Matthew 28:19-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have

commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Making Disciples for Life” has served as the theme for our Lutheran Schools Week

celebration, and Matthew 28:19-20 has served as our theme Scripture verse. This theme

summarizes the goal of Lutheran Central School and the other schools of the Lutheran

Church Missouri Synod, for we are about the work of making disciples.

Jesus speaks these words to His disciples as He prepares to depart from them into

heaven. “Go and make disciples”, He says. He sends them out with the task of making

more disciples, not just in Jerusalem or Judea, but to all of the nations. They’ve followed

Jesus. They’ve heard His teaching and instruction. They’ve witnessed the miracles He

performed. They saw Him nailed to the cross. They saw Him resurrected from the dead.

Now, they are to go out and continue the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen to

the ends of the earth.

To accomplish this task, they are given the gifts of Christ which they are to share with

others, the gift of baptism. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, those who

are baptized are made to be disciples of Jesus as they receive from Him the gifts of His

death and resurrection, forgiveness, life, and salvation.

But the life of discipleship doesn’t end at the font of baptism. Jesus gives the disciples

further instruction: teach those who are baptized are also to be taught to observe all that

Jesus has taught the 12 disciples.

Enter Lutheran Central School and our amazing faculty and staff who dedicate their

lives to the task of teaching them to observe everything that Jesus has commanded us.

Every day they faithfully instruct and nurture our students with the Word of God and

the love of Jesus, helping them to grow and develop into disciples of Jesus who will bear

witness to others.

The life of discipleship into which we have been gathered as the baptized people of God

is one that is filled with great joys, but also brings with it challenges and trials. But,

there too, we have been given the promises of Jesus’ words, that He will be with us

always, even to the very end of the age.

We pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for Lutheran Central School, and for the joy we have

been given to hear Your Word and walk together in the love of Jesus. Keep us, by Your

Holy Spirit, firm in our faith, as we share the love of Jesus with others. Amen.

Written by: Pastor Joel Meyer

Lutheran Central will be hosting musicians from Racine Lutheran High School in Racine, Wisconsin, on Thursday, March 16th. We are one of several stops on a tour that concludes in Nashville, Tennessee. If you are willing to host students or chaperones from this group for a night (this would include feeding them and getting them back to Lutheran Central on Friday, March 17th, to depart), please contact Pastor McKinley at at the Trinity office at 812-358-3225 or by text at 812-569-1020. We are hoping to place two students in each household, so that they can have a friend with them (not required, though).