Educating the Whole Child: Spirit
At Long Island Lutheran Middle & High School, educating the whole child means nurturing more than academic growth. As a Christ-centered, college-preparatory school, LuHi is committed to educating young people in body, mind, and spirit.
The “spirit” portion of that mission is woven throughout the LuHi experience. Faith is not confined to a single class or weekly Chapel service. It shapes how students learn, serve, worship, build relationships, and care for one another.
We Love One Another
LuHi’s approach begins with the Core Value of Christian Love and the belief that every member of the community is made in the image of God.
That understanding shapes relationships throughout the school — from interactions in the classroom to the ways students are supported, encouraged, challenged, and held accountable.
Christian Love is more than something LuHi teaches. It is something the community strives to live out each day.
We Learn About Christianity
Students engage in Religion courses throughout their LuHi experience, exploring Scripture, Christian teachings, the Lutheran tradition, and other faith traditions.
Courses are designed to meet students at different points in their faith journeys while encouraging thoughtful questions, reflection, and meaningful conversation. Students are challenged to consider not only what they believe, but how their faith and values shape the way they live and interact with the world around them.
We Serve Others
Service provides students with an opportunity to put faith into action. Throughout the year, students participate in service experiences both on and beyond LuHi’s campus, learning what it means to use their gifts in service to others.
School-wide initiatives such as LuHi’s annual Meal Packing event bring the community together around a shared purpose, while additional service projects provide opportunities to respond to needs locally and beyond.
Mission trips extend that experience even further. Students in grades 9 and 10 have the opportunity to serve in Puerto Rico, while students in grades 11 and 12 have the opportunity to participate in a mission trip to Guatemala. These experiences invite students to step outside of their everyday environment, build relationships, serve alongside others, and better understand their role in a broader world.
We Worship Together
Weekly Chapel brings students in grades 6–12 together as one school community for worship.
Students play an important role in these experiences through Applied Christianity, helping to plan and lead Chapel through prayer, Scripture, music, messages, and other elements of worship.
Gathering together each week creates a rhythm within school life — an opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and grow together in faith.
We Pray Together
Prayer is part of the everyday life of the LuHi community. Students and faculty pray together in classrooms, during Chapel, at events, and throughout the school day.
The school day also closes in prayer, continuing a longstanding LuHi tradition and providing a daily reminder of the faith at the center of the community.
We Support One Another
Spiritual development means caring for one another.
LuHi’s Campus Pastor provides pastoral care and spiritual support to students, families, faculty, and staff. Through conversations, prayer, worship, and presence within the school community, Campus Ministry provides students with opportunities to ask questions, seek guidance, and grow in their faith.
We Take Time to Be in Community
Retreats provide students and faculty with intentional time away from the regular school schedule to strengthen relationships, reflect, worship, and grow together.
These experiences are an important part of building the sense of community that defines LuHi. They create space for students to connect with classmates and faculty in different ways and to consider their own growth within the larger school community.
Head, Heart, and Hands
Faith development at LuHi is designed to engage the head, heart, and hands.
Students learn about Christianity and explore questions of faith. They reflect on their own beliefs, values, and purpose. And they are given opportunities to put those beliefs into action through worship, service, leadership, and relationships.
Together, these experiences help students understand that spiritual growth is not separate from the rest of their education. It is an essential part of LuHi’s commitment to educating the whole child and preparing compassionate, educated leaders for the future.
See for Yourself!
Schedule a tour, and see first-hand why families choose LuHi.
