Formal Education for Ministry at CLI
My name is Andrew Temple, and I am receiving formal education for ministry free at the Christian Leaders Institute. I am 37 years old. Currently, I reside near Dallas, TX.
A Life of Addiction
I grew up with parents that were heavily involved in the drug scene. Due to this, I quickly followed in their footsteps. I was very active in my addiction for all of my early adult years. There were times I was homeless and did not know where the next meal would be.
My grandmother introduced me to Christ and took me to church much of my younger years. I am thankful for this foundation, even though I strayed from that path for many years. I knew who Christ was and what the “walk” was. However, I chose not to follow Him, but I knew of Him.
God Set Me Free
On December 23, 2013, the Lord spoke to me. Romans 8:18 – “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” – started playing over and over in my head. It was at that moment that I walked away from the life of drugs. I enrolled in a year-long discipleship program (drug rehab) and completed the program. I was filled with the Holy Spirit and had a new way of life.
Called to Serve God
Fast forward to six years later, and I am now an active member of a motorcycle fellowship that concentrates on spreading the Word through recovery from addiction (I serve as Chaplain for my chapter). I also go into local prisons and jails to witness to the men there and serve at my church. I am now married to a wonderful woman, Mindy, who is also a warrior for Christ. Together, we serve our community.
God has indeed made beauty out of ashes. Serving God in these past years was and is a blessing to me. He has called me to work with men that struggle with addictions. Addicts speak a different language, and I can speak that language. I have an understanding of where these men are and what their outlook is. While living a life of addiction, there is zero hope, there is zero grace, and there is zero redemption. If one man can change from a life of addiction and start to follow Christ, generations can be changed.
Formal Education at Finding CLI
I felt a yearning to obtain formal education so that God might use my opportunities. So, I decided to take the formal minister training at the Christian Leaders Institute so that I might have a better understanding of leadership. I am excited to watch what God will do through this free formal education.
Learn about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My Ministry Journey
My name is Roseline Udoetuk, and I am from Nigeria. My ministry journey began with my parents. My father was a spiritual leader whom God used in many ways to bring the lost to God. Father never compromised our prayer time, daily Bible reading, and fasting with anything. He assigned us a Bible passage and asked us to teach each other. We never missed Sunday school. Sunday school was like an actual school, where we wrote down the Bible passages, homework, and prayer. Each Sunday, our homework was due, and we must not give any excuses.
This spiritual upbringing brought us closer to God. I grew up to realize that God has a purpose for me. It used to be annoying when my mother woke us up at 5 am to get ready for prayers at 6 am. Then, my father rang one loudest prayer bell. Often, at that time, we wanted to sleep more. However, our mother said it was prayer time. Even though it was annoying to wake up early, the benefit today has paid off the lost sleep. It made me God’s child because a child of God must pray, read the Bible, and obey God’s command.
My Ministry
My ministry is to preach and teach the nation about God. I have a passion for teaching little children and teens about God’s love and faithfulness. I want them to know that God cares about them no matter what wrong they have done as long as they genuinely apologize and confess to God to forgive them. Our God is so sweet, and His mercies endure forever. I am blessed to be chosen by God to be a worker in his vineyard. God used me in so many ways to inspire others. I love everyone, irrespective of their culture, race, and ethnicity. If I serve God and love God, I must love others.
I teach in children’s church, and my passion for teaching the children grows every day. I love kids because they have much potential that God has deposited in them. When we carefully understand them, we can see the special blessing that God has for them.
I am one of the children’s church teachers. My experience with them is fun. I enjoy teaching the children the Bible because the word of God builds solid roots for them to serve God wholeheartedly.
Once, I was a women’s leader, which I enjoyed. I learned that a walk with God could be rocky but fruitful.
Daily Ministry Walk
I walk with God daily in prayer, Bible reading, and the meditation of God’s Word. I am so happy to be chosen by God for His great work. Each week, I deliver God’s message on YouTube and Facebook. Daily, I pray with my family and have Bible reading and worship devotions. I pray that God will continue to use me in His call to serve in His ministry.
Since coming to the Christian Leaders Institute for free ministry training, I am happy to learn more about God and the history of God’s creation in the Bible. God is sovereign, and we must worship Him in truth. Thank you, CLI, for this educational opportunity.
Used by God
God has used me as his messenger. God reveals to me through dreams, prayer, and His words from the Bible. One day at a wedding, a man told me that God has a purpose to use me as His messenger. I am to yield to the call of God, or I will be miserable.
Another time on an occasion with my friends, an 85-year-old man told me that my father allowed God to use him. I also have the same purpose in me like my father. I should never let anyone stop me from serving God.
Learn about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Free Ministry School Study at CLI
My name is Matthew Faure, and I am excited about the free ministry school study at CLI. I live in South Africa. I grew up in a very religious household but always felt rejected from a very young age since I was 7 1/2 months old when my mother left. My father and grandmother raised my brother and me, and we went to church every Sunday. When we moved to Graaf Reinet, my father started a home church. We relocated quite often, which left me without a sense of belonging.
Being born blind in one eye came with its own set of challenges. I had to start wearing glasses at a very young age. That meant that other kids teased me a lot, which only added to my sense of rejection. Even though I heard of the love of God from a young age, I didn’t understand it until I was well into adulthood. In 1992, we settled in East London. Even though the next few years were quiet, I could never shake that insecurity from years of rejection.
My Marriage, Loss, and New Life
In 2002, I met the life of my life, and a year later, we were married. My wife was deeply religious, and we attended church together, prayed every morning and night, and said grace at every meal. In 2004, our daughter was born. Then in 2014, God called my wife home at the age of 36. My world shattered. I blamed God. I was angry, and for the next year, I wanted to hear nothing about God. However, in hindsight, how I functioned in that year following, is only by the Grace of God because of how lost I was.
Then in 2016, my daughter Ruthie asked me to take her to the church youth group. So, I did. I stayed for the first night, and then returned the next week. Soon I was back in church. I realized what was missing in my life, and that was God. God opened my eyes and my heart. A year later, I became a youth leader for the senior youth.
Called to Ministry and Ministry School Study
After much prayer, fasting, and time in His Word, God has called me into the ministry. Through God’s work in my life, I’ve come to realize that I am Imago Dei. Created in God’s image and because of His Infinite worth, I am a person of intrinsic value. I never need to feel rejected ever again because of the love he has for me, and he calls me by name to serve him. Just like with Elijah, obedience comes first, and since God called me into the ministry, I will follow and obey.
I looked for a free ministry school study online and found the Christian Leaders Institute. I’m excited to learn more at CLI as I prepare for the ministry! Because He lives, I also live!
Learn about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.