“The children in the school are part of the congregation’s life that is always there; they’re family.” – Pastor Jonathan Ripke, Zion, Marengo
The community at Zion Lutheran Church and School in Marengo collectively embodies their directive verse, 1 John 3:18 (NIV), “dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” On an average Thursday, the preschool and elementary students lived this mission as they eagerly paused on their walk to the playground to greet Dr. Dan Betrand, one of their principals, with hugs and waves. The middle school students embodied it while gleefully participating in educational classroom games and speaking with delight about the prospect of attending the National Youth Gathering. The faculty and staff of the church and preschool through 8th grade school revealed it in their care for their students, members of their community, and one another. Together, Zion, Marengo loves not only with words but with actions and truth.
Because of the Truth they know well, Zion is committed to their community and every person who plays a role in it. As Pastor Ripke shared, the faculty and staff of the church and school are intentional with students, because they’re interested in long-term preparation of faith-filled Christians. They want to be the kind of church and school which shares the Gospel with students every day while preparing them to know what to look for in a church, if they move away from Marengo one day.
Zion serves the young people in their community in many ways including: outside of traditional school hours, in partnership with the local high school and other schools in their community, and while students are in college.
Outside of Traditional School Hours
Seeing needs in their community and their own capacity to fill them, Zion Lutheran Church and School serves families in Marengo through before and after school care, summer camp programs, and summer lunch programs.
In order to provide families a wide range of before/after school child care opportunities during the school year, with the support of the bus service and staff members, from as early as 6:30 a.m. to as late as 5:30 p.m. well over one hundred students from various schools in Marengo arrive at the church and school for activities, including homework help, where they build friendships with their peers and continue to learn and grow.
During the summertime, the extended care program, which serves students from many schools in the district, turns into a two month long summer camp. In June and July, from 6:15 a.m. to 6 p.m., students registered with the camp can attend as often or as little as they would like. One day per week, with the excellent support of the local bus service, students are able to go on a field trip whether it be to the public pool or another fun, local destination. On these days, Zion notices a spike in summer camp attendance; they can have as many as 175 students join them for a field trip day.
Alongside the summer camp program, Zion hosts a food program which serves breakfast to around 85 people per day and lunch to roughly 170 people. The food program is provided by the Department of Agriculture in order to ensure that children and teens have sufficient food during the summer. The government provides reimbursement for the meals of 0-18 year olds; however, in order to allow for families to share lunch together, Zion budgets for and pays for the meals of adults throughout the summer.
In Partnership
The various schools in Marengo are committed to the growth of every student in their district and meet together regularly to coordinate curriculum in order to prepare students equally well for their arrival at the one local high school. From the high school child development classes observing Zion’s preschool to a joint Veterans’ Day program in which every third through twelfth grader in Marengo plays a role, together, the community in Marengo collaborates with one another to care for the growth of all students. As Zion’s community loves not just in word, they are able to actively share the love of Jesus through these collaborations.
While Students are in College
Passionate about preparing their young people to possibly be sent out from Marengo one day, Zion continues caring for their students in their first years after graduating from high school. Whether they’re attending the local community college or at school out of state, Pastor Ripke writes regular postcards to students. In that brief space, he is able to both encourage them in their studies and remind them that their Church family at Zion is praying for them; in that space, he reminds each student they are loved, not just in word but in action and truth, by their family in Christ.
This is #OurNID