About Us
Our Purpose
Mission
Educating hearts and minds in the Truth of God’s Word to the Glory of Jesus Christ.
Vision
Our vision is that each student will know of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit strengthen their Christian faith; that through a biblical worldview and a rigorous and dynamic curriculum all students will obtain strong critical thinking and academic skills; and that each student will grow, learn and reach his or her potential.
Our Focus
Christ Centered -Student Focused
College Preparatory Curriculum
Individual Attention for ALL Students
Core Values
“Equipping for Life”
We are committed to Christian learning processes that will equip our students to integrate their faith with all aspects of their life as they mature in their personal relationships and encounter important decisions and responsibilities.
“Effective Christian Witness”
We believe that all people need a saving faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and we are committed to sharing Him.
“Educational Excellence”
We value effective teaching and learning that exceeds expected standards and is founded on the Scriptures.
“Christ-Centered”
We believe that all people, especially Christians (as dear children of God), should be imitators of Christ, seeking to live according to God’s holy law.
Approach
West Michigan Lutheran is a recognized service organization of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with which it is affiliated. The curriculum is essentially a liberal arts program supplemented by introductory professional education, applied arts, and applied science courses designed primarily for college preparation. As such, it strives to meet the needs of young men and women seeking an education with a distinctive Christian orientation. The program is designed to assist the individual student in achieving academic competence, spiritual maturity, and social development.
West Michigan Lutheran High School is a Christian, Bible-centered institution providing education in a distinct Christian environment, and it believes that its role is to work in conjunction with the home to mold students to be Christ like. On those occasions in which the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home is counter to or in opposition to the biblical lifestyle that the school teaches, the school reserves the right, within its sole discretion, to refuse admission of an applicant or to discontinue enrollment of a student. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, living in, condoning or supporting sexual immorality; practicing homosexual lifestyle or alternative gender identity; promoting such practices; or otherwise having the inability to support the moral principles of the school (Leviticus 20:13a; Romans 1:21-27; Matthew 19:4-6; I Corinthians 6:9-20).
Why West Michigan Lutheran High School?
Almost all Christian parents have the following dreams for their school students:
- healthy social relationships (be part of a group of friends; experience fewer temptations toward drugs, drinking, and illicit sex),
- develop and learn how to defend an authentic faith,
- participate in activities that interest them,
- be prepared to successfully handle the next level of learning, and
- a more vibrant relationship with Christ at 12th grade than at 8th grade.
Almost as many parents also want their children to learn about and begin to practice Christian stewardship and good citizenship, and to learn to be able to discern what is really bad and really good in the larger culture. Here are some of the questions parents must ask themselves as they decide about a school for their child/children.
Christian School or Non-Christian School:
Is an 8th grade Christ centered education enough for our son or daughter to achieve what we devoutly wish for him or her? Stated another way, would a Christian school education more likely lead to our desired outcomes than if he/she were in a public school?
Size of School:
The Gates Foundation website lists research studies that show students in smaller schools achieve academically better than students in large schools, are more likely to have adult mentors, are more involved in the school, and more. Based on this research, the Foundation has poured millions into starting small schools or breaking up large schools into schools-within-schools. The take-home lesson is that small trumps big, even though large schools have more opportunities in courses, activities, and sports.
Opportunity and Participation:
Related to the previous point, students and their parents want not only to have the chance to play volleyball or join the environmental science club but also to be chosen for all activities. The truth is that the bigger the school, the more the variety of opportunity but the less participation by percentage. Suppose your child wants to play basketball in school. Anyone can try out at both a small and large school. The chances are, unless your child is a star (in fact, not wish!), your child will participate less in a large school.
Being a Witness:
Some parents wish for their children to “stand tall” as a witness in a public school rather than continue to have their minds and souls nourished in a Christian school. Some use the analogy of getting out of the greenhouse and getting stronger by flowering in the world without so much the protection. Research shows, however, that this simply does not typically happen. Three good books, Another Planet, A Tribe Apart, and Wonderland, all describe a year in the life of a typical suburban large public school. In all three accounts, the peer pressure within and outside the schools is dominantly detrimental; in all three books Christian young people find fellowship together in small enclaves, like Amish communities, left alone and occasionally mocked. The evangelical kids do not hobnob with those who do not know God and thus, do not “stand tall” as Christians in a broken world.
Academics:
Every parent wants his or her son or daughter prepared academically to handle the next level of education. Today, without some postsecondary education, students won’t get the skilled jobs that are becoming almost the only good jobs available. But the way to judge a school’s prowess in helping your child achieve at the next level is not how many AP courses a school offers, how much bragging you read in a school’s “come on” brochures, where other children educated at that school have gone to college, or even a school’s average ACT profile. The crucial measure of a school’s academic program, in the end, can ONLY be what percentage of a school’s 9th graders complete college. An even finer measure is to ask the school what the average GPA was last year for their graduates at the end of their freshmen year at two or four year colleges compared to their average GPA while in that school. Unfortunately, most schools do not collect or report these kinds of data. However, it is important to understand that the typical measures used to compare schools may not, in the end, be all that meaningful or relevant to the decision that you need to make for your unique child.
Enough’s Enough:
When is church/home/school faith nurture enough? Probably never. Some see 8th grade as enough; others don’t think 12th grade is enough and will encourage their child to choose a Christian college. Two factors may help you decide. Hardly anyone disputes that the agencies of strongest influence in a school student’s life are the electronic media he or she consumes (not the devices, but the messages implicit and explicit in ads, shows, and lyrics) and the friends that he or she associates with. We all recognize that most media messages are counter to what Christian parents want as an outcome at 12th grade. And sociologists agree that the home and church are fading institutions of faith nurture. Young people have more freedom, more choice, and less attention than in previous years. How important is a Christian school in this environment?
Dan Vander Ark, former Executive Director, Christian Schools International
Donations & Payments
Please log into your TADS online account to make tuition and other payments that have been charged to your online account.
The below links are only for donations and other non-account payments.
Donate to WML < Click to donate
We have been blessed with generous donors to our endowment fund over the years and because of it have ensured that no student is denied a WMLHS education where tuition is the obstacle. Please help us replenish the endowment fund by sponsoring a WMLHS student for one or more hours ($5.00/hour), for one or more days ($37.00/day), for one or more weeks ($186.00/week), for one or more months ($670.00/month), or for one or more years ($6,700/year).
Online Payments Page < Click to pay
If you have a miscellaneous payment and want to make it online, please use this link.
WMLHS Association
WMLHS is governed by the West Michigan Lutheran High School Association. This association is comprised of five area churches that were integral in the foundation of the high school and continue to support its mission and vision.
The churches are:
- Grace Lutheran Church – www.gracelc.net
- Immanuel Lutheran Church – www.immanuelgr.org
- St. Mark Lutheran Church – www.stmarkkentwood.org
- Our Savior Lutheran Church –www.oursavior-gr.org
Manadatory State Reporting
Safety Drill Reporting:
Completed safety drills can be seen by going to:
https://schoolsafety.kentisd.org/GetSchoolReport.ashx?id=74b5cf84-3c81-4460-8d2a-d87f788b316a