Passing the Mantle
You are Elijahs! Pastors, teachers, staff ministers, ministers of the gospel of all kinds, as you share the Word of God, you are doing the work of Elijah. And somewhere in your circle of influence is an Elisha, a young person who will take up the mantle of gospel ministry from you (2 Kings 2). Even now, they are watching you, wanting to imitate you, and waiting for a word of encouragement from you. Many, many MLC students have an Elijah, someone who exemplified joyful ministry and encouraged them to consider ministry. Here are a few from the class of 2023:
Alyssa Heckendorf
MLC ’23
(Light of the Valleys-Reno NV)
“Coach Bixby (pictured with her husband and Alyssa) not only taught me Spanish and volleyball at FVL, but she cared about my life. I would love to make an impact on other students by showing the love and passion that Coach Bixby showed me.
“Mr. Retzlaff (not pictured) inspired me to be a teacher because of the love he shows his students and the passion he has for the gospel. He made it obvious how important it is to spread the good news of Jesus as our Savior to people around the world. I pray that I can make as much of an impact on others as he did on me.”
Sam Eickhoff
MLC ’23
(St. Paul-Howards Grove WI)
“At St. Paul’s in Howards Grove, Pastor Unke always encouraged me to consider the ministry. He was a great example of how a pastor could impact the lives of everyone that he served. He inspired me to come to MLC.”
Nicole Porter
MLC ’23
(St. Paul-New Ulm MN)
“Mrs. Gartner has been my inspiration since kindergarten at Grace in Lowell, Arkansas. She has shown me how important it is to build a positive relationship with students and encourage them to do their best. This is a big part of teaching, and Mrs. Gartner and I have always had that strong relationship both inside and outside the classroom. She cared about how I was doing as a student and as an individual. I hope to have that kind of relationship and positive influence on my future students!”
Natalie Zirbel MLC ’23 (Zion-Greenleaf WI): “Ms. Karen Wilsmann DMLC ’76 inspired me to be a teacher because of how she treated her students at Manitowoc LHS! I witnessed her continually pushing and encouraging them every day, never giving up on them.”
Caleb Lash MLC ’23 (First-Racine WI): “Mr. Tim Mielke, a physics and STEM teacher at Shoreland, was a fantastic example of what it means to be there for your students. Even through difficulties in his own life, he was able to have great relationships with and care deeply about his students, all while making learning extremely fun.”
Check out our Project Elijah classroom resources! Using these activities to help your K-8 students think about becoming a called worker is one way you can be an Elijah and “pass the mantle” to each Elisha in your classroom. mlc-wels.edu/publications/project-elijah
