A former Luverne Public Schools teacher is leading an effort to start an income-based Christian school by September 2025.
Brooke Van Essen left her 10-year Luverne Elementary School teaching job in June to pursue what she describes as a calling.
“God has been speaking since 2019 to start a Christian school in Luverne that looks a bit different than the options we have in our area,” Van Essen said.
“We have wonderful school options in our area. This school is not meant to replace any of the options we have, but to allow for another option for families to consider.”
Namely, she said families need an option for affordable Christian education, and the new school would charge tuition based on what families can afford.
Southwest Christian Elementary School in Edgerton is $6,500 per student, with costs of operation subsidized by area Christian Reformed churches and donations.
“Equipt Luverne Christian School” would start with kindergarten through fifth grade and possibly expand to eighth grade.
The T forms the shape of a cross in the logo of the school name, which is based on the Hebrews 13 Bible verse, “Now may the God of peace … equip you with everything good for doing his will …”
Van Essen said, “I want our school to equip students to go out in the real world with all that God has to give them in hand.”
American Reformed Church involved, but more churches sought
Van Essen has been working with families in her church, the American Reformed Church in Luverne.
Current Equipt board members are ARC pastor Mike Altena and his wife, Vicki, and ARC church members Randy Sasker (a Luverne School Board member) Heather Doerr, Angie Fick, Dan Hannenberg, Mandy Van Groothest and a person who requested to be unnamed.
They will host an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, at Big Top Tents and Events in Luverne to gauge community interest and support.
“We’re hoping to get other church leaders, members and families interested,” Van Essen said, adding that additional leadership spots need to be filled on the Equipt board.
“We are hopeful with more ears hearing the truth and praying over it, they all will be filled. Again, we need to start to get other churches and donor support starting to think about it as well.”
Equipt is currently an effort of American Reformed Church members, and there has been discussion of housing the school at the American Reformed Church, but Van Essen said all options are still on the table.
“We are hoping to start at a church in town to have low startup costs,” she said. “What church that might be is still in the deciding phase.”
The school will be Evangelical and rooted in the Bible, but it will not be associated with a particular denomination.
She said all of this will be discussed at the Aug. 26 meeting.
“Hopefully we’ll see which churches are interested and what it would look like to have it at their church,” Van Essen said.
“We would need to see where classes would be, if they have a gym or open space, playground near, cost, etc.”
The group’s Facebook page has a link to a survey that also seeks input.
It requires names and emails and asks respondents if they are satisfied with current school choices in the community, if they’d be interested in working as a teacher or staff, if they’d be interested in serving on a leadership team to launch the school, and if they’d be willing to volunteer time, money or resources.
The page states that Equipt focuses on a Biblical worldview, parent involvement, and less technology with more hands-on learning. Launch date is 2025.
‘Welcome to the journey’
In a “welcome to the journey” post on Aug. 8, Van Essen described the calling that the Lord “laid on her heart” as a Christian parent teaching in a public school.
She said she kept “hearing from the Lord that there is something missing in Christian education, and it was my calling to do something about it.”
She said she was spurred to action in April after attending an event of the Dunamis Movement, which seeks to “awaken a generation with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit,” according to its website.
“It was clear to me that it was going to take a leap of faith,” Van Essen said. “I took the leap and left public education to see if the Lord was wanting this vision in my head to come to fruition.”
Van Essen clearly states her support of the Luverne School District where she remains in a substitute teaching role.
“We have great educators who care immensely for each and every one of ‘their kids.’ My decision to leave wasn’t influenced by any negative events,” she said.
“Public schools are required to follow government directives, and it became clear to me that I want my own children to be immersed into a Biblical worldview while they are young.”
Van Essen and her husband, Corey, live on a farm near Edgerton and their children remain enrolled in Luverne Public Schools.
Questions about Equipt or about donating to the effort can be directed to equipt2024@gmail.com.
