Mentor, friend, counselor—any of these names may describe professors who foster their students' growth into whole persons. Teachers at Christian colleges know the importance of modeling faith in all areas of life. The way they live out their commitment to Christ shows in their care and compassion, and in their desire to nurture spiritual growth in their students as adulthood unfolds.

Should these professors ever think faith is private, so that they limit teaching to the classroom, then they, their students, and our world would be incalculably poorer. Thankfully, these professors model themselves after the pattern of Christ; by guiding and serving, they help develop each student's unique identity.

The following profiles give evidence of a grand theme: A sense of mission guides how Christian educators fulfill their duties, made possible by the love of God in Christ. We are grateful for the schools that helped develop this article by providing stories from professors, deans, and students. Their testimonies are shared here in edited versions.

By being transparent to students, these educators allow students to open up and see themselves as learners and leaders.

Bev Wiens, Ph.D., chair of psychology department, William Jessup University, Rocklin, California.

Bev Wiens believes a program that challenges participants to personal wholeness demands that faculty commit to interacting with students outside class time. To strengthen that commitment, Wiens models transparency by discussing her weaknesses and strengths, and her confusions and certainties about God's relationship with humanity. Her honesty creates a safe atmosphere for students to examine themselves in light of what they are learning. Wiens finds that simply conversing with students as they apply their learning produces great fruit.

Time with them means affirming their worth. And there is no doubt that some of her meetings have been divine appointments—callings from God to work he wants to do in students' lives. He simply asks Wiens to be present as the Holy Spirit guides a student into greater wholeness in Christ.

Monte Cox, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Bible and Religion, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas.

Monte Cox and his family served as missionaries in Kenya from 1982 to 1992, when Cox came to Harding. "I left a receptive mission field and productive ministry in Africa for what proved to be another receptive field and productive ministry [at Harding]." Cox has constant interaction with students. "My job is a ministry in so many ways," he says. "Most importantly, I model Christ's likeness in the way I teach … I try to be very honest and transparent with students." For 15 years, Cox and his wife have hosted mentoring groups in their home for students who are campus leaders. "We want to mentor leaders who are mentors to others," says Cox. "We are doing this intentionally with a ripple effect in mind."

Dottie Myatt, professor of education, assistant dean for teacher education, College of Education and Human Studies, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee.

In Klemata, a Union University women's ministry named for the Greek word for branches, female students participate in Bible studies led by a young woman in her junior or senior year. Klemata started with Dottie Myatt pairing each Bible study leader with an older woman, based on Paul's model in Titus 2:3–5. As a mentor herself, Myatt says, "I would set aside time once a week and they would come to my office." Myatt would ask the leader what she was learning and how God was working in her life. "It was so encouraging to see these wonderful women and the maturity they had," Myatt says. "It is such a ministry, giving them the support spiritually and relationally they need during college."

These educators display what it means to live in the world but not be of it, and provide opportunities for students to grow as Christ's disciples.

Ndunge Kiiti, Ph.D., professor of intercultural studies, Houghton College, Houghton, New York.

Ndunge Kiiti is changing the way Houghton students engage the world. Herself a Kenyan, Kiiti takes a group of students to Chilimarca, Bolivia, each May to participate in a health-development program run by MAP International. For three weeks, aspiring health workers come alongside community members to promote transformation, and they are challenged and changed. Kiiti befriends international students and encourages campus discussions of global issues. She also takes classes to development conferences in Ithaca, New York, and Washington, D.C., and has participated in events like a 60-mile walk in Philadelphia to raise awareness about breast cancer. "God is doing something bigger than we can imagine," Kiiti says. "Take your passions and ask how you can join him."

Gene Fant, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee

Since becoming dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Gene Fant doesn't spend as much time in the classroom as he used to. But that doesn't stop him from building relationships with students. "My philosophy is to get kids to see how God's calling for them is often larger than what they have dreamed," Fant says. Fant helped one student get into the Los Angeles Film Studies Center, while another student studied at Oxford for a semester, thanks to Fant's encouragement. Other students have followed his advice to use their majors in missions work. As students take risks for the gospel, doing things they didn't think possible, "It's a pretty significant epiphany for [students] to have," says Fant.

Sosamma Samuel-Burnett, J.D., chair of the public policy department, William Jessup University, Rocklin, California.

Sosamma Samuel-Burnett has served as a human rights fellow to the U.N. and has conducted U.S. and Latin American advocacy conferences on a host of social issues. As she puts her credentials to work for students, Samuel-Burnett makes sure that spiritual formation and character development are priorities. She has helped students work with programs like World Vision and International Justice Mission, and as chair of her church's global missions program, she gets to share about her work in India, Zimbabwe, and Israel. Samuel-Burnett regularly leads a spiritual formation group for freshmen, which focuses on issues of service, prayer, and evangelism, to assist their integration into college life. And as student government adviser, she mentors students to represent the student body, teaching them what it means to be servant leaders.

These educators' gifts of extra time and energy allow students to develop their skills and confidently share their own gifts.

Barbara Martinez, Ph.D., professor of Spanish language and education, Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Illinois.

Barbara Martinez spends a few weeknights with students outside the classroom, as she teaches ESL classes alongside students at two churches and has them translate mortgage applications and in courtrooms. On Sundays, she and some of her students translate sermons and worship songs at a local church. Also, a conference held each summer allows Martinez's students to translate for international attendees. "Through these out-of-classroom experiences, students are learning an others[oriented] mentality," says Martinez. "They get to see how they make a difference here at ONU and in the surrounding community, and they continue to do that professionally."

Ron Mazellan, associate professor of art, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana.

Ron Mazellan believes every student has the potential to become great. He spends hours coaching his drawing students in their skills and mentoring them for life. In 2007, he worked with an African American student who was struggling with the transition from inner-city Indianapolis to a white, middle-class campus. Mazellan made every effort to help the student retain his cultural heritage through artwork. One student evaluated Mazellan's class by saying, "He is the best teacher anyone could ask for. Professor Mazellan not only taught me how to bring out excellence in my craft, but also helped shape my life. I will be forever indebted to his influence."

Elaine Phillips, Ph.D., professor of biblical and theological studies, Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts.

Based on the recommendations of faculty and senior class members, Elaine Phillips received the 2006 distinguished faculty award for her teaching abilities, scholarship, and relationships with students. Provost Mark Sargent said, "Phillips cherishes many connections within the Gordon community, connections that are apparent in the students who value her as a mentor, in the teams that travel with her to Jerusalem University College [in Israel], and in the ways her students are drawn to more earnest study of biblical literature." In 2006, Phillips led students to Sri Lanka to minister among people still profoundly affected by the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. Phillips also leads a weekly Bible study with six of her seminar students.

David Donelson, Ed.D., chair of the music department, director of choral activities, Crown College, St. Bonifacius, Minnesota.

Walking into Crown College's music office may make you think you're stepping into a living room: students comfortably seated on leather couches eagerly talk about the latest choir rehearsal or discuss their music-theory homework. "We've created a climate where students feel free to just come," David Donelson says. As students take part in choir tours, private lessons, and group rehearsals, they get plenty of one-on-one time with Donelson. As departmental chair, Donelson is chiefly responsible for the atmosphere of the music office. He attributes the high retention rate of students in the music program to that friendly climate as well as how faculty members listen to students' suggestions and desires. "A lot of our ideas originate from students," says Donelson.

With the guidance of these educators, students have excelled at their endeavors, knowing they have a mentor who's invested in their success.

Charles Bressler, Ph.D., professor of English, Houghton College, Houghton, New York.

As a mentor and friend, Charles Bressler is known as "Brother Charles." He begins each class session with a devotional thought, and often converses with students over shared meals or coffee. One student says, "By stepping out of his role as a professor to offer advice on faith and friendship, he has positively shaped how I think about my relationship with God and the way I interact in community." Bressler recently led young scholars on a journey through the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. These students discovered how committed Bressler is to their academic and spiritual growth. They earned rave reviews for their work at conferences in Boston and Oxford, England. While rejoicing in their success, Bressler reminded the students that their work ultimately brings glory to God: "We don't study literature for the sake of literature, but where appropriate, we will voice the Lord's presence in literature and laud his work in the world."

Cathleen Shultz, Ph.D., dean of the College of Nursing, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas.

For over 30 years, Cathleen Shultz has ministered to others through the field of nursing. In 1976, she arrived at Harding University to help start the College of Nursing. "The main reason [I came] was that the church needed a program like this," Shultz says. "We were the only church school with a nursing program." Shultz has a Ph.D. in higher-education administration from Vanderbilt University and has completed post-doctoral work at Harvard. But her commitment to her students is more laudable still. Shultz has led a Bible study for students for 17 years. "Strong relationships are forged between faculty and students," says Shultz. "Those relationships extend past the student's years here. For the student who embraces those relationships, they are invaluable."

Ray Bower, Ph.D., professor of experimental psychology, Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Illinois

Ray Bower is committed to Olivet Nazarene's focus on relational instruction, and regularly mentors his students for the American College Counseling Association symposium and for an annual competition sponsored by the Association of Nazarene Sociologists and Researchers. "Dr. Bower mentors at least 13 research projects, often meeting with students on Saturdays. The result is that his students have won national research awards four years in a row," says Gregg Chenoweth, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Bower says, "What we're trying to do is teach the whole person, to provide high-quality academic training along with aspects of faith." Bower also teaches a class at his church in which many Olivet students participate. "The more I can identify with students, the better they will learn," says Bower.

Students who are influenced by caring educators have their identities shaped by the knowledge of God's interest in their lives. They experience what the psalmist proclaims: "O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him" (Psalm 34:8).

Diane Vescovi is a freelance writer in Pennsylvania. Her writing for various publications focuses on holistic mission and ministries.