THE QUIET HEROES of FAITH

Dear Modern-Day Parents,

At the beginning of this year, I released my fourth children’s book, and I dedicated it to my childhood Bible Teacher. I grew up in the Anglican church. My mom was a devout member of St. Mary’s Guild, and so she signed me up as a member of the Children of St. Mary’s Guild. While she was at her meeting, I was also in mine. Every Monday, Agya Sei (my Monday Bible Teacher) sat in a circle with us week after week, holding his Bible with gentle hands and a patient smile. Even though I was little, I remember his passion for the word of God and the glow on his face whenever he talked about Jesus.

As a child, I didn’t fully grasp what he was offering us. I didn’t see the preparation behind his lessons, the prayers whispered over our names, or the way he must have rushed from his own responsibilities to show up for a room full of children. I just knew that every Monday, he was there. He was calm, steady, and willing to teach us about Jesus in ways our young hearts could understand.

It wasn’t until many years later, as an adult, a parent, and a Sunday school teacher myself, that I looked back and realized the weight of his service. He wasn’t simply teaching stories… he was planting seeds. Seeds that would grow roots in moments of uncertainty. Seeds that would shape my understanding of God. Seeds that would blossom into convictions I still carry today.

And often, God uses people like him; quiet, faithful servants working behind the scenes to shape our spiritual foundations long before we even know what’s happening.

 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” — Matthew 18:5
 

He didn’t just welcome us. He embraced us with the love of Christ, one small lesson at a time.

When I think about him now, I see more than just a Monday Bible teacher. I see a man who showed up even when only two children were in attendance. I see someone who believed that children weren’t too young to understand the truth. I see someone who treated every Bible verse like a seed of eternal value. In fact, he encouraged me to read one of the words Jesus spoke on the cross, one Easter, in front of a larger parish. 

What moves me most is that he didn’t do it for applause. He did it because he knew the value of building the Kingdom of God in little hearts. Perhaps he saw generations. His ministry was small in the world’s eyes, but enormous in God’s. 

Parents, some of the most meaningful spiritual influences in our children’s lives may not be the ones with microphones or titles. Often, it’s the Sunday school teachers and weekday volunteers who spend time with them week in and week out. The volunteer who kneels to tie their shoe… the leader who prays over them while coloring pages on the table. These teachers step into our children’s lives during some of their most impressionable years. They are building foundations while our children think they are just listening to another story in the Bible, gluing, singing, or drawing. And while we can’t see it, God is weaving those moments into lifelong faith.

So, this month, as we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day, I choose to honor a man who planted truth in my childhood heart and echoed the gospel in my childhood ears. He faithfully showed up even when his work seemed unnoticed. 

This week, consider reaching out to your child’s Sunday school teacher. Send a note. Offer a prayer. Speak encouragement into their lives. They may not realize the impact they’re making, but your words might be the reminder they need to keep sowing faithfully. Their ministry matters. More than they know.

As I think about my childhood Monday Bible teacher, knowing that he is in heaven, I can imagine him smiling, knowing that his labor was not in vain. 

Who was the Sunday school teacher who shaped your faith… and what seed did they leave in your heart?

💎 At Gems for Generations, we honor the quiet heroes of faith — the parents, the teachers, the volunteers who shape the next generation with love, truth, and patience.