Rev. Dr. Kenneth Fisher
Mr. Landon Zacharyasz
Tuesday, Jan 24
3:15 – 4:30 pm
Nurture, Outreach, and School Growth
Many Lutheran schools are actively trying to expand. But Lutheran school leaders face a tension: growth is both necessary and risky. On one hand, schools need healthy enrollment to sustain ministry, support teachers, and provide a quality Christian education. On the other, unmanaged growth can weaken a school’s Lutheran identity and its connection to the congregation. Faculty are on the front line. How should our philosophy of ministry drive any growth? When Lutheran schools include large numbers of non-Lutheran students, how do you maintain a distinctly Lutheran culture while seeking to do both nurture and outreach? In short, how do schools honor the Great Commission by pursuing growth without losing what makes us Lutheran?
This session wrestles with those questions. We’ll discuss the importance of intentionalizing what is at the heart of Lutheran education—shaping and maintaining a distinctively Lutheran school culture in the context of changing student demographics. More than just a discussion of ministry philosophy, you’ll leave with examples of case studies, models of harvest strategies, and practical steps for developing plans that align with the Great Commission’s call to both outreach and nurture.
Rev. Dr. Kenneth Fisher is the president of Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, where he has served since 2011. Without losing its Lutheran identity, the school’s enrollment has grown from 757 to more than 930 students under his leadership, a testament to a strategic approach to balancing nurture and outreach. He has extensive experience in building a school-church partnership for implementing harvest strategies. Before his tenure at the high school, he spent 12 years at Risen Savior in Milwaukee, where he shepherded the congregation’s growth and the launch of an outreach-focused school. He is a graduate of Northwestern College (1988) and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1993). He earned his doctor of ministry in pastoral leadership and ministry management from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill., in 2018. He also serves as a board member for Asia Lutheran Seminary and other organizations. He is married to Kimberly, who is a professional grandmother to Lucyana (12) and Ezekiel (10) Bravo. In their free time, they enjoy entertaining, cooking, and traveling the world.
Mr. Landon Zacharyasz is the principal of Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, where he has served since 2024. His passion for Great Commission growth emphasizes maintaining a distinctive Lutheran identity while strategically balancing nurture and outreach in a diverse student body. Before his call to the high school, he served at Mount Olive Lutheran School in Appleton as teacher and principal, guiding the school through enrollment growth, the expansion of seats in the Wisconsin Parental School Choice program, and the challenges of COVID. He is a graduate of Martin Luther College (2011) and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from there in 2017. He is currently pursuing an MBA in educational leadership from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, with an anticipated graduation in May 2026. He has also served as president of FVL Schools in Appleton, as a WELS District Schools coordinator, and now as a captain for WELS School Accreditation. He and his wife, Emily, are blessed with four children and enjoy traveling, live music, and camping.
