I received my undergraduate training from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Animal Science back in the last century (1977.) I then moved to Montana and began a 20-year career teaching science in a small rural public school in western Montana (Superior). Early in this period, my wife and I came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. In 2000, I became a curriculum director, and then in 2002, an elementary principal in that same school district. In 2004, I received a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Covenant College, GA, giving me a Biblical Worldview on the administration of education. I retired from my 27-year public school career in 2007, and by 2008 became the superintendent of Valley Christian School in Missoula, Montana. I have two grown children and my wife, Linda teaches in Superior where I still live most nights. I am excited about the opportunity to serve a Christian community of students! In my spare time, I like to hunt, fish, and putter around the back 40 managing our trees.
Sally Baier - High School Principal
I was saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ when I was 20 years old. Six months later, I met an outstanding Christian man, Ray, to whom I have been married since 1971. We have three grown children that love and serve Our Savior as well. I have served children as a public, private, Sunday School and home school teacher for over 25 years. And I am so thankful God has called me to Valley as an Assistant High School Principal and to teach Spanish, Sales and Marketing, and Community Service. My teacher's training began at the University of Puget Sound (BA Elementary Education). I continued my education at the University of Denver, and finished my Masters at the University of Idaho and earned my Administrators license at the University of Phoenix. In addition to my ministry at Valley, our family ministers to troubled teens in our new home on 23 acres West of Missoula. With God's help, we want to offer shelter and hope to the lost utilizing the incredible beauty of His creation.
Jon Hawkins - EL / JH Principal
I am the K-8 principal here at Valley Christian. My duties are numerous and varied: curriculum development, teacher supervision, student discipline, dress code, teacher evaluations, lunchroom and playground supervision, and schedule development to name a few. I am also the junior high track coach and teach a junior high advisor group.
I was born in southern California and grew up in northern California and southern Oregon, in a Christian home. My father served as a pastor in various churches. I came to the Lord at an early age since God and the Bible were an integral part of life. I crammed four years into five at Judson Baptist College and graduated with a BA in education. Shortly after graduation, I got a job teaching junior high science and math. A year and a half later, a friend who taught at Valley told me of an opening in third grade. I was hired and began working here in the fall of 1986.
I taught third grade for 14 years. Since 2004 I have been in my current position as K-8 principal. It has been a wonderful and growing experience, being here at Valley Christian. God has blessed me more than I deserve and some days more than I can comprehend.
Elementary Teachers
Angie Barndt
I was raised in a Christian home in Penticton, B.C. After spending two years at Briercrest Bible College in Caron port, S.K. I met David. I had no idea where Montana was but I soon figured it out. We were married in 1990, graduated from college and had our first daughter. We spent 3 years in Laurel, MT youth pasturing. The Lord then brought us back to Missoula where we settled in Lolo.
The Lord has been the lighthouse in my life, guiding me through some very rough seas. But he never promises a storm free life, but to light the way through the gates.
Sharon Benson
My name is Sharon Benson. I was born in Bozeman, Montana but grew up in a small farming community near Salem, Oregon. After I graduated from high school, my family moved to St. Ignatius, Montana. There we ran a small cattle ranch. I attended the University of Montana and received a degree in Elementary Education.
I began my teaching career by running a Lutheran preschool in Ronan. During my second year of teaching, I felt the Lord was leading me to Valley Christian School. I've taught second grade at Valley since the fall of 1987.
I heard about Christ when I was young through church and Bible clubs, but I had no understanding of God's grace and struggled with trying to earn my way to heaven. At the age of 15, I finally came to understand fully the love, grace and mercy of our God. I thank God that not only am I saved by His grace, I live by His grace. Without Him, I am unable to live the righteous life that He desires.
Jenny DeGroot
Thanks to my wonderful Christian mother, I was introduced to Jesus Christ at an early age. When my husband and I had a family, we knew that we wanted to pass that same heritage down to them. I earned a degree in Elementary Education and came to Valley Christian School as a Kindergarten teacher the first year that our two oldest sons started here. Now, three of our sons have graduated from Valley and are in or have graduated from college. Our daughter graduated from Valley this spring. After a few years off, I returned to Valley last year to begin our pre-kindergarten program, and that has been a total joy! Now in my 14th year of teaching here, I can truly say that the Lord still has something new for me to learn each day!
Dawn Douglas
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come into His presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2
Of course a music teacher would love those words! My husband, Bryan and I have lived in Missoula for 20 years. We have a lovely daughter and two sons. I have loved the Lord and been interested in spiritual things for as long as I can remember. I was baptized into Christ as a young adult. I am supported spiritually by excellent friends, a dedicated body of Christ, and a committed, knowledgeable husband. And now I will have more support in the family at Valley Christian School. I am a vocalist, and a cellist. I have had many opportunities to teach music in Missoula, but I am especially excited to teach at Valley because excellent music lends itself to excellent worship! To be able to teach musical skills in connection with songs and hymns and spiritual songs will be so fun- and so effective. Make a joyful noise!
Erin Sepp
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wasteland and a spring in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 I had the privilege of attending Valley Christian School from kindergarten through my senior year of high school. There is rarely a day that goes by that I am not grateful to the Lord for the amazing Biblical foundation I received while attending VCS. It was during that time that I was rooted in my faith and my relationship with Jesus Christ. After graduating high school in 2000 I attended the University of Montana where I received my B.A. in Elementary Education. After a year of substitute teaching for Missoula County Public School, God called me to return to VCS –this time as a teacher. I taught fifth grade for three years. In 2008 God called me to take a year off teaching and attend the Horizon School of Evangelism in San Diego, CA. This was a great time of growing closer to the Lord and developing amazing friendships as I served by participating in various volunteer projects, ministries, and even a three-week long road trip up the west coast. I moved back to Missoula in the winter of 2009. I was glad to be returning to a place with great hiking, mountain biking, and of course, fly fishing! However, I am more excited to return to a great job where I serve the Lord with amazing colleagues, and wonderful students.
Linda Jourdonnais
I was raised in the Catholic Church and always knew God and believed in him. I did not learn about the saving power of Jesus Christ and what he did for me until I was an adult at the age of 25. We attended an Episcopal Church where the pastor was a believer and a great teacher of the Bible. We were greatly blessed during that time which took our pastor and us to Butte, MT. During our time in Butte our family believed that the Lord called us to evangelism and missions.
In 1997 we were blessed as a family to attend a Crossroads Discipleship Training School at YWAM. Jon was granted a 6 month leave from work and we home schooled the children. We attended the DTS and went on a Mission trip to the Ukraine. It was an incredible experience for all of us.
God called us back to the mission field in Butte, where we lived a year ago. We then felt God’s urging to move to Missoula to be closer to family and to let Jana go to school at Valley Christian. About 6 months later I knew God wanted me to pursue teaching, specifically pre-school I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to be involved with Valley Christian School and the Pre-school program. We look forward to what God has in store for us!
Julie Lynn
I was born and raised on Flathead Lake near Polson, Montana. I am the youngest of five children in a family that spent/spends a great deal of time working and playing together outside. After earning a bachelors degree in elementary education at the University of Montana, I taught sixth grade for three years before returning to Polson. While in Polson I substitute taught for three years, taught in a multi-grade classroom for three years and worked in "the other world" outside of teaching for two years. I was blessed with the opportunity to begin teaching at Valley Christian School for the 2002-2003 school years.
My life is best summed up by Philippians 1:6 which reads, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." While I trusted Jesus as my Savior at the age of 12, this decision didn't become a reality for me until my freshmen year of college. I thank the Lord daily for the wonderful gift He has given me in allowing me to teach at Valley Christian. He is truly the center of all that is done at this school.
Karen Moore
Valley Christian School has been my ministry since 2003. Working with sixth grade my first year taught me many valuable lessons. When fourth grade opened up, I chose that option. I love the curriculum at Valley because it is so full of amazing, exciting truths - all based on God's Word. By the end of the school year fourth grade students will know all the United States. We traverse the heights of friendship and lows of how to be a friend. I cannot think of many areas of life that we do not deal with.
When I am not teaching, I love being with my husband, Bill, a fireman, and our two daughters. We live down the Bitterroot Valley near Stevensville. The peacefulness and agrarian lifestyle take me back to my childhood in the Badlands of South Dakota.
In my four years here at Valley I have enjoyed great encouragement and blessing. The staff are committed individuals who love the Lord. We all want to see Jesus lifted up and given all the praise.
Cheryl Nurse
My name is Cheryl Nurse and I have been teaching here since 1992. From the time I was a young child, I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I was born in Berlin, Germany on November 14, 1963. As a child, going to church every Sunday was important to my parents. But, it wasn't until the summer following my junior year in High School that I realized what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I thank the Lord every day for bringing my husband Ed and I to Valley Christian School while our boys were still young. It was here that I truly became a student of the Word and began to realize what it meant to Godly Parent my children. As I continue to acknowledge Him, He is faithful to direct me in the path he has chosen for me.
Rachael Terrill
I was born into a Christian home where God’s Word was actively used. I accepted Christ into my heart at a VBS at age 5. From that point on I found myself being heavily involved in the church. I spent my elementary and junior high years attending a public school. I found that the public school system was not providing the spiritual foundation that I needed and decided that Valley Christian School would be a great place to receive my remaining education and receive a firm foundation that I would need. I graduated high school in 1999 pursuing a career in elementary education. I attended Prairie Bible College in Canada where I really found what it meant to have a living and growing relationship with Christ. After five years I graduated with my education degree and from there God brought me back to Missoula. I have now gotten the privilege to be able to teach at Valley Christian School and what a joy!!!
High School and Junior High School Staff
Joe Messner - HS Counselor
In ’02-’03 I became a new teacher at Valley Christian School, but I was not new to education! I spent the previous 32 years teaching and counseling at Arlee, Montana. Currently, I teach junior high science, Bible, physics and BDT. I pray daily that the Lord will make me a blessing to at least one student each day for His glory. I was born in Anaconda and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior at the age of 8. My spiritual growth, however, didn’t really begin until 15 years later when I re-dedicated my life to the Lord at our Arlee Alliance Church. I praise God for His patience and long-suffering. My life-long partner, Carolyn, and I have two children both of whom have also accepted Christ as their Savior.
Diane Clawson
Schönen guten Tag! I am the German teacher at Valley Christian School. I have taught at Valley since the fall of 1982. In addition to four levels of German I’ve also taught English, drama, Old Testament Survey, children’s German, and even P.E. I feel blessed to plan & direct a six-week ministry trip to Germany and Austria every other summer. Macht bestimmt viel Spass! Although I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior at the age of 15, it has really been during my years at VCS that I have grown immensely in my Christian life. My walk with Jesus is SO precious to me and it is my desire to serve Him faithfully each day. His Word is Truth! John 3:30 is my life verse: “He must become greater; I must become less.” My husband James and I have been married 39 adventurous years and have one married daughter, Jamie, who graduated from VCS and now lives on the West Coast with her husband, Jon, and our two DARLING granddaughters.
Auf Wiedersehen und Gottes Segen!
Jeff Norberg
I teach high school Biology, AP Biology and Human Anatomy & Physiology. I graduated from the University of Montana with a B.S. in Medical Technology and a teaching certificate with an endorsement in Biology. I have taught at Valley Christian School since 1987. I was born in Sandpoint, Idaho in 1955 and graduated from Libby High School in 1973. After a year of doing odd jobs, I joined the Navy where I came to the conclusion that there was no God and that the Bible was not true. My philosophy in life was to live for the moment and for pleasure. At some point I began to question my purpose in life and started seriously questioning whether there was a God. I was searching for fulfillment and finally received Christ as my Lord and Savior on April 9, 1978, somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. God has blessed me with a wonderful, godly wife and two sons and He has led me into a fulfilling ministry teaching students the two subjects I love the most, the Bible and science. God has brought meaning to my life today and hope for life in eternity. To God be the Glory!
Carol Elsen
After receiving a BA in English from Miami University of Ohio, I accepted a four-year doctoral teaching fellowship in English from Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, I taught freshman composition as well as several literature classes. In the process of working on my doctorate, I completed the work for an MA in English. After becoming a Christian, God brought me to Montana. In Missoula I taught as a visiting instructor for the University of Montana, but have primarily taught high school English at VCS starting in 1993-1994. Three years ago the College Board invited me to be a reader of the Advanced Placement language exams. In 2000 the College Board invited me to become a faculty consultant for the Western Region of the College Board.
Being trained as a faculty consultant for the College Board has led me to interesting places. I have been invited back yearly for the reading of the AP Language and Composition Exams in Daytona Beach, Florida. I have also been invited to teach summer sessions on line for UCLA and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks invited me to teach their summer institute in Fairbanks. Locally, I have presented workshops on Portfolios and AP Scoring at the State Teachers' Conventions as well as shared presentations at the University of Montana, Missoula and the NCTE convention in Portland.
Cyndi Parsons
I teach JH History & Physical Education. I also get to teach God’s Word to one 8th grade class in Bible and I am the Advisor to 14 girls in the 7th & 8th grades. I first began teaching at Valley in the fall of ’02 and I have loved every minute of my ministry here. I am a certified Medical Assistant with an emphasis in Sports Medicine and I am currently working on my certification with the National Counsel of Strength and Fitness.
My husband Wyatt and our two sons and myself joined the Valley Christian family in the fall of 2000. Since that time I have been an Assistant Coach for the high school Cross Country and Track teams and have coached Junior High Girls Volleyball and Basketball.
Brent Reimer
I was born and raised in Missoula, MT. I attended Valley Christian for Kindergarten through 12th grade. I graduated with a B.A. degree in Elementary Education from the University of Montana in 2003. At about the age of 5 I accepted Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and my walk with Him has been an ongoing growth ever since. I consider only what I have done for Christ to be lasting and that is why I came back to Valley Christian to teach in 2006. I want to be an inspiration for Christ to the students I teach and to spur them on in their walk with Him; that is what brings me true joy and one of the things that I know will last forever. My beautiful wife Melisa, and I have been blessed with 2 wonderful children named Preston and Tyson.
Bridget Niemeir
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1,2
After returning to complete my degree in Elementary Education, I graduated from the University of Montana in the summer of 2000. I worked as a substitute teacher in the Bitterroot Valley, where I live with my wonderful husband and family. My experience with Valley Christian School began as a parent in 2001. What a blessing to find such a wonderful school for our children. It was in the Spring of 2007 that I knew I was being called to apply for a teaching position. I feel I have been given a gift in the opportunity to serve here at Valley and am having a great time along the way. I teach Junior High English, Seventh Grade Bible and Junior High Girl's Discipleship. I believe I learn as much on a daily basis as the students. It is amazing to see God at work in each of our lives and through our relationships with one another. The Lord truly is my rock.
John Elsen
I attended Valley Christian School from fourth grade on and graduated in 2000. From there I attended Wheaton College (Wheaton Illinois: right outside of Chicago) where I majored in Math and in Secondary Education. I then spent eight months in Northern Wisconsin working in the Auto Shop of Honey Rock Camp. It was during this time that I felt the Lord calling me to come teach Math at Valley Christian. I started in the fall of 2005 and have been blessed. It has been a joy to be back at Valley and I am excited to be a part of the team of “agents of change."
Lorie Hawkins
I grew up near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the youngest of six children. My father was a pastor and a machinist and Mom stayed home with us kids. I accepted Christ as a child and was blessed to be established in my faith both at home and at the Christian school I attended. I always enjoyed reading and grammar in school, so I chose an English major in college. In 1985 I graduated with a BA in English, certified to teach secondary education. My first teaching job brought me to VCS that fall. I taught some junior high and all the high school English courses for the first few years. I taught for eight years. During that time I met Jon, who had come to teach third grade here at Valley in 1986. We married in 1987 and taught together until we were blessed with our first child in 1993. I have stayed home with our four children since then. I was surprised to find the Lord leading me back to teaching part-time this year. I had decided I would not go back to teaching until the Lord made it very clear to me that it was time. He did, and here I am once again. It's been a challenge and a pleasure to be in the classroom again.
Laurie Job
I moved to Montana from my native Nebraska land after college. It was in Missoula that I met and married my husband of 25 years now. We have 2 grown daughters, a son-in-law and grandson who all live in Montana again. I have Master’s of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. I came to know Christ as my Savior 20+ years ago thanks to my very colicky baby who “drove” me to Jesus. I was at the end of myself, and Christ gave me hope (and gives me hope) to face the difficult days. My favorite verse is John 16:33; Jesus says “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Being a strong Christian is important to me and this verse reminds me that trouble is part of this world that can serve to strengthen me.
Brennan Koch
I am a proud Idahoan! I was born in the Great Potato State, in McCall Idaho, and grew up in Quaker Hill, a church camp. This gave me a great opportunity to grow up in Christ and enjoy His creation. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from George Fox University. I met my wife there as well. After graduation I returned to George Fox to earn my Master’s of Arts in Teaching Degree. For the next two years I taught middle school science. After those two years we left Portland and moved to Missoula on faith and here the Lord led me to VCS. I am so appreciative of the Lord’s loving graces and the ways that He works directly with us in our lives.
Steve Sweet
I was born in California and moved to Billings when I was four. I became a believer at a very young age and at the time of that decision the Lord made his presence known in my mind. I had a sudden, indescribable knowledge of who God was and I knew I should make him the boss of my life. Our family then moved to Missoula where I became friends with Paul Glidewell who had a little sister. I vaguely remember Paul’s little sister racing around but I never talked to her since she was a "girl." Little did I know she would one day become my wife! After high school I went to the University of Wyoming and there I became involved with a college group that was very serious about discipling others. This is where Christianity became practical in my life. After college I ended up in Missoula again, visiting the Glidewell family. They had recommended that I apply at Valley Christian School. They also recommended that I apply for the hand of their daughter, Sharla. Trusting their wisdom and not wanting to cause problems I took them up on both accounts! Sharla and I now have three little girls. I have taught at Valley Christian since 2001 and will continue until the Lord sends me to another assignment.
Bev Steinbrenner
Mrs. Bev Steinbrenner has lived in Missoula since 1983. She has two boys. Currently, both her sons are graduates from Valley Christian School. Her oldest son, Matt, is a working as a software consultant in Pierre, SD. Her youngest, Cory, is attending the University of Montana. In 1999, Mrs. Steinbrenner graduated from the University of Montana and received a BA in English Education. In 2000, the Lord led her to Valley Christian School. She began teaching Eagle part-time and also taught 8th and 9th grade English. She began teaching Eagle full-time in 2002. Since that time, she has also received a provisional license to teach art and will soon complete her K-12 endorsement in that area. She is currently teaching part time, art and publications, on-site and part-time Eagle. She is passionate about teaching in a place where God’s Word is recognized and honored in all subject areas.
