Part of a 13-volume series designed to help Lutheran communities assess the feasibility of starting a Lutheran elementary school and to assist ongoing schools in current operation, this volume is intended to help Lutherans clarify why they might want such a school and its effects on the congregation. Most of the publication discusses reasons for establishing a Lutheran school with an emphasis on advantages to the family, the congregation as a whole, and the individual church member. A short section considers potential challenges, difficulties, and objections raised when starting a Lutheran school. (JM)