Running the Halls | September 25, 2026
Unshaken: Because We’re Made New in Christ
As I sit here writing this article, I’m currently fasting for a biometric workup. I typically schedule these things as early in the morning as possible, but unfortunately, the first appointment available today wasn’t until late morning. Knowing that, I even skipped my morning workout, hoping I wouldn’t be so hungry while waiting for my usual morning protein shake. It hasn’t really helped.
Instead, I keep thinking about those Snickers commercials with the tagline, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” I can relate. Hunger has a way of affecting our mood, our patience, and sometimes even how we treat the people around us. But it also got me thinking about a much deeper question: What does it mean to really be ourselves?
Paul gives us a remarkable answer in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
In Christ, God has given us a new identity. We are not ultimately defined by our worst moments, our sins, our failures, or even by how we happen to feel on a particular day. We are people for whom Christ died and rose, people whom God has reconciled to Himself through Jesus. Our identity rests not in what we have done, but in what Christ has done for us.
And because we have been reconciled to God, that new identity begins to shape how we live with one another. We still have moments when we are impatient, angry, selfish, or simply wrong, whether we’re hungry or not. But in Christ, those moments do not have to define us or our relationships.
In our home, my wife and I have always taught our children and made it a practice that when they hurt one another, they say “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you.” There have been times when those words have been spoken through tears. More times than not, they have been spoken while someone was still angry and certainly did not feel ready to say them. But that is part of the lesson: forgiveness is bigger than our feelings in the moment. Neither comes naturally to people struggling with sin. Both flow from something greater: the forgiveness we have first received from Christ.
Paul says that God has entrusted us with the “ministry of reconciliation.” So, as people made new in Christ, we carry His forgiveness into our homes, classrooms, friendships, and school community. We may not always feel like the people God has made us to be, but our feelings do not get the final word. Christ does. And in Him, we are forgiven, reconciled, and made new.
Pastor Micah Glenn
Head of School
Want to meet with Pastor Glenn? Schedule a time here.
College Corner
Congratulations to Tristan Dries, Class of ’27, who was recently named a National Merit Commended Student! This means that he scored in the top 3-4% of all students in the nation in the PSAT/NMSQT test! What an achievement! Amazing job, Tristan!
Upcoming Events:
FAFSA & Financial Aid Parent Night
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 6–8 PM
Where: PC Center
Presented by WNC: All parents of seniors should attend this informational meeting to learn about how to apply for the FAFSA and other scholarship and financial aid opportunities. The evening will conclude with a session to assist parents in completing their FAFSA application.
PARENTS: Bring a laptop and financial documents (see email) if you want to apply on site!
Gifts of Grace Needs You!
Save the date: our Gifts of Grace Dinner Auction is Saturday, March 13, 2027! Click here for the family flyer, and save it or keep it close, since it has everything you need to know about how to help this year: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QcmVJnrr9MIGOeP3abp-3FAwTHe0Q7Cp/view
Next Committee Meeting: Monday, October 5, 6:00 PM
We need more people at the table! Joining the committee is a great way to get to know other Falcon families, earn PIP hours together, and pick up PIP hours outside of the school day. Committee members help solicit items, decorate, organize, take photos, write thank-you notes, and more. If not you, then who? Please consider joining us!
Our Biggest Need: Live Auction Items
We’re looking for about 10 high-value items to headline the night, such as trips, getaway packages, timeshares, or jewelry. If you have a business or connection that could help, please contact Erika at giftsofgrace@slhs.com.
Help Us Fill the Wild Card Wall
Our goal is 200 gift cards!
- Ask local businesses: When you’re visiting your favorite businesses, ask if they’d donate a gift card. These are the most ideal, since they bring new support to our school.
- Spread the word: Share the auction with friends and family who might want to contribute.
- Bring in $50 per family: Gift cards of $25 or more. Buy them through SCRIP and the school earns money on every card: slhs.com/cost-free-ways-to-support
Thank you for helping make this year’s Gifts of Grace a success. Go Falcons!
— The Gifts of Grace Committee
GET A GLIMPSE OF THE NIGHT!
You’re cordially invited to the Christian Leaders Breakfast! Pastors, youth leaders, and those serving in student ministry, whether you’re leading now or have faithfully led in seasons past, there’s a seat for you at this table. What began as a small gathering has grown each year into a wider circle of leaders from across our community, and we’d love for you to be part of it.
This year we’ll gather around Psalm 46:1–7: God is our refuge and strength. In Him we rest, we find ever-present help, and we stand unshaken.
Our parents will serve a wonderful breakfast, and Pastor Micah will share where Sierra Lutheran is headed in this next season and how you can be part of it.
Join us Wednesday, October 28, from 8:30 to 10:30 AM at the Sierra Lutheran PC Center. Register here: https://slhs.zohobackstage.com/ChristianLeadersBreakfast#/
Looking for the right school for your student?
Every one of the great schools in our community is a little different, just like every student. Each one is marking out their own journey, and no single path fits everyone.
There’s a peace that comes with keeping Christ at the center of everything. That’s what we strive to do here: keep Christ at the center and build a faith in our students that will last a lifetime. With nurturing teachers, small classes, and a challenging education, we walk with each student from right where they are.
You don’t have to come in knowing it all. It’s our calling to walk with every student so they can reach their personal best. And with a smaller community, students have more opportunities for that memorable high school experience: 11 sports, a top-notch theater program, and so much more.
For 25 years now, Sierra Lutheran has been part of this community. Thanks to our Falcon supporters and generous donors, we’re able to offer scholarship opportunities, and we can help you find other financial assistance if you need it. Historically, about 40% of our students receive some form of need-based aid, so a Sierra Lutheran education is within reach for far more families than people often assume.
If you think we might be the right fit for your student, come see for yourself. Visitation Day is Thursday, October 1.
MIDDLE SCHOOL VISITATION DAY (For 7th and 8th Graders)
Lunch and a gift are included.
The Falcon Cross Country team has been busy the past couple of weeks. On Friday, September 11th they ran the North Tahoe Madman Mills Motivational Meet. This course is mountain running at its best!
Isis Riley was first off the line, running the Freshman/Sophomore Girls race, finishing 2.8 miles in 27:06 with a 23rd place finish. The next race was the Varsity Girls with Grace Emery. She finished the 3.3 miles in 38:07 for a 70th place finish. The big race of the day was the Varsity Boys. There were 107 runners in the race, with a length of 3.3 miles. Eli Woelfel was 32nd with a time of 25:03; Camden McSweeney was 75th with a time of 29:01; and Jason Wlaschin was 77th with a time of 29:13.
All in all it was a pleasant day with a lot of hard running going on.
On Saturday, September 19th the annual Battle of the Rattle took place. This meet is a fundraiser for the Diabetes Association. It is run at Rattlesnake Mountain in Reno. It is an unusual race in that it begins by running straight up the mountain without a trail. Most runners dress in costumes.
We entered one team consisting of Jason Wlaschin, Camden McSweeney, Grace Emery and Isis Riley. Team members ran a time of 57 minutes where they crossed the finish line together. Eli Woelfel ran solo this year. He completed the course in 27 minutes.
This was the first year for our team members to receive awards. Eli Woelfel was awarded the Best Costume for a boy as “Peanut Butter Boy,” and he also finished in third place overall for all the runners.
“We are so proud of all our runners. This is a tough course as the first 1/4 of a mile is straight up to the top of the mountain. They all completed it and were faster than past years,” said Coach Williams. “This is a fun, wild and crazy race! The athletes never want to do it again, but they always come back for another try at the mountain!”
Next week is the Truckee Invitational in Truckee California. This is a fast course with lots of action.
The Falcon volleyball program is having a strong season at both levels, and the standings show it.
Varsity sits at five wins and three losses and has locked in third place midway through our season in the 2A Northern Nevada league. Setter Elena Lanza has dished out 180 assists while leading the team as floor captain. Avery Tingle has put up big numbers this season with 63 kills, 7 blocks and 15 serving aces, and Genesis Flores has contributed all over the court with 16 serving aces, 25 kills and 27 digs.
The JV squad sits at three wins and three losses. Against Yerington, Aimee Palmer led the way with strong serving and net play at outside hitter, while Gwen Lyons has improved greatly with accurate passing and effective overall gameplay. In the middle, Lilly Weber and Aryana Friend have both taken big steps forward in their serving and net play.
Off the court, Maddie Cortese organized a trip to Reno last weekend to watch the UNR women’s volleyball team. The girls had a great time at the match and got to talk with the UNR players afterward.
The Falcons face Silver Stage this Friday, JV at 4 p.m. and varsity at 5 p.m., then host Battle Mountain and West Wendover next Friday and Saturday. Come out and cheer them on — these teams are worth watching.
The Girls Golf Team is on a roll!
They have competed in 18-hole tournaments at Bishop Golf Course, Fallon Golf Course and Dayton Valley Golf Course in the past weeks. With each challenge they have faced, they have come out on top. It has been a great journey for the team this year.
At Bishop Golf Course, we had an opportunity to take the entire team on the trip to play. This was our first 18-hole tournament of the season and the girls got a taste of how long a tournament can be. Freshman Sidney Smith led the way for our team shooting a 91 and taking 3rd place overall. The team scored a 409 to take 1st place at the tournament. The long day made for a great bonding experience for the team.
The next tournament was at Fallon Golf Course. This course will be hosting our Regional tournament this year. It is a challenging 9-hole course that is played twice from different tee boxes. It gave the team an opportunity to learn the course that they will be playing again in a couple weeks. Once again, Sidney Smith shot a 91. This time it was good enough for 2nd place overall. In the end, the team scored a 415 to edge out second place by two strokes. Another victory!
This past Tuesday, the girls had an opportunity to play at Dayton Valley Golf Course. With houses lining the fairways and water on multiple holes, this would be their toughest challenge to date. Many of the girls struggled, but what they didn’t realize was that everyone was struggling. It is just a tough course. Even with the various obstacles the girls faced, Junior Rossi Erven ended up shooting the best score of her golf career. She led the Falcons with a score of 95, chipping in for par on her last hole. Sidney Smith followed right behind her with a 96 for the day. These girls fought hard all day and ended with a team score of 399. This is the first time the girls team has scored under 400 and once again, securing 1st place.
It has been a busy couple of weeks for the team. One of the challenges for the girls golf season is the crunch to finish the season before the weather changes. The golf season ends with the State tournament in the middle of October. Once we start playing tournaments, it is a very quick six weeks. These girls have done an awesome job balancing golf, school and life. Please keep them in your prayers as they do their best to finish strong. Go Falcons!
Falcons Stun One of California’s Premier 8-Man Teams!
Sierra Lutheran knocked off undefeated Mammoth (4-0 this season, 46-11 since 2021) 35-28 at Homecoming! Read the full story here: https://www.recordcourier.com/news/2026/sep/19/sierra-lutheran-football-stuns-mammoth/
Featuring some of our players: Brenton Hamblet (So.), Matt Fahey (Sr.), Jace LaBarge (Sr.), Gabe Colonna (Sr.), Xander Turbeville (Sr.), Santi Morales (So.), and Scott Schroder (Sr.).
Fall Festival 2026 — A Family-Friendly Autumn Celebration
Games, food trucks, live music, kids’ zone, craft vendors, photo booth, s’mores fire pit, school open house, and bounce houses — a free community event, and the first event hosted by our new Parent Association.
Saturday, November 14, 2026 · 4–8 PM
Contact: slparentassociation@slhs.com
Interested in setting up a booth? Fill out our Vendor Interest Form to join the festival.
Want to support the festival and get your business noticed? Email us for our Sponsor Interest Form.
Spiritual Counseling and Professional Counseling – what’s the difference?
Of course there is an overlap between spiritual counseling and professional counseling because where we are spiritually in our life and our mental wellbeing are intricately connected. That being said, the two are not the same. For the last several decades there has been an ongoing conversation in varying churches about how much these two worlds can overlap and how they should or should not. Professional counseling operates within the medical field of mental health, helping individuals understand and address psychological, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Through evidence-based approaches, professional counselors can help people develop new patterns of thinking and responding, essentially helping the brain “rewire” unhealthy patterns, while providing practical tools and strategies for emotional regulation, relationships, coping, and daily self-care. Spiritual counseling, by contrast, operates within the field of faith and spiritual care. Rather than medically diagnosing or treating mental illness, it can help individuals explore questions of identity, meaning, purpose, and faith, helping them understand who they are, what gives their life meaning, and who God is in the midst of their everyday experiences. This is where individuals debate the extent of the overlap, because as a professional counselor helps a person re-write false realities and negative internal dialog, what are they replacing them with?
I studied a lot of Psychology in my time at Concordia University Chicago, IL (CUC) including the Psychology of Religion, which fed my intrigue in how spiritual counseling can work alongside mental health care professionals while allowing each to remain in their own field of expertise. During my internship at a church in Southern Illinois, I had the privilege of visiting a woman in a residential facility for those who struggle with mental health conditions, especially Schizophrenia and Bi-Polar disorder. As I visited with her every week, I began to be known by the other residents present as “the Bible Lady”. Upon conferring with the activities director of the center, we were able to start a Bible study with the residents, meeting them at multiple levels of cognition and understanding of reality. The pastor who would come with me said it was his largest attended Bible study every week, until the center had to close down during COVID. It was at this residential facility that I really became fascinated with the use of identity within Christianity as a means to walk alongside Professional Counselors. I had learned all sorts of theoretical counseling philosophies and methods at CUC, but here I was seeing how it functions in real life. What I witnessed was individuals receiving professional treatment from an excellent mental-health care team while, in my role as a Deaconess, I provided spiritual care alongside that treatment, encouraging the consistent reinforcement of the realities upon which Christian identity rests. For someone whose ability to perceive reality may be uncertain, spiritual care can provide a stable external reference point: God is their Creator, Christ has redeemed them, and their worth and identity do not depend upon their thoughts, emotions, circumstances, or symptoms.
As a spiritual care provider here at SLHS, I do not diagnose or provide clinical treatment for mental illness within my role, nor do I seek to replace or contradict appropriate mental health or medical care. Rather, I seek to meet individuals where they are, providing spiritual care that helps them understand their identity, purpose, and relationship with God while pointing them toward the objective truths of the Christian faith. When appropriate, I will walk alongside students and their parents, encourage collaboration with qualified mental health and medical professionals, and support appropriate professional intervention and treatment. In situations involving urgent mental health or safety concerns, I follow established school policies and procedures and involve the appropriate personnel and professionals.
Deaconess Dorothy Glenn
Exciting things are taking shape for our Middle School Program!
As we prepare for the 2027–28 school year, I am currently selecting curriculum for our 6th–8th grade students in math, science, ELA, and social studies. Our goal is to build a rigorous, engaging academic program that aligns with the Common Core Standards while setting high expectations and helping every student thrive. As we make these important decisions, your input matters! I welcome recommendations from parents, faculty, and students about curriculum vendors you have experience with, as well as thoughts on digital, print, or blended curriculum options.
Thank you for being part of this exciting next chapter. I look forward to building a middle school program that challenges, inspires, and prepares our students for what comes next!
Tracy Fisher
tracyfisher@slhs.com
Sierra Lutheran’s NHS chapter has chosen its first service project of the year: the Fall Festival on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Members will help set up, give tours, run stations, and clean up, serving wherever they’re needed throughout the event.
If your student is in NHS, please make sure they attend the next chapter meeting on Thursday, October 22, at lunch. Members will receive their assignments and learn what to wear and when to arrive. Participation is required for all NHS members, so if your student has a scheduling concern, please contact Mrs. Schroder directly.
Attention Falcon families and music lovers! TOCCATA, the Tahoe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, is opening its 2026–27 season in the PC Center at Sierra Lutheran High School on Sunday, October 11, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
This season-opening concert is part performance and part show-and-tell. Musicians will step forward to introduce their instruments and show how each one makes its sound, then come together for pieces including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, a movement from Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, a movement from Ravel’s String Quartet, Malcolm Arnold’s Three Shanties, and Louise Farrenc’s Nonet. It’s a wonderful chance for students and families to experience live classical music up close.
The performance is led by Hannah von Wiehler, TOCCATA’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor.
Tickets are available here: BUY TICKETS
Are You Smarter Than a Falcon?
When: October 26th event at 6 pm in the PC Center
Do you enjoy trivia? Are you a competitor? Do you enjoy the fellowship of the SLHS community? Do you want to help the Academic Olympic team have a successful season?
If the answer is yes to any of the above, put together a team for this event. The cost is $30 per team (bring payment to the SLHS front office). Sign up your team of 6 people here.
The registration deadline is Friday, October 16, 2026
Please contact Dr. Seddon at tseddon@slhs.com with any questions
Attention Falcon families! Our friends at Bethlehem Lutheran School are hosting a CPTL Hoedown Fundraiser on Saturday, October 10, at the Bethlehem Lutheran School gym, 1837 Mountain St., Carson City.
Doors open at 5:00 p.m., so come early to browse the silent auction and enjoy beer and wine. A BBQ dinner catered by Carson City BBQ will be served at 6:00 p.m., along with music and plenty of fun.
Tickets are $42 per person for adults and children. Little ones can enjoy the Kids Corral for $10 (pay at the door), which includes games and dinner for potty-trained children.
Proceeds benefit Bethlehem Lutheran’s Christian Parent Teacher League (CPTL), helping fund teacher continuing education, classroom supplies, and improvements to the school’s learning environment.
For questions and to purchase tickets, contact CPTL at blscptl@blcs.org.
We’re grateful to share the mission of Christian education with Bethlehem Lutheran and encourage our families to come out and support them.
CPTL Hoedown Flyer
Attention Falcon families! Our friends at Legacy Christian Academy are hosting their second annual Lions Run, and everyone is welcome to join in.
The Lions Run is a Carson City half marathon, 10K, 5K, 1 mile family fun run, and 0.0 “none run” for non runners, taking place at the Empire Ranch Golf Course on October 10.
Bring your family, grab your bestie, or come cheer the runners, including our very own Sierra Lutheran cross country team, who will be out there running in support of the event.
The event also includes a vendor fair, kids’ activities, and bounce houses. Please use the link below for more information and to register: LIONS RUN
Last Wednesday morning, a group of seven singers from Worship Leadership was given the opportunity to sing the National Anthem for the County Fiscal Officers Association of Nevada Conference in South Lake Tahoe. It was the largest group to sing the National Anthem in SLHS history.
The students sounded incredible, and the conference thanked them with a silver coin. It was a great chance for them to represent our school and share their talent with our community.
A special thank you to Amy Burgans, who gave us this opportunity!
Shown in the picture from left to right: Jessie Thomas, Sydney McGruder, Delbis Mendoza, Meagan Friend, Sofia Gilson, Moregan Christensen and Dylann Braun.
