My Service Ministry Call Story
My name is Glorimar Carroll, and this is my story. Currently, I live in The Woodlands/Spring, Texas area. I have worked in education for twenty years: ten in Christian private schools and ten in public schools. I am also part of the children’s ministry at my local church since I love children and making a difference in their lives. In response to my service ministry call, I am studying at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about free online Bible courses, Click Here).
My Beginning and My Salvation Story
I am originally from Puerto Rico. A single mom brought me up because our father died in a car accident when my mom was pregnant with me. So, she raised my two brothers and me by herself. When I was seven, we moved to the state of Michigan. So, I grew up in East Lansing. I moved to Dallas, Texas, at 18 and have lived in Texas off and on for many years now. Married for 26 years to my husband Rich, we have two children: Will, 22, and Richelle, 20. They are our pride and joy.
I grew up in a Christian home as my mom and family were all born-again Christians. I participated in children and youth activities throughout the years. However, it wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I truly gave my life to Jesus Christ. Because my growing-up life was not easy, I drifted away from the Lord by my late teens and early twenties. My mom was very strict and for me, the church seemed too religious with many rules that I thought were not for me.
After a few years of doing what I wanted to and not God’s will, I realized that my life was headed in the wrong direction. One Sunday morning, I went to church with my mom. During worship, I felt the presence of the Lord so strong that I started crying. For the first time, I felt set free. It was then that I learned what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. I started seeking Him and studying His Word, which extraordinarily changed my life.
CLI for Free Online Ministry Training
Since I was little, I felt the Lord had a purpose for my life. He wanted me to serve Him in one way or another, my service ministry call. I have always loved people and tried to make a difference in their lives. When I was younger, I wanted to go to a well-known Bible school in the Dallas area. However, it was not something that I could afford, so I never pursued it. Christian Leaders Institute has been an answer to my prayers. As a wife and mom, my family has been my priority for all these years. My husband and I always volunteered at church. Thank God our kids grew up in a Christian home. We planted the Word of God in their hearts since they were little, and we believe that God has good plans for their lives too.
My Service Ministry Call
For the last few years, I felt a tug from the Lord wanting me to get ordained. I desire to someday work full-time for a ministry. I am asking God to lead me to the right place that He has for me. Possibly, I could work in children’s ministry or abortion or human trafficking ministries. With my compassionate spirit, God could use me to change lives for Him.
My goals with Christian Leaders Institute are to finish the “Deacon Minister Ordination” class and take the “Life Coach” classes. I have mentored younger women, and I desire to continue doing that. First, however, I want to prepare myself better to help these lovely young women of God become strong in their walk with Jesus. Perhaps then, they can pay it forward and someday be there for others too.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when you are logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course, and then you are allowed to enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
The Leadership Class is essential for all Christian leaders studying at Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about free online Bible courses, Click Here)! It has been one of my favorite classes I’ve ever taken at CLI. It was four years ago when I “happened” to stumble upon CLI. Ever since then, my life has changed for the better.
My Ministry
Since graduating from CLI’s Leadership Excellence School, I have been a Pastor for a little over a year for a tiny church. The most people I’ve ever seen attend our Sunday morning service was 30 people at max. Every Sunday, we usually have between 10-20 people present. Throughout the past decade+, this church has dramatically declined in number. It is a dying church. Therefore, it is by God’s grace, foreknowledge, and Sovereignty that I’ve taken this leadership class at this point and time in my life and my ministry. God’s timing is perfect!
In addition to being called to be a faithful child of God, I’ve also been called to be a faithful husband, father, and Pastor. Currently, I preach every Sunday while conducting/creating Bible Study programs for our weekly church Bible Studies on Wednesdays. Further, I am facing multiple challenges when it comes to promoting church growth.
Challenges
While being a full-time pastor for this church, I also have to have another full-time job to provide the necessities for my family. The church I pastor is too small to provide me with 100% financial support. I work seven nights straight and then have seven nights off. I’m also a father to three children who are all under the age of 5. Therefore, there is a restraint on my time.
Aside from myself, my wife, and our children, the youngest person within our congregation is a 50-year-old. The rest of the assembly is between 50-80 years old. Therefore, the commitment, effort, and capability needed for church growth is significantly diminished due to these factors. Another challenge when it comes to wanting to grow in number is the location of our church building. Our church building is in the middle of the country/rural area close to where we live, and not many people drive down our road. There are other challenges the church is facing regarding church growth. However, I will refrain from going into all the details at this time.
CLI Leadership Class is Essential
Ever since taking the Leadership Class at CLI, I have already implemented many of the ideas provided by brother/Professor Bruce Ballast. Church events and strategic plans are already in place ever since I took the leadership class. I look forward to seeing what God does and what His will is for this church—always leaving the results to Him!
I’ve also obtained a better understanding of areas that I had not had before taking this class. Areas such as knowing how to be more effective in dealing with conflict/disagreement within the church as a leader, what to expect from church members, and how to handle situations with those who may disagree with my decisions or ideas. I have a better understanding of how to strategically plan/make decisions for the church. I also learned what qualities to look for when choosing people to give specific responsibilities to within the church.
Ministry Vision
My ministry dream/vision is to be used by God in a way that truly changes the lives of others. I want to be more than just someone who knows how to preach on Sunday mornings, strategically plan events for the church, etc. When people think of my ministry, I want them to think of Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul desired for the Corinthian church, I also have the same desire for all people who come into contact with my ministry! “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:2.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when you are logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course, and then you are allowed to enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
I am Melissa Miller from the USA. I am very excited to be a part of the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about free online Christian courses, Click Here). To gain a new family of believers interested in bringing the Light of Jesus to a broken world is a blessing! I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. I have four amazing kids, a great husband, and two dogs and a kitty to round out our home.
My Journey
My childhood was not a traditional or blessed upbringing. After our parents divorced when I was five years old, my little brother and I split our time between our parents’ homes. We grew up in a very traditional Baptist church. At the age of 7, my father changed to the Church of God (Pentecostal). My mom, not wanting to confuse us further, stopped taking us to church. We had messed up theology and doctrine. Nobody knew what to believe or how even to be a “Christian.” Therefore, legalism and a broken view of God shaped my religious experience early on in life. I came to the Lord as a young child and followed His teachings to the best of my ability. However, I had limited knowledge on “how to be good.”
I married young, and we served as Youth Pastors. We had four beautiful kids and 13 years of marriage together. Unfortunately, my husband was often sick. After a fall off the roof, he was in and out of the hospital for two long years before he suddenly passed away in October of 2014. At his funeral, some people told me two things that changed the course of my life forever. “You must have had some hidden sin that caused God not to heal him,” and “your faith must not have been strong enough for God to heal him.” After that, I chose to walk away from my faith and went down a path of chaos. However, now I see how God used my path.
My Spiritual Awakening
In 2017, I went to a small church in a tiny town where they taught the true character of God. I started on a journey of learning who God is to me. However, I had one more crushing defeat to walk through. It forced me to my knees and the reality that I could not control my life. I needed Jesus to walk with me. I needed the Holy Spirit to guide my life. So I dove into re-finding the path God set before me and rededicated my life to the Lord. I got baptized again to show the devil that I meant what I was saying. In 2019, I started going to Victory Worship Center (now Zion City). In January of 2020, I did the 21 day fast with the church and decided that I needed to serve while waiting for my purpose to be revealed.
Ministry Call and Finding Free Online Christian Courses
I now run a small ladies’ group for women with loved ones who are addicts or incarcerated. In addition, I co-lead the women’s grief group through Celebrate Recovery, and I serve on the baptism team. In August 2020, I married my husband Brian, who walked a life of addiction and struggle. Together our spiritual dream is to have a ministry to help the homeless, addicts, and women broken due to the effects of addiction.
After months of prayer, I was begging God for some hint of what He has for me. I heard Him say, “You need to gain knowledge.” I knew that I could not afford to go back to school. So, I scoured the internet for free online Christian courses and came across Christian Leaders Institute. I was so excited, but I was sure that it had to be too good to be true!
Having access to free online Christian courses and ministry training means everything to me. It means that I can gain the knowledge needed to be all that God has called me to be. I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life and walking in God’s calling and purpose for me. Thank you, CLI, and the generous people who make this possible for people like me!
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when you are logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course, and then you are allowed to enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.