Ellyssa Herbruck

Mrs. Herbruck graduated from Cornerstone University, and recently began her career at NPC. She is honored to have the privilege to return to her alma mater to teach high school science. Mrs. Herbruck prays that through teaching science, her students will learn about the magnificence and wonders of God, who is the creator and sustainer of life. She married her high school sweetheart this summer, and they enjoy running together, as well as spending time with friends and family.

Science tells us about the magnificence and wonders of God, our creator and sustainer of life. Through studying science, I have learned of the power and creativity of God, as well as is love that He has for creation. As an alumna of NPC, I am honored to have the privilege to return to NorthPointe Christian as a high school science teacher; here I pray that I am able to open my students’ eyes to the wonders of God, his care and detail in creation, and his love for us displayed through his creativity.

The mission of NorthPointe Christian is “To equip students to impact their world for Jesus Christ.” To accomplish this, there are three mandates that I will incorporate into my high school science classes in order to further God’s kingdom and plant seeds of growth. The first mandate is the love mandate. In Mathew 22:37-40 Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” In studying science, I believe we show love through being curious about His creation because it reveals much about His character to God. We are called to love, grow, forgive, and share the good news of Jesus Christ, implications that God has laid out for us in his Word. We honor God by studying science, the earth, creation, living creatures, and by being a steward of it in a way that points to the order, majesty, and variety in creation.

The mission mandate is Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This command from Christ calls us to go into the world to proclaim His name. In the Big Picture Learning program, we do this through sending students out into the real world every week during their internships. Part of our goal in Big Picture Learning is to prepare these students not only with the skills to work well in the real world, but also to equip them to share their faith boldly with those they interact with through internships, connecting with adults from different walks of life.

The image mandate I will teach daily in the science classroom. Genesis 1:26, 28 says, “Let us make man in our image … Be fruitful .. fill the earth … subdue it … rule over every living creature.” Within the science curriculum, students will explore God’s creation: its beginnings, its age, the formation of life, and its structure. We will focus on the book of Genesis and learn more about God through the sequence and importance of creation in seven days. As Christians, we are image bearers of Jesus Christ and should reflect his attributes to those around us. Science allows us to have an opportunity to study problems in this world and provides an environment for discussion on how we can love others by portraying God’s image to others through scientific explorations and case studies. I want my students to learn firsthand what a miraculous God we serve; it is my prayer that their walk of faith is deepened through their science classes here at NorthPointe Christian as mine was.