Read this inspiring Canadian ministry dream of a student who hopes to share her testimony in a speaking and writing ministry to reach out to men and women within the Kingdom of God who are survivors of abuse and trauma.
Canadian Ministry Dream
My name is Earla Pollard. God’s blessings on your life, my brothers/sisters in Christ. I am excited to be a Christian Leaders Institute student with you! I was born, raised and continue to be privileged to say I am a Canadian. It seems an appropriate moment to give a prayer of thanks and acknowledge the freedom of religion and speech I have here in Canada.
In my geographic area, there are many Godly resources available to access the path to ministry. My local church has an abundance of loving, God-serving mentors, a variety of ministry opportunities for me to serve my church family and practice what I learn at Christian Leaders Institute. There is also a Christian family camp ministry with strong, God-fearing leaders that I can attend each summer and I am hoping to be a volunteer there. This would be a fascinating and unique forum for my Heavenly Father to mold my spiritual gifts to His Glory, and I am excited by the quality of mentorship I could receive! I am very blessed and humbled to have access to such wonderful resources.
My Canadian ministry dream – who am I to have such a dream? I relate to God calling the least, using the weak and broken. That’s me! Like Gideon, I needed reassurance that God was really calling me. That He would be there to fulfill what only He would have to do if He was going to use me. This past year, the Lord has just heaped on the answer – yes He is, and yes He will. I could no longer deny it or run away in fear. As I decided to stand up and obey, He has replaced the fear in my heart with that undeniable passion to answer the call that Henry Reyenga talks about at the beginning of the Ministry 101 and Getting Started classes.
So – deep breath – my Canadian ministry dream is one of sharing my testimony in a speaking and writing ministry. I would love to reach out to men and women within the Kingdom of God who are survivors of abuse and trauma and proclaim how. In the last 19 years of my adult life, my Heavenly Father has been healing and restoring me from the ravages of family dysfunction, abuse, and trauma – and He can do it for them too.
My family of origin has survived at least three generations of severe emotional, mental and spiritual abuse and trauma. As I left my family at 18 years of age to start a new life in a new city, I was witnessed to by a legalistic, cult-like organization and went on to experience another 12 years of spiritual, mental and emotional abuse. I had two children during these years. Every aspect of my life was controlled by this organization.
For such a time as this, God made Himself known to me and protected my life throughout my childhood and early adult years. Then, praise the Lord, when I was 30 years of age, the gentle Lamb of God tenderly reached down into the oppressed pit of my life and took my deeply shattered, fear-filled soul, all the brokenness and loss. He tucked me under His wings and graciously and mercifully helped me escape the pit. He has been nursing me back to health and full restoration. The fierce Lion of Judah has been my shield, my victor, and stands before me and behind me and on both sides of me as He gives me the right to claim victory for me and my children in the face of the evil and sin from Satan. Not only will I survive, but I will thrive to the Glory of God.
God has graciously and mercifully picked me up out of my early childhood and adulthood abuse trap. Thanks be to for God rescuing me when He did. My children, who are the fourth generation, have experienced a little less damage, but need His love and healing to restore their hearts so it ends with them. My heart will sing one day to see my grandchildren know only God’s love. And who knows, maybe God will bring restoration to family members, such as my mother, brothers, nieces, and nephews – someone other than just me! Wouldn’t that be awesome? I am not close with them but would love to be if we could have an emotionally healthy family. I pray for an opportunity to make amends. I have hurt their hearts with words spoken while I was ill spiritually and mentally.
A further challenge added to my life has been my health. I was diagnosed with Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is very rarely triggered anymore, praise God. My “thorn in the flesh” is that I live each day with multiple physical disabilities. I continue to pray that God would once again show his extravagant character and heal me, but in the meantime I see Him provide strength when I need it. The difficult days persistently offer me the opportunity to learn acceptance and patience, which I struggle with. I have had sporadic employment as a result of my poor health. Somehow, God always comes through with the financial provision as needed, even when I allow fear to rule and forget to trust Him yet again. It really is remarkable.
This brings me to the Christian Leaders Institute’s debt-free education! What a blessing it is to my life and for my Canadian ministry dream. Thank you to those who give to and support this ministry with generous hearts. I believe for the day when I can give back to another person like me to further the Kingdom of God!
From the time I was a young girl, my heart’s desire was always to know God’s Word, and that has never changed, whatever situation I have been in. I learned a lot of subtly twisted interpretation of scripture during my years in the cult-like organization. I have been blessed with many instances of right doctrine preached with right hearts since God brought me out. I am grateful beyond measure. I wanted an opportunity to ensure I was well-grounded in sound doctrine and have the proper skills to serve, witness and teach through Bible college training. I couldn’t imagine how I would accomplish such a feat financially or physically to reach my Canadian ministry dream. Of course, God provided – He led me to CLI. Debt-free and online! Amazing!
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Effective Ministry Call
Hello, my name is Rich and I have an effective ministry call to serve the Lord with my life. I live in Middletown, NY. I am the founder of an outreach Ministry called Man up for God Inc. I’ve been a facilitator of this ministry for five years now. Our focus is the community at large, no matter where it is. God placed this ministry in my heart in 2013 while I was still working as an NYC detective in the Bronx, NY. I never thought that I would be in ministry but had dreams of someday working in the harvest fields. Like the Word says, “the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.”
I’m retired now and seeking to further my knowledge of my Lord Jesus in response to the effective ministry call on my life. Christian Leaders Institute is making this dream possible. My hope and prayer are that I complete this course I am on. It is a dream that I had since I was young to be effective for the Lord.
I’ve been a Christian all my life but went astray for a time in my teen years into adulthood. I recall when God came to me in a security shed in the year 1998. I was contemplating suicide due to a life full of wrong decisions. As I was ready to end my life, He came to me in a still small voice and asked: “Are you done?” My answer to Him was a quick, “Yes!” His answer to me is one that rings out in my life every day, “Then give your life to Me!” I responded to Him, “Fine you can have it, give me the strength to get out of this situation.” His answer was, “Now I can work IN you.”
My life has never been the same after that night. He has given me a new song and dream. I want to reach as many as I can with my gifts and talents that He has blessed me with. So I will be putting forward my best foot as I am led in my next season of learning. Thank you, CLI, for making it possible.
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Christ Heals Hurting Women
I have a passion to see that Christ heals hurting women. I was raised by Christian parents, but I did not come to have a personal relationship with Jesus until I was twenty-six years old. I rebelled as a teen, getting involved in the use of drugs and alcohol. I also became sexually active at the age of thirteen and became a mother at the age of fifteen. Being a single teen mom earned me a lot of heartaches. I struggled in poverty, and even when I wouldn’t know where our next meal would come from, somehow, we never went hungry, we never went homeless. I worked hard, sometimes holding down two jobs. I went through various relationships but never married.
At the age of twenty-six, I found my neighbor who had committed suicide. That experience shook me to the core and made me cry out to God. I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in my parents living room that evening. I have never turned back.
It took me many years, a lot of effort, and a lot of prayers to be healed from a lot of the heartaches I encountered throughout my life. The only thing my heart aches for today is for young women and single mothers that are hurting and in need of the HEALER! I have a passion for young women and single mothers who are struggling and doing their best to survive. I have a passion to direct these women to that one man, Jesus Christ, and to my Heavenly Father that healed me. I am thankful that I found Christian Leaders Institute to give me the ministry and leadership training I need to accomplish my passion to see that Christ heals hurting women.
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