Spiritual Ministry Journey
I am Katrina Lounette Zupan and I have been on a spiritual ministry journey with God. I was born in Oak Ridge, TN, the third child of a loving family who was committed to the Lord through service and love. My parents baptized me in the Episcopal Church at 3 months old. I am sure I remember this, but, since that is not possible, I accredit this memory to the loving story my mother told me with a few b&w photos from 1961.
At the age of 3, I recall vividly, accepting the love of Jesus. This is not a story anyone told me, it’s the story I hold in my heart every day. I remember my parents picking me up from Sunday School and they asked what I learned, and I started to sing “Jesus loves me, this I know, cause the Bible tells me so.” I know I was sealed with the Holy Spirit. When I was 13, a revival came through our church and our family all went to the river and got water baptized.
I recall the moment I accepted the idea that I was not “good enough”. I doubted my faith, I studied other churches and religions, I asked a lot of questions. I prayed a lot. God was my only friend. I journaled and was in continuous conversation with Him for most of my school years. God is good, always.
My life was not without past trauma issues which played out in our family. Drugs and alcohol were introduced to me by my peers at about the age of 14. I lived this way of life until I was 29. Meanwhile, I lost my husband to a bad lifestyle and had a fiance who took me to a worse lifestyle. I asked God to help me, crying in agony. Soon after, I started to get a warming and yearning in my heart on my spiritual ministry journey. I knew I would find relief and comfort in the church. It was hard to bring myself, a whacked-out junkie, to go, but I did. No one rebuked me. I went again, not telling anyone my story.
Then one day, a friend where I worked asked if I wanted to stay at her house. I could share a room with her 1 yr and 10 yr old boys. I agreed. I needed to get out of the situation I was in. In a late night fight with my fiance in the middle of the week, I told him I couldn’t live like that anymore. I got out of the vehicle, in a very bad neighborhood, gave him his ring and walked away. I still don’t know how or where I went, but I know God was with me. I got off of crack/cocaine without any adverse effects from that moment. Done. I walked away.
Very soon after, I met my present husband, set up by a friend on a blind date. We fell in love and eventually got married. We both had good jobs and found a church we loved.
I went to a women’s retreat. I realized I had a very polluted heart with much resentment and un-forgiveness. On the retreat, I got a toothache and became ill. My friend dropped me off at my house on Sunday. When Monday came I was in so much pain I called the dentist. They said there was nothing wrong and suggested a sinus doctor. So I went there on an emergency call. I don’t remember, but maybe I had a sinus infection. I know I went home in so much pain and agony crying out to God.
God came and showed me a vision of Him on a mountain watching over me while I sinned and He had tears in his eyes. I literally fell with my face to the ground sobbing. I was sobbing because I deliberately took actions that I knew He did not approve of, and it was like judgment day. I sobbed and told him I was sorry, and God forgave me. This took days, in my pain and crying to God. He continued to show me what I needed to ask Him to forgive me for and He forgave me all.
As I came out of the illness, I could see the light of God, but there was still darkness inside my heart. There was unforgiveness I was not willing to let go of. But God said, “You need to forgive others, just as I forgave you.” I felt so selfish and said, “YES, of course, I have to forgive.” So I started the process on my spiritual ministry journey. Some happened instantly, some took years. I still today actively work to forgive others daily.
I’ve been married now for more than 25 years to the man God brought into my life. We have had a good life, good careers, and a good relationship with God. I am now ready to work for God on this spiritual ministry journey with Him. He has been good to me and has led me to Christian Leaders Institute. I have the opportunity to learn more at CLI. On my spiritual ministry journey, I want to spend the rest of my life seeking a way to fulfill the purpose for which He created me.
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God Calling Me to the Ministry
My name is Mark W. Mathis and I have a God calling on my life for ministry. My wife, Debra, and I live in Lindale, Texas. I am the middle child of three. I was raised in a Christian family of leaders, teachers, and preachers going back as far as the civil war, as far as I know. I came to believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior at 9 years of age, and I have ridden the stormy seas of life with God ever since.
It was several years back that I heard God calling me to the ministry. I began looking into online seminaries and Bible schools. As I was talking to God, I told Him I could make time for studies but could not afford the training. However, I knew when God was ready for me to train, He would make the money available. Three days later, I came across Christian Leaders Institute and your scholarship program. I knew right away it was God’s hand at work showing me the way to receive free ministry training.
It was not until recently that I began talking with a local pastor I hold in high regards about this God calling on my life. He was the one that started talking about a meeting schedule and possible others to meet with at the same time as mentors for me. To my shock and amazement, he told me it was time to step into my position in ministry and that it was long overdue.
Thank you to Christian Leaders Institute for this opportunity for free training without which I would not be able to afford to study to prepare for the ministry.
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Free Leader Training
My name is Laural Coleman and I am receiving free leader training for ministry at CLI. I live in a little town called Richburg, South Carolina, in the United States, which I love. I have been married to Joe for 30 years. We have two daughters and four grandchildren. I have attended the same church (Mount Pleasant Baptist) since I was around nine years old.
I sing in the Mass choir and as one of the leaders, birthed a Praise team, teach the children’s message some Sunday’s and teach a Bible study on Wednesday nights. I have had the opportunity to preach the word at several event locations. I attend Women’s Fellowship Bible Study.
As a child, I was sick most of the time with asthma, which caused me to spend most of my time in my home. I learned how to read, and the only reading material I had was the Bible. I read it from Genesis to Revelations. Even though I did not understand any of it, I was always fascinated by the Bible. It was my oldest brother that carried me to church with him on Sunday’s when I was young. Later my entire family started to attend.
As a teenager and in my early twenties, I had a desire to know who God was and why I was attending church. This led me to learn about other beliefs than Christianity. However, “something” would always pull me back to Christianity, a faith that believed in Jesus Christ. I was the first one in my family to accept Christ into my heart in my early twenties.
My calling came in my mid-thirties. However, at that time I was stubborn and decided I did not want to preach. Like Jonah, I ran. In my late forties, God called me to preach the Word again. But this time was different! The calling was strong! The calling came in visions and dreams! God knew I was ready now! I would sit in the church and see myself preaching at the pulpit, I thought I was losing myself. No matter what I did, the Holy Spirit was present in my mind and my heart.
In September 2014, I preached my initial sermon. I began working more in the church as I began to learn. I attended Women’s Bible study fellowships. I studied the Catechism under the leadership of my Pastor. I was ordained in April 2017.
My spiritual dream is to preach the Word everywhere God sends me. I love helping other people’s dreams come true. It is something that makes me happy when I see others achieve their dreams. I have currently teamed up with a non-profit team of females helping cancer patients, abused women and senior citizens. Thanks to free leader training with Christian Leaders Institute, I was inspired to serve and I am loving this.
My biggest challenge has been ME! I have never been able to see who I am. I always see who others are and who they can be. But, serving God is not about me. When I am serving God my ME challenges are nothing. Life itself humbles me to know that without Christ I am nothing, but with him I have everything! I was always afraid to die, afraid of the dark, and afraid of dark places. I knew that I wanted to live forever and I realize with Christ that dream is a reality.
The Baptist Association that my church is affiliated with requires that all ministers attend divinity school before preaching their initial sermon and to become ordained. God knew the plans He had for me so I was exempt from going to their school. But God knew I needed more to accomplish my dreams of becoming a leader. I want to be a confident leader with the free leader training education and the correct tools to be who God has called me to be.
I plan to use my Christian Leaders Institute Training by being a Pastor and a servant of God. I had no idea I would find Christian Leaders Institute (God knew). Then it was free! I had to do research because I could not believe anything this great was FREE! It had to be God, He knew what I needed and He knew it had to be free.
Free leader training was important to me because when I was working I could not afford to attend training or finance training at that time. Now I am unemployed and cannot afford training, (I was waiting for God to send me my job and He sent me to CLI). I know that I needed to learn and I had been seeking, but I never thought I would stumble upon free leader training. However, after completing the getting started courses, I have learned that it is time, effort, encouraging myself and dedication but worth every hour. Nothing that has to do with Jesus is by chance. This is where God has placed me and I am loving it! There are so many others like myself in this area that need this training.
I want to become a Pastor and I needed free leader training. One thing for sure, I am where I need to be and the excitement is overwhelming! One day I will rise from being a bronze vision partner member to a platinum member!
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