The Concordia Story: A Fifty-Year History of Concordia Lutheran Church 1951-2001

Seminar speakers, like Paul Maier, the bestknown
Lutheran expert on early church history,
are regular fare at Concordia.
Bob D’Ambrosio, who directs adult education,
has also helped develop Concordia’s active Men’s
Ministry, featuring an annual Men’s Gathering,
periodic events, such as dinners and breakfasts,
car-care clinics and work days, and participation
in Habitat for Humanity construction.
Women’s ministry and the LWML continue to
be an active part of the Concordia landscape.
An area of youth education which has undergone
substantial change has been junior confirmation.
The entire approach to instructing young
Concordians was changed in 1997. Rather than
bringing in sixth graders for an evening of instruction,
after a day already spent at school, confirmation
classes were moved to Saturday mornings.
Sunday School, for those in the confirmation program,
became a part of the course of study, as well.
Added to this mix was the incorporation of adult
“mentors” assigned to encourage and monitor the
progress of a group of confirmands. Confirmation
day was moved from Sunday morning to Saturday
afternoon, with the newly-confirmed Concordians
taking their first communion the next day.
Vacation Bible School at the new campus has
grown back to the levels enjoyed during the
boom days of the 1980’s. Combining music,
drama, crafts and learning, Vacation Bible
School in 2000 and 2001 attracted nearly 600
participants. Approximately 200 volunteer
workers and leaders help each year in carrying
out the event.
Concordia Lutheran School became one of
San Antonio’s best-equipped private schools
when it moved to Loop 1604. The new school
campus included a modern science lab, a computer
lab, an art room, 20 classrooms, a fullyequipped
cafeteria, and a well-stocked library. A
decision in 1995 to begin charging Concordia
families tuition at the school was fodder for
debate at several voter meetings, and it kept the
school from being as full as it might have been
otherwise. But the tuition equalization plan recommended
by Thompson, along with generous
scholarship grants to members, gave the school
a more sound financial footing. In 1997 the
school was accredited by the National Lutheran
School Accreditation and the Lutheran School
Accreditation Commission.
Cardinal sports continues to be a major part
of Concordia School, and facilities include an
air-conditioned gymnasium and locker rooms.
The sports field was completed in 2000 and
incorporates areas for soccer, football, softball,
and track and field.
Other extracurricular activities offered at the
school include Boy and Girl Scouts, band, keyboard,
choir, strings, handbells, and drama.
Students in the first through eighth grades com-
✦
Left: Veggie Tales characters Bob the
Tomato and Larry the Cucumber greet
Concordia families at Rally Day 1999.
Below: The Christmas Eve drama for
2000 told the story of Christ’s birth
through song and dramatic portrayal.
Gary Juhl portrays an angel, and
Allison Reyes is the Virgin Mary.
Chapter V ✦ 67