Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

July 15, 2009, Page 4

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon

Lutheran congregations thankful for Susan Schwark’s

40 years of teaching religion classes

Susan Schwark has given 40 years of dedicated service teaching combined religion classes

for Immanuel Lutheran Church, Globe, and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Christie.  (Contributed Photo)

Sunday, Aug. 1, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Globe and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Christie, held a joint service of Thanksgiving at Immanuel praising God for 40 years of service by Susan Schwark in teaching religion classes.  Forty years ago the dual parish, both of rural Neillsville, needed to improve their Sunday school program.  Pastor Robert Bitter had an idea of combining the Sunday schools of both churches so he could guide the teachers more efficiently and teach the confirmation class.  It was decided to have Sunday school Saturday mornings.

In this dairy farming community it was hard to get volunteers to teach Saturday mornings.  Susan Grap, who grew up as a member of Immanuel, had graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN, and was teaching at First German Lutheran School in Manitowoc.  She was attending pre-marriage counseling with her fiancé, Dan Schwark, a dairy farmer in the area.  Pastor Bitter asked her if she would teach the Saturday school.  Susan was concerned about the children of Immanuel and St. John’s and wanted them to know their Savior.  The congregations came up with the idea of extending her a divine call, like teachers in Lutheran schools and pay her to teach the children.

Schwark primarily teaches grades one through five, while the pastor instructs the older children using Luther’s Catechism.  She continues to use the basic outline of Bible stories Pastor Bitter gave her, supplementing it with other Bible stories, using Sunday school and Vacation Bible School material produced by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) as well as her own worksheets and memory work plan.  She has not missed a day of teaching.

This plan has worked well for 40 years, providing for the spiritual training of the children and has also helped to keep a harmonious relationship between the two congregations.  One parent says, “I’m so thankful Susan Schwark taught my children. The Saturday school worked well.  The classes started on time.  There was a well-organized schedule.  The children sang in church at times. Susan organized the Christmas Eve service.  There was a recess, and the children enjoyed the Saturday school classes.”

Due to various interferences with the Saturday morning classes, the parents chose to change to a mid-week religion class, as it is now called, Wednesdays, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Schwark has a volunteer who faithfully helps in whatever way she can.

Schwark sums up the success of the program this way, “All praise and glory belong to God.”  Pastor John Warmuth, the present pastor, says, “It’s a good program, quite unique.  I think it could work for many congregations.”

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