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When Eternal Love, Appleton, Wis., determined that it needed to renovate the playground area of its pre-K program, Wee Love Learning Center, it decided that meant more than just getting a new playset. “Play has become such a focus as a way to learn, so we wanted to add a number of features,” says Dave Payne, chairman of the renovation project and member at Eternal Love. This included a large Noah’s Ark play structure, a music station, texture path, and nature sensory space besides an expanded play area.
But that’s not all. “We really wanted to emphasize that even in our play we can learn so much more about what the Bible says,” says Payne.
One of the ideas was to decorate the playground with artwork that would reinforce the Bible lessons the children were learning at the center. “We settled on a Bible timeline of eight different paintings and posters that would tell the biblical story from creation to Jesus’ ascension,” says Payne.

While Eternal Love had ideas of the Bible stories it wanted to picture, it didn’t have an artist to create the artwork. Payne contacted Hearts and Hands, a WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) organization that exists to support Christian artists by providing opportunities to create, grow, and make connections. He was eventually connected to Michael Wiechmann, an artist and art instructor at Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School, New Ulm, Minn., who coordinated the creation of the paintings as well as a set of ten Bible passage plaques highlighting key Scripture verses.
Wiechmann consulted with contacts at WELS Multi- Language Productions for ideas. He then gathered 20 WELS and ELS artists—including students from local WELS grade schools; Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minn.; and Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School—to create the paintings on marine plywood. “I love the dynamic of artists of all different ages from our fellowship creating art to share Jesus with the next generation of little ones,” says Payne.
The artwork turned out so well that Eternal Love decided it didn’t want to use it outside where it would be destroyed by Wisconsin’s weather. Instead, it is displayed in the classroom hallway where it can be viewed by the preschool children as well as others making use of the area. The ten Bible passage plaques are hung around the playground.
Says Payne, “To me, this project forms a wonderful picture of the body of Christ coming together to share the good news of the gospel.”
Author: FIC
Volume 112, Number 02
Issue: February 2025