Home Church Planters
I am Joshua Hickman, and my wife and I feel called to be Home Church Planters. I live in Temple, Texas, USA. I’ve been serving Jesus passionately since October 1999. I was 16 years old and my mom made me go to something called a “Revival Service”. Little did anyone know that this annual event, at this small country church in Bastrop TX, would be totally rocked by the power of God in a radical way!
The night my mom forced me to go to church, I was sitting listening to this little southern country worship band singing about Jesus. The only thing I knew about Jesus, at this point, was that He had something to do with two holidays, and my mother had become obsessed with Him for the past six months. So, I’m sitting in the soft green chairs listening to this band sing songs and I began to really think about how empty I felt all the time. I became overwhelmingly lonely and depressed. Then the crazy preacher got up there and started talking about Jesus, and how God is good, and about the Holy Spirit.
The next thing I knew, I was pushing the nice people over who were sitting next to me, and I was crying, and running to the front of this church. I wasn’t the only one though. Twenty to thirty others were with me up there. As we began asking Jesus to forgive us, I suddenly was overwhelmed again, but this time with Joy! I didn’t feel lonely and bitter anymore. Life has been a crazy process since then, but it’s been fun, to say the least.
It was in this same church that I began to learn about life as this new person, and how the Father gave me unique gifts to fulfill a unique purpose in life. At different points in my life over the next 10 years, God would bring many men and women into my life to mentor me. Some would help me hone my musical abilities, some my relationships, and others, my character. The Senior Pastor, however, was the first to really see and then publicly confirm the call on my life as a Pastor. One Sunday morning, after sharing with the congregation a song I wrote, the Pastor ran up to me with tears and laid his hands on me. He began to declare things about me that he said were in the Father’s heart for me. Now, I can’t possibly remember everything exactly as it was said, but I will never forget that moment. The main idea was that I was being set apart in that moment to lead others around me into a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit!
Fast forward to 2017. I am now married with four BEAUTIFUL children and an AMAZING wife. We serve as the Senior Leaders of a small (but growing) network of home-based churches. Although my wife and I are currently the primary pastors of our church, we feel a call from God to actually travel and plant many churches! We are home church planters with an exciting ministry dream. What I love about the way we have been expressing the local church gathering is the fact that my children (all under the age of 8) are so excited every time we have a home group meeting. They are learning to be a part of the church by engaging with adults and other kids as we worship, pray, and discuss God’s Word.
I had been to a discipleship training school in 2008 and had awesome opportunities to do international missions work, but still felt the drawing by the Holy Spirit to deepen my knowledge and study. I believe that formal ministry education can, and does, help boost confidence and understanding. I feel that the instructors in the Getting Started Class did a great job of, essentially, saying the same thing. I remember reading the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian many times, but one time it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that I have reached a point in my life that I need help understanding more of God’s word from more than just my own perspective. I have a few local mentors, who have all, at some point, encouraged me to look into seminary training. After searching for weeks online, I finally came across Christian Leaders Institute.
I’m so excited to continue to pursue higher education through CLI as we grow as home church planters, a family, and a church community. For us, CLI is already making an impact on everyone in our church! I’ve spread the word to the people my wife and I mentor so that they can eventually pursue additional training.
We would really appreciate prayer for our region, the Bell County area in Texas. As a church, we feel a call to restore the family aspect to the church of our area….regardless of denomination or race or gender. My family and I would appreciate prayer as we continue to work as volunteer home church planters for our new church plant, in an area that has largely never experienced home church, and for financial provision! Currently, I work full time for a Furniture Retailer in our area, and as a full-time volunteer with our new church plant.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Officiant Minister Ordination
My name is Roger Paligutan. I am deeply blessed with the task that God will give me as I am looking forward to receiving this Officiant Minister Ordination.
I am 54 years old, a registered nurse by profession. I am married to my beautiful wife, also a registered nurse, Jocelyn Aljibe-Paligutan for 25 years. I am blessed with three children, Ivan Roger (25), Rogelyn Paligutan (21), and Gerlyn Joy (15).
I was born in the Philippines. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and in Nursing. A year after graduating in 1996, I migrated to the United States of America in 1997 through my mother’s petition. I was not saved yet when I came to the USA. I did not have any idea about having a “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ. All I knew was that I had so many gods. I used to worship graven images of various kinds and believed that going to heaven is through good works.
It was February 1998, when I was invited by a Filipino US Veteran to come with him to the church he attended on Sundays. On that first Sunday, I surrendered my life to Jesus and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. That day I heard the verse Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (KJV). I believed that day I was one of those called and chosen. My spiritual life had changed and my walk with our Lord Jesus Christ began.
My very first prayer to God was for the salvation of my wife who was left in the Philippines with our children. In just a couple of months of praying, I called my wife and was excited to tell her about salvation and being a born-again Christian. Lo and behold, my wife told me that she had already accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior just a month before I shared my testimony with her.
For almost two decades of being with Christ, my daily walk with God through His Word has gradually changed my life spiritually. I feel the hunger for His Word every day. God has given me several pastors that guided me with the Bible. I was mentored by several of them and continue to study God’s Word and wait until God called me to serve Him.
My current pastor at the Assembly at Crawford, Pastor Daniel Esperanza, advised me to take a Bible course online to help equip me with the Word of God through an in-depth study of the Bible. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I ran into the website of Christian Leaders Institute (CLI), who offer Bible courses online for free. I read all the CLI courses and was amazed by their curriculum, and how it perfectly fits my needs.
I enrolled at CLI in the year of 2014. The courses I have completed equip me with knowledge about the Bible and being a Christian leader. Christian Leaders Institute provided me with the right training in every course I enrolled, and I will continue to pursue the advanced courses and training to be fully equipped with the knowledge about the Word of God. My officiant minister ordination is a step on this journey. Whatever God’s plan for me, He is making sure I am ready.
I am currently serving as a leader and member of the Pastoral Staff at the Assembly at Crawford under the leadership of our Head Pastor, Pastor Daniel Esperanza.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Purpose Filled Women
I am a 32-year-old entrepreneur from London, Ontario and I am called to lead purpose filled women. I was raised in a Roman Catholic family, with strong morals and values instilled in me from a young age. However, I never felt I had a real relationship with the Lord. After going down my own path, I found myself empty, bankrupt and divorced when I was 27. I surrendered my life to the Lord in November of 2014. Since then he has delivered me in so many ways. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Curtis for two years and we look forward to a lifetime and eternity together. He is my best friend and my biggest source of encouragement. I have been completely transformed physically, mentally and emotionally by God’s work in my life over the last five years.
My ministry dream is to help women know God, love themselves, and find a holistic way of living that includes God, healthy eating, and fitness. I have a marketing and graphic design background and have my own small business. I also have my personal training certification. I am excited to begin my Women’s Ministry Certification with Christian Leaders Institute. I believe my calling is to help women who have past pains from relationships with men to bring healing through a real relationship with God. From this foundation, my dream is that these purpose filled women will also improve their health, nutrition, fitness and overall wellness.
This class has completely affirmed that I have heard God’s call to ministry. As I was reading through the material, I was able to relate to it and hope to help other’s apply it to their lives as I have applied it to my own.
I identify most with Pastor, as I have many experiences where people have come to me for advice, confided in me and sought support due to me sharing my painful past experiences. I feel this is part of God’s calling on my life. A key experience that prompted me to pursue ministry is the work that God has done to transform my exterior appearance (60 lb weight loss) after he transformed my interior (heart). This has encouraged me to examine my current career and if it is in line with the purpose God has for me.
Some unique challenges in my geographic area include people struggling with their relationships; whether it be with themselves, their spouse, their family, etc. God is missing in most family households and even Christians may not be walking with God. I feel with my skill set with technology that I will be able to reach most of the world with God’s message… thanks to the internet!
Reading my Bible daily is something that I have just recently implemented. I can open up my Bible and really feel God speaking to me through the story/verse/circumstance. I used to struggle with application and understanding, but as I grow in my relationship with God, I can really hear his voice when I prioritize the time to engage with him in prayer and reading.
I met with my pastor at Gateway Church here in London at the beginning of November 2017. I’d just finished up a course he taught on Spiritual Gifts. He encouraged me to take a Christian Life Coaching course through Lombardi as well as brought up Bible College as a suitable path for me once I explained my ministry dream to him.
My husband and in-laws have been extremely encouraging to me in following my ministry calling. They have watched me deepen my relationship with God, and have seen him transform me inside and out over the last four years.
I believe a scholarship at CLI will help me to deepen my faith, and to be a confidant to struggling women. My passion is to help women by introducing them to God and a relationship with him and also helping them discover their purpose. Then as purpose filled women for the Lord, helping them implement self-care exercise through nutrition and fitness. I strongly believe being certified through CLI will give me the confidence to accomplish all of my goals.
Please pray for all of the broken women out there, walking in victim mentality, to be drawn to my experiences and find validation and understanding in knowing God. I ask God to help me to bring out the best in them, coach them to point them in the right direction, discover their purpose and walk with Him through life and not in their own strength. All in His name and to His glory.
Learn about Ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.