Small Group Leader Journey
Hello, my name is Matthew G. Stickney, and I am on a small group leader journey. I was born in Oregon in 1980. We moved to Missouri in 1982 and have been here ever since. The most common nickname that is given to the area I live in is called the Bible Belt. Ministry in the USA has become fun and exciting. Jesus is good and ministry is good, and there will always be people that need to be reached.
Throughout my life, I tested the boundaries and pled with God to show me a sign or even just take over my life. It wasn’t until 2015 when I heard the call of Jesus. His voice took over my thoughts and this overwhelming feeling of joy hit me as I heard a voice say, “Here I am.” I began to feel different as my heart was moved to new heights. I was baptized this year and am moving on my journey to follow Jesus. In 2016, I joined a men’s ministry at Evangel Temple. At this group, I read, studied, and heard Jesus calling me to use my strengths and drive to pursue ministry on my small group leader journey.
My ministry dream is to bring men of all ages back to becoming leaders that can walk their faith openly with their families. Jesus is the ultimate example of how men should act and behave. Families are as distant as ever as technology continues to advance in children’s lives. I wish to help men become better men using the example and model of Jesus himself.
The getting started class at Christian Leaders Insitute has helped me to strengthen my faith and walk with the Lord by bringing back devotional time to my family. I will continue to see the Lord through talking, listening, and devotion. This class has helped me see the gaps in my current walk.
I most identify as a Small Group Leader, as I have been called to lead men on their journey to follow our Lord. My calling has pulled me to help men be better leaders of their families. With comfort, application, worshiping, discussing, and a little adventure, I believe that the Lord has given me the opportunity to reach families.
The church I currently call home has been a place of worship in my family for more than 25 years. I was walked away at an early age by my own doing and left with the thought that there was more in the world. To be called back to the church of my Grandparents is a blessing as we have been part of this church before and it feels like home. I hope to reach a greater number of men here. I have joined a security ministry and become one of the leaders in this group.
Free ministry training at CLI Is most important as I am unable to afford ministry training at a regular college or university. My training in the recent years since I have been called has been through books, prayer, and my local ministers at church. Until now, I felt that receiving a quality education in ministry was only a dream. Then one day, God lead me to Christian Leaders Institute. With God’s help and this training, I can fulfill my calling.
Learn about local ecuministry ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Youth Leader Journey
My name is Priscilla Drucilla Ecila Narine and I have been on a youth leader journey. I am 23 years old and I am from Trinidad and Tobago. I live in a village by the name of Fyzabad. I am mixed with African and Indian, both of my parents are mixed. I have two brothers and I am not married. I grew up in a Christian home. When I was a child, I attended Sunday School and I believe that helped to shape my mind.
I am very quiet and have a desire to learn. I always wanted the best education and grew up believing that there is a God. At first, I believed that Jesus was God. But through going to school and encountering differing views and having friends of different religions, I came to believe that all gods were the same and why would God let good people go to hell. Then I came across Allah and thought that Jesus and Allah were the same. For some reason, I was drawn to Jesus on my youth leader journey. I always wanted to read my Bible and pray. I was that child who would find myself in arguments with other children trying to defend my faith. For me, there was something different about Jesus. I grew up with this one scripture in mind, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That was my motto to do my best in my education.
I entered secondary school and was introduced to secular music and it became my addiction. I was obsessed with Chris Brown. He was my god, but I didn’t see it at that point in time. Before I reached puberty, my parents were going through a divorce. It really impacted my brothers and I. I call it the dark age. My dad was in ministry as a pastor. When the devil came in, peace in the house was removed. My dad left and my mom entered another relationship with a man who was the devil’s cousin. We were literally in prison. There was no peace in the home. My mom stopped going to church. The only time we went to church was when we visited our father on his weekends.
I became a slave to masturbation and secular music. My conscience attacked me, yet I ignored it. From the age of 14, I was into conspiracy theories and Illuminati videos. Nobody knew more about it than me. I thought that was knowledge. Even though I knew that the music I listened to was bad for me, I didn’t have the power to stop listening to it. My mom’s boyfriend at the time brought us to an SDA church which didn’t last long. Then my current pastor met my mom and we started attending his church. I remember going to church every Sunday and being convicted of my sins, desiring to worship God. But I couldn’t close my eyes and lift my hands because I was too ashamed. I told myself every Sunday that I would stop my addictions but every week I couldn’t.
I went to the university and I lived alone off campus. I engaged in a life of sex and pornography. My education became my god after Chris Brown. I told God I would seek him after I got my degree when I felt prompted to read my Bible. I used my degree as an excuse not to go to church. I was basically puffed up in my knowledge.
In my second year at the university, my life changed on my youth leader journey. It was April of 2015, my friend and I just came from a class and we were sitting by the chemistry labs. I asked her a question about God and she began asking questions about the big bang and dinosaurs. For the first time, I felt sad inside. It was the first time my heart broke because I couldn’t answer her questions. I remember walking to my apartment crying that I did not know God or His gospel since I was unable to share it or defend it. It hurt me to the core. I prayed to God, crying to Him, telling Him that I believe Jesus is the only way. I told Him that I wanted to share His gospel, I wanted people to know Him.
That same night I opened my Bible on my cell phone and began to read the book of Mark. (Note: I struggled to understand the Bible and I remember asking my mom to explain passages to me. She would say, “Ask the Holy Spirit, He will reveal it to you”, and I did not know what she meant). That night my eyes were opened. Each word I read, I understood. I felt God’s presence enter me. The emptiness I had was filled. I experienced a love, peace, and joy that I couldn’t explain. Chains in my life were broken. My sinful desires left me. That night I encountered the love of God on my youth leader journey. That night the Holy Spirit revealed to me that Jesus is the only true God. I considered my education and every other knowledge that doesn’t have the power to change the human heart rubbish compared to the gospel of Jesus Christ. My desire changed to reading His word, fasting, praying and worshiping Him. My mind was transformed from the corruption of sexual thoughts to heavenly thoughts of being before His presence and shouting, “Holy, Holy is the Lamb of God!”
From the Bible, I came to understand that I was born again and that Jesus made me a new creature. I had thought God was a being that couldn’t be felt or experienced. But Christianity for me became a relationship with the one, true God. I began to evangelize on the streets. I realized I couldn’t go through this spiritual fight alone. So, I asked a friend to bring me to IVCF on campus. It was an amazing place to be among other believers who love God. I began to evangelize in groups on campus, go to Bible studies, fellowship, and learn apologetics on my youth leader journey. I basically spent most of my last years in UWI studying the word of God rather than chemistry books and God allowed me to pass all of my courses.
At my church, my pastor rebooted the youth ministry and I became the secretary on my youth leader journey. I had a desire to bring youth to Christ and teach them to love God and people. After my graduation, my pastor placed me as the youth leader.
My passion is the gospel and my desire is to let the world know that Jesus is God and to defend the faith. I believe that Christian Leaders Institute will equip me to be an effective youth leader and help me to be effective when it comes to sharing the gospel.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.