Posted 10:49 pm Wednesday, January 30, 2013
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Children celebrate National Lutheran Schools Week
The looks of delight on the faces of the children as they released brightly colored balloons into the sky were matched only by their squeals and jumps.
Trinity Lutheran Early Childhood Ministry in Tyler released more than 100 balloons Tuesday morning as a part of National Lutheran Schools Week.
“Today we are just celebrating what Lutheran schools are doing,” director Aimee Schutz said.
Each day this week, the school has planned a different way of celebrating.
There’s a rainbow day, pajama day, Texas day, and crazy hair and clothes day, among other events.
Mark Dahn, Trinity Lutheran Church’s family ministry and outreach pastor, said Lutheran schools are second only to Catholic schools in number nationwide.
There are more than 2,300 Lutheran schools nationally, according to information in The Lutheran Witness, the official periodical of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod operates the largest, single-denomination, non-Catholic, Christian school system in the United States, according to the publication.
Trinity Lutheran Early Childhood Ministry in Tyler released more than 100 balloons Tuesday morning as a part of National Lutheran Schools Week.
“Today we are just celebrating what Lutheran schools are doing,” director Aimee Schutz said.
Each day this week, the school has planned a different way of celebrating.
There’s a rainbow day, pajama day, Texas day, and crazy hair and clothes day, among other events.
Mark Dahn, Trinity Lutheran Church’s family ministry and outreach pastor, said Lutheran schools are second only to Catholic schools in number nationwide.
There are more than 2,300 Lutheran schools nationally, according to information in The Lutheran Witness, the official periodical of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod operates the largest, single-denomination, non-Catholic, Christian school system in the United States, according to the publication.
Trinity Lutheran Church has had an educational ministry for more than 25 years.
It started as an elementary school, but when that later closed, the church began an early childhood ministry, Ms. Schutz said.
About 150 children ranging in age from six weeks to school age (for the after school program) attend the school, Ms. Schutz said.
On Tuesday, almost all of the kids went outside and stood in the grass as they waited for balloons to hold. The strong winds added to the anticipation.
Once everyone had a balloon in hand and after a few already had been let go into the sky, Ms. Schutz counted to three for the official release.
With shouts of, “Hallelujah,” the students and staff let go of the colored balloons, which quickly drifted away.
Screaming and jumping followed as the children watched in excitement.
“It’s a lot of work,” Dahn said of the balloon release, “but it’s 30 seconds of pure joy when you hear them giggle.”
It started as an elementary school, but when that later closed, the church began an early childhood ministry, Ms. Schutz said.
About 150 children ranging in age from six weeks to school age (for the after school program) attend the school, Ms. Schutz said.
On Tuesday, almost all of the kids went outside and stood in the grass as they waited for balloons to hold. The strong winds added to the anticipation.
Once everyone had a balloon in hand and after a few already had been let go into the sky, Ms. Schutz counted to three for the official release.
With shouts of, “Hallelujah,” the students and staff let go of the colored balloons, which quickly drifted away.
Screaming and jumping followed as the children watched in excitement.
“It’s a lot of work,” Dahn said of the balloon release, “but it’s 30 seconds of pure joy when you hear them giggle.”
