Looking for free Lutheran educational resources? Looking to see what’s even out there in the Lutheran homeschooling world? Welcome to this page! (If you’re looking for non-Lutheran Curriculum or Schooling options, that link is here and does include entire free curriculum! We’ve also just started a page for Free Non-Lutheran Resources, which are hopefully all vetted.)
We are full of joy to share with you what people have been finding within Lutheranism and its educational resources! Even better, so much is FREE and gifted to the church!
You should probably scan through the table of contents, and, if anything is missing, we have moved entire sections into product pages for easier organization & viewing. So please search our site, too, for more free Lutheran resources!
Note Well: We are always happy to learn about resources to share, but this page should pertain to Lutheran education. Please let us know resources that you have found or developed.
Table of Contents
General Information Regarding Lutheran Education
- Information on synod-wide LCMS education & LCMS School Ministry
- Luther on Lutheran Education
- What is classical and Lutheran education?
Practical Tips
- While scheduling always boils down to family specifics, here is a very helpful article about how one Lutheran family’s homeschool scheduling looks like for one family over several years.
Free Coursework
These are not specifically geared toward children, however a free Lutheran resource is a free Lutheran resource!
- 1517 Academy
- CPH FaithCourses
- Luther for the Busy Man: Your Daily Dose of Luther
- Lutheran Hour Ministry Courses and Learning Library
- St. Polycarp Academy (Yes, a Lutheran organization) offers some of its courses for free.
Free Sources for Books
- Lutheran Library may not have the books your current curriculum recommends, but it is still a very handy place to know about!
Lutheran Authors addressing Special Education
Cheryl Swope has specialized in educating those with learning disabilities and behavior disorders. She is a faithful member of an LCMS congregation, who has homeschooled two special-need children of her own. You can find articles by her here and her website here. In addition to the resources on her website, she works with Memoria Press, developing classical curriculum for those with Special Needs, and writing for both of The Classical Teacher and Simply Classical Journal.
On a less education-specific note, Alvin Franzmeier blogs in support of those with intellectual disabilities.
Podcasts
- Donuts & Devos is a Lutheran devotional podcast for kids.
- The Daily Bite (which is based on his Faith@Home Corner devotion guide here) is a daily look at a chapter of the Bible, how it points to Christ, and questions we can ask our children.
- Layman’s Guide to the Lectionary is a weekly Bible study on the Scriptures that would be read in worship if a congregation is using the 3-year lectionary.
Classical Lutheran Education
- The Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE) (See above under Organizations) offers
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CCLE classical Lutheran homeschoolers FB group here
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Larger CCLE FB group here
- Find free reading in our academic online publication and conference digest,Classical Lutheran Education Journal
- View free conference recordings through our new CCLE Youtube channel.
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- Lutheran Public Domain Liturgy Project
Full, Free Curricula
- Wittenberg Academy offers elementary curriculum entirely for free! Kindergarten through Sixth!
Ethics
Music
Music Making
- Children Making Music DVD, put together by the former LCMS Commission on Worship
Organ
- Organ Playing 101 (Videos below are 8-10 minutes each)
- Organ Registration — What do all these names mean and how do I know which stops to use?
- Hymn Introductions — How to add variety and interest.
- Hymn Playing — How to lead the singing of the congregation with appropriate tempo, pulse, and phrasing.
- Liturgy Playing — Ideas for leading Divine Service, Setting One.
- Liturgy Playing — Ideas for leading Divine Service, Setting Three.
- Leading New Hymns and Liturgical Settings — How to help yourself and your congregation.
Piano
- Simplified piano student arrangements of Lutheran hymnody.
- Hymns for Small Lutheran Hands: FIVE FREE BOOKS of simplified, liturgically-ordered hymns. Mostly melody spread across two hands.
Religious Instruction
Lutheran Doctrine &/or Identity
- Hallmarks of Lutheran Identity may not be free, but the CPH teaching guide for 7-12 graders (25 weeks plan!) is.
- LCMS CTCR
- What Does This Mean Blog
- The Cranach Institute
Reading Plans
Bible
- 5 Free Bible Reading Plans: One Year, Two Year, Chronological, Bible Narratives (I like this one for kids, too!), and Daily Lectionary
- This Passion Book, developed by Rev. Andrew Richard, combines woodcuttings and various artwork with the Passion readings traditionally read throughout Holy Week for home and devotional use.
Meditation
Persecution
- The Hausvater project offers a Bible Study/Persecution Lesson Plan for a three hour+ activity for middle school children and older
Prayer & Support Projects
- A Collection of Prayers
- Lutheran Heritage Foundation Adopt a Program
- LCMS Mission Project Catalog
- Mission Friends: An online LCMS program written for the fourth grade level but easily adjusted.
- Pray for Us Calendar
Writing
- “Teaching Creative Writing: Poetry,” an article
Organizations, Boards, Websites, and Programs for Lutheran Education & Support
- According to Your Word
- Concordia Promise/ Concordia Promise Plus
- Concordia Publishing House: CPH EDU offers blog posts and practical resources at education.cph.org
- Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE at ccle.org) offers homeschool groups for discussion for both email and face, recommended reading/ resources/ websites, and a Curriculum Resource Guide for Classical Lutheran Education (now in its second edition).
- The Hausvater Project
- Into Your Hands LLC: An interesting site and educational consulting available
- Lutheran Education Association (LEA.org) offers weekly devotions, webinars, an online magazine, monographs, and a library for archived past material.
- Kloria Publishing
- NLOMA: The National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association serves the Church through promoting outdoor ministries. In other words, this website helps you find Lutheran camps to consider!
- Online Lutheran schools &/or Classes
- Amazing Grace Virtual Academy (formerly known as ALHS Online) (High school, WELS)
- Faith Lutheran School, Plano TX
- Genesis Virtual Academy, Mayer Lutheran High School
- Lutheran South Academy/ Lutheran High North? Houston area
- Orange Lutheran High School
- Wittenberg Academy
- Lutheran Dual Credit Opportunities
- On My Heart: Lutheran Memory Work Program (They are not, at this time, allowed to use the Small Catechism whose copyright is held by CPH.)
- Ryan MacPherson
Social Issues
(Here is a general link to the LCMS Commission on Theology & Church Relations page and its Document Library, since it has addressed Life Issues, Social Issues, and more.)
Domestic Violence/Abuse
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- You are Not Alone Prayer Book
- Hope and Healing Bible Study
- Coloring Prayer book for children affected by domestic violence
- Coloring Prayer book for children affected by sexual abuse
- LCMS Resource Page on Child Abuse
- LCMS Resource Page on Domestic Violence
Disability
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- Disability Encouragement & Support
- LCMS Resource Page on Disability
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Human Trafficking
Immigration
Life/Ethics/Pro-Life
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- Lutherans for Life
- (There are also Lutherans for Life around the world, including the Lutheran Church of Australia’s Lutherans for Life!)
- LCMS Life Ministry Library
- LCMS Resource Page on Life (See also “Ethics/Pro-Life” category above)
Marriage & Family
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- Marriage
- Family
Persecution
Racism
Religious Liberty
Sexuality
Also Worth Knowing
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- CPH has a homeschool page here, where you can sort by grade or topic.
- CPH a discounted section of Not Quite Perfect books, including subsections of Children and Youth and Education!
- Online or streaming music/radio
- Lutheran Public Radio! Echo/Alexa can play it, too.
- Amazon Prime comes with quite a collection of CPH recordings
- (Amazon Prime does have a Student membership for college folks and reduced rate for those with an EBT or Medicaid card)
- KFUO online/app
- Lutheran Public Radio Talk/ Issues, Etc.
- Lutheran Radio UK
- Lutheran Songbird Project (Youtube and Facebook)
- Pirate Christian Radio (pirate as in outside main stream)
- CPH Music Channel
- Seminary Resources and Free Offerings
- Concordia Seminary Youtube Page (LCMS)
- Concordia Theology (Sermon helps)
- Concordia Theological Seminary Youtube Page (LCMS)
- Media Resources (CTSFW/LCMS): theological articles, course videos, chapel sermons, etc.
- Online libraries!
- Facebook: There are WONDERFUL Lutheran facebook groups! Check for your own synod if not LCMS! The file sections let you avoid reinventing several wheels.
So many free Lutheran educational resources!!! And let us know about more and more free Lutheran educational resources!!!
