Ministry Call Journey
My name is Joshua Stromberg and I am on a ministry call journey. My faith started as a young boy, in Alberta, Canada. I knew of God growing up, going to church every Sunday, going to Bible camp every summer, and eventually going to youth group when I was older.
Unfortunately, I didn’t actually know God myself. I knew what to say, I sometimes had read my Bible, and would pray sometimes, but not really. As I grew older, the devil got more and more of a foothold in my life, and I moved away, into the world, when I was 16.
I was rebellious, knowing there was God and that Jesus had died on the cross for me. I didn’t understand it though. Through my later teens and early twenties, I lived for myself, partying and being a hard working stoner (pot smoker). Even after I married my beautiful wife at 21, who I met at 19, I was still living a self-centered life. We moved up to the small town I had left, a few months before we wed. That’s where God really started knocking.
After my son was born, my parents started taking him to church, which I totally agreed with as I knew that was what the Lord would want. In between, in the couple years before my daughter was born, I stopped drinking to get drunk. After I realized it was getting in the way of my relationship with my wife, I completely stopped drinking for a year. My daughter was born in the new year of 2015, I was still smoking pot daily aside from a few times of stopping for a month or so every now and then. She started going to church with my parents too.
So then comes around two years ago, 2016 on my ministry call journey. I started working for a family friend, who is also a board member at church. He prays every day before we start work and lives out a real faith daily. I know something’s missing, as I always have, but now I really know. Over the summer, I kept getting an inclining to go to church. During November that year, while we were out hunting, my unsaved buddy asked why I don’t go to church too since my kids do every Sunday. I didn’t have an answer. A few weeks later, I started going back to church.
Over the next half a year even though I had rededicated my life to Christ, I wasn’t living it out. I was still holding on to things. I was still smoking weed daily, drinking beer a little out of moderation, still addicted to porn, and still had an obscene tongue. Summer 2017 rolled around, and I knew I wanted to change and the Holy Spirit wanted me to change. So I started really trying, but mostly in my own strength. Baptism Sunday was coming up, so I put my name on the list the weekend before.
After I was baptized, I really started trying harder to change. I swore less, didn’t smoke as much weed, would only drink a few beers a week, only tripped up on porn every so often, and felt guilty about it all. You could almost say I felt condemned. During the late summer, I told God I really wanted to change. I stepped out in faith and started raising my hands to worship Him at church. I started turning praise music on more and more, I cut the beer intake to almost none and cut right down on pot. Cutting down on all that was hard as my wife didn’t want to stop.
In the fall, I started praying for His strength to not watch porn. But with me still not surrendering daily pot, I was leaving room for guilt and condemnation, and every so often the devil would use that and then comes more guilt and condemnation. Thankfully, I learned that guilt and condemnation doesn’t come from God. So I started praying about that as well on this ministry call journey. I’ve been porn free and loving it since November. As I claimed Christ’s victory over that giant, the Holy Spirit started to show me other areas in my life that He wanted to conquer. I started 2018 afresh, anew, substance-free, addiction free, condemnation free, justified in Christ. As I dove deeper into the Word, I started a 21 day fast and prayer with the church. God spoke to me in a dream and confirmed a feeling/calling to go to Bible school (an inclination I’ve had for many years, weird right?). That invoked a lot of prayer about it, as with a family and long hours away from the closest school, it seemed impossible.
God is the God of the impossible. After much prayer and looking into other schools (some with tuitions of 10k+!!), I came across Christian Leaders Institute. One would say that CLI has been a Godsend on my ministry call journey! It could have been years before I started ministry training. After starting the scholarship class I’ve really enjoyed the insight and calling to ministry I have learned. My pastor is excited about it, as is the friend (now mentor) I worked for in 2016. I look forward to pursuing further ministry training through CLI and pursuing ministry through avenues the Lord leads me to.
In short, I once was lost, but now I am saved.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Minister Education
I live in the United States of America and I am receiving minister education at Christian Leaders Institute. I got saved when I was a little boy, I asked Christ into my heart at a young age. But I was immature. I watched too much TV, played too many video games, and used media as an escape when my parents divorced. My humor and speech and behavior were often not indicative of a Christian person. My good moments were definitely there but few and far between.
I lived for myself even as a professing believer, and made too many mistakes and lived in hypocrisy with laziness and pride. I hate that about me. But even at my lowest points, God used my mistakes to help others and teach other people lessons about foolish living. I led at least one friend to Christ. He was a hurting young man who would not have ever gone to church on his own. Now he is growing in his faith, and when he moved away, he no longer needed my mentorship. He went with Christ.
To him who has been given much, much is expected of him. I do have many talents, I’m gifted in written and oral communication. I’m also a funny guy with a long list of clean jokes. I’m aware that I have issues, and this has helped me reach people who are also deeply troubled. I have cleaned up my life as much as I can, and I know that I still have a way to go. I take this school seriously. I want to glorify God and suffer for Him with thanksgiving and answer a calling in my heart. I do not know what my future holds, but Lord willing, I will finish these classes and continue the journey of working for God, using my gifts to honor Him.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Ministry to Children
Sonja Eckert — United States
Nestled in Millersville, Pennsylvania, where you learn to appreciate the strong, pungent countryside smells. I admit I have never left the United States. I have never flown. The little bit of traveling I have managed to enjoy in my 30 years has been wonderful.
I grew up in Lancaster city, an area where it was tough living. Parents struggled to make ends meet, struggled to maintain a marriage. Both were raised Catholic, and by nature, they did their best to raise their children the same. I came to know the Lord through my family; parents, of course, my grandmother and my school, Sacred Heart.
My ministry dream is to raise our children to be disciples of the Lord. To welcome, embrace and nurture them on their spiritual journey. To love and be loved as good people on this Earth. And to never stop being grateful. This course has been a boost of encouragement. It has helped me commit to my calling as a children’s minister. I like to call myself a “late bloomer.” I started in this ministry because it was a paying job. The longer I stayed, the deeper this passion grew. The times I felt scared and wanted to end my position, something guided me, and with a sense of calmness, I knew I would be okay and that there was something more waiting for me. I have been involved with the Church for over five years now. I have been promoted to a position created for me. I have hopes and dreams and support.
I am a Children’s minister, or as my title states, Elementary Coordinator. I originally was the Nursery Coordinator at Wayside Presbyterian, working alongside a Director of Christian Formation and Youth Coordinator. Due to the resignation, the church felt it was easier to relieve one title and create a new one. Member of the congregation and volunteers who worked with me in the Nursery recommended me for the new position.
Challenges I currently face are school-aged children and extracurricular activities. Trying to find a balance without the parents in regards to the lack of involvement in programming held specifically for the children. I blame no one; it is a part of life, growth. I make sure to keep lines of communication open, so no opportunity is missed.
Connecting to the Bible became a personal affair. Aside from my job and calling at Wayside, the Bible along with online groups of mothers with special needs children became another close friend in my life. A boost of encouragement, a fresh perspective, a reason to be grateful. The Bible grounds me, but also allows me to connect with others spiritually.
My son is the one who inspired me and ultimately made me realize I had to stay; I had to pursue this ministry, I had to accept my calling. I did not know this calling was there. I often struggled for the first three years, whether or not I was good enough for this role. I often wondered “who am I.” That question turned into “this is who I am.” And once that notion made sense, God showed me the way. I have made adaptations for him within the church, so he is more comfortable. This effort was recognized by the entire congregation as well as other parents with kids who need the support as well. I have also brought his two siblings into this church. Each child of mine has been welcomed and accepted into a community that is loving and supportive.
A scholarship at CLI would allow me to further my learning in Christian Education and become a better representation of myself in Children’s Ministry. I ask that you pray for my ministry at Wayside, that we continue to grow strong in faith and friendship together.