we set it out on the mantel, we carefully prop it up alongside the other stars to give it some extra strength.

It reminded me that in our fragileness, God places us together with other jars.

Isn’t it common to withdraw from others during times of challenge? Withdrawal is actually one of the most common signs of depression. Maybe we try really hard to give the appearance that our jar is as solid as others, or maybe we struggle with perfection and endlessly try to hide the cracks in our jar. Whatever the reason for that effort to hide our fragile condition, sometimes we just need that extra support from friends, family, coworkers, other called workers, or Christian counselors. If we all had impenetrable steel jars, I have a feeling we would all be quite lonely. We not only have the knowledge of salvation . . . we have others alongside us who are willing and able to be a support when those cracks feel deep.

As public ministers who face the reality of sin in these times, we see an opportunity to view challenges in ministry using this “jars of clay” analogy shared by the apostle Paul. God knows what we need. He is telling us it is better in the long run to be “only clay” than “lonely steel.” Continue reading →

Cracks and All, We Stand in His Strength-Part 1

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Written By Dan Nommensen, LPC, NCC, BC-TMH, CEAP
Christian Family Solutions

Called workers have one of the world’s best occupations! What an amazing opportunity to serve the Lord in a full- or part-time ministry and watch the Holy Spirit kindle or grow the faith of those you serve. You are devoted and faithful pastors, teachers, and staff ministers who also know you are fragile “jars of clay,” as the apostle Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 4:7.

Fragile Jars of Clay
The message of the gospel and the mission to be a light in the darkness is entrusted to all Christians. Whether we are called workers or lay workers, we are all fragile jars of clay. We humbly agree that even though God created and fashioned us for his purpose to hold and share a mighty message of salvation, we are fragile indeed! Sometimes we can’t even believe that God chose us to share this message! We’ve got cracks in our jars, and sometimes it seems we are ready to collapse.

Pastors, do you feel your fragileness more lately? Teachers and staff ministers, are those cracks in your emotional health feeling more difficult to handle?

Perhaps the events in our culture over the last couple of years have placed even more pressures on our fragile natures. Perhaps you have considered what life might be like apart from the public ministry. Maybe that thought crossed your mind after you got home from a tough meeting with a parent who took the opportunity to list every mistake and fault you have. Maybe that thought crossed your mind after you finished listening to the multiple voicemail messages from members with so many needs that you feel ill-equipped to handle the demands.

These feelings are the cracks in your jar. Some have described burnout in ministry as the final breaking of the jar—a complete feeling of brokenness. Continue reading →

Lutheran School Principals: A Changing Paradigm

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Written by Dr. John Meyer

Five years ago, I asked the question, “Can Lutheran schools reimagine the principal position” (Meyer, 2017)? The answer is a resounding “Yes!”

At that time, the Wisconsin synod had just begun a system-wide effort to increase Lutheran principal time, training, and compensation. The goal was to increase principal effectiveness and retention so that Lutheran schools and students would thrive.

Five years later, new data reveals that those efforts are Continue reading →

How to Serve Racially, Ethnically, Culturally Diverse Students-Part 3 Books

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This blog ends a three-article series on the importance of adopting a culturally responsive approach in Lutheran schools. As communities become more diverse, Lutheran schools will want to become more diverse as well. Crossing cultural lines with the gospel can be difficult, as the early church quickly learned (Acts 15). The series is written by Professor Tingting Schwartz, who has personally experienced and intellectually examined these challenges, providing valuable insights to anyone wishing to minister to new people groups.

  1. What’s in Your Student’s Lunch Box? Focusing on intercultural competence for educators.
  2. What Language Do the Parents of Your Student Speak? Discussing anti-bias education for young children.
  3. What Books Are on Your Classroom Bookshelf? Underscoring the importance of the Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) model for racially, ethnically, culturally (REC) diverse students.

What Books Are on Your Classroom Bookshelf?

Written by Professor Tingting Schwartz

My previous blogs discussed intercultural competence development for educators and anti-bias education for young children. For the third one, using the Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) model proposed by Derald Wing Sue and David Sue, I will shift the perspective to racially, ethnically, and culturally (REC) diverse students and focus on the nurturance of their racial and cultural identity.

What Do We See?
The demographics of the United States are increasingly diversified. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2020), the non-Hispanic white population decreased to 57.8%. The second-largest racial or ethnic group is the Hispanic or Latino population, comprising 18.7%. The third-largest group is the Black or African American population at 12.1%. The percentage of non-Hispanic white children under 18 is 49.8%, less than half of the total children population. About two in three children are projected to be a race other than non-Hispanic White by 2060 (The U.S. Census Bureau, p.8). Continue reading →

How to Serve Racially, Ethnically, Culturally Diverse Students-Part 2 Language

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This blog is the second in a three-article series on the importance of adopting a culturally responsive approach in Lutheran schools. As communities become more diverse, Lutheran schools will want to become more diverse as well. Crossing cultural lines with the gospel can be difficult, as the early church quickly learned (Acts 15). The series is written by Professor Tingting Schwartz, who has personally experienced and intellectually examined these challenges, providing valuable insights to anyone wishing to minister to new people groups.

  1. What’s in Your Student’s Lunch Box? Focusing on intercultural competence for educators.
  2. What Language Do the Parents of Your Student Speak? Discussing anti-bias education for young children.
  3. What Books Are on Your Classroom Bookshelf? Underscoring the importance of the Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) model for racially, ethnically, culturally (REC) diverse students.

What Language Do the Parents of Your Student Speak?

Written by Professor Tingting Schwartz

What Do We See?
It was a bright sunny afternoon when I picked up my son Elijah from his preschool room. I first talked with Elijah in Chinese and then a student teacher in English. A young girl from the other preschool room overheard our conversations, so she turned to her teacher and asked: “Why does she [referring to me] talk differently?” That young teacher was not prepared for such a question. She froze, and her face flushed. This curious young girl repeated her question: “Why does she talk differently?” Such a great question, yet the teacher seemed to be embarrassed by this question. What did this young girl mean by saying, “talk differently”? Was she curious what language I was using with Elijah? Did she detect my foreign accent when I spoke to the teacher? Why did the teacher not know how to answer this question? What social meaning did she attach to this word “different” when hearing it?

There was still no response as I was about to leave. I thought this was a great teachable moment, and I should not miss it. Hence, I went back and lowered myself to that young girl’s eye level: “You asked a great question! I bet you heard a difference between my English and yours! I grew up in China, so Chinese is my mother tongue. I learned English, your mother tongue, when I was an adult, so English isn’t my first language. This is why I only speak Chinese with Elijah. This is also why my English sounds a little different from yours.”

Did I know how to respond appropriately to this kind of situation years ago? No. I learned my lesson by encountering similar experiences in my daily life and reflecting on them.

Let me tell you another similar story. Continue reading →