Devoted to the cross

Becoming a Christian teacher is an opportunity to share Christ’s love with another generation.

Jason Zweifel

My Martin Luther College (MLC) story started long before I stepped on campus. As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to serve God and other people with my life. Growing up with Christian parents and attending a Christian grade school, I learned about the grace of our God from a young age.

When I was a sophomore at Lakeside Lutheran High School, Lake Mills, Wis., my childlike faith was tested when my brother Ryan passed away in a car accident after completing his freshman year at MLC. The next few years were a challenging season in my life.

However, I received comfort from the gospel and from the Christian people around me. Time and perspective granted me insight into the glory and plans of God. As an 18- year-old senior, thanks to the encouragement of teachers, pastors, other adults, and my parents, I decided that I wanted to be able to pass on the peace of faith in Christ that I had received. I decided to enroll in MLC.

MLC offered me many different opportunities to grow as a Christian man in this world. Along with taking classes on campus, I also went on two immersion trips to Argentina and Chile and studied marine biology in Jamaica. I was able to play and coach football, go on a mission trip to Colorado, and make lifelong friends. In the 2015–16 school year, I took an emergency call and served as a fifth and sixth grade teacher in Neenah, Wisconsin. There I received a personal and up-close introduction to the joys and challenges of teaching. That class will always have a special place in my heart.

After reflecting upon my educational experience at MLC, I feel as if I have been uniquely prepared for a career as a called worker. I have learned education theories, teaching strategies, inspiring content to teach, and a philosophy of education in which I believe. I have accumulated a wealth of firsthand teaching experiences in a wide range of settings. I have received a state license that qualifies me to teach.

However, all of these things are achievable at any great teacher preparation college and not unique to Martin Luther College. What is unique to MLC is a systematic focus on what is the most important part of life: Christ. Being a part of a community of people who are devoted to the cross is something special.

When I step into my own call, I look forward to the opportunity to impart the Christ-centered attitude that I have developed as a result of my experiences at my Christian grade school, high school, and college. I have learned so much through the daily interactions that I have had with other Christ-centered people. I thank God for the people that he put in my life and the course on which he has led me. I can think of nothing more worthy to do than to pass on the type of training that I have received to the next generation.

My prayer for my future classroom and students is that I will be able to faithfully model this Christ-centered attitude to the next generation just as it was modeled for me.

Jason Zweifel is a member at St. Paul, Lake Mills, Wisconsin. He graduated from Martin Luther College this May with a double major in elementary education and secondary Spanish education. He elected international service and will be serving in Ecuador.

Author: Jason Zweifel
Volume 105, Number 7
Issue: July 2018

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