1. Keep the BIG picture of ministry constantly in mind; i.e. how many lives can we (that’s ALL of us in the church and school) touch with the love of Christ?
2. Remember, the one ministry you represent is, … Lutheran Church and School (NOT...Lutheran Church that happens to have a school). Prioritize the school as a ministry of the church. There is no other ministry that reaches people more than 1,100 hours per year, and they pay for it!
3. Regularly promote the school ministry to members and prospective members and publicly advocate (e.g., in sermons, in worship announcements, in the newsletter, in voter’s meetings, etc.) the school ministry at every opportunity.
4. Publicly advocate (e.g. in local ministerial meetings, in private conversations, in press releases, etc.) the school’s ministry every chance you get to those outside the church.
5. School activities should be open to church members, just as church activities should be open to non-member school families.
6. The pastors and principals must treat each other as colleagues, not as underlings. Pastors must defer to the leadership of the principal when it comes to ministry in the school. The principal is the trained educator called to this position.
7. Consider and treat the staff as colleagues, not underlings.
8. Be a big cheerleader for the principal and staff (As the saying goes, “It’s amazing how much a person can accomplish in life if he doesn’t care who gets the credit!”)
9. Pray for the ministry of the school and of each of the staff members privately and corporately. Include school matters, issues, and events in weekend worship prayers.
10. Whenever possible, attend daily staff devotions.
11. Whenever possible, greet students and parents each morning and learn to call as many of them by name as possible.
12. Whenever possible, attend weekly chapel services, even if you are not the one leading the service on a given day.
13. Pastors should be visible throughout the school day, not just at chapel services.
14. Whenever possible, talk up and then attend school functions (open houses, PTL events, athletic contests, picnics, plays, dinner-dance-auctions, etc.)
15. Be enthusiastic when leading chapel services; especially those for seasonal or other special events. Attending even if not leading.
16. Always commend and/or celebrate school events (installations, dedications, anniversaries, accreditations, etc.) in weekend worship services.
17. Be available to every staff member for consultation and encouragement.
18. Invest whatever effort it takes to get the most bang out of the many, many bucks it takes to operate a first-rate school.
19. Lead as the shepherd of the congregation using the shepherd’s staff to guide, not drive, the sheep within the fold.
20. Both pastors and principals must be examples of servant leadership.