Growing up in a small Indiana town, the youngest of six children, Nina Bissett always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Indeed, her favorite playtime activity was to turn hand-sewn dolls and animals her mother had made into students, who would then get schooled by her in algebra and Spanish.
There was another major player in her young life. Walking home from classes one day, the senior in high school looked to the sky and felt God speaking to her through Matthew 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”
Bissett’s initial career goal – to become a missionary in Africa – did not come to fruition. But over the last 30 years she helped make disciples of children here in the Fox Valley.
After working in Wheaton and Nashville, Tennessee, public schools, Bissett was asked in 1980 to teach at the newly-formed Covenant Christian School in Aurora, where her son and daughter were among the 20 students enrolled. And for the next eight years she did just that, in kindergarten and first grade, but also working in classrooms at all levels before taking over as principal at Covenant Christian.
How she landed in that leadership position is noteworthy, in itself. After a national search for a new principal in 1988, the Rev. Dan Haas, who founded Covenant Christian School, was in the middle of interviewing his top pick when suddenly the Oklahoma candidate stopped mid-conversation and told the pastor he felt God telling him the best choice was already in the school.
After more prayer, Haas knew exactly who that person was, and asked Bissett if she would be wiling to earn her master’s and doctorate while continuing to teach.
The single mom of two young children again answered the call, and went on to excel in that leadership position, not only because she was an outstanding educator, but also a skilled administrator and “mighty prayer warrior,” insisted Haas.
Bissett’s biggest assets, however, were “her love for children and her desire for every child to know the love of Jesus,” he added.
In 2014, Bissett, who by this time had built an impressive resume in both public and Christian education, decided to retire. She wanted to write and spend more time with her family, including son Jeremy, who was living with his wife and two children in South Korea and teaching ESL.
“I loved retirement,” said Bissett, who authored several books during this time, including “Woman of Nobility,” the story of Emma Dreyer, who helped found Moody Bible Institute. A frequent lecturer on this revered missionary, she also earned a name for herself by taking on Dreyer’s dress and persona in monologue presentations.
Once more, however, God had another role in mind. When the Covenant Christian School board asked Bissett to come back and replace an outgoing principal in the fall of 2022, the school was facing financial challenges. And so she prayed. A lot. Then she said yes.
That’s because Bissett’s commitment to Covenant Christian School, which believes in offering a high-quality Bible-based education to children of all socio-economic backgrounds, runs as deep as her faith. And it mirrors those of the parents, teachers, board members, alumni and other supporters who fight valiantly to keep its doors open.
A year ago I wrote about how the school launched an aggressive crowdfunding campaign that, while it fell short of its $300,000 goal, was able to keep the school going, thanks in large part to the Aurora community.
Bissett and other Covenant Christian School officials are hoping that support is evident again when the school holds its annual fundraising concert. The performance, featuring international Christian pianist Huntley Brown and the school’s choir, will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, March 7, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Aurora.
This free concert – donations are welcome – will be especially emotional for Bissett, as she will be retiring at the end of the school year, this time for good.
“I know what it takes to be a principal. I know my days are winding down,” she told me. “They need someone fresh to carry the vision of the school.”
Covenant Christian School, however, will “always remain in my heart,” said Bissett, who is taking not only the school’s spirit but also its story with her when she moves to South Korea to be with family.
There, she hopes to write her next book, “Have Covenant Will Travel.” Just as the Israelites in search of the promised land were always on the move, this tiny school has long been in search of a permanent home and sustainability. In its roller-coaster lifetime Covenant Christian School has occupied a number of churches but has always held on to the dream of one day acquiring a place of its own.
Like those Old Testament travelers, Bissett’s faith kept her moving forward.
“Over the years I’ve seen how when praying to God, doors open … and it continues,” she said, noting that this will require the backing of the community, which has undoubtedly benefitted from the school’s commitment to service.
In the last year alone, its students, who had previously decorated wooden hearts that adorned the “Crosses for Losses” memorials for dozens of mass shooting victims across the country, have visited veterans and nursing homes. They have written letters to servicemen and women. They have been involved in projects with the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse and Feed My Starving Children. And each day they offer prayers for Aurora’s mayor and city workers.
A large turnout for Friday’s concert, Bissett noted, will send a message of appreciation and thanks.
Speaking of gratitude, the retiring principal – who has worked with no paycheck the last couple of years, as she has in the past – will be honored at the event.
Well deserved. While Bissett may not have started a missionary school in Africa, she certainly shaped the lives of so many children closer to home.
Answering that call to come out of retirement three years ago was a blessing, noted Brown, who is also chairman of the Covenant Christian School board and one of its most passionate supporters.
“Dr. Bissett’s faith, prayer life and encouraging spirit are a testimony to her faithfulness,” he said. “She has shaped leaders who are now changing their respective industries and environments. And the world is a better place as a result.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
