Teaching Pastor Dream
I am Alecia Gardner (Allie), and I have a teaching pastor dream. My family and I live in Norwalk, Iowa. I serve (diakonos) as an educator in the community and within our church. I am blessed to have opportunities to love on others daily as a wife, mother of three, teacher, and elder at our church.
Childhood Significant Events that Shaped My Story
My earliest memories are of a joyful childhood with a father who worked three jobs, but always found the time to play, read, and cuddle his children. My mom was a soft voice in my ear and took good care of our little family. Sadly, my father was killed in a train collision when I was seven years old, which caused me to spiral into a world of fear, anxiety, and sadness. I had a fantastic teacher who stepped into my life to pull me through the pain of the loss of my father and changed my future by sparking the desire to become an educator one day.
After the death of my father, I lived in a variety of broken homes. I grew up in a home destroyed by alcohol, meth, and other illicit drugs, abuse, disappearing parents, homelessness, and poverty. Therefore, my grandparents stepped in to help raise me due to the parental instability of my mother.
Teenage Significant Events that Shaped My Perspective
As a teen, I experienced a transient family life due to my mother’s failed relationships, lack of education, and loss of jobs. My mother remarried, which forced a permanent move to Iowa. There I met the love of my life in our high school biology class. I started learning about God through a group of church-going friends, who repeatedly said I was going to hell because I was not baptized.
How I Came to Know the Lord
I found Christ in the hot July summer of 2001. I was utterly broken, utterly lost, and homeless. As an unwed, pregnant teenager, my parents kicked me out of their home due to my embarrassing situation. The father of my child, Gavin, was not around due to military duty. I was trying to decide if I wanted to survive while living in my 1974 Chevy Malibu. I lost all hope of ever reaching my dream of becoming the first person in my family’s history to go to college. So, I was ready to give it all up as I had a plan and a source prepared.
I was ready to let go of this life, but God had other plans. He showed me to give it all up to Him and to let go of the life I was living to live a life with Him. I knew I was not good enough, did not deserve it, but I sought Him anyway. Grace, forgiveness, and hope I never knew existed overwhelmed me. This encounter with God was the beginning of my spiritual journey, and I am so thankful for the grace He has shown me along the way.
How God Has Impacted Who I am Today
I married the love of my life from high school. Our marriage of 17 years is centered on Christ, and we have exchanged vows in 42 states and five countries. Military moves made us hunker down and focus inward on raising our kids. We have three amazing, loving children, who have hearts for Jesus and received water baptism in 2016.
I completed multiple education and leadership degrees. My husband and I started tithing and going to church regularly. We paid off six figures of debt and have taught Financial Peace University. Recently, I started volunteering and leading in my church and community. As a couple, we began to fill our cups with service, scripture and seeking an authentic relationship with God
My spiritual dream is to become a teaching pastor. Through my teaching pastor dream, I want to lead others in their walk with God. I want to help others to navigate the world with hope and light. I want to serve more and love better.
Obstacles We Faced and Humbling Events
Some of the challenges we faced were crippling debt, multiple moves with the military, and family strains. Every single day, I wake up and know I am not good enough for His grace and love, but I am humbled that He gives it to me anyway. He has seen us through all our obstacles and blessed us with three children. Being a military family meant moves around the country, but God was always with us.
My insecurities and inadequacies humble me and make me know I need Christ and a daily walk with him. God became so real to me once I accepted Him, and began to talk not just pray to Him. I sought a relationship when I was alone and scared, and He showed me what Love is. I had given up, but once I gave it all to Him, He showed me He had not given up on me.
My Teaching Pastor Dream Led me to CLI
Through my ministry training at Christian Leaders Institute, I hope to be able to empower others to seek a relationship with Christ. God has given me a teaching pastor dream, and I am excited to see how he will use me.
My family is debt-free, so the free ministry training at CLI is crucial. Also, I am currently working on a Doctorate in Education in Organizational Leadership, so we do not have a lot of extra money. We do not want to go into debt for training, especially since our teenagers will be starting their education and training soon too.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Children’s Ministry Training at CLI
My name is David Pistello, and I am receiving children’s ministry training at CLI. I live in the United States in the small town of Jamesville, outside of Syracuse, NY. Out of eight siblings, I am third from the youngest. I married at the age of 18 and have seven children and 17 grandchildren. Currently, I am a salesman for a car dealership. It is long hours for almost six days a week.
I attend a men’s Bible Study once a week. The Bible Study fellowship includes men from all denominations spearheaded by a Godly man that keeps us on track. I stumbled on this group over three years ago. Stopping at a local diner for morning coffee and breakfast, I saw someone heading to a back room with a Bible. I inquired, and they welcomed me to their meeting. I am bolstered by their insights into the political arena and also on holistic health. They have been my constant in a world of business, and I thank God for them and pray for them.
I grew up Catholic but not the strict version. However, I knew if I got out of line, there would be repentance time needed. One thing that always impressed me was my mom praying for her nine kids. I believe now that her prayers helped to shape my life. One experience I had was when I was 16 while walking to a friend’s home. I heard my name called out and was startled by this as I saw no one. Looking around, I sensed it was God calling for me. I don’t know how I knew that, and I didn’t understand it at that time.
God always has a plan
Fast forward to adulthood, and I was laid off from my factory job and looking desperately for work. One evening my wife and I flipped on the TV. We were drawn to the 700 ministry that was on that night. We didn’t realize we were both being touched by God at the same moment. There was a phone number on the screen, and we dialed it using our old rotary phone. We said the sinner’s prayer and gave them our names and address. The week before this, my dad and son were in a horrific car/train accident. My wife was also nine months pregnant with our second child.
Within a couple of weeks, we were visited by two men and asked if we would like to have a six week home Bible study with a couple from their church. It took us ten weeks, due to my son coming home from four weeks in the hospital, my dad coming back with severe brain trauma a few weeks later, and the same week as the accident, my wife delivered our second son.
God always has a plan
The fall of 1976, we were invited to a teen ministry evening service. God so moved us during this teen service that we dedicated our lives to Christ publicly that night. I have desired to understand God’s Word and be more like Christ as I walk daily. I also want to share His Word and our testimony.
One night after church service, I walked out into the upper parking lot and was gazing at the city of Syracuse. I heard a voice speak to my heart to teach His lost sheep.
God always has a plan
In the summer of 1977, God opened the doors for me to step into that desire to learn and minister. God provided the way for me to attend a Christian college. God also provided a job so that I was able to work for a Christian man doing whitewall tires on cars at the local dealerships. After training, the owner encouraged me to pursue my heart’s desire in children’s ministry and was willing to sell a machine from his business. I was able to take this machine and start my own company anywhere we lived.
With the blessing of our home church and pastor, in September of 1977, we packed up our family and my newly acquired machine and went to Phoenixville, PA. There I enrolled in a four-year Christian college. We had many obstacles, and our parents’ concerns were founded. I remember the first month our savings dwindled as I needed to purchase school supplies. Not yet working, we were living on old fashioned popcorn and Cheerio’s.
God always has a plan
At that point, we were walking totally by faith. We had no home, so we brought my in-law’s large army-style tent and lived at the Y.M.C.A. campground. I attended Valley Forge Christian College. We were blessed when God again had a plan, and there was an apartment that opened up on campus if we were willing to do some construction to add a bedroom.
By my second year of college, I knew children’s ministry was my call. My wife and I made most of our life-size puppets and a cloth and piping puppet stage. We also purchased sound equipment, hand-painted cloth illustration boards that were night light enhanced. My father-in-law helped to build a talking robot out of Carrier air conditioning junk. Hence his name was Carunk (Carrier junk).
God always has a plan
We had three young children and traveled in the Pennsylvania area as child evangelists doing puppet and teen ministry. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1981 but was not ordained as I wanted to be able to minister in all denominations. After graduation, we traveled up and down the East Coast, ministering to all denominations. We did week-long child evangelism. The teens dressed as clowns and did street ministry, and we also did a kid’s camp ministry at the YMCA.
We homeschooled our children at a time when homeschooling was not accessible. On Saturday, we would tear down and travel to our next location. It was hard work, yet rewarding, and God provided in every way. A year after our fourth child was born, we decided to come back to Syracuse, NY. We worked with our local church in children’s ministry.
God always has a plan
I am looking to continue in this field as I retire from work. I have a deep desire to work with churches in developing and training up ministers for children’s ministry.
The online ministry study program at Christian Leaders Institute is a great blessing. I appreciate the opportunity you offer through your web site and that your ministry is also reaching out to the lost. With this further children’s ministry training, I am excited to see what God has planned next.
Again, I know God has a plan.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Free Revival Leader Training
My name is Joeana Lutha Mae Villo, and I am receiving free revival leader training at CLI. I was born in Quezon City, Philippines. Currently, I reside in “The City of Character,” Bayawan City, Negros Oriental. I grew up without a father-figure and raised by my mother, a devout Roman Catholic. My mother and I were living with my grandparents, and we religiously attended the Sunday mass in a Catholic church in the town. Throughout those years, I never understood God’s grace, his redeeming love, or the more profound things about Him. All I knew was “the religion thing,” where we always have to go to church every Sunday and follow all the traditions.
However, when I was in fifth grade, my mother was invited by her colleague to a Born Again Full-Gospel Church and was converted. At the time, I was her primary persecutor. She asked me to join their Sunday services, but I was so angry that I never bothered to listen to her. Back then, I thought what she did was merely changing religion, and that sounded like a big deal to me.
God Saves Me
The summer before I went to sixth grade, I happened to join a Vacation Bible School for kids in our neighborhood. I didn’t know what that was all about. It was in a very informal setting, and I didn’t intentionally want to listen to the teaching. I just joined because my friends were there. We had so much fun playing the different games they had prepared, and, most importantly, they served snacks at the end of every session. As you see, I began with the wrong intention, but that was the best setup that happened in my life. That was the open door for me to start my walk with the Lord.
When that summer activity ended, they invited us to their Sunday services, saying that they have Sunday School for kids with free snacks. Again, I fell in that trap, but that was the best “trap” ever. I was very excited, not knowing that was the exact church that my mother was attending.
The first time I visited that church, I felt God breathing life into my spirit even at such a young age. I felt so much peace, freedom, and victory while I listened to the sermon. From that time on, I committed my life to Jesus and learned to worship Him and put Him first in my life. I faithfully joined prayer meetings, Bible Studies, youth camps, and Sunday services with joy in my heart.
College and Career Dreams
In 2009, I went to college in a city far from home. I sought for a local church there. It was during my college years that God started using me mightily for His glory. I was a timid girl, full of fear and hesitation that I could lead, but God turned that mindset upside-down. I became the president of a Christian campus organization, handling Bible Studies, and making disciples on the campus. God enabled me, and I was amazed at how His plan unfolded in my life.
At that time, I found joy being used by God in the campus ministry. However, I shrugged off the idea of God calling me to the ministry because I had my plan for my career. Through God’s grace, I graduated with flying colors in one of the prestigious universities in the Philippines. I had lots of career opportunities laid out for me back then. However, as Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” I ended up giving up all those opportunities to advance in the corporate world so I can serve in the ministry.
Ministry Service and Health Concerns
I decided to study in the Bible School, but I was discouraged by my pastor to do so. He told me that it is okay not to go to the Bible School as long as I know how to self-study. I never had the support and the opportunity to have ministry training. However, since 2014 until now, I served in the ministry as a youth leader, handling campus Bible studies and home Bible studies, organizing and facilitating church events. I served as one of the doorkeepers every Sunday, preached in certain services, and did more. I was basically in an all-around ministry with my previous local church.
In 2016, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, stage 3, and that was the biggest obstacle that I faced growing into maturity. We had no funds for chemotherapy sessions, surgical operation, and radiation therapy, but God has been good. He proved that He is indeed Jehovah Jireh, “the God who provides,” and Jehovah Rapha who heals.
Because I serve a miracle-working God, my mother and I won the victory in that battle against the spirit of cancer. My mother was declared cancer-free in 2017. She is still monitored regularly, but I am convinced that my God who saves, who heals, who provides, who blesses, never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Seeking Free Revival Leader Training at CLI
Right now, God has given me the burden to lead a local church and shepherd a flock. But I do not have the confidence and the competence to do so. This lack was because I didn’t have the proper ministry training to be fully equipped. I didn’t have the funds to study in the Bible School far from home, but I knew I needed training. And I praise God for leading me to Christian Leaders Institute while I was searching online. I enrolled because I embrace my calling. The free revival leader training is what I believe God has called me to do.
I believe what the Bible says that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, here I am with CLI, getting ready to be used by God in the harvest field. The free revival leader training will prepare me for what God has in store for me as his worker.
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.