It is an exciting time at St. Paul’s right now. It is hard to believe, but the school year is about to start.

As kids come back from summer vacation, you can feel the excitement. A new school year brings with it a sense of a new beginning. Students are beginning a new grade, maybe they are going to be in a new classroom, maybe they are going to have a new teacher this year. It is exciting. There are new opportunities to grow and learn. It is an exciting time for the congregation as well.

St. Paul’s Lutheran school exists because the congregation has prioritized this ministry opportunity and supported the school. So, as this school year begins it is an opportunity to give thanks to God for the blessings that he has given us. We have a full faculty and staff for this school year who are eager to share the gospel in the classroom. We have 46 students who everyday will be growing in God’s Word. There is certainly a lot to be thankful for.

A new school year brings many changes, but there is one thing that remains a constant in our ministry. It is God’s Word. The theme for this school year is “Hope, Joy, Peace, and Power.” It comes from Romans 15:13, Paul speaks these incredible words of encouragement to the Christians that he is writing to: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” It is such a beautiful reminder of who our God is and what he has done for us. The God that we put our trust in is the God of hope. He is the God who sent his only Son to pay the price of sin for us. He is the one who tells us that our sins are forgiven and heaven is our home. He is the reason that we have true peace and joy. This is the message that we hear over and over again as our God speaks to us through his Word.

As the Holy Spirit powerfully works in our hearts, we cling to that unchanging truth. This is the reason that we are filled with hope. We are not just partially filled. We are not just mostly filled with hope. We are overflowing with hope! It is a message that we have to share with a world that seems so hopeless. We can point to God’s Word as the only true source of peace and joy in this world. We are overflowing with this hope. Who better to share it with than the next generation? It is the reason that we have a school. This message of hope is the motivation for everything that we do. It is the reason that everyday teachers share the gospel in their classrooms. It is why everything that is taught in our school is taught in the light of God’s Word. So that the next generation may know that their God is the God of hope.

So as this school year begins, may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him. So that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let that hope overflow as you pray for our school. Let that hope overflow as you encourage and support our teachers in their ministry. Let that hope overflow as you continually are filled by God’s Word.

Let’s make this new school year the best that it can be as we are guided by the God of Hope!

In Christ,
Pastor Schlomer