What We're Reading - Back to School Edition!

Happy first week of school! It was such a joy to see all of our students and families gathered together to begin our first day of the new year. This community, this relationship between home and school, is fundamental to all we do at ILS. Throughout this year, we’ll be sharing and encouraging discussions on culture-building and culture-shaping, and how we can together support this important work both at school and at home.

One place we’ll share ideas on this topic is here on our monthly "What we're reading..." feature. Each month, we collect and share a selection of articles, sermons, blog posts, or other materials that we have found to be particularly insightful or inspiring. We hope that our ILS families and friends will enjoy spending some time reading and reflecting as well, and then join us at a First Friday Coffee or other parent program to discuss these and other topics.

We also love for families to pass along things they have read that may be interesting to others in our ILS community! Please feel free to share a link in the comments to email us any time!

Run with Endurance: A message from Pastor Esget

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Over this coming academic year we will meditate on this theme verse from Hebrews 12:1-2:

"Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

In recent weeks we examined the phrases "cloud of witnesses" and “lay aside every weight.” This week we'll look at what it means to "run with endurance the race that is set before us."

The race "set before us" was a common expression for athletic events, where the organizers of the contest would mark the course to be run. In this context, the race already marked out for us Christians is the course that Jesus went upon. 

Literally, this would mean to retrace Jesus' footsteps, leading to a crucifixion at the same place Jesus died. But the meaning here is figurative. How did Jesus live and die? Let us imitate that with the same kind of endurance, the same kind of dedication to the Father's will and calling.

Remembering previously the "cloud of witnesses" (the saints who have gone before us), and the instruction to take off garments that would slow us down in an athletic contest, we now are placed at the starting line in a race. The stadium is filled with a crowd (the cloud of witnesses) and we have put on our running clothes.

Meet Us Monday: Miss Rebecca Hobbs, 4th Grade Teacher

We are happy to welcome Miss Rebecca Hobbs to the Immanuel community as our new 4th grade teacher!

Miss Hobbs earned B.A. in Classical Liberal Arts, with an emphasis in History and Education from Patrick Henry College.

Since 2015, Miss Hobbs has taught 5th Grade at The Ambrose School in Boise, ID. Prior to joining the Ambrose Faculty, she taught English to grammar school students in South Korea for nearly two years.

Miss Hobbs has a desire for her students to learn to love Christ more through learning to love what is true, good, and beautiful. As her students read stories of great heroes, love, courage, and self-sacrifice, she prays their souls will be so stirred by these things that they forever seek the One who is the ultimate Truth, Goodness, and Beauty- the Lord God.

Miss Hobbs is originally from Baker City, OR. In her spare time she enjoys horseback riding, reading, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and all the Korean food, language, and culture she can get.

Get to know Miss Hobbs with her recent “Meet Us Monday” interview!

What We're Reading (August edition)...

As we enter this final month of our summer break, we pray that our students, families, and teachers have enjoyed some rest and leisure. With the approaching new school year, stay tuned for some fun posts as we look forward to the school year to come!

Our "What we're reading..." feature for August is full of news articles, sermons, and other news that we’ve found interesting or insightful over the summer, and we hope that you will enjoy spending some time reading and reflecting as well.

In preparation for the new year, we’d love to hear from you! Would you take a moment and share a book or article that you’ve read lately that you think others in our ILS community may enjoy?

Meet Us Monday: Miss Michelle Hennig, Deaconess Intern

We are happy to welcome Miss Michelle Hennig to the Immanuel community for the 2019-2020 academic year as a Deaconess Intern.

As the daughter of a Lutheran Pastor, Miss Hennig’s family moved several times, but the majority of her childhood was spent in southern and central Illinois. Attending Lutheran schools from Kindergarten through high school helped to shape both her faith and vocation as a future church worker.

With a love for singing and theology, Miss Hennig chose to pursue these interests at Concordia University Chicago. Miss Hennig is a Theology major in the process of obtaining her Deaconess certification, with double minors in Classical Education and Psychology. At Concordia, she ran track, sang in the choir, worked for residence life, served as a mentor for freshmen students, built relationships with fellow believers, and met her fiance, Andrew.

Miss Hennig enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, sewing, singing, being with her family, and spending time with her dog, Luther. She is looking forward to serving and working with Immanuel Lutheran Church and School students and families in the coming year.

Get to know Miss Hennig with her recent “Meet Us Monday” interview!

What We're Reading Wednesday: Mrs. Grace Egger

Check in on our ILS social media pages or here on our ILS Blog to hear from all your favorite ILS teachers and staff as they share a peek at what they’re reading this summer!

Mrs. Grace Egger, ILS Kindergarten Teacher, continues our “What We’re Reading Wednesday” series with a selection that she recommends students and families include on their summer reading list.

What’s on your summer list? We’d love to hear what you’re reading this summer as well!

What We're Reading (July edition)...

We hope everyone is enjoying a restful and relaxing summer! As the summer continues, we are keeping up with our "What we're reading..." series to share news and articles that we’ve found interesting or insightful over the summer months!

What are you reading this summer? If you need some inspiration, check out our weekly “What We’re Reading Wednesday” videos as our faculty and staff share some of their recommendations for parents and students.

Interested in joining fellow parents and teachers for some summer reading?

This summer, ILS is hosting a Summer Book Club! Parents and friends of ILS are invited to join us each month as we read and gather to discuss a short selection. Please use the form below to let us know if you will be able to attend one or more of these discussions!

Join us on Thursdays at 7 pm. Reading selections and options to order, included via the links below.

July 11: Revelation by Flannery O'Conner 
August 8: Leaf by Niggle by J. R. R. Tolkien (copies available in the ILS office)

Please let us know if you can join us!

What We're Reading Wednesday: Mrs. Marie Greenway

Check in on our ILS social media pages or here on our ILS Blog to hear from all your favorite ILS teachers and staff as they share a peek at what they’re reading this summer!

Mrs. Marie Greenway, ILS Music Teacher, kicks off our “What We’re Reading Wednesday” series with a look at a selection that has made it onto her summer reading list.

What’s on your summer list? We’d love to hear what you’re reading this summer as well!

What We're Reading Wednesday: Ms. Katherine Kramer

Check in on our ILS social media pages or here on our ILS Blog to hear from all your favorite ILS teachers and staff as they share a peek at what they’re reading this summer!

Ms. Katherine Kramer, ILS Assistant Headmaster, kicks off our “What We’re Reading Wednesday” series with a look at some of the selections that have made it onto her summer reading list.

What’s on your summer list? We’d love to hear what you’re reading this summer as well!

Baccalaureate Vespers 2019

After sitting through dozens of graduation speeches that were a terrible waste of time, the brilliant educator and critic Neil Postman wrote the sort of commencement address he wished would be given but never is. In it he talks about two groups of ancient people, the Athenians and the Visigoths. This is because, Postman said, you soon must align yourself with the spirit of one or the spirit of the other. You must choose between the Athenians or the Visigoths.

The Athenians developed a political democracy, invented philosophy, and one of their scientists conceived of the atomic theory of matter 2,300 years before it ever occurred to a modern scientist. They sang beautiful poems and wrote plays that are still performed today. They loved beauty and strove for excellence.

The Visigoths, by contrast, were good at one thing: killing. Their language was barbaric, their art grotesque. They loved to burn books and destroy buildings. Nothing of this people remains.