Our Story
Spark of Grace began as a call from God to support public school teachers in learning how to live their faith in their profession. As God often does, He quashed any protest of this call by providing all the pieces necessary to set up the ministry. He gave peace where we were anxious. He introduced people with expertise and experience where we felt inadequate. He provided Christians to encourage, pray, and do the work. So, where God has led, we will follow…boldly, unapologetically, and with faith.
What we Believe
- Christian teachers are positioned in a community with a unique and direct impact on students, colleagues, and administrators.
- Christian teachers need support from the body of Christ to live on mission in their profession. That support must come in the form of prayer from the Church and fellowship with other Christian teachers.
- Christian teachers must be purposeful, prayerful, and reflective on topics pertaining to their teaching practice and how those practices intersect with their Christianity. With intentionality rooted in Christ’s power, such knowledge and skills will grow over time.
- Christian teachers can learn to be humble servants who exemplify Christ’s unconditional love/forgiveness, enduring hope, and true joy in everyday educational activities.
Our Vision
To equip teachers to be on mission to represent Christ in public schools by
Awakening teachers to the responsibility and opportunity that their position provides.
Providing teachers an avenue to meet like-minded colleagues for support, encouragement, and accountability.
Supporting teachers to learn how to teach the mandated curriculum while remaining true to their Christian identity.
Providing direction to help teachers humbly respond and act when directives contradict their Christian values.
Our Values
Educators have a unique opportunity to impact students, offering unconditional love and encouragement, much like Christ’s example. Teachers should focus on nurturing students’ interests, helping them develop empathy, and fostering good citizenship through service to others. Christian values should guide educators in their profession, aligning with the purpose for which they were created. Despite efforts to remove these values from the classroom, teachers are called to live their faith openly, being a light in a dark world and reflecting Christ’s redemptive love through their actions and teaching.
The Spark of Grace Educators ministry will awaken educators like you to this opportunity, support you in finding your Christian community, and equip you to live your faith within your educational community.
Join us today! Connect with us and get involved in an upcoming event. Support us financially. We look forward to hosting a continuous line of activities to equip Christian educators across Illinois!
A Note from our Founder
My name is Mindy Ely, and I’ve been blessed to serve in the field of education for more than 30 years. I was originally trained as a teacher for students who are blind or visually impaired and spent many years teaching both in schools and in early intervention. Today, I serve as an Associate Professor of Special Education at Illinois State University.
Throughout my journey, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it can be to live out one’s faith as a Christian in the public school system. In November 2024, I felt a clear and direct call from God to begin a ministry focused on supporting Christian educators. In response, I gathered a small team, and together we prayed and listened for nine months. Out of that season of discernment, Spark of Grace Educators was born in September 2025.
We don’t yet know exactly where God will lead this work—but we know our mission is clear: to support teachers. Our heart is to help Christian educators be the hands and feet of Jesus within their calling. I am especially passionate about walking alongside newer teachers who are learning how to remain strong in their faith while finding their footing in the profession. We hope to help teachers build a sense of community, encouragement, and shared purpose—because none of us has all the answers, and thankfully, God doesn’t ask us to. He asks us to lean on Him and live in community.
I’m excited to see what God has in store for Spark of Grace Educators. Please help us spread the word—and most importantly, pray with us for the teachers who serve so faithfully in today’s schools.
A Bit More Personally
I’ve been married to the most amazing man for 34 years, and together we’ve raised two sons who love the Lord and have brought two wonderful daughters-in-law into our family. Recently, our oldest son and his wife blessed us with our first granddaughter—and we fell in love the moment we met her.
My husband and I are members of Cherry Hills Church in Springfield, Illinois. Through the years we’ve served in various ways, with a special passion for marriage ministry. In fact, we’ve led marriage ministries for about two decades. When I have free time, you’ll usually find me outdoors—in my garden, or relaxing in the sunshine with water nearby.