Teachers at St. Matthew’s are called by the congregation to assist parents in the task of training a child in the way he should go (Prov. 22:6). Scripture points out that this training responsibility, which God gives us as parents, inevitably involves the use of both Law and Gospel. The Law is used tobring the child to a knowledge of his sins, and the Gospel is used to bring the child to the knowledge of his Savior and an awareness of the Savior’s forgiveness. The teacher in the classroom acts as a representative and substitute for the parents during the hours of the school day. Teachers and parents then, have a common purpose, which is to use Law and Gospel to train the children under their care. The teacher will employ the Law as a means of bringing the child to see his errors and will then apply the message of the Gospel to assure the child of God’s forgiveness of every sin through Christ. All disciplining at St. Matthew’s Lutheran School is an outgrowth of love for the child. In cases where misconduct continues these guidelines will be used.
Just the right place at the right time
