Calvary Lutheran students work on sharing faith

Using current events in the News Tribune, Pastor Jeff Schanbacher, left, interacts with Calvary Lutheran High School students, from left, Alex Flannigan, Drew Goodin and Luke Allen as they participated in Wednesday's Witness Workshop.
Using current events in the News Tribune, Pastor Jeff Schanbacher, left, interacts with Calvary Lutheran High School students, from left, Alex Flannigan, Drew Goodin and Luke Allen as they participated in Wednesday's Witness Workshop.

Freshman Jaelyn Engelbrecht's nerves turned to confidence Wednesday as she participated in Calvary Lutheran High School's 12th annual Witness Workshop.

After two days of instruction from Brandon Metcalf, director of education for Christ the King Lutheran Church in Lake Ozark, on how to share their faith, the 130-plus student body split into small groups to practice with 22 local clergy and lay leaders impersonating different characters.

"I think this is really going to help," Engelbrecht said. "Before I was not for sure; you don't know what someone might ask."

The Immanuel Lutheran Church (Honey Creek) member said she was eager to learn the different approaches of what to say.

What remains the same is the message, senior Ray Eickmeyer said.

Although he attends Capital City Christian Church, "God is God; the way we witness is the same," he said.

About 40 percent of Calvary's student body is non-Lutheran, including Baptist, Catholic and non-denominational.

This was Eickmeyer's third Witness Workshop.

"It makes you feel more confident when you're actually talking about your faith," he said.

Many of the characters portrayed in the training are similar to people Eickmeyer said he has known as friends and family. What he's learned through the workshop has sharpened his ability to share his faith with them, he said.

The goal of Calvary is to strengthen students' faith.

"This is a good way to share that with others," Eickmeyer said.

The Witness Workshop dates back to the school's first year, with nine students of mixed faith backgrounds.

Principal Erich Ahlers likened the emphasis to basketball. A team practices to put its skills in action. In the same way, Calvary hopes students will take this practice in witnessing into their daily lives, he said.

"We think it's so important we take the time for this," Ahlers said. "I've definitely seen improving and growing."

Metcalf has provided training in the days prior to the Witness Workshop for four years.

"It puts a new face to repeat the same things they've been hearing; maybe they'll learn in a different way," he said.

The message that seems to resonate with students the most is "you don't have to wait until you're older to share," Metcalf said.

"God has uniquely positioned them with people wherever they are," he said. "They are the church today; they don't have to wait."