Two people of Living Lord Lutheran Church in Warren, Ohio, expressed concern about at-risk teenagers. Rich Baringer, a school superintendent, expressed worry for those young people who fail in school. Meanwhile, Holly Maggiano, a neurologist, was concerned about the increasing number of troubled teenagers, with no medical problems, being referred to her. These two parishioners worked with Tim Mentzer, pastor of Living Lord Church, to create the Christian Alternative School for Teens (CAST). Since February of 2000, CAST has been reaching at-risk teenagers who otherwise would be expelled from public school. Of the over 2000 schools sponsored by the ELCA, CAST is the only one of its kind.

In every county school district, students fail for various reasons. The consequences of this failure are teenagers who are susceptible to drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, crime, and other forms of self-destruction. At the point where the county school district is ready to expel these students, CAST intervenes and offers an alternative. The students, once enrolled, may attend CAST for a minimum of one semester or until graduation.

Thirty students may be enrolled in the program at any given time. A teacher and aide are assigned for every 12 students. Along with the low teacher/student ratio, students are offered an opportunity to fulfill the state’s educational requirements. For the state educational requirements to be met, the destructive behaviors of the students have to change. These changes in behavior are encouraged through the expectation of mutual respect and hard work, students meetings, and personal conversation between students and teachers. The students also take advantage of one-on-one conversations with the pastor of the parish.

CAST works in partnership with a number of community agencies. The Family Court System, Juvenile Justice Center, Parole Officers, and the County Prosecutor’s Office work closely with CAST. Other local agencies offer work study opportunities for the students, and Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Retirement Services, a local senior ministry, offers hands-on work experience.

The school, a non-chartered and non-tax supported school, is funded through tuition, grant money, and charitable gifts. Volunteers provide needed services at no cost to CAST. Lutheran Brotherhood has awarded a significant grant to CAST. And, Living Lord Church provides the building and utilities at no cost to the school.

As quoted in the September 2000 issue of The Lutheran magazine, while CAST seeks to aid students in meeting educational requirements, the impact made on the students’ lives is much more extensive. This impact is as difficult to measure as are parenting skills themselves. Rich Baringer, Chief Education Officer of CAST, states that parents never know which lessons will stick with youth. “Each day you just hope and pray they make the right decisions.”

As a service of recognition and celebration of CAST in September of 2000, Bishop Marcus Miller of the Northeastern Ohio Synod, commended Living Lord Church on moving beyond the claim, “Someone should do something about this problem” to “Let’s do this to address the problem.”

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