If you had walked around the eighty-acre plot of farmland on which Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary(WLS) found its new home in Mequon, Wisconsin, back in 1928, you would have seen a plot that is open and bare. The rich soil, cleared for farming, would have been waiting for seeds to be sown and for growth to begin. The land itself, a blank canvas, was ripe with potential—not just for physical cultivation, but for the growth of a seminary dedicated to training future pastors. Today, as you walk that same land, you will find it transformed into a vibrant and flourishing campus. This transformation is not just the result of time, but of intentional care, thoughtful planning,and the hard work of the maintenance and grounds crews who ensure that the seminary’s mission is reflected in its physical environment.

The grounds at WLS are alive in the most tangible sense. Trees that were once saplings now tower above the campus, their branches providing shade and beauty. Flowerbeds bloom with color throughout the seasons, and beautiful mowed lines in the lawns create a sense of peace and order. This physical vitality is the product of countless hours of work by the grounds crew, a team whose dedication goes beyond mowing grass and planting flowers.

Meet the Crew

WLS is blessed to have great leaders on staff to ensure that this campus maintains its beauty and professional look to it. Building and Grounds Director Dennis Sprenger has faithfully served this campus since October of 2015. Dennis brings countless years of experience with a background in being an automotive technician, EMS Captain for the Richfield Fire Department, and a landscape manager. These diverse skills pay dividends. With this experience he brings great leadership. A mentor of Dennis’ reminded him when he started the job that “good leadership starts with love.” A good leader has a few different slogans in his back pocket, and Dennis is no stranger to that. On a weekly basis he reminds us: “Make sure the campus looks nice in case that family from Minnesota drives through.”

Campus Grounds Supervisor Joel Zak has been faithfully serving this campus since the last week of 2019. Joel has a biology degree from UW Stevens Point and a masters in forest ecology from Alabama A&M University. Joel has also done field work in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida before starting a family and a career in landscaping. Joel does a good job of not just teaching the “how” but also the “why”behind the grounds crew’s work. It was Dennis who reached out to Joel and connected him to WLS. (Joel and Dennis served together at Morning Star Lutheran Church in Jackson,
Wisconsin.) Together, their combined expertise ensures that the seminary grounds continue to thrive and reflect the beauty of God’s creation.

The interesting thing about the men who serve on the grounds crew is that they are all students at WLS. For the 2024–2025 school year the crew consisted of two middlers (Adam Arrowsmith and Seth Hackbarth) and two juniors (Owen Eubank and Aidan Lewis). The relationships between Dennis, Joel, and the students go beyond work. Dennis and Joel are more than supervisors; they are mentors who take the time to teach, encourage, and lead in a Christ-like way.

The Grounds Are Alive and Growing

There’s a bit of irony in this year’s theme—“Alive and Growing”—because much of the work done by the grounds crew involves dealing with things that are dead. The towering trees that give the campus its beauty also shed countless sticks and millions of leaves, littering the ground each year. Every fall, leaves blanket the campus, requiring the crew to haul truckloads to the compost pile. In winter, the focus shifts to removing dead trees and broken branches. However, in this process, there is renewal. Rather than simply discarding these remnants, the crew feeds them into a woodchipper, transforming them into mulch that can be used around campus. Winter brings another responsibility: snow removal. With Wisconsin’s harsh winters, the grounds crew is up before dawn, shoveling sidewalks, plowing roads and parking lots, and salting pathways to ensure that students and professors can safely get to school.

Joel Zak provides attention to detail when it comes to the campus’s plants and trees, ensuring that they remain healthy and vibrant. An example of this, which he has taught the crew, is the rejuvenation process. Mature shrub plantings on campus can be “reset” during the dormant season. Rather than removing and replacing them entirely the crew prunes the stems back to the ground level (usually 6–12 inches above the ground). By clearing out the deadwood and allowing the root system to regenerate which allows for the shrub to come back to life in the spring with a more compact and healthier look. “It is interesting to observe this renewal process in one of God’s creations that we often take for granted,” says Zak.

Lessons Learned

The grounds crew’s work is more than just maintaining a beautiful landscape. Its work also provides valuable life lessons that align with the very purpose of WLS. The daily work of the grounds crew teaches essential skills and attitudes that will serve its members well in their future ministries. Taking care of the grounds requires patience, foresight, adaptability, and teamwork. The crew learns the importance of diligent preparation, whether it’s anticipating seasonal changes in the landscape or preparing for events on campus. If you were to look at the last two objectives of WLS you would see:

• to train theological students and pastors in the skills required for ministry in an ever-changing world;
• to instill in theological students and pastors the kinds of attitudes that will assist them as they carry out their ministry in the contemporary world.

The work of the seminary’s grounds crew directly reflects these objectives.

Alive and Growing

The transformation of WLS’ campus from a barren plot of farmland to a thriving, vibrant campus is a testament to God’s blessings and the faithful stewardship of those who care for it. The grounds crew, through their daily work, not only nurtures the beauty of the seminary but also grows in skills and attitudes that will serve them well in their future ministries. The students and staff who dedicate themselves to this work understand that they are not merely maintaining a campus but being stewards of a gift from God. Written in the shop is a Bible passage, Colossians 3:23 (NIV), “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” This is a good reminder for the grounds crew everyday. These men are not just working for the soil on which they stand, nor are they working for their own sinful pride but rather working for the Lord. The campus of WLS is truly alive and growing, and through God’s grace, so are the students who walk its paths. We are blessed to be stewards of the seminary grounds.

Adam Arrowsmith is serving as a vicar during the 2025–2026 school year.