Tennant learns about teaching gifts

Mar. 2—Reagan Tennant recalls taking a test on spiritual gifts and discovering he has the gifts of hospitality and teaching.

The hospitality part came as no surprise, he said.

"Everywhere I go, my wife says I've never met a stranger," Tennant said. "I love to entertain, me and my wife both, we have people over all the time. Friends, family, functions. I feel like it's God's house, it's not my house."

Tennant found several ways to use this gift as an insurance agent for Farm Bureau Insurance. He said he majored in marketing at Northeastern State University.

"Because of my personality, I wasn't going to be a doctor, I wasn't going to be an engineer, but I can do something in business and sales," he said.

That gift of teaching was another matter.

"I felt like I'm not good enough to do it," Tennant said. "Satan trying to say 'you're not good enough.' But, God 's given me that gift to help people out, to teach."

He said he started leading Bible studies with people his own age. About a year ago, he began helping out with the First Baptist Church youth group. He mainly works with high school boys. They read and discuss the Bible on Sundays and break into groups on Wednesdays.

Tennant also uses his gifts to help teachers and students through the Hilldale Education Foundation. He said the foundation helps teachers get classroom materials that they otherwise would have to buy themselves. The foundation also helps fund school-wide projects such as computer aided design or signs, he said.

"It feels good to give back," he said. "I feel I am at a point in my life that God's given me what I need to survive, but it feels good to give back to the kids as well."

Gift guides Tennant from one career to another

Reagan Tennant says his gift of hospitality guides his sales job.

"Instead of helping people with price, I get to know people more," he said. "Most of the time, they just need someone to talk to."

He said he trained himself during his 17 years in the car business.

"The later you stay at a place, you're going to sell more cars," he said. "The reason I got out was because I've got a family and I didn't like to be there until 8, 9, 10 at night. It was not good family oriented."

Three-and-one-half years ago, Tennant got into the insurance business. He said it has better hours and more consistent pay.

"I feel like I'm helping people save money and helping people get what they need instead of pushing them into a car they don't want and making them go higher payments," he said. "I really feel like I'm helping people out, when they call 'hey can you help me lower my payments, or I look at what they currently have, you can I love just helping people."

Work with young men to help cope

Helping with First Baptist youth is another way Tennant uses his gifts.

"I use my personality to build a good relationship with the kids," he said. "Upbeat and positive, outgoing. I like to talk to people. I like to hang out and I feel the kids can talk to me about anything."

Tennant works with boys in ninth or 10th grades, who are about the same age as his sons.

"We talk about anything and everything. We talk about their struggles, talk about how their week goes, good, bad. What problems they have with school, their home life. But the main thing is if they're saved, and do they know Jesus Christ as their savior," Tennant said.

He said boys this age are concerned with school, peers, friends.

"Of course, girls," he said. "We want them to make good choices. Sports, if they're trying to make a team, or if the kids are in band. How they deal with other kids at school. We also have some homeschool kids."

Tennant said he talks about things he went through as a youth.

"I say I've been down that road, and I know what you're thinking, and I know what it leads up to and it's not good," he said. "If I can stay as close to Christ as possible, and lead by example, that's the best way to do it."

Variety of ways to assist in schools

Tennant finds a variety of ways to help his children's school through the Hilldale Education Foundation.

"It can be for education, or we can help out with property or space," he said. "It's just when we can come up with the funds."

Tenant said the foundation meets with Superintendent Erik Puckett to help determine school needs.

The foundation usually gives out $10,000 in grants each year.

"We also set some back for building improvements, signs," Tennant said.

The main fund-raiser over the past three years has been Dueling Pianos.

"We raise $18,000 to $20,000 a year with Dueling Pianos," he said. "It's a one-night event, starts at 5:30. Then we have dessert auctions. Tips go to the kids as well. We got about $6,000 from desserts."

He said several Foundation board members asked him to get involved.

"I can make the meetings, and with the connections I have, they thought I would make a good fit," he said.

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE AN OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE?

"My parents. My mom's whole side of the family were pretty much peddlers and came to Muskogee. My grandpa, Fred Zaroor, was a big architect in Muskogee. He did the architect for the library, a lot of the town stuff, the fire department."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT MUSKOGEE?

"I love the close-knit community. The people are great. We have a good, close community, especially at the church. I can ask anybody for anything, they'd help us out."

WHAT WOULD MAKE MUSKOGEE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE?

"More jobs. If you bring more manufacturing jobs, even more tech jobs, that would help us out a whole lot. I know we're trying to bring stuff in. It just takes a little bit. Education is doing great. Muskogee High's doing well with everything they've done. They're trying to invest back. Hilldale's doing the same thing."

WHAT PERSON IN MUSKOGEE DO YOU ADMIRE MOST?

"Arthur Hulbert. He had a physical therapy business here. I consider him more of a mentor. He was very business-oriented, very smart. We talked a lot about the Bible, family. He was everything I wanted to be growing up."

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE THING TO HAPPEN TO YOU IN MUSKOGEE?

"Having our kids and raising our kids has been very memorable. Raising my family here."

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

"Hanging out with the kids — taking them to practice, going to basketball games, going to dance, going to soccer games, pretty much being a parent. Or I go play soccer with my kids, work on football, work on soccer with my girls. Or go to church. Definitely church on Wednesdays and Sundays. I feel like our home is more for reaching out to families and kids. We have a lot of people over. We like to entertain. I guess my spiritual gift is hospitality. We cook out, have the youth over, or have church functions at our house."

HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP MUSKOGEE IN 25 WORDS OR LESS?

"It's a great place to build a family in a smaller town. It's a great place to live. Great place to start a business, a lot of people are very supportive in this town."