The first class I taught here was a disaster. One of the students commented on the course: “The way this class was taught was not in a way that I could comprehend and understand the material. Assumptions were made that we knew a lot about the Bible before taking this class, but I was not at this level and he taught over the top and lost me every class.” I made the mistake of assuming that all Bible college students were as passionate about the Bible as I was coming out of seminary.

That was ten years ago, and oh how things have changed! I am still just as passionate about God and His Word, maybe even more so now. But now the students share that passion. The Enrollment Department at New Hope Christian College has done a tremendous job of accurately portraying the school to prospective students, and the Christ-centered passion of our recently admitted students is obvious inside and outside the classroom.

“My teachers here at NHCC do an outstanding job of creating an engaging, positive, and intellectually stimulating learning environment. It is evident that the heart of our course work is centered around biblical teachings. Not only do our professors invest their time into assuring that we, as students, succeed academically; they provide an excellent example of doing life together. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to receive direct mentorship from each and every one of my instructors.”

Mya Cash, Freshman, Class of  2026

Inside the classroom, students are engaging in the learning process, they are asking significant theological questions, and they are arriving at biblical solutions to problems that arise from anti-biblical ways of thinking and living. As we were studying a portion of Mark in class just this week, I could see the consternation on the face of one of our freshmen because of the implications of the text for his life and the lives of those around him. Over and over I see his eyes open wide and intently and hear him say, “Then that means…!” The students are seeing what the Word of God has to say about real life and about a life of ministry…

And they are seeing the fruit from that outside the classroom. One hundred percent of our students are active in ministry, most at New Hope West, but others in various churches in the community. In fact, even some of our students who regularly serve at New Hope West also serve in other ministries in the community. Recently, I awarded a student some extra credit for his Ministry Practicum course. A local church needed some help with its sound system, some consultation and setup. A representative of the church visited the college to see if there was any way that we could help. I invited one of our seniors to help out, and he spent a number of hours with this local ministry purchasing new equipment and will help them set it up. In debriefing this with the student, I teared up because it was such a joy to see his passion and willingness to use the ministry skills he is developing here for the larger Body of Christ.

This really is the heart of New Hope Christian College: that students make the most of the opportunity of receiving college credit for discovering God’s will, developing their skills, and being deployed into the community making a difference in Jesus’ name.

And while I am a better teacher than I was ten years ago and I have learned to inspire passion, our students are now inspiring the revival that is taking place in Eugene, Oregon.