All Saints Lutheran School (ASLS) is a classical Lutheran parochial school located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and is a part of the congregation of All Saints Lutheran Church (currently Pilgrim Lutheran Church). ASLS prepares children for heavenly and earthly citizenship by means of a classical Christian education so that they might be grounded firmly in the truth of God’s Word, abound in knowledge and virtue, and share God’s grace in all of their various vocations, present and future.

CLASSICAL
All Saints is a classical school. This means that our curriculum is significantly different from what you will find at a public school, and even from what you’ll find at many private schools, whether Christian or not. We teach Latin—not as a frill or an add-on, but as a core subject—with formal daily instruction. Our history and literature curricula emphasize and hold up the Greek, Roman, and European roots of Western Civilization and American culture. Our students learn grammar (knowledge, memorization), logic (understanding, questioning), and rhetoric (application, creativity) and are taught to employ their knowledge of these subjects to gain mastery in all others. If you are unfamiliar with classical education, we recommend “The New Classical Schooling,” by Peter J. Leithart (available on the resources page at pilgrimjonesboro.org), as well as the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (ccle.org).

LUTHERAN
The sixteenth-century Lutheran reformers were ardent patrons of classical education in the lands where the Reformation took root. Martin Luther himself had much to say on the subject (cf. “A Sermon on Keeping Children in School”; “To the Councilmen of All Cities in Germany: That They Establish and Maintain Christian Schools”; “Luther on Education,” by Rev. John E. Hill). As a Lutheran school we are proud to claim classical education as our heritage. When we say that we are Lutheran, however, this is more than a mere historical marker: it is equally true to say that All Saints is a “classical and Lutheran school” and a “classical Lutheran” school. Our students are taught theology from Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, which is a summary and exposition of the chief articles of Christian doctrine—not in place of the Bible, but rather as a means of going deeper into it and perceiving the saving person and work of Jesus Christ as central throughout all of it. Chapel services are liturgical in character, following the orders of Matins and Evening Prayer out of the Lutheran Service Book. Students learn the psalter, Biblical canticles, and the great hymns of the Church. They memorize Scripture. They learn about and participate in the historic Church Year— its feasts, festivals, commemorations, and seasons.

Enrollment at ASLS is by no means limited to Lutheran students; however, we do want to ensure that the Lutheran identity of our school is known, understood, and supported by all families who wish to enroll so that the school and the home are not at cross-purposes. To learn more about what Lutherans believe, please visit the All Saints Lutheran Church (currently Pilgrim Lutheran Church) website (pilgrimjonesboro.org) and follow the links featured there.

PAROCHIAL
All Saints Lutheran School is a vital part of the mission of All Saints Lutheran Church (currently Pilgrim Lutheran Church). This means that the work of the school depends on the generous support of the church congregation. The good people of All Saints Lutheran Church (currently Pilgrim Lutheran Church) maintain the building, volunteer their time in countless and invaluable ways, and give generously in order to keep the cost of education affordable for all school families. It is difficult to overstate the importance of the congregation’s support for ASLS. In view of this, our students show their gratitude to the congregation in various ways throughout the school year.
We believe that we offer the best education available in northeast Arkansas. Just what makes it the best, though? Yes, we have a rigorous grammar and composition curriculum. Yes, we teach children how to think well and critically. Yes, we teach Latin, logic, math, history, and the great works of Western literature. Most importantly, however, we equip children to stand against the darkness of this present age.

The world is becoming a more treacherous place to live every day. “The world is worse than it has ever been,” Martin Luther wrote in his Large Catechism, “and there is no government, no obedience, no loyalty, no faith, but only daring, unbridled people. No teaching or reproof helps them.” If this was true in Martin Luther’s day, it is even truer in ours. In the current cultural moment, our children are exposed to temptations which previous generations never could have imagined. Fewer and fewer Christian children are still Christian by the time they reach adulthood. This grim state of affairs leads many to wonder, “Is there a way for me to protect my children and help them to stand with Jesus on the Last Day? Is there an alternative to the culture which beckons young people away from the faith?”

Yes. By God’s grace, there is. Here at All Saints Lutheran School, we aim to make this way known.

At ASLS we teach children what it means to be baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. We teach them the Scriptures, the written accounts of God in Christ saving our lost and fallen race. At chapel our students hear the preaching of Christ crucified so that they all would know that this God is not merely good and powerful, but that all of the good He does, He does for us. We teach students Luther’s Small Catechism, a summary of the Christian faith. We teach them the great hymns of the Church to give them joy, comfort, and courage throughout the changing scenes of this life. In short, we give them Christ, in the hope that they would believe in Him and have everlasting life.

In and through all of this, we also teach children how to serve God and neighbor, to lead good, useful, and productive lives. Such usefulness and earthly success are not the goal itself, however; rather, they are the results of aiming at a higher goal: knowing God and His works, which are the good, the true, and the beautiful.