Faith in the Classroom
Imagine you are standing at the front of a room. You look out and see young faces looking to you for direction and guidance. Talk about pressure, right? Some are eager to learn and soak up knowledge while others might be too distracted by what is going on at home to learn anything. What is it like to take on this enormous responsibility and have your faith on display in a classroom? I had the great pleasure of asking five members of FBC Starkville to graciously share with me what it looks like to be a Christ-follower and a teacher, some thoughts on their faith, and interactions they have had with students. Hearing from these local teachers in our church will make you want to go hug your former or current teachers! Teaching is undoubtedly a ministry and teachers need our prayers and our encouragement. I challenge you to reach out to a former teacher in some way and thank them for the impact they had on your life. They pour their heart and soul into what they do, pray for you behind the scenes, and have chosen one of the most selfless career paths.
Teachers, we can never thank you enough for allowing Christ to use you to make a difference in the lives of our youth and for being His hands and feet in the classroom.
Cheryl Turner
Retired Public School Teacher
“I always believed teaching was my ministry as well as my profession.”
It was so good for me to reflect back over my years in the classroom and smile thinking about the students that were a part of my journey. I taught for 35 years; 33 of those years were in the public school setting and the last two years were at Starkville Academy. I taught Special Education for 15 years and 5th grade for 20 years. I always believed teaching was my ministry as well as my profession. In my classroom, I created an environment where students felt loved and were encouraged to be the unique person God created them to be and to respect the differences in each other. I wanted them to see how God uses their gifts and talents as well as those of their peers and that they were all important in His eyes.
Life lessons were taught as situations arose in the classroom that allowed me to reinforce kindness, respect, humility, patience, forgiveness, and a loving heart. They knew these lessons would be a part of daily life in Mrs. Turner’s class.
While academics were of utmost importance to me, I also taught my students that life wasn’t all about them (this came as a shock to some). When they left my classroom at the end of the year, I wanted my students to have an understanding that success and contentment in life would stem from having a servant’s heart and putting the needs of others above their own, no matter the career they chose.
When students shared their concerns with me, I assured them that I would pray for them. They were always so faithful and precious to keep me updated, and in doing so, we could celebrate how God was working and see that He had a plan, even when it wasn’t answered with the desired outcome.
At times I shared with the students what was going on in my life, as it was difficult to hide my emotions during some situations. When my 90-year-old father was dying from ALS, my students encouraged and supported me during those difficult months. I told them about my dad’s strong faith and love for the Lord. They made cards for him, assuring him of their prayers. What a blessing this was to my mom and dad! One child’s mother even shared with me how her son would pray for my dad at the dinner table. These experiences allowed the students to see their faith in action and to see how good it felt to be a blessing to others.
While this journey of teaching had its challenges, I loved seeing God work in the lives of students, and as I have kept up with many, to see the Godly young men and women they have become.
Kyle Hickey
Band Director
Starkville High School
Being a teacher while professing to be a Christian is one of the most intimidating things I can imagine. Not only am I in charge of my students’ educational needs, but I am tasked with setting a good example for them. This is especially important since the same children I teach during the week see me on Sunday mornings as part of the music ministry staff. That kind of accountability is a reality check I wish more Christians were confronted with and recognized daily.
My hope is that every student I come into contact with knows that I care about them. I want to build relationships with my students that go beyond the band hall in hopes that if they ever have issues, they can come to me for help and advice. I am very upfront with the fact that not only am I a Christian but that I am on staff at FBC Starkville as well. I primarily do this to keep myself honest—it is important to me that Christ’s call to reach people in His name is always at the forefront of my mind. Denying the reality of the Great Commission while teaching would be denying the reality of the Cross to my students who are learning.
It’s also important for me to be honest with my students about where I stand spiritually. Knowing that I’m a Christian can certainly cause some students to distance themselves from me at first, but hopefully that my actions shine the light of the Gospel in the classroom (Matt. 5:15-16).
My main concern is for my students’ hearts. Being able to play a piece of music successfully is one thing, but more than anything I want them to be kind, loving, honest, and compassionate in how they conduct themselves and treat others. It is my goal to develop the student as a person just as much as it is to develop them as a musician. I don’t want students to do the right thing because it’s an instruction they’ve been given—I want to show them why doing the right thing is important so that they will want to do it themselves, even outside of the band hall. I often talk about biblical concepts such as loving your neighbor (Matt. 22:39), kind words to others (1 Thes. 5:11), and how what we do when no one is watching shows our true character (Lk. 6:45). Being in a public school can sometimes make it a challenge to discuss these principles without explicitly saying they’re from the Bible, but amazingly I’ve found that God’s truth speaks for itself.
“I want to show them why doing the right thing is important so that they will want to do it themselves.”
Many students in the Starkville Oktibbeha school district are of meager means and come from broken homes and families, so I also think it is imperative that I strive to be a Godly male role model for students. They may never see what it looks like to have a strong relationship with God, love people selflessly, and to be generous (Matt. 22:36-40; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Cor. 9:19-23). I would be lying if I said I walked out of the school every day feeling like I represented Christ to the best of my abilities. The truth is, I fail to be who God has called me to be more often than I would like to admit. Fortunately, God’s grace abounds, and while some days I just want to give up, I’m reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians:
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
Chelsi Brasher
5th Grade Math Teacher
Overstreet Elementary
I do not refer to my position as a job, but as a true calling from God. Although I am unable to openly share about Jesus Christ with my students, I pray daily that the Holy Spirit uses me to make Jesus visible to the people and students I encounter. I also use my faith in Jesus to guide any conference I have with peers, administrators, or parents. I always try to pray before going into a conference, asking Jesus to let His light shine through me and to give me wisdom on how to handle certain situations. God has been so gracious and provided me with many wonderful opportunities to hold hands and pray with parents, coworkers, administrators and on occasion, students.
“I pray daily that the Holy Spirit uses me to make Jesus visible to the people and students I encounter.”
I also try to incorporate little things and pray that God will use those to make a BIG impact for His kingdom. For example, I have small scripture cards attached to my ID lanyard, and many times students will grab and read them. I also have a Bible sitting on my desk, which students often pick up to read. More than all of those things, I pray that God’s glory is shown through my interactions with the students everyday. One day, if they are not a believer in Christ, when the opportunity presents itself, they can reflect back with fond memories on a teacher who truly shared the love of Christ and be encouraged to accept Him for themselves. I am so thankful for this calling on my life.
“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
- 1 Peter 4:11
Rachel Whitbeck
Science Teacher
Starkville Christian School
My hope as a science teacher is that my students will use science as a window into the mind and heart of God. As we study Creation and read Scripture together, we are constantly expanding our awareness of how big God truly is. As we study DNA, genetics, the laws of thermodynamics, and the laws of motion, we learn about the orderliness and power of the One who set all things in motion. We cannot help but rejoice at the value that is within our own lives when we recognize that God created us with this same complexity and orderliness for His glory. We also assess the effect of sin and its consequences by looking at mutations, disease, and death, and we seek the Lord for ways to heal, restore, and conserve things through understanding His creation. We have no reason to fear death, disease, or any difficult topic, having faith that God promised redemption and restoration through His Son.
“As we study, we must allow the Lord to turn our knowledge into understanding and faith in his word.”
Romans 1 tells us that God’s eternal power and divine nature have been revealed to us through what has been made. As a science teacher, I am merely responsible for sharing and challenging my students with this truth. It is a battle against our culture, however. As Scripture says, the people have continually exchanged the truth for a lie and worshiped created things rather than the Creator. As we study, we must allow the Lord to turn our knowledge into understanding and faith in His Word.
Apart from teaching, I must pray. My abilities, my knowledge, and my power are limited. I continue to be humbled by my inability to control change and growth. Still, as the Lord reveals Himself to me, and as I learn more about His power and divine nature, I am reminded that He alone can work in the hearts of my students.
Brittany Turner
Starkville Academy
I am very blessed to work at a school where I am able to share my faith with my students in hopes of helping them as they learn more and grow closer to God. My faith in God is something that influences me within the classroom everyday. My faith not only helps me to make decisions that will impact my students daily, but in ways that will help my students once they leave my classroom. I think that having a good foundation that is grounded in faith in God helps me to have more compassion and understanding for my students because I want to be a good example of what having faith means—not that you always get what you want or that everything will be easy, but that because of your faith you have confidence in knowing that no matter what God will be with you in all you do and that whatever trials you may face, you aren’t alone. Hopefully, I am not only able to teach students the basics of space, parts of a cell, and matter, but also how a strong faith in God is what really matters.