“I hope Christian Leaders Institute can provide me the tools and wisdom for becoming a better and educated Christian leader.”
Becoming An Educated Christian Leader
My name is Larry Nicholson. I am a 49-year-old man residing in Plano, TX, USA, originally from Omaha, NE. I was blessed to have two loving parents who took me to church at a young age. Confirmed in the Methodist Church at the age of 9 years old, I was rebellious early in my life. I got into some legal trouble as a teen.
Back when I was a teenager, convicted of a felony and sentenced to a short jail term, I realized that the circumstances could have been much worse. I received a second chance. Although my parents and the judge contributed, I firmly believed the opportunity I received was being given by God. It was then, that I chose to alter my lifestyle and beliefs and serve him.
After divorcing from my first wife in 1997, I looked to God for answers. I invited the Holy Spirit into my heart, and thus I began a more profound spiritual journey and relationship with God. It was during this journey that my relationship with God the Father and Jesus grew. I found compassion and selflessness. I realized a new sense of joy by helping and caring for others. God used me to share His word with them at crucial times in their lives. In return, God used them to enrich my life and spiritual growth. I have some tremendous friends with deep Christian faith that I can rely on for truth and accountability.
God has blessed me with skills and leadership qualities that to this day I use to serve Him and minister to others. I build my relationship with Jesus Christ through Bible study, prayer, and the Church. I have recently started a ministry called “Trinity Billiards.” Two people who inspired me to take this ministry journey are Steve Lillis, founder of Gospel Trickshot Ministries, and Dr. Tom “Dr Cue” Rossman, founder of R.A.C.K (Recreational Ambassadors for Christ’s Kingdom). The personal objective we all share is to bring the good news of the Gospel to other pool players who may be lost or searching.
Christian Leaders Institute is bringing me a wealth of new hope, ideas, and information all of which renews my passion and dedication to serving our Lord, Jesus Christ in the building of my ministry – Trinity Billiards. The Christian Leaders Institute can provide me with the tools and wisdom for becoming a better and educated Christian leader. A colleague of mine steered me towards CLI as a viable opportunity to receive a degree and become ordained so that I have credibility with others.
Read about how you and Larry can become Ordained at Christian Leaders Alliance
“CLI is so important to my ministry dream because once I complete this Bachelor of Divinity Degree I can apply to a school to work on my Master’s degree.”
CLI Bachelor of Divinity Degree
My name is Catherine Collins, and I am a citizen of the United States of America. When you know the rules to follow by your city and state, it is easy to do ministry in our country. It is great to be able to bring a soul to Jesus Christ. I came to know the Lord as a child. I went to Mt. Calvary Lutheran School from 1st grade to 7th grade. My mother taught me how to pray at 4 years old. I had a solid foundation before attending the public school system until I graduated from Murphy High School. I developed a personal relationship with the Lord as a young adult when I was 24 years old.
I met my husband, Raymond Lee Collins, Pastor. He talked with me about being Spirit-filled. We were married twenty years before he died. I was baptized at Christ Temple Apostolic Church by Bishop James E. Finley, DD (Pastor). I received the Holy Ghost at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church where Theodore Golston was the Pastor.
My Ministry dream is to continue pastoring with more knowledge and understanding as the Lord leads me. This class at Christian Leaders Institute has strengthened and renewed my Bible connection walk with God by giving me a clear picture of myself and giving me more knowledge on leadership. This class has also helped me to polish my skills as an effective leader, I give God all the glory for helping me to find this school. I really thank God for CLI.
The word I identify with the most is ” Pastor.” Before my Pastor died this year, he ordained me for this new title that God was elevating me to do. The key experience in my life that prompted me to pursue ministry always was my love for Christ and my love for God’s people as I answered the call for leadership.
Some unique challenges in my geographic area are young people and young adults dealing with drug addiction and high divorce rates. My local church, Christ Temple Apostolic Church, has supported me really well in the past. The church has a new pastor now since the death of our Pastor. It’s hard to transition to somewhere else at the present moment. I am working out of another church until God blesses us with a new building, that is why these classes are so important to me.
My family’s role in my ministry calling is very supportive and I thank God for it. My son plays the drums and is the minister of music. My daughters help with the choir and youth ministry. My sisters are evangelists, and my mother is in charge of the hospitality ministry. CLI is so important to my ministry dream because once I complete this Bachelor of Divinity Degree I can apply to a school to work on my Master’s degree. This will open up many doors of opportunity for me.
Learn about Ecuministry Ordination at through Christian Leaders Alliance
Christian Faith Journey
My name is Jason Dobbins from Denver, Colorado. I am on a Christian faith journey which has led me to Christian Leaders Institute to receive free ministry training. I have found that being a leader in Denver has a lot of challenges. We have a small Christian population and influence here. But, I would like to change that and make the church more relevant to the culture and community here.
My first encounter with Jesus on my Christian faith journey came at five years old. My mother and my family (not believers at the time) were influenced by watching a scary movie to feel protective of me. This feeling led to my mother remembering the Lord’s prayer her grandmother taught her when she was young. She spent three weeks by my bedside telling me about Jesus and teaching me that prayer. I fell in love with Jesus and the idea of God at that young age and made Him a big part of my life. I said that prayer and a lot more every night of my life into my early 30s.
Without discipleship and a family attending church, I was left on my own to figure things out. This did not go very well as social influences easily misled me. The Lord and my prayers became my only refuge from a life of continual sin. With no understanding of what it even meant to be a Christian, I got into trouble which led to me ending up homeless at 15 years of age. I joined a gang and sold drugs to survive. However, my heart was soft for the Lord, and in this darkness, He led my heart out slowly after many years of sinful living and mistakes including a failed marriage.
It was not until I was 34 years of age after a life of going back and forth with the Lord and misunderstanding His will for my life that He called me powerfully. My entire life was turned upside down and will never be the same. Me undoing the damage and layers of social conditioning took years on my Christian faith journey. The Lord led a strong Ghanaian pastor into my life who became my mentor and disciple me.
It surprised me to find out how intense and hardcore the Christian life is. The warfare and suffering shocked me, and I almost gave up. But the grace and mercy of my Lord Jesus Christ got me through this time, and I have learned to exercise and build my faith muscles through God’s Word and the power of Christ.
After I surrendered my life to the Lord, I married a Christian woman, and we now have four children. I have been in leadership roles over the past ten years. I have been leading men’s small groups and a food bank and evangelism ministry. I have also counseled and discipled other new believers. I have enjoyed leading or participating in worship for the past nine years as well. My ministry goal is to fulfill God’s purpose for my life. I wish to pour my life out for the Lord and serve Him with all my heart, mind, and strength.
Learn about Ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.