By Jenny Scott
December 2021
Learning about others and experiencing new things can open a student’s mind to wonder, discovery, shared faith, and joy. A partnership between the LCMS Northern Illinois District and CLEF (Chicagoland Lutheran Educational Foundation) leads students to experience that joy throughout the year.
The partnership, called Stirred to Love, takes its title from Hebrews 10:24, “and let us consider how to stir up one another to love.” The program brings together teachers and students from urban and suburban NID schools so that students can make new friends and glimpse lives different from their own.
“The whole idea is for students from pre-K to high school to partner in a meaningful way,” said Janet Klotz, who has been executive director of CLEF for nine years and sat on the board for three years before that.
The things learned can be as simple as an urban child discovering and being amazed by how many stars are in the sky at Walcamp, to a suburban child realizing how street smart urban children are.
Lois Stewart, NID Mission Facilitator for Schools, has come up with many ideas for the program. Ideas include a book club where students read together or read to younger children, Christmas and spring parties, field trips, pen pal and card sharing, and school spirit activities during National Lutheran Schools Week.
“Some of the schools have done movie nights,” said Klotz. “Also, on one field trip, two of the sister schools visited Concordia University where they took a tour and had lunch together. We really want the kids to know that the University is here and all it has to offer.”
Donna Laughlin, Principal of Immanuel Lutheran School in Batavia, explained that COVID has had an impact on the program. Still, last year the pastors of Immanuel and their sister school were able to lead chapel at each other’s churches, and Laughlin will be leading chapel at St. John’s in November.
“In addition, last year, the two schools did a food drive together for the food pantry at Concordia University,” said Laughlin. “This year we hope to do a service project together at Feed My Starving Children, and we plan to attend each other’s spring musicals. We’re hoping to play some non-conference basketball games against each other, bowl at St. John’s bowling alley, and compete together in a Knowledge Bowl hosted by Immanuel.”
The following is a list of the schools paired together for the 2021-2022 year:
1. Christ the King Chicago, St. Peter Schaumburg and St. John’s Lombard
2. Good Shepherd Christian Academy Chicago and Immanuel Dundee
3. St. Paul Austin and Trinity Roselle
4. St. Philip Chicago and St. Peter Arlington Heights
5. St. Paul Dorchester and Immanuel Palatine
6. St. John’s Chicago and Immanuel Batavia
7. Grace Christian Academy Chicago and Immanuel Crystal Lake
8. Bethesda International Academy Chicago and St. Paul Mt. Prospect
9. Walther Christian Academy Melrose Park and Immanuel Elmhurst
WITNESS: Encouraging personal witnessing, congregational engagement with their community, support of our NID partnerships and missions and sharing in a world mission field together.