At the 2026 OSL Auction, Tina Ferris shared a testimony with those gathered about the difference Our Savior Lutheran makes in the lives of students. Tina has been a member of OSL since 2009, and has served many years on the auction planning committee. Her testimony highlights how OSL helps students and families find a more abundant life in Christ as we teach the Christian faith, promote academic excellence, and raise up leaders for a lifetime of Christian witness.
Good evening OSL friends and family,
First, I want to say thank you, thank you for being here tonight, thank you for supporting this school, and thank you for believing in Christian education. Our family has experienced firsthand what a blessing this school truly is, and I’d love to share a little of that story with you tonight.
A few years ago, our grandson Deeghan came to live with us. He was getting ready to enter 8th grade. By that time in his young life, he had already moved from school to school. With every move, something else seemed to slip. His confidence, stability, friendships, and eventually his grades. By the time he came to us, he was struggling academically and emotionally. School had become something he endured, not something he enjoyed. His grades reflected that. He was failing several classes, and I think even more concerning, he was beginning to fail to believe in himself.
As grandparents, we worried. We prayed. We wondered how to help him regain his footing, not just academically, but spiritually and personally. We knew he needed structure. He needed encouragement. He needed to be seen. Most of all, he needed hope.
That’s when Our Savior Lutheran School opened its doors to him.
From the very beginning, something felt different. This wasn’t just a school accepting a new student. This was a community welcoming a child. The teachers didn’t see a transcript filled with low grades; they saw potential. They didn’t see a troubled academic record, they saw a young man who needed guidance, patience and belief.
And they gave him exactly that.
They challenged him but also supported him. They held him accountable, but they also extended grace. They prayed with him and for him. They created an environment where he felt safe enough to try again.
Slowly, we began to see changes.
He started coming home talking about what he was learning. He built friendships. He developed relationships with teachers who truly cared about his success. Not just as a student, but as a person. His confidence began to grow. And when confidence grows, effort follows.
During the school year, the young man who had been failing classes made the honor roll.
That didn’t happen because he suddenly became a different child. It happened because he was placed in an environment that nurtured who God created him to be. It happened because this school lives out its mission. It happened because teachers here go above and beyond job descriptions. It happened because faith is not just something mentioned, it’s woven into every lesson, every interaction, every correction, and every celebration.
There is a verse that I often thought on for Deeghan through that school year. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Christian education isn’t just about academics. It’s about identity. It’s about reminding a child that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. It’s about giving them the tools to succeed while grounding them in truth. It’s about showing grace while teaching responsibility.
For Deeghan, tis school was more than a place to attend classes. It was a turning point. It restored his confidence. It strengthened his faith. It changed the trajectory of his academic journey.
And I believe there are many stories like his in this room tonight.
That’s why events like this matter so much, when you bid tonight, when you donate, when you support this school, you are not just funding textbooks and technology or improvements to the building. You are investing in the children. You are investing in second chances. You are investing in stories that are still being written.
Our family will forever be grateful for the year Deeghan spent here. It was truly a blessing; one we prayed for and one that God answered through this school community.
So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Thank you to the teachers who pour into students daily. Thank you to the administrators who lead with vision and faith. Thank you to the families who continue to build this community. And thank you to each person here tonight who continues to make this school possible.
Because of you, children like our grandson don’t just get an education… They get hope.
Thank you and God bless.