Why Write? Writing Effectively at MBC

Why do writers write? Why does anyone sit down and compose words, sentences, and paragraphs?

The answer is the purpose behind the piece. People always communicate for a purpose. Whether the intention is to inform, entertain, or persuade someone to think in a certain way or to take a certain action, the underlying purpose of any written work is inescapable. For the Christian, the ultimate purpose of anything written should be to honor Jesus Christ and make Him known to others. That also happens to be the mission of Montana Bible College.  

I’m Mandi Foster, and I teach MBC’s freshman writing course, Effective Written Communication. As the name of my course suggests, I teach students how to communicate their written words effectively, so they can give a reason for the hope they have within. My goal is that they will ultimately use their words to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all, no matter which vocation they choose to pursue.   

What is Writing?

First, a definition of writing is needed. As my own writing professor, Austin Bennett, taught me:

“Writing is the process of discovery through language, an exploration of what we know and what we feel about what we know through language, and using language to learn about our world, to evaluate what we learn about our world, and to communicate what we learn about our world.”

Essentially, writing is how we communicate our knowledge to the world. For the writer, putting their pen to paper is how they join conversations, convey truth, and add value to the context in which God has placed them.

Writing at MBC 

Where do MBC students fit into this written conversation? As MBC’s Mission Statement declares, “MBC provides quality education that shapes Christian leaders through Academics, Service, and Discipleship.” 

So, what does writing have to do with MBC’s mission? As every student, regardless of their major, must take freshman writing, why then is communicating effectively something they need to learn?  

• For those in the Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry degree programs, their future writing looks like researching and compiling that research into a coherent sermon, with the purpose of both informing and inspiring their congregation.  

• For those going into the mission field, this may look like writing grants or appeals for donations or supplies.  

• For business majors, this may look like writing reports or emails to coworkers with both clarity and grace.  

Any vocation that MBC’s alumni pursue requires the ability and proficiency to express thoughts effectively in written form. Ultimately, as faculty and staff at MBC, we want our students to be able to use writing to advance the Church. As MBC’s writing instructor, this is especially important to me, especially as someone who believes writing matters a great deal to God.  

God as Author 

On the first day of my writing class, I hold my Bible in the air and tell my students what my writing professor/mentor shared with me: “Why does writing matter? Writing must be important to God because that is how He decided to reveal Himself to us — through written form! He used authors, paper, and pen to give us every single thing we know about Him. He is the ultimate Author.”  

With this in mind, how should one think about writing through a theological lens? Why, as Christians, do we need to write well and communicate our thoughts effectively?  

As a writer who is first and foremost a Christian, I believe we are to glorify God through all we do, and writers can glorify Him through writing. We can glorify God in many ways with writing.  

• When we write any information down, we remember it better. Writing about the Bible naturally aids in our comprehension of it.  

• Writing about Scripture and “publishing” that writing for people to see can help bring others into the Family of God. 

• As Christians, we can also use writing to defend our faith and give a reason for the hope that we have, as Simon Peter tells us. We can use evidence to argue and present the truth in a gentle, respectful way — as Jesus modeled.  

As Pierce Taylor Hibbs wrote in We Who Work with Words: Towards a Theology of Writing, “Christian writers should consider not just what they write, but why they write, and in whose image they write.”  

I encourage my students to keep in mind that they are ultimately writing for Jesus Christ and for the advancement of His Church.  

Unfinished 

Of course, writing does not come naturally to every student. Just as with anything else in life, writing is a skill that takes time and a lot of practice!  

One of the ways I encourage nervous writers is by reassuring them that writing is a process that is never finished. Every author, artist, or anyone who creates can always find imperfection in their own work — it is the curse of creating. We often have a hard time feeling “done” and sending our creations out into the world.  

It is the same for students. They often feel unsure of when their paper is ready to “publish” for their professor. Embracing writing as a process helps my apprehensive writers see that writing is not merely about grammatical accuracy or “being a good writer.” The writing process is not about being perfect; it’s about enjoying the process — enjoying writing! 

So, I teach “unfinished writing,” and I encourage my students to glory in its unfinishedness! The reality is, there is always room for improvement with writing — no writer has “arrived” and never will! That is the beauty of it — we too are “unfinished”!  

Why Write?  

No writer writes just to write. There is always a reason beneath the surface: a deeper agenda, a hidden meaning, an angle they want considered. Writers write to be heard! For Christian writers, the purpose of sharing Jesus’s love should be at the heart of writing.  

Again, as MBC’s mission statement states, “MBC provides quality education that shapes Christian leaders through Academics, Service, and Discipleship.”

As the writing instructor at Montana Bible College, my goal is for students to graduate from MBC with the ability to communicate effectively in written form. No matter which profession they choose or the church in which they serve, I want them to feel confident in their writing ability.  

Ultimately, their goal should be discipleship and to be a witness for Jesus Christ and how He has changed their lives. For the Christian, the ultimate purpose of anything written should be to honor Jesus Christ and make Him known to others. 

This is why Effective Written Communication matters. And I have the privilege, as a Christian writer myself, to teach this amazing writing course at Montana Bible College. I’m eternally grateful the ultimate Author wrote this chapter as part of my story!  

Mandi Foster serves as Writing Instructor, ACTS Director, and Development Assistant at Montana Bible College. She is also an adjunct writing instructor at Montana State University-Billings and teaches 2nd grade at a private Latin school. She is an MBC alum and is currently pursuing her doctorate in English at Liberty University.