For 50 years, Cheryl Rawlins has faithfully dedicated her life to Lutheran education, nurturing children academically, spiritually, and personally through a ministry rooted in love, compassion, and faith in Christ. Born in Albany, California, and raised in Oakland, Cheryl grew up in a strong Lutheran home. Her father worked as a dry cleaner while her mother stayed home to care for the family. From first through eighth grade, Cheryl attended Redeemer Lutheran School in Oakland

After five decades of shaping young minds and sharing the love of Christ, longtime teacher and mentor Mike Newton is retiring, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of faith, service, and dedication. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Mike moved to California in 1957 when his father, who served in the Air Force, died suddenly. His mother and three siblings traveled back to where she grew up. They were introduced to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Napa when two Walther League young men kno

Zion Lutheran Church has been a part of the Richmond District of San Francisco since 1905. Zion Lutheran School opened in 1947. The school has an enrollment of 155 students in kindergarten through 8th grade served by 22 faithful faculty and staff members. The principal, Jenn Lee, has been at Zion since 2004 and principal since 2016. However, Jenn is also a graduate of Zion, having attended the school from kindergarten through 8th grade, making her a legacy student, teache

Dave Levy’s journey into ministry has been anything but typical. As a child, he grew up in Northern California, moving frequently before eventually settling in Crescent City. Dave was not raised as a Christian, but that changed in high school when he met his future wife, Natalie, and her family. Through their influence, he came to faith in Christ and became deeply involved at Grace Lutheran Church in Crescent City, where he volunteered as a Sunday school teacher and assisted

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in the Sunset District of San Francisco has been a part of the community since 1964. In 2019, just a year before the COVID Pandemic, Holy Spirit opened a HUG Preschool in a building they own a few blocks away from the church. This building had been used for a variety of purposes by the church over the years. Although it got a rough start thanks to the pandemic, the school has grown and developed and now serves 23 three- to five-year-old s

Trinity Lutheran Preschool is a ministry of Trinity Lutheran Church in San Rafael, California. Built into the side of a hill in an old rock quarry, Trinity has been a part of the Central San Rafael community since 1938 and at their present location since 1961. The church started an elementary school early on in their development, but it closed shortly thereafter. In 1983, Trinity Lutheran Preschool opened and has been sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ daily for the past 43

Redeemer School is a ministry of Bridge City Church in Redwood City, California. Bridge City Church was originally Redeemer Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1926. In 1957, Redeemer Lutheran School was opened to serve the church and the community in and around Redwood City. The school is a TK (Transitional Kindergarten) through 8th grade program with 160 students and approximately 15 full time staff members dedicated to quality Christian education and helping students

It was years in the making though delayed by a pandemic and postponed by the busy rhythms of congregational life, but this spring, St. John's, Napa finally uncorked a vision that had been waiting patiently for its moment. The inaugural "Wine and the Word" event brought together church members and guests for a time of spiritual reflection, community building, and pure fun. For a congregation rooted in the heart of wine country, the gathering felt long overdue. "We just felt t

Zion Lutheran Preschool is a ministry of Zion Lutheran Church in Winnemucca Nevada. Zion Lutheran Church has been a part of the Winnemucca community since 1957. Zion Lutheran Preschool has been serving the families and children of Winnemucca since 1973. Today, the preschool has an enrollment of 61 three- to five-year-olds. In 2024, Zion Lutheran Academy was started by the church with Lauren Iwen as the lead teacher. The academy uses a Lutheran classical model and is a h

What does an Elko City police officer and a Lutheran pastor have in common? In the case of Jake Eisinger, they are one and the same person. Jake Eisinger has served as a police officer for the City of Elko (Nevada) for the past 16 years. He also is now the pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Elko, Nevada. Jake grew up in Elko as a member of St. Mark Lutheran Church. His father, Alan Eisinger, was pastor at St. Mark from 1994-2003. He left Elko in 2003 after joining th

We witnessed the baptism of Randa—a woman currently battling a serious illness. Over the past few weeks, Pastor Muluneh Taye had the privilege of walking with her through conversations and basic teaching about the faith. At one point, she asked me a question I won’t forget: “Is there anything that would prevent me from being baptized?” And the answer was clear—nothing. What made this even more beautiful was how it came together. As an Ethiopian pastor serving in an Anglo cong

Room to Grow Preschool is a ministry of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Fallon, Nevada. St. John’s Lutheran Church has been a part of the Fallon community since 1913, first downtown and in their present location since 1985. The preschool was opened in 1996 and has continued to provide quality childcare and early childhood education. The preschool’s current staff of 7 serve 29 students from 12 weeks old through kindergarten. The current preschool director is Tami Bennett.

Our Savior, Aiea in Hawaii has utilized digital tools to help expand and deepen their reach. Through intentional planning with video and social media, Our Savior has seen growth in their reach and people hearing the Gospel. Three Channels, One Mission Rather than putting everything into a single feed, Our Savior, Aiea made a deliberate choice to organize their YouTube presence into three distinct channels. The Foundations channel serves as a home for sermons and Bible studi

What’s the hardest part about getting healthier? Not the workout. Not the diet. Not the gym membership. It’s taking the first step. In this episode, we sit down with Lucas Garrett, PE teacher at St. Peter Lutheran School in Lodi, who believes physical health isn’t just for athletes or students—it’s for people of every age and every stage of life. Lucas shares simple, practical insights about movement, habits, and why the biggest barrier to better health is often the moment r

Trinity Lutheran Church (https://www.trinitylutherankids.com) is the oldest Lutheran church in Nevada dating back to it establishment in 1895. The preschool was added in 1983 and currently has an enrollment of 105 children. This includes 18 staff who are teaching toddlers (18 months) up to Transitional Kindergarten students. The center also includes a before and after school care program that currently has 18 enrolled. Trinity’s pastor, Jonathan Zoch has been at Trinity s

Just a few years ago, when the congregations that have since come together under one Zion banner, took an honest look at their reality, they knew something had to change. With pastors retiring, fewer pastors coming through the seminaries and financial concerns in bringing in a full time pastor, there is a growing necessity to think outside the box about ministry. Under the leadership of then-Pastor Matt Duerr, they chose a new course — one that would bring multiple congregati

Messiah, Ewa Beach is growing under Pastor Uma with the recent addition of new members, baptisms, adult bible studies and children's (keike) messages. We thank God for the continued work at Messiah!

Our Savior Lutheran School is a vital ministry of Our Savior Lutheran Ministries. The church has been serving the Livermore community since 1954. Our Savior Lutheran School started over 60 years ago as a preschool, then an elementary school and has grown to a Preschool through 8th grade ministry with over 425 students in elementary, 101 in preschool, and a staff of over 51. Pastor Joe Robb has been at Our Savior since 2024. The principal, Julie Knight has served at Our Sa

What happens when a congregation chooses simple, faithful presence near a university campus? In this episode of the Mission Table Podcast, Paul sits down with Pastor Brennan DeForest of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Chico to talk about intentional campus ministry at California State University, Chico and the joy of walking a student from curiosity to baptism. This is not a story about flashy programming. It is a story about relationships, hospitality, and trusting God to work t

With a growing array of digital tools at their disposal, churches can now extend their reach far beyond their physical walls; into surrounding communities and across the globe. “Most people who come into your church have already watched you online,” said Pastor Tom Sharpe, emphasizing the importance of meeting people where they are. At St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Pastor Sharpe has taken an intentional approach to digital ministry, focusing on three practical initiatives desi