Written by Tabias Grafton (Alumnus)

The Great Commission is “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). There is no better place to make disciples than where preaching the Word is forbidden. 

My name is Tabias Grafton, and I am a graduate of New Hope Christian College with a bachelor’s in Ministry Leadership with a concentration in Christian Education. Currently, I am a high school teacher for Bridge Charter Academy based in Lowell, Oregon. I teach social studies and language arts for grades ninth through twelfth. I’m only able to do that through the skills I learned at NHCC, specifically the education classes. Through my classes, I learned about the greatest teacher, the one I should imitate, Jesus. At first this idea to mimic Jesus in the classroom seems obvious and simple. However, it is no easy task because Jesus’s main way of teaching was to live a life the disciples could mimic. My favorite example is how often he prayed in front of His disciples eventually leading to the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus didn’t just tell them what to do; he demonstrated it. That is what I’m trying to do in my classes. 

While in today’s climate, I can not openly preach the Word of God in a classroom; however, I can teach it in other ways. I do my absolute best to demonstrate behaviors that will lead my students to Christ. I encourage asking questions, taking responsibility, and caring for others. I believe that encouraging the students to question things—even the things I say in class—will create an attitude of critical thinking. This hopefully will lead my students to ask themselves questions about what they believe and why they believe it, opening up their minds to the Lord. I encourage them to take responsibility for their actions and not just their homework. I want them to be able to take pride in their work and in their life. Many high school students tend to believe what their parents believe, but if they take a little responsibility for their lives, they can think about their own personal faith more clearly. By encouraging the students to work together and to care for each other, I am discreetly teaching them one of the main commands of the Bible—to love your neighbor as yourself. This will encourage them to open up to each other as well as open their hearts to the Lord. 

I hope my students can all learn to think critically, take responsibility, and care for others, but my words and teaching mean nothing if I cannot demonstrate these qualities to my students. I am grateful for the education I received at NHCC, for I only know how to demonstrate these qualities because of the classes I took. Furthermore, the whole concept of modeling the classroom after how Jesus taught the disciples was an idea taught during the education classes. God gave me a great opportunity to learn at NHCC, and I am enjoying exercising what I have learned in real life as I work with the next generation and hopefully lead them to the Lord.