Brett Dean was looking for a challenge that would require him to step out in faith. He found it. As a member of Northview Church, Brett is one of many partners from the church who volunteer in various programs at Brookside Community Church.

With Brookside Church member Jason Perry, Brett has been teaching the 4th and 5th graders in Brookside’s Children’s Ministry for more than two years. He knows he’s not a teacher, but that’s where the challenge comes in. “I’ve been told every time I say, ‘I’m not qualified to teach,’ that that makes me qualified. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but I go with it.”

On the Sundays when he and Jason teach, Brett said seeing the kids’ faces light up when they walk in the room is rewarding. “Either they know they can get away with more things or they genuinely enjoy my teaching,” he said. He’s happy for the smiles either way.

But teaching has also meant learning—or relearning. “A clear benefit has been learning and reading from the Bible,” Brett said. “Many stories we discuss, I’d either forgotten or did not study while in Sunday School myself.”

Teaching the kids has also helped him learn to identify some possible underlying motivations when a child misbehaves in class and these are lessons he’s applying with his own children, as well. “It’s easy to get mad and discipline,” he said, “but I’m learning that it benefits the kids to ask and find out what may be bothering them. Something outside of the class may be the real cause of the outburst.”

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