Small Group Ministry
I am Cassandra Morris and I am excited to be involved in a small group ministry. I live in the USA in New Hampshire. I was 14 when I came to know the Lord as my personal Savior. I grew up in the Catholic church but never understood or knew the importance (or even that I was able) to have a personal relationship with Jesus. My uncle invited me to his church (Non-denominational) and I was amazed by the people’s love for Jesus and the way they worshiped. Shortly after joining him at church, I went to a Christian concert where they had an alter call and I gave my life to the Lord.
My dream is to be used by the Lord in however He sees fit. I want to use the gifting’s and talents He has placed in me to bless others. I dream of using my love for worship and music and the ability the Lord has given me to play guitar and sing to lead his people into new levels of worship. I also think the word I identify with most is a small group ministry. My husband and I host a small group at our home currently. It is such a privilege to lead God’s people in worship, prayer and studying his Word. I also love that we get to know the people in our group more and pray for them daily. Our church in New Hampshire has encouraged me to step out in the gifting of worship the Lord has given me. They have also supported me in my ability and gifting to lead in our Sunday school program.
This first class at Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) has encouraged me in the importance of spending time with God daily and to build up my walk with Him through reading and studying the word. It has also reminded me that I’m not in this alone! There is a community of other like-minded, God-seeking Christians who want more of Jesus, who want to learn more about Him and to give of themselves to others.
I don’t think there has been a key experience that has prompted me to pursue ministry. I believe for me that it is a desire to walk in the fullness of who God has made me. To be obedient to what He is asking me to do in a small group ministry. Some of the challenges I face are the distractions from what God is asking me to focus on daily. There is so much pulling for my attention and so much I can spend my time on – TV, smartphones, shopping etc. The Lord might be asking me to spend more time in quiet with Him, but then my phone goes off. There is always something to do, something to see.
My husband is also attending CLI. I love that God has called me to study here as well. My husband and I get to connect and read together and with our children. I am excited to see what the Lord has for us as a family in small group ministry! My husband and I have four amazing children ages 12, 11, 9 and 7. We want them to be a part of whatever we do. We want them to learn the importance of serving God’s people.
My husband works 50-60 hours a week to allow me to stay home to school our children, but only having one income barely keeps us up with the bills. I am grateful that CLI allows me to receive an education at no cost to me. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to attend a great school to learn more worship, ministry and what I believe the Lord is calling me into.
I ask for prayer to be able to lead God’s people in worship and be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit while playing and singing. I would love prayer for focus throughout my studies and that I would be open to whatever the Lord is calling me to walk into for the next chapter in my life as well.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Ordained Pastor Journey
Hello, my name is Tim Cluckey and I am on an ordained pastor journey. I am married to my loving wife, Diana. We are parents to three amazing boys and we reside in Niles, Ohio. I was fortunate enough to be born in a very caring, Christian home. My parents were not raised Christian but found the Lord together as a married couple. My father became a minister and he, along with my mother, raised six children in the knowledge of the Lord.
At a young age, I knew I wanted and needed to be in ministry, but, as I became an older teenager, I fought against that calling. I have always been a shy person and getting in front of people to talk terrified me. I tried different professions, but none of them gave me any satisfaction. My older brother, Scott, told me that he was called to plant a church and I immediately felt that “pull” to go along with him for that journey. I prayed long and hard and knew that this was finally an opportunity for me to get back on the right track. Solid Rock Christian Church started in my living room in Niles, Ohio in May of 2011. After numerous locations, we are now settled in an old elementary school building that we use for many different types of ministries.
I am in the process of becoming the associate pastor at Solid Rock Christian Church. I have done quite a few sermons and Bible studies. I am very much involved in children’s ministry and I have assisted with our youth group. I want to gain more knowledge about becoming a minister and I feel God calling me to become a head pastor someday on this ordained pastor journey. I have given all my fears and reservations to God because He is much bigger than them. I want to reach out to people and guide them to the light and grace of God.
I know I can achieve my goals with Christian Leaders Institute. I hope to use the courses here to expand my knowledge of the Word and better prepare myself for the obstacles that I will face with my ministry. I will go out into the world and spread the Word of God.
Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Ordained Pastor
My name is Joseph Edward Legg. I am a pastor at Church on the Rock in Wasilla, Alaska, USA, and feel called to be an ordained pastor. I have been in multiple ministries over the last 20 years, including the local church and para-church organizations. The U.S.A. is definitely a mission field, especially here in Alaska. Ministry here is very relationship based and it’s easy to involve the entire family.
I grew up going to church but didn’t form a relationship with Jesus until my late teen years. I had been a church pianist/organist since age 12, and I had been basing a lot of Christianity on works and ability. When my father passed away after a long battle with cancer and heart disease, my world was changed and I began looking in different places for comfort. Another local church invited me to a concert, where I first began to know that Jesus loves me and desires a relationship. This began a change in my life to have a close relationship with Him.
I have five children; they and my wife Jennifer are very connected in my ministry. We try to include the entire family in as many things as we can ministry related. My wife and I have a passion for mentoring men and women. We love rural Alaska. Although we currently live and pastor at a larger church in a more developed area of Alaska, we would love to plant and pastor a church in more rural Alaska as an ordained pastor or even have a camp/retreat center.
This class has reminded me to take time in my walk with Jesus and to develop it to a point where it is reproducible to others. I am re-settling into Bible Study and reading for the relationship and not just results.
Most of my ministry experience has been in Music and Worship Ministry. I also spent about 4-5 years as a Guest Services Director at a Bible Camp in rural Alaska. This and my IT experience have given me a unique experience. I am currently a staff pastor in Worship, Guest Services, and some operations. I mostly relate to the position of Pastor.
I was married at age 22 to Mariah. She was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer soon after. She died when I was 24. At that point, I had been a high school band director. I moved 100 miles away to Arkansas and took a Music Pastor position at a small church. Once again, I was reminded of the brevity of life and I wanted to spend mine on something worthwhile like ministry.
Ministry in Alaska is unique in many ways. Here in the Valley, theft and drug abuse are rampant. We want to be able to help and minister to the lost and broken. Our church is considered to be a generous and safe place for people. However, we have to work hard to balance being that safe place while not enabling them or being an easy target for theft and drug deals. We also deal with very cold temperatures and large amounts of snow in the winter and beautiful weather and extended jobs during the summers. A large part of our population is “slopers” who are 2 weeks at home and 2 weeks at work thousands of miles away. We have developed an online streaming campus for them to stay connected while away.
One of my colleagues often says, “Everything rises and falls on your hermeneutics.” I had joined a small group of men that were going through Systematic Theology and Redemptive History together. Connecting with awesome mentors like that really showed me how important it is to be connected with God’s word during ministry. It changed how I connected with others in ministry and relationally.
I am currently a licensed pastor at my church. I have been encouraged to become an ordained pastor. After much research, our education staff recommended Christian Leaders Institue (CLI) as a path of ordination study.
Since I am older and have an extensive resume and education in music, a big challenge for getting more education has always been the financing. A scholarship at CLI makes my ordained pastor ministry calling achievable! Please be praying for wisdom to be able to balance my family, my ministry, and my education here at CLI over the next few years.
Learn about pastor ordination with Christian Leaders Alliance.