Connor and his family Christmas 2023
My name is Conner Grant, and I am a full-time student at Seattle Bible College (SBC). I am a family man; my wife’s name is Kristin, and we have a 10-month-old boy named Wyatt. I will address three things: my life before SBC, why I chose SBC, and how SBC has been the best decision for me to grow as a minister.
I was raised in a Christian home, but it was always my parents’ faith and not my own. During my college years at Washington State University, I had a radical encounter with God and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. In November 2016, I was water-baptized and was baptized in the Holy Spirit later that night, thus beginning my long journey to SBC. I would graduate from WSU in the fall of 2018 with a degree in Sport Management and continue my career in sports full time. Over the years, from 2018 to 2024, I worked in ticket sales for the Everett AquaSox and the Seattle Sounders.
In 2021, I married the love of my life, Kristin, and we had our first child, Wyatt, in 2023. Even before we started dating, Kristin and I had always been passionate about college campus ministries and reaching college students in public and private colleges and universities. We have volunteered on a college ministry team to help launch the group at the University of Washington (UW) and start that college ministry. Kristin and I are so passionate about spreading the Good News to college students that we would drive down to UW and have prayer walks around campus.
Enter 2023, our transition year. A word was given to my wife and me just after my wife found out that she was pregnant with our son Wyatt. The summary of the word was that when your son is born, God will bring the winds of change to your lives. After he was born, it was evident that God had been preparing us to take a step of faith and become full-time college campus pastors to spread the gospel, and disciple college students.
I prayerfully chose to enroll at Seattle Bible College (SBC). I registered in the Biblical Studies Program. After my first day, I could sense the love of God and the love of His Word from my instructors. I knew that I was right where God wanted me. SBC has professors who are more than professors as they have lived experience within their ministry at local churches within the Greater Seattle Area. This is important to me because I want to gain knowledge of the Bible, and even more so, I want to know how to use it practically outside the four walls of our school. SBC’s professors impart that knowledge and experience, which will equip and empower me with the authority of the Holy Spirit.
The second thing that is very important to me is being at SBC in person. I love attending an actual class and asking my professors questions. When attending in person, I can get hands-on experience and be challenged by my professors. The last reason I chose SBC was the high value of my education. Every person connected with the college wants to help each student succeed and see them grow each day. The faculty in and out of class want you to succeed and be able to achieve your goals when you leave SBC. They intentionally ask why you want to attend and how they can support you. The value of the professors is priceless. I like that most professors also work as pastors, missionaries, and/or retired pastors and missionaries. What you gain from them is head knowledge and practical experience. This value is embedded in the fabric of what SBC is all about, their mission to have veteran Christian leaders train and apply the scriptures to go and make disciples of all nations.
SBC has been a great experience, and I have grown so much in a short time. Everyone affiliated with SBC cares deeply about each of their students and wants them to succeed in their class and when they leave SBC. This has helped me with my self-confidence, spiritual life, study life, and being a better husband and father. among other areas of my life. I remember telling Dr. Kathy Troll that when I graduated from WSU, I never wanted to go to school again. I was never passionate about learning and thought I would never be passionate about a particular subject. Now I can say I can’t wait to go to class and learn. I never thought that I would enjoy going to school and having so much fun learning. I now know that SBC will help me reach my goal and help me become a pastor and minister to college students at a local university.
SBC is an excellent Bible college for those who hunger to go deeper in their relationship with the Lord. SBC has already impacted my life for the better. Although I can’t wait to start my ministry, as a student, I love attending and learning from everyone at SBC so I can grow more and learn more about the Word.
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