Hello, my name is Diomedes Sambas. Born in the Philippines, I now live in Surrey, B.C., Canada. I am married to my wife of 25 years. The Lord has blessed us with a son who is now 18 years old. I heard about the Christian Leaders Institute in our church leaders’ meetings. The leadership encouraged my wife and me to enroll and study to be a small group leader equipped to do the Lord’s mandate.
My Story
I finished my high school education in 1981 in Manila, Philippines. After I graduated from high school, I went to work because of poverty. Around 1997, I went to Taiwan as an overseas Filipino worker in a factory. There, I met my girlfriend, who later became my wife. She was the one who became a born-again Christian first. As I observed the changes in her, I thought that if she was happy in her new religion, it was fine with me.
However, the time came when she started sharing Bible verses with me and tried to explain to me who Jesus is. She even invited me to join their Bible study and Church service. I attended her Bible study once and also the church service. After that, I told her it was the last time I would go with her to the church. We had a big argument about it. I even threw the Bible at her. She cried. After that, I thought that I had lost her for good. However, after our fight, she talked to her pastor and Bible study leader. She asked them to pray for me.
New Direction
After a few weeks without communication, I finally called her at her dorm. When she answered the phone, I blurted out that I wanted to attend the church on Sunday. She was so happy to hear me say it. When Sunday came, I was with her and attended church. While listening to the sermon, I wondered if the preacher was talking about me. He was talking about things that I was doing. After the preaching of the word, the pastor made an altar call. It was for people who wanted to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and come to the front of the church. Lo and behold, when I opened my eyes, I was in front. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It was the 16th of March 1997.
When we returned to the Philippines, we married in April of 1999. We attended a local church in my wife’s province, where I served in men’s ministry from 2000 to 2015. Then, we moved from the Philippines to beautiful British Columbia. When we moved here, I told myself I would attend the church and be a member. I wanted to sit and relax and not join any ministry.
Study to Be a Small Group Leader at CLI
That was my plan. However, God had another plan for me. I joined a Bible study group in our new church after just a few Sundays. The small group leader asked me to share in our Bible study there. After a year of being a member of that group, one of our pastors talked to me. He asked me to become a Small Group Leader. I wanted to refuse because of my original plan. However, I said yes. Therefore, I am enrolled in the Christian Leader Institute to study to be a small group leader. I want to grow in knowledge and faith and be able to lead small groups. The Lord will teach me many things in my journey as I continue.
As I continue my walk with God through my study to be a small group leader at the Christian Leaders Institute, I know God is preparing me for something extraordinary in ministry. Furthermore, God is adding more members to the small group that He has entrusted me to lead. My passion is to help people grow in their faith and care for them in their Christian journey. I pray that God teaches and guides me to be the small group leader He desires. I am very grateful that all the courses in CLI are free and available anytime and anywhere. Otherwise, attending a Bible School where I would have to pay and leave my job would be impossible. God leads our brethren at CLI to make all of this possible. To God be the Glory!
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Find out more about women in ministry here.
I am Ryan Wilson. Trista, my wife of thirteen years, and I live in Tennessee. I work in the manufacturing sector. Trista and I have six children, and she is pregnant with our 7th child, due in June. My hobbies include gardening and cooking. A born-again Christian for 12 years, I currently work in the children and youth programs at my local church. Furthermore, called to minister to children and youth, I am a student at the Christian Leaders Institute.
I grew up in the Catholic faith and attended a Catholic elementary school. I then went on to a secular high school. During high school, I continued to study at Sunday school. However, after high school, I discontinued going to church. I finished high school and stopped my pursuit of faith. Ten years later, when my daughter was born, I began asking myself questions about reality. So, I started to investigate other religions. Ultimately, I was led back to God.
My Salvation in Christ
Then, one night, during a very uncertain time in my life, I started to pray the rosary. It was the only thing I knew to do from my Catholic upbringing. Halfway through praying the rosary, I put it down. Fully aware of my own wickedness and sin and my deep desire for Christ as my Savior, the Holy Spirit convicted me. I broke into tears, and my prayers changed to a repeat of the words, “I need You.” I continued to cry out to Jesus in complete submission to Him while I repeated those words.
After what seemed like an hour of crying, which was probably only about ten minutes, I felt complete peace roll over my entire being. I no longer had the burden of my sin. The crying continued. However, the words changed from “I need You” to “Thank You, I love You.” That was a Friday night. I went to the church closest to my home the following Sunday morning. The Pastor immediately welcomed me and asked me to join a small group. The following Tuesday night, I attended my first small group Bible study. Ever since the night I was born again, my life has been different, and God is a major part of my life.
Called to Minister to Children and Youth
I am interested in learning more to equip myself as I am called to minister to children and youth. Further, I want to become more adept in my knowledge of the Bible. Having six kids, being middle-aged, and attending college and/or seminary is not an option. I look forward to studying at the Christian Leaders Institute. The tuition-free courses at CLI allow me to pursue my ministry calling and to support others for Christ. I aim to gain the knowledge to minister to the children and youth in my local church and to shepherd them into adulthood with a strong foundation in their relationship with Christ.
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Find out more about women in ministry here.