Lutheran High School South held a blessing over its new STEM Center on Sept. 15, bringing together students, faculty, alumni and donors. The facility itself is still under construction, though it is slated to be completed before the 2027-2028 school year.
“Let me deal with the elephant in the room — how do you have a building blessing when there’s no building?” Pastor Christopher Sommer, the campus chaplain, said. “There will be a time when we bless the actual building, but in this moment we’re asking God to bless the work of the construction that’s going to take place here in the coming year. We’re asking God to protect … the workers, to guide the minds of the architects and project managers.”
The STEM Center is a $13 million project that began over the summer with the demolition stage. The project includes a two-story addition to the Lutheran South building, intended to add eight new classrooms for the study of science, engineering and math. There will also be an indoor quad, giving students another place to collaborate, according to the school.
“This innovative space will strengthen our commitment to comprehensive college preparation by engaging students in opportunities to create, solve real-world problems, think critically and collaborate with others,” Head of School Jonathan Butterfield told The Call. “Most importantly, it will empower our students to use the knowledge, skills and gifts God has given them not simply for their own success, but to serve others and make a meaningful difference in the world.”
The blessing of the new STEM Center also included the unexpected element of a copper time capsule, discovered by the construction crew at the site. It contained a yearbook, a Bible, newspapers, a buzz book and a letter addressed to “the future generations attending Lutheran High School.” The letter was dated Sept. 29, 1957, and it gave words of advice and encouragement to the students.
After reading the letter of encouragement, Sommer gave a few final words before the gathered group sang to bless the future facility.
This is the fifth major project Lutheran South has undertaken in four years. The approximately $20 million Jubel Center for the Arts opened in February 2025: an expansion of 39,000 square feet, with space for a 626-seat theater, music and art rooms, a studio for the school’s digital journalism program, a new lobby and a grand entrance to the school. The theater also began to serve as the chapel for school-wide worship, which was previously held in the gym.
Lutheran South’s locker rooms also received a renovation, as well as a relocation of the weight room and an overhaul of the private school’s practice gym.
