Children’s Ministry Call
Hello to all! My name is Jessica Brooker, and I have a children’s ministry call on my life. I reside in the United States of America, specifically Texas!! The state is known for bluebonnets and where most people think everything is bigger. My family is also from Texas and has moved all over throughout my life.
I serve at a First United Methodist Church as the Children’s Ministry Assistant Director. I also am a cosmetologist. My service to the church and all the children is in response to my children’s ministry call. I have fun with all the kids and love to pour Jesus Christ into their lives. Currently, I run our Wednesday afterschool program. The Lord has blessed us with so many children this year. Anytime I can share the Word of God with others; it is a blessing!
My Upbringing
Let me back up some and tell some things about myself and my walk with the Lord. As a child, I went to Lutheran Church with my mother and grandparents. My family moved a lot but always found a church and knew Jesus for the most part. My parents struggled when I was a child. I have four siblings, and my parents worked a lot. So that left me at home caring for four children. I learned how to care for others.
My childhood went by quickly. I soon began to see what my life was for, or so I thought. When I was born, I had about three years with my mom. My biological father was not around very much. When he was, he was abusive and treated my mom severely. When I was three years old, my mom had my little sister. She was still with my biological father. Then, one day, they divorced and went their separate ways.
That left me with my younger sister while my mom worked. We spent time with my grandmother, who took us to church almost every Sunday and poured Jesus into us. We went to Sunday school and kid’s church. I even went through confirmation.
Chaos and Struggle
Then as time went by, my mom ended up remarrying a man I did not like. My sister was still young, so she did not know any different. I now had to share my mom with this man. I went from having my mom to myself to sharing her with a sister. Then, I spent more and more time at my grandmother’s house while she kept my sister. Eventually, she remarried and took me back. The roller coaster of life was crazy.
My mom seemed happy, and life was okay until I was left at home to figure it all out. I was left home to care for four kids, and one was a baby. My mom and this new man worked and drank all the time. So, making sure the kids were taken care of was left up to me. One day, I decided to write my thoughts on everything. Over time, I realized, “If I can write my thoughts, then maybe I could write my prayers too!” So I did! All the teachings at church with my grandmother stuck with me. The Lord was part of my life since I was born. However, knowing I could have a relationship with Him came later in life.
My Teen Years
Years went by, and many trials, emotions, confusion, and misunderstandings came my way. Then, I hit high school. The summer before, we had once again moved to a new town. At this point, I was 15 years old and still taking care of my siblings. I was also trying to understand the different things happening with my body and in my personal life.
Once we settled in our home, I began to write again, and this time, my prayers became more detailed. I found myself asking, “Why?” to everything that had happened in my life. I knew the Lord knew my heart, so he had to know what I was writing, right? Joining the powerlifting team and the football team was a way to help me relieve some anger and frustration that I had. I succeeded in powerlifting and won many medals. Our football team made it to state, and all this took place during my senior year of high school.
So in all the chaos, my grades were not the best, but I always managed to write my prayers. Sports were my get away from everything at home. My relationship with my stepfather had changed and grown as I did. However, I still had many emotions I did not understand. Such as: “Why was I not good enough for my mom to invest time in me?” “What do I need to do for her love me and at least try to understand me?” “What made my sister so much better?”
Graduation and Children
All the while, I continued to care for all four siblings. So, the day finally came that I graduated high school. I left the next day for Wyoming with friends. There was even more chaos that I did not even know was there. I again found myself caring for others!
I ended coming back home. Then at 19, I had my son Zachary, who is 11 now. I had my second son Brentley when I was 21, who is nine now. I came full circle and ended up back where I started, caring for others instead of myself. The difference was that these were my children, my blessings. They were also the wind that blew the rest of the chaos away. God blessed me with two wonderful boys that I almost lost at birth! I know Jesus made them just the way they are.
Marriage and the Children’s Ministry Call on my Life
Now, my life has once again come full circle! But, now, my husband of six years and I are following the word of the Lord. When I had my children and got married, I decided that my children should never miss out on having a childhood. They should be able to experience Jesus’ love and his Word as much and as deeply as they want. The option to know Jesus should always be there for them.
So, I decided to dive into the children’s ministry, and when I did, I met one of my best friends, Sara. She was the children’s ministry director at my grandmother’s church. She taught me about sharing the Lord with children. My heart opened to things I never knew. On August 29,2019, she was struck by a truck and passed away. Through all the pain and misunderstanding, I realized that it was not for me to know why. I needed to accept that it was her time, and Jesus needed another angel.
Christian Leaders Institute Training for my Children’s Ministry Call
I have made peace with her passing and have taken on some of what she did at the church. As I was going through her office, I found a book she wrote in. It said never to give up or walk away from the Lord and what he is calling you to do, even when it is hard to do! I began searching for classes on Christian leadership and found the Christian Leaders Institute. I immediately signed up and knew this was the best way to understand ministry better. Then I can better pour into all the little ones in the world. Just as Jesus, my grandmother, mother, and friend poured into my life.
Once I complete all the free classes, I would like to sign up for the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School. Then, I can receive my associate or bachelor’s degree in children or youth ministry. It makes me happy to see that the school is affordable. It is vital for families such as mine that pay for everything we do out of pocket. My husband is a disabled veteran who works to keep a roof over our heads as I go to school for cosmetology and to be a Christian leader.
The Lord has opened many doors for my family and me. He opened so many doors for me to care for others. God gave me a huge heart to love and receive love. He walks with me every step of the way and will never give up, so neither will I! Jesus Cares!
Called to Ministry
My name is Keith Smith, and I am called to ministry service. I’m originally from Bronson, MI, and lived there most of my life. I am 52 years old and currently live in Newnan, Georgia. When I was around eight or nine years old, I gave my heart to Jesus. I was brought up in a Christian home and went to church, camp, and Sunday school.
Childhood Trauma
My Grandma died when I was ten, and that started a drift away from God. I had a resentment against him for that. Also, around that same time, I was molested by a neighbor. I believed I wasn’t good enough to be forgiven by God since I couldn’t forgive myself. I became terrified about things but couldn’t pinpoint what made me afraid. By the age of thirteen, my Mom had me seeing a psychologist.
I also had a bleeding ulcer because I worried so much. My doctor gave me two medicines; one to soothe my tummy, the other to quiet my brain. He told me to take them when I started feeling nervous. That taught me to control my emotions by using drugs.
Addiction and A Cry for Help
When I was around 15, I discovered marijuana and found I did not need the prescription any longer. It seemed to be the answer to my problems. It worked for a while, but it came with a lot of negative consequences. There were broken relationships, jails, wasted money, and a loss of time. It also pushed me deeper into self and bitterness against others.
Finally, after my third DUI, when I was in jail, I prayed. It was a simple prayer, “God, help me!” That was it. From that point on, alcohol and marijuana quit working for me. Not that I quit using, it no longer gave any relief. However, I continued to pray.
Set Free and Called to Ministry
On January 21, 1992, I went into a 28-day treatment center as part of my court-mandated punishment. I haven’t used marijuana or alcohol since and did whatever it took. I went to AA meetings and did what they told me to do to get sober. What I found there was a relationship with God that I had never experienced before. Thankfully, I had Christ in my life, because when I got in real trouble, I knew where to turn.
Since then, I have been on a spiritual growth journey. I started going back to church. I joined a Bible study and began the process of learning how to love Jesus, others, and even myself. Christians call that sanctification. I call it learning how to love. When you start learning how to love, you, by default, have to start caring about others. Romans 8:6 is my life verse. It’s a promise to all that if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, you have life and peace. When I start feeling out of control emotionally, I stand on this verse and receive God’s calm. Then, I can press on.
My Journey
After I got clean, I did volunteer work leading AA meetings at a boy’s prison in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. There, for the first time, I led someone to Christ. I did that for a couple of years; then, I moved back to Michigan. Not long after that, I volunteered at an AA meeting in a regular prison. For the next 10 to 15 years, I did lots of ministry work. I was a facilities manager at a Christian youth camp, taught middle school Sunday school, and coordinated Financial Peace courses at our church. Also, I wrote a book called 101 Strategies To Combat Worry since that was the main reason for my alcohol and drug use. I also started blogging about spiritual tools, although I haven’t written much recently.
Then, we moved to Newnan, GA. While I was at the 12 Step meetings, I noticed people coming to meetings for a while. They were not working the steps, so, after a while, they left. I heard God telling me to write a booklet on how to work the steps, so I did. It is called Jumpstart. I help people jumpstart their recovery, and others use it to help people through the steps as well.
Called to Ministry Training at CLI
Another thing at that time, I heard God tell me to work with an organization called A Better Way Ministries. So, I went to recovery type meetings there as a volunteer. Since then, I also wrote another booklet called On Solid Ground. It is about the first steps in Christianity and how to get your relationship with God, others, and yourself on the right track.
My wife home-schools our son and did our daughter as well. We live on a single income. I’m glad I found these free courses available at Christian Leaders Institute. God has something else in mind for me. I am called to ministry, but I haven’t figured out exactly what that means. That is why I am taking these courses at CLI. Meanwhile, I continue working as a Maintenance Manager and volunteering at A Better Way Ministries.
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Called to Teach God’s Word
Greetings! My name is Miranda Cassett, and I live in the United States of America. My ministry calling is to teach the Word of God to others so that they understand the Bible better. There is such a high biblical illiteracy rate and that deeply saddens me. The Bible is such a marvelous book! The Bible is the very words of God, and all believers can go deeper into the study of the Scriptures. What a blessing!
I was called to teach an adult Sunday school class back in 2013 and have been working toward that goal at Christian Leaders Institute. CLI has been instrumental in my ministry training and a blessing to me. I have learned so many valuable things at Christian Leaders Institute. It has helped me to grow in my faith and my walk with God.
Called to Teach: My Ministry Dream
Currently, I am teaching a Sunday school class to Junior High students. However, I feel my calling is to teach adults. At this time, my challenge has been obstacles that keep me from fulfilling my ministry calling to teach. One example of such an obstacle is my church’s view on women adult Sunday School teachers. I trust that God will show me how and where He wants me to serve Him.
My ministry dream for the future is to be able to use the ministry training I receive from the Christian Leaders Institute to teach a Bible class. I want to teach in a manner that is simple yet informative. I want to help others enhance their knowledge of Scripture and deepen their faith by being in the Word. My hope is to help decrease biblical illiteracy in my church and through online ministry.
Learn about degree study options at the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.