COSLHS building dedication
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Back in 1886 John Boyle O'Reilly wrote, "A dreamer lives forever, and a toiler dies in a day." Whether you agree or disagree, most dreams don't come true without a lot of toil. On Sunday, August 30, some 300 people gathered at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Evansville, for a worship service that was part of the dedication of the new school building for Christ Our Savior Lutheran High School. It was a dream that came true that took a lot of toil and effort.
Christ Our Savior Lutheran High School was established through the efforts of an association of 12 congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in Randolph County. While the school is Lutheran, it is open to students of all denominations.
The school was organized in 1997 and classes began in 1998. For these past 11 years classes have been held at St. Peter's. Where at St. Peter's? In classrooms, in the basement, in the hallways, and one was even held in a closet.
The dream of a classroom building for the high school was in the minds of those who started the school, and finally groundbreaking took place on July 6, 2008 and construction began in early 2009.
Ron Stork, Ron's Construction Service, Sparta, erected the shell of the building. Other contractors did the plumbing, electrical, etc., and then a very special group of called Laborers for Christ did the rest with help from volunteers from the school board and Association congregations. The Laborers are a service of Lutheran Church Extension Fund. LCEF is the investment arm of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
The Laborers are made up primarily of retired men and their wives who travel America building churches and schools for LCMS congregations. Most are over the age of 70 and they work for minimum wage. They began their work in May of this year.
It was hoped that the school would be finished by the first day of class on August 17th, but due to delays, Monday, August 24th marked the first day of classes in the new building. Students, teachers, and staff have all expressed their pleasure with the new facility. Only 65 percent of the floor space is finished. Glenn Koester, chairman of the building committee was telling people at the dedication, "I bet in two years we're going to have to have the Laborers back to finish the rest of the building."
"It was a wonderful feeling. We've waited for years for this," said Elaine Guebert, board member from Red Bud. "This is awesome."
Dr. Paul Devantier, Senior Vice President for Seminary Advancement, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, preached at the dedication on the theme of "Equipping the students with the Armor of God. A choir made up of members from the Association congregations sang "Be Strong In the Lord," a hymn based upon the passages in Ephesians six that describes the Armor of God.
In addition to the school building being dedicated, a new sign on the front of the gymnasium was also dedicated. The Christ Our Savior Lutheran High School sign is nearly 90 feet long and can be easily seen from Highway 3. Thirty two of the thirty three letters were fabricated by JMS Metals, Sparta, and the "T" in Christ is a handmade cross crafted from wood.
As the 300 people stood in front of the gym, waiting for the unveiling, they sang "Lift High the Cross," accompanied on the drums by Dr. Paul Schieber, Red Bud, who is a retired professor of Concordia Seminary.
Rev. John Taggatz, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Baldwin, served as officiant who dedicated the sign and the new classroom building. At the gymnasium he quoted verses from the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
After the unveiling of the sign, the pastors from eight of the Association congregations and others moved to the front of the school. Following the service of dedication, the ribbon cutting was done by Paul Kremmel, chairman of the school board, Glenn Koester, chairman of the building committee, and Ray Hill, interim principal. The open doors allowed those in attendance to tour the new facility.
Karen Gramenz, board member and first grade teacher at St. Mark's Lutheran School, Steeleville, has served on the board since its beginning. "It was wonderful. Our students now have their own classrooms and space," she said. "It is important that we can provide a Lutheran education and be able to share the love of Jesus with the students."
"What a joyous day," said Paul Kremmel, chairman of board of education. "The good Lord has brought us this far and I don't think he would have if he doesn't plan on being involved in our future."
Anyone desiring information about Christ Our Savior may visit www.coslhs.org or call 618-853-7300 to learn more about enrollment, tuition, and classes offered to home-schooled students. Home-schooled students may also participate in the athletic programs offered at Christ Our Savior.