Who We Are
St. John Lutheran Church established its Christian day school in the fall of 1864 to provide the children of the congregation and other children of the community with a Christ-centered education. The school has grown from one teacher in one classroom to one classroom per grade, including a preschool and year-round child care program. The members of St. John financially and prayerfully support the school as a ministry to Christian families and as a mission outreach to the community as encouraged in Matthew 28: 19-20. St. John Lutheran School, locally known as SJL, is state-recognized and also carries voluntary accreditation through the National Lutheran School Accreditation Commission - a rigorous process that requires verification of ongoing improvement.
Our Facility
Our church and school fill an entire city block at the corner of Main and Stafford Streets in downtown Plymouth, WI. Our sanctuary was built well over 100 years ago and is a classic combination of traditional Protestant ornamentation, including beautiful stained glass windows, and many modern touches as well. Our school building, the core of which was built in the 1950's, has been regularly expanded and remodeled into a building that we are proud to call home.
The Lutheran School System
St. John Lutheran School is a member of the South Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). Our synod oversees more than 2,000 schools that are each independently operated by their local congregations. Most of our teachers were trained in the Concordia University System operated by the LCMS and all teachers hold the necessary certifications to teach in their subject areas.
Our Mission
“Shaping lives for Christian service through academic excellence."
St. John Lutheran School (SJL) is a coeducational institution that offers a Christ-centered alternative to public schools for residents of Plymouth and the surrounding communities. As a distinctively Christian school, we encourage each student to grow and mature in mind, body, and spirit. While we are proudly affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, we welcome students of all faiths including those without a church home.
What Makes Our School Different?
St. John Lutheran School uses the absolute truths found in the Bible as the foundation for everything that we do. Moral values are modeled, taught, and encouraged. We teach students to be good stewards of God’s created world, to value life as given by God, to serve others in joy, and that eternal life in heaven awaits as God’s free gift for all believers.
St. John Lutheran School is Christ's ministry and mission to the…
Individual
Studying scripture on a daily basis helps the student form a personal relationship with our Savior. The students experience God’s love, forgiveness, and grace, which allow them to share those experiences with their peers.
Family
Christian education reinforces what is taught in a Christian home. Three key institutions that shape a child are the home, the church, and the school. Children are served best when all three institutions guide them in the same direction.
Church
Christians are to edify other Christians. Christ instructed His disciples to “teach them to observe all things.” This Scriptural command and tenet of the Lutheran Confessions can be more effectively met in a full-time Christian school.
Christian Worldview
A secular worldview encourages people to look inward for answers to life’s challenges. Secular psychology often claims that each person is basically good. A proper Christian worldview, as taught by St John Lutheran School, holds that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and that a Christian looks outward to God for the answers to life’s challenges.