Aspire to Serve: Why CCBC Doesn't Just Train Leaders

In Christian higher education, the emphasis on developing leaders is everywhere. Mission statements promise to shape the next generation of church leaders, cultural influencers, and world changers. And leadership, rightly understood, is a gift from God; a vital part of the life and health of the Church.

But at Calvary Chapel Bible College, we believe there’s a deeper calling that applies to every believer, not just a few.

We aspire to serve.

Because the truth is, schools can’t make leaders. Leadership isn’t something that can be manufactured by a curriculum or awarded with a degree. Only God raises up leaders. As Psalm 75:7 says, “It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.”

What we can cultivate—what we must cultivate—is the heart of a servant.

Not Everyone Is Called to Lead, But Every Christian Is Called to Serve

Leadership is a specific spiritual gift, and not every believer is called to hold a position of authority. But every follower of Jesus is called to serve.

The New Testament doesn’t just commend service, it assumes it.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:13, “Through love, serve one another.”
Peter urges believers to use their gifts to serve others as stewards of God’s grace (1 Peter 4:10).
Jesus says the greatest in His kingdom is the one who serves (Luke 22:26).

This isn’t optional or extra. It’s the shape of Christian maturity.

Whether someone ends up in the pulpit, the mission field, a trade, a classroom, or the home, the Christian life is marked not by climbing up, but by bending down.

Jesus: Our Example and Our Master

Jesus didn’t just tell His disciples to serve; He showed them how.

In John 13, on the night of His betrayal, He took a towel, got down on His knees, and washed their feet. It was the work of a servant, and they were stunned.

Then He said, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).

Or as He put it in Mark 10:45, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

At CCBC, we want students to not only admire Jesus as the suffering servant but to follow Him as their Lord and Teacher, walking in His footsteps by serving others with humility and joy.

Aspiring to Serve in Every Calling

You don’t have to be a pastor to live a life of ministry.

Serving your church, your family, your coworkers, your neighbors, this is where Christian character is proven. Whether in leadership or not, every believer has countless opportunities to glorify God by putting others first.

That’s why “Aspire to Serve” is one of CCBC’s core values. We want our students to:

Learn not just what the Bible says, but how to humbly apply it
See greatness not in being served, but in becoming a servant
Be ready to lay down their preferences, their plans, and even their lives for the sake of Christ and His people

On campus, this value shapes how students live together, how they engage in ministry, and how they learn. In the classroom, we challenge students to see servanthood as a lifelong calling, not a temporary posture.