Teachers-in Murietta-Dare to Dream Big

Ben Wallace, a 4th Grade Teacher in Murrieta, has 60 in his Good News Club. He has had the privilege of leading several children to the Lord. He writes, “Never before have I felt such hope and encouragement! Each day brings new potential for conveying the love of Christ to the students in my classroom.” Ben and Rod Amstutz, a colleague who attended the Daniel Weekend and also teaches a 4th Grade class at the same school, made plans to start a student mentorship program together. They have been able to share the vision with their district superintendent and are praying that once the program is in place, it will receive the backing to be implemented district-wide.

God is moving through teachers who dare to dream BIG and trust Him! Thanks for praying and giving to make this possible.

Teacher-at Glazier-Dares to Dream Big

Susan Casiple, a 3rd Grade Teacher in Norwalk, has seen her Good News Club increase from 30 children to 55! She also started investing in children’s lives through the Lunch Bunch. Lunch Bunch is where Mrs. Casiple takes one lunch per week to have lunch with four students in her class. She is now starting the second round, since setting this goal at the Daniel Weekend.

Teacher-at Webster-Dares to Dream Big

The results have been exciting! Ruth Kouyoumdjian, a kindergarten teacher in Pasadena, has been praying at the flagpole of her school every morning since she attended the Daniel Weekend in October 2010. She has been joined by instructional aids, parents, fellow teachers and students. The After School Good News Club, which she started three years ago, has doubled in size and now includes 19% of the student body.

Daniel Weekend Inspires

Last fall we had two, back to back, Daniel Institute Weekends. The Daniel Institute is a weekend where Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) invited nominated, professional teachers to attend an “all expense paid” weekend to participate in a “Think Tank” experience.

CEAI Staff listened to these teachers struggles, encouraged them to share the dream God had given them and challenged them to develop a plan of action. The time was spent practicing relational skills and looking at the Old Testament character of Daniel. We considered the similarities between Daniel’s situation, living in a foreign culture, and that of the Christian teacher in public schools. Daniel was influential, successful and willing to sacrifice for what he believed. He stayed faithful to God and brought Him glory as an entire nation was transformed. Our facilitators asked, “How could we transform our schools with God’s love and truth?” It was inspiring to consider what God could accomplish if Daniel’s example was followed.

Many teachers have a misunderstanding about about their legal rights and religious
freedoms in the public school. CEAI works to change that, by offering workshops to keep Christian teachers up to date and informed. Most of the time, teachers start with a clear sense of mission but through the years they get discouraged. Our goal as staff was to reignite the passion they had when they began teaching.