Shepherd's Heart 08/14/26
Good Shepherd Church,
Over 30 years ago, a group of devoted church-going moms had a crazy idea to start a preschool right here at Good Shepherd. With a lot of planning, hours of prayers and a whole lot of trust, Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool opened their doors in 1996 to welcome in the first class of children. Two classrooms, twenty four students and a small group of faithful people who believed God was planting seeds. Who could have imagined that those small seeds would create a beautiful, bountiful garden that has lasted generations? Good Shepherd Preschool is now home to seven classrooms and 163 students with thousands of children being impacted over three decades. While much has changed over the years, the mission has not.
“Train a child the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6
This verse has long spoken to the purpose of our preschool: teaching children about our amazing God during some of the youngest and most formative years of their lives, and praying that those lessons become so deeply rooted that throughout their lives, they will continue to turn toward Him. What an incredible privilege it is to be part of laying that foundation.
Over thirty years, there have been ups and downs, successes and setbacks, celebrations and disappointments, seasons of tremendous growth and seasons that required a great deal of faith. There have been easy decisions and difficult ones, open doors and unexpected detours. Yet through every season, preschool administrators, the Preschool Advisory Board and members of church council have tried to listen, pray, discern, and trust where God was leading. And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons we can teach our children: life will not always go according to our plans, but through it all, our God is always faithful.
So, if Proverbs 22:6 helps explain why we do what we do, Luke 2:52 gives us a beautiful picture of how.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52
What better example could we have for how we want our children to grow than Jesus Himself?
We want our children to grow in wisdom. Yes, that means letters, numbers, sounds, patterns, problem solving and all the skills that will prepare them for kindergarten. But wisdom is bigger than academics. We want children who are curious, who ask questions, who are willing to make mistakes and try again, and who begin to discover the gifts God has given them.
We want them to grow in stature. We watch children learn to climb to the top of the playground, pedal a bike, balance, run, jump, build and dig. We see little hands become stronger as they learn to hold a pencil, use scissors, put on their coats doing the ‘flip-a-roo’ and then zip a coat having learned the ‘zip-a-roo’. It is amazing to watch as they tackle the countless physical tasks that once seemed too hard. They are learning how wonderfully God created their bodies to move, explore and experience the world around them. And every new accomplishment builds confidence, independence and that wonderful declaration of “I did it!”
Most importantly, we want them to grow in favor with God. We want them to know the stories of the Bible, to pray with confidence, to sing praises, and to know without question that they are created by God, known by God, and deeply loved by God.
And last, we want them to grow in favor with man. We teach them to be kind, to include others, to forgive, to help, to listen, to share, and to notice when someone else needs a friend. Long before children understand the words “love your neighbor as yourself,” they can begin learning how to live those words.
Thirty years ago, faithful people planted seeds at Good Shepherd. Today, we have the extraordinary privilege of continuing to tend that garden. Each morning, before our classrooms fill with little voices and tiny feet, our staff begin the day together in prayer. We pray over the children and families God has entrusted to us, for one another, for our church and our neighbors, and for needs throughout our community and our world. It is a daily reminder that our ministry reaches beyond the walls of our seven classrooms. We are called to be for our church, for our neighbors and for our world, and to help even our youngest children begin to understand what it means to love and serve others. We may never know where every seed will grow or how God will use the children who have passed through these halls. But we can faithfully plant seeds, provide those seeds with water and sunlight and pray those little seeds become strong trees someday.
My hope for the next thirty years is really no different from the hope of those who began this preschool in 1996 – that every child who walks through our doors will grow in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and man, and that the seeds of faith planted here will take root and remain with them wherever God leads them.
Thank you to the Good Shepherd congregation for thirty years of prayers, encouragement, generosity, trust, and unwavering support of this ministry. What started with twenty-four little children has become something far greater than anyone could have planned.
And perhaps that is exactly the point.
God had a plan all along.
Celebrating 30 Years and all that God is up to,
Miss Patty Schiewe
Over 30 years ago, a group of devoted church-going moms had a crazy idea to start a preschool right here at Good Shepherd. With a lot of planning, hours of prayers and a whole lot of trust, Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool opened their doors in 1996 to welcome in the first class of children. Two classrooms, twenty four students and a small group of faithful people who believed God was planting seeds. Who could have imagined that those small seeds would create a beautiful, bountiful garden that has lasted generations? Good Shepherd Preschool is now home to seven classrooms and 163 students with thousands of children being impacted over three decades. While much has changed over the years, the mission has not.
“Train a child the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6
This verse has long spoken to the purpose of our preschool: teaching children about our amazing God during some of the youngest and most formative years of their lives, and praying that those lessons become so deeply rooted that throughout their lives, they will continue to turn toward Him. What an incredible privilege it is to be part of laying that foundation.
Over thirty years, there have been ups and downs, successes and setbacks, celebrations and disappointments, seasons of tremendous growth and seasons that required a great deal of faith. There have been easy decisions and difficult ones, open doors and unexpected detours. Yet through every season, preschool administrators, the Preschool Advisory Board and members of church council have tried to listen, pray, discern, and trust where God was leading. And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons we can teach our children: life will not always go according to our plans, but through it all, our God is always faithful.
So, if Proverbs 22:6 helps explain why we do what we do, Luke 2:52 gives us a beautiful picture of how.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52
What better example could we have for how we want our children to grow than Jesus Himself?
We want our children to grow in wisdom. Yes, that means letters, numbers, sounds, patterns, problem solving and all the skills that will prepare them for kindergarten. But wisdom is bigger than academics. We want children who are curious, who ask questions, who are willing to make mistakes and try again, and who begin to discover the gifts God has given them.
We want them to grow in stature. We watch children learn to climb to the top of the playground, pedal a bike, balance, run, jump, build and dig. We see little hands become stronger as they learn to hold a pencil, use scissors, put on their coats doing the ‘flip-a-roo’ and then zip a coat having learned the ‘zip-a-roo’. It is amazing to watch as they tackle the countless physical tasks that once seemed too hard. They are learning how wonderfully God created their bodies to move, explore and experience the world around them. And every new accomplishment builds confidence, independence and that wonderful declaration of “I did it!”
Most importantly, we want them to grow in favor with God. We want them to know the stories of the Bible, to pray with confidence, to sing praises, and to know without question that they are created by God, known by God, and deeply loved by God.
And last, we want them to grow in favor with man. We teach them to be kind, to include others, to forgive, to help, to listen, to share, and to notice when someone else needs a friend. Long before children understand the words “love your neighbor as yourself,” they can begin learning how to live those words.
Thirty years ago, faithful people planted seeds at Good Shepherd. Today, we have the extraordinary privilege of continuing to tend that garden. Each morning, before our classrooms fill with little voices and tiny feet, our staff begin the day together in prayer. We pray over the children and families God has entrusted to us, for one another, for our church and our neighbors, and for needs throughout our community and our world. It is a daily reminder that our ministry reaches beyond the walls of our seven classrooms. We are called to be for our church, for our neighbors and for our world, and to help even our youngest children begin to understand what it means to love and serve others. We may never know where every seed will grow or how God will use the children who have passed through these halls. But we can faithfully plant seeds, provide those seeds with water and sunlight and pray those little seeds become strong trees someday.
My hope for the next thirty years is really no different from the hope of those who began this preschool in 1996 – that every child who walks through our doors will grow in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and man, and that the seeds of faith planted here will take root and remain with them wherever God leads them.
Thank you to the Good Shepherd congregation for thirty years of prayers, encouragement, generosity, trust, and unwavering support of this ministry. What started with twenty-four little children has become something far greater than anyone could have planned.
And perhaps that is exactly the point.
God had a plan all along.
Celebrating 30 Years and all that God is up to,
Miss Patty Schiewe