I still remember the professors who influenced the way I think. Sometimes it was a classroom discussion. Sometimes it was a single conversation that came back years later when I needed it most. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” That’s what a Grace classroom is meant to do. When I hear alumni talk about the professors who impacted them, I see that verse lived out again and again.
Joe’s and Isaiah’s Experience
Ask Joe Johnson what prepared him most for ministry, and he doesn’t hesitate. Joe graduated from Grace in 2013, married his wife, Kaylee, that same fall, and went on to earn a Master of Divinity at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Today, he serves as the lead pastor at Parkside Bible Church in Holland, Michigan, while Kaylee serves as the worship director. Looking back, Joe says his time at Grace prepared him well for what came next.
“All of the theology classes at Grace were incredibly formative for me. I was surprised how prepared I was for my Seminary experience as well. I took Dr. Loverin’s ethics class, which prepared me most for the trenches of ministry,” Joe told me. “I often return to the material, lectures, and discussion from that class as I interact with many different types of people.”
Isaiah Denhof’s story followed a very different path.
Isaiah graduated in 2026. Before coming to Grace, he had an offer for a high-paying mechanic’s job with Caterpillar. Then one week of volunteering at his church’s Vacation Bible School changed everything. He realized ministry was where God was leading him instead. When Isaiah arrived on campus, he felt confident about serving in ministry. His theology, however, still had room to grow.
Dr. Loverin’s class on modernity and theology became a turning point.
“That class started the snowball,” Isaiah said. “It opened my mind to realize what actually matters: it’s not about every little doctrinal detail. It’s about salvation, knowing Jesus as your Savior. Everything else flows from that.”
Isaiah Denhof’s story followed a very different path.
Isaiah graduated in 2026. Before coming to Grace, he had an offer for a high-paying mechanic’s job with Caterpillar. Then one week of volunteering at his church’s Vacation Bible School changed everything. He realized ministry was where God was leading him instead. When Isaiah arrived on campus, he felt confident about serving in ministry. His theology, however, still had room to grow. Dr. Loverin’s class on modernity and theology became a turning point.
“That class started the snowball,” Isaiah said. “It opened my mind to realize what actually matters: it’s not about every little doctrinal detail. It’s about salvation, knowing Jesus as your Savior. Everything else flows from that.”
What Happens Inside a Leadership & Ministry Classroom?
One thing stands out when I listen to Joe and Isaiah tell their stories. Neither talks about a professor simply handing them answers. Instead, both describe professors who welcomed honest questions. Those conversations helped them examine what they believed and build convictions that became their own. Isaiah describes it as finally claiming his faith for himself.
Every Grace degree includes hands-on experience, a requirement through our accreditation with the Association for Biblical Higher Education. On paper, that may sound like another graduation requirement. For many students, it becomes one of the most valuable parts of their education. Marc Paskiewicz experienced that firsthand. During his junior year, Marc lived with the student serving as the campus pastor intern. He watched him organize chapel, coordinate speakers, meet with students, and care for the campus community. Seeing ministry lived out every day convinced Marc he wanted to serve in the same way. He talked with Campus Pastor Danny Garcia and the Student Affairs team before applying for the internship himself.
“I was super blessed and honored that I was able to step into a role where I could serve this campus and have the support of the leadership,” Marc said. “To be able to do the work that the Lord has put in my heart at Grace Christian University, it meant everything.”
What Does a Campus Pastor Internship Look Like?
Marc’s weeks began with a Monday planning meeting. The team mapped out chapel services, testimony appointments, teaching preparation, preaching schedules, and speaker introductions. Outside those meetings, Marc regularly met with five or six students every week or two. These weren’t academic advising sessions. They were opportunities to encourage students, pray with them, and simply be present in their lives.
“To see what it looks like to be a pastor, that’s why you do an internship,” Marc said. “You get a base and a feel of what life is going to look like.”
Marc carried real responsibility. Before finishing his degree, he was helping lead chapel, investing in fellow students, and serving alongside experienced ministry leaders. Experiences like that prepare students for ministry in ways a classroom alone never can.
Why Does “Just Showing Up” Matter?
One of Marc’s biggest lessons had nothing to do with preaching. A few months into the internship, he attended a meeting he had been told was important. As the conversation unfolded, he couldn’t understand why he was there. When he asked, someone brushed the question aside. After the meeting, Danny Garcia pulled him aside.
“He said, ‘Marc, in ministry, a lot of times it’s just about showing up. It’s about being a steady hand for people,'” Marc said.
Marc describes himself as someone who likes to move quickly and take initiative. That conversation slowed him down. Looking back, he says the correction taught him as much as any theology course.
“One of the biggest downfalls of pastors in America is their pride,” he said. “You have to humble yourself in a position to allow people to breathe life into you, correct you, and reprove you so you can be effective in ministry the way Christ envisioned us to.”
I don’t know many lessons more valuable for someone preparing to serve others.
How Does Growth Continue After Graduation?
Danny Garcia graduated from Grace in 2022. Today, he serves as campus pastor, investing in students who now sit where he once sat. That same pattern appears throughout this program. More than a decade after graduation, Joe Johnson says, “Grace equipped me to do more than succeed. It prepared me to flourish in seminary, pastoring, and relationships. A degree from Grace Christian University is nothing short of transformational. It’s a true eternal investment!” Graduation doesn’t end those lessons. Pastor Jim Shemaria of Celebration Bible Church recently joined Danny Garcia on the Courageous Ambassador Podcast to reflect on what fifteen years of leading the same congregation in Grandville, Michigan, has taught him. His answer probably wasn’t what most ministry students would expect.
“If I were to look at my preaching from ten or fifteen years ago compared to now, the biggest shift is that it’s much less performative,” Jim said.
Early in ministry, he wanted people to leave impressed by his preaching. Over time, that changed. Today, his focus is helping people recognize what God is doing in their own lives. He’s less concerned about reaching an audience beyond his church and more concerned about faithfully serving the people God has already entrusted to him. Jim credits Eugene Peterson’s writing with helping him find that perspective.
“It became really key to start being the best Jim Shemaria pastor I could be,” he said, “because I stopped trying to be someone else.”
Danny Garcia compared that kind of growth to Alex Honnold’s years of preparation before his famous free solo climb. The public saw one incredible moment. They didn’t see the countless hours of quiet work that came first.
“There’s also this act of learning and walking into it. We all know people who may have been called to this work but, for whatever reason, didn’t hone the craft.”
I’ve thought about those words often. Ministry begins with God’s leading, but faithful ministry also requires a willingness to keep learning.
Why Do Leadership & Ministry Graduates Serve in So Many Different Roles?
Not every leadership & ministry graduate stands behind a pulpit every Sunday. I’m grateful for that. God uses people in many different kinds of ministry. Caleb Befus graduated in 2012 and now pastors a growing church in Michigan. He credits Grace’s theological foundation with preparing him to lead a diverse congregation. Aaron Smith earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ministry from Grace before graduating in 2019. Today, he leads youth ministry, using technology to reach students in ways that weren’t common when he was in college. Joe Johnson serves as a lead pastor. Danny Garcia returned to Grace as campus pastor. Others have become worship leaders, youth pastors, nonprofit leaders, missionaries, and ministry directors. The goal isn’t to produce graduates who all follow the same path. The goal is to prepare people to faithfully serve wherever God leads them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Current Students Say About Grace’s Professors?
Bud Moore, put it simply. “Our professors invest in students both inside and outside the classroom. They care about students’ spiritual growth just as much as they care about preparing them for ministry.”
What Should You Ask Before Choosing a Ministry Program?
Our admissions counselors hear many of the same questions from prospective students. Here are a few honest answers.
I already serve in my church. Will I still learn something?
Joe Johnson was already active in ministry before coming to Grace. Even so, he still points to one classroom as the most valuable preparation for the ministry he leads today. Serving in your church and formal education aren’t competing experiences. A strong ministry program helps you understand, strengthen, and apply what you’re already learning through serving others.
Do I have to become a pastor?
No. Grace graduates serve in many different ministry roles. Aaron Smith leads youth ministry. Kaylee Johnson serves through worship ministry. Other graduates work in churches, Christian organizations, schools, nonprofits, and campus ministry.
What if I’m not sure I’m ready?
Isaiah Denhof wasn’t planning to pursue ministry. He was one email away from beginning a career as a mechanic at Caterpillar. Then one week serving at Vacation Bible School changed his direction. Readiness often comes after you take the first step, not before.
What makes one ministry degree different from another?
Ask how students spend their time. How much learning happens only in a classroom? How much happens through serving alongside experienced ministry leaders? Marc’s internship wasn’t job shadowing. He helped coordinate chapel, invested in students each week, and carried real responsibility before graduation. Those experiences helped prepare him for ministry long before he entered full-time service.
What can you do with a leadership & ministry degree from Grace Christian University?
Graduates serve as pastors, associate pastors, youth pastors, campus pastors, worship leaders, nonprofit leaders, and in many other ministry roles.
Do I need ministry experience before enrolling?
No. Some students arrive after years of serving in their church. Others, like Isaiah Denhof, come from completely different careers after God redirects their plans.
How much Bible and theology coursework is included?
Grace students complete more than 30 credit hours of Bible and theology courses. Joe Johnson and Isaiah Denhof both point to those classes as preparation they still rely on today.
What is Grace’s student-faculty ratio?
Grace maintains a 16:1 student-faculty ratio. That smaller learning environment gives students opportunities to build genuine relationships with professors throughout their time on campus.
Do leadership & ministry students complete internships?
Yes. Hands-on experience is required across all Grace degree programs. Leadership & Ministry students often take on significant ministry responsibilities before graduation, just as Marc Paskiewicz did through his campus pastor internship.
Can I study leadership & ministry online?
Grace offers several online ministry-related programs. If you’re interested in studying leadership & ministry specifically, our admissions team can help you understand the current options.
What’s the difference between biblical studies and leadership & ministry?
Both programs share Grace’s Bible-centered foundation. Biblical studies focuses more heavily on studying Scripture, theology, and biblical interpretation. Leadership & Ministry builds on that foundation while placing additional emphasis on leadership, ministry practice, and hands-on experience.
Do Grace professors have real ministry experience?
Yes. Grace professors are involved in pastoral roles at their church or serving in other capacities of ministry at their church or local community.
A Closing Thought
I think about Grace’s mission statement often: Graduating Courageous Ambassadors for Christ Who Make an Eternal Impact Wherever They Go. Joe. Isaiah. Marc. Danny. None of them arrived at Grace with everything figured out. Each came willing to learn, willing to grow, and willing to let God work through professors, pastors, and experiences that prepared them for what came next. That’s what I hope every student finds here. If you’re wondering whether Grace’s Leadership & Ministry program could help prepare you for where God is leading you, I’d encourage you to talk with our admissions team. Ask questions. Meet our faculty. Visit campus. You may find that one conversation becomes something you remember for years to come.
