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What It Means to Be a Lutheran School

What It Means to Be a Lutheran School

May 17, 2022

Emmanuel Lutheran School (ELS) helps students broaden their interests, discover their hidden talents, develop new skills, gain leadership skills, learn responsibility and teamwork, and gain a greater appreciation of community and service values inside and outside the Lutheran church. 

Our Christ-centered education challenges students to grow both intellectually and spiritually, while educating students on how to impact the world through biblical thought and action. If you’re a parent thinking about enrolling your child at ELS, read on to learn more about us.

What Is Lutheranism?

Lutheranism is a branch of Christianity that traces its interpretation of the Christian religion to the teachings of Martin Luther and the 16th-century movements that emerged from his reforms. Luther's opponents coined the term "Lutheran," which first appeared in print in 1519. 

Lutheranism became formally established in various principalities in the 16th century when the relevant governmental authority declared it the official religion of the region. With approximately eighty million members, Lutheranism is now one of the world's largest Protestant denominations.

What It Means to Be a Lutheran School

Emmanuel Lutheran School was founded in 1958 and is a private Christian school in Asheville, North Carolina, that serves students from infants to eighth grade. The school is associated with Emmanuel Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

ELS provides a Christ-centered, academically challenging education for children in a nurturing environment. Our mission is to prepare students for today, tomorrow, and forever while also spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We provide a Christian education to all children, religious and non-religious, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, national, or ethnic origin. We believe that ELS prepares our students to be academically successful as well as productive members of the church and society. 

Our Beliefs and Values at ELS

At Emmanuel Lutheran, our beliefs derive from the Bible, which holds God’s message of love and hope for all people. The Bible is God’s written Word, handed down to us to point us toward the truth that we are saved from sin and eternal death through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, Lutherans learn everything we need to know about God’s love and His gift to mankind. 

We believe that there is only one true God who exists in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God the Father is our creator and the creator of all things. All things were created by the Father’s word, and we are His most beloved creation and closest to his heart. 

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to earth to serve as a "go-between" between God and humanity. He saved his people from their sins through his life, death, and resurrection. 

At ELS, we offer a course of educational studies that are centered on the beliefs of Christianity. Our curriculum comprises basic subjects that include literacy, social studies, science, and math from a religious standpoint.

Our STEAM Curriculum and Athletic Program

STEAM education combines all disciplines to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Emmanuel Lutheran School in Asheville is Western North Carolina's first and only Christian Parochial Christian STEAM school, employing technology and the arts to empower and inspire students to achieve great things beyond their school experience. 

Our scholastic environment is shaped not only by our shared Christian values but also by a commitment to bringing a love of science, technology, engineering, and math to kids who will come of age in an increasingly tech-integrated world. 

Students at ELS have an abundance of opportunities to prepare for a technological future, with challenging math coursework, engineering classes, and award-winning extracurricular activities.

We also offer athletic programs for the development of athletic, social, and spiritual skills. One of the athletic program's primary goals is to teach students how to apply Christian principles in their daily lives. The athletic programs' goal for every student-athlete is to deal with success as well as frustrations and failure, to understand teamwork, and to maintain a proper Christian attitude in sports and in daily life.

Join the Emmanuel Lutheran School Rams

There is a lot to learn about Emmanuel Lutheran School, and we are eager to help you in any way we can. As an accredited Christian school since 1958, we provide a caring environment in which children can thrive while learning. 

Our staff is dedicated to teaching the core values of Christianity while acknowledging that each child is special and unique. For more information and to schedule a campus tour, contact us today!