As Christian teachers, our ministry of service must be grounded in Jesus Christ.  Spirituality, a key component in teaching and an essential ingredient for effective ministry; should indicate a connection with Christ.

Worship sessions, Weeks of Prayer, Days of Prayer, and Bible Studies are powerful tools in the teaching ministry. Compelling students to have a Christ-centered worldview is vitally important in shaping and molding citizens for God’s kingdom.  Additionally, the intentional integration of faith into each lesson is one of the goals of the teaching ministry. The invaluable benefits of this approach add to our students’ academic and spiritual growth. 

The mental state of students is very important. A teacher should ensure that students are mentally sound to receive a lesson. This can be done by asking questions such as, “How are you today?” and “What is on your mind?” These prompting questions can put the students at ease, and they will know the teacher cares. The Bible clearly shows us that the Master teacher took care of the physical and mental needs of His listeners before He began to teach. Administrators and teachers, being aware of the adverse effects of the Pandemic, were forced to utilize phone calls, Zoom meetings, emails, and text messages to encourage one another and students. This is an important part of ministry.

Ministering to the students academically proved to be a challenge since many students experienced academic issues spiraling from virtual learning. The transition from face-to-face instruction left some students at a standstill academically speaking. They viewed this form of school as unnatural and so the adjustment became difficult. The teaching ministry demands the use of innovative strategies to propel students to excellence and to take Philippians 4:13 as their source of inspiration, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When academic success is gained the ministry and joy of teaching have a ripple effect that inspires teachers, parents, and learners.

The true educator philosophy is one of a holistic approach to learning. In the ministry of teaching, students are taught to model Jesus Christ and to bear the fruit of the spirit. Molding young minds is a very serious task and calling. The teaching ministry has numerous blessings. To cultivate and watch students mature into beautiful Christians and excellent citizens is one of the greatest joys a teacher will experience.

Article by Mrs. Juliette Sands, Principal, Bahamas Academy, the Seventh-day Adventist educational institution in the South Bahamas that caters to children K2 - Grade 12.


This article was extracted from the Logos for March 27, 2021.

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