Christian Teacher of the Year: Geoffrey Lane says Christian school gives students ‘fighting chance’ against a world pushing secular values 

Geoffrey Lane seeks to model Jesus by valuing everyone in his classroom.

The seventh grade math and eighth grade Bible teacher at Grand View Christian School in Des Moines wants students to know they matter the moment they walk through the door.

“I think it’s my students who know I love them,” he told Heartlander News. “Bible class ends, and I’ll tell them, ‘Hey, just remember I love you guys.’ Math class ends, and I’m not afraid to tell kids I’m not afraid to tell them this is what I’m struggling with.”

It’s this dedication and devotion that makes Lane one of 12 teachers nationwide honored as a 2026 Christian Teacher of the Year by the Herzog Foundation, publisher of Heartlander News. Lane is a Math Teacher of the Year, one of three such awards.

The power of academic relationships

Grand View Christian has grown massively since reorganizing in 2014, with enrollment jumping from 250 students to more than 1,200. Lane credited the state’s school choice educational savings accounts, the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the school’s culture of “academic relationships” for the increase.

School leaders encourage teachers to attend student programs and keep their doors open. Lane experienced this culture firsthand when his father-in-law died unexpectedly last October.

“I would not have made it through the school year if it wasn’t for my students,” he said. “My church was great, my coworkers were great, but the students were incredible.”

He recalled finding a deeply moving note from a student on his desk during a season of grief.

“It said, ‘Mr. Lane, we know you’re wearing a mask, and it’s okay if you take it off and let us know you’re hurting,’” he recounted. “It’s the relationships students and teachers have. Yes, I’m their teacher, but really, at the end of the day, I’m their brother in Christ.”

Grand View Secondary Principal Jonathan Nilius has worked alongside Lane for 23 years. He said Lane stands out, including for his effectiveness at teaching.

“In all my years of education, I have never met a more gifted educator than Geoff,” Nilius said in a recommendation letter. Students often remark that they never understood math before taking Lane’s class.

A calling born from crisis 

Lane initially resisted his father’s prediction that he would become a teacher, telling a high school mentor he wanted to be an accountant. But she dismissed the idea, telling Lane he loved people too much to sit in an office crunching numbers all day.

The ultimate turning point came during his senior year of high school. A wave of local seventh-graders attempted suicide. School officials asked Lane and other student leaders to spend time with the middle schoolers. Lane said the experience showed him the profound impact of simply showing he cared.

“I was literally bouncing off the walls, because I had realized in that moment what just showing you cared for a kid, the difference it made,” he said. “They would open up to us, not really even knowing us, but they knew we genuinely cared. I would say that sealed the deal, my dad was right.”

Lane earned his degree from Cedarville University in Ohio. He said he had no desire to teach at a Christian school because his background was in public education. However, he interviewed at Grand View and landed the job, planning to stay for only a year. But then he met his wife, Lynnette, who has deep roots in the community, and the rest was history.

“Here we are, 30 years later, and those are now my roots,” Lane said.

A lifelong impact inside the classroom and out

Lane views Christian schools as a crucial support system for families navigating modern cultural challenges. He often asks his Bible students what their pastors preached about on Sunday to bridge the gap between church and school.

“It’s a tripod,” Lane said. “The church, the school and the parents are all doing their thing together. That tripod chair doesn’t fall over, but if it’s only two legs, you got a problem.”

Bradley Pausley serves as Lane’s lead pastor at Park Church. Pausley first knew the educator as “Mr. Lane” when he was a student in his math class.

“Math did not come easily to me, yet Geoff was patient, encouraging and generous with his time,” Pausley said in a letter. “The same character he demonstrates in our church today was evident in the classroom years ago.”

Pausley said Lane serves wherever needed at church, including setting up chairs, reading Scripture and holding babies so mothers can enjoy a quiet moment during service.

Lane believes time students spend in a Christian school bolsters them against a world pushing secular values.

“Christian education gives the chance, 40 hours a week, to push back and teach kids why what they’re learning at home and at church is the truth and does matter,” he said. “It gives our kids a fighting chance in the world we live in.”

The Christian Teacher of the Year honor is part of the Herzog Foundation’s Excellence in Christian Education award series. Each of the 12 winners was invited to attend a special professional development and recognition event sponsored by the Herzog Foundation.