In his epistle to the early church, the apostle James speaks of the importance of helping orphans “in their affliction.” This phrase, “in their affliction,” acknowledges the pain that orphans experience in living without their mother and father. Helping orphans is important for Christians because they represent the poor and powerless. These are people that God says He really cares about.
Because God cares for the hurting, the poor, and the broken-hearted, He is raising up people like Lisa with a heart for helping orphans all over the world.
I was born in 1990 in Zimbabwe, Africa. I was raised with my grandmother while my mom was pursuing her education until she graduated then I moved in with her. I moved to the USA when I was 16 to join my father and other family members. I work for a bank and currently studying to serve in ministry.
I am married and we have one son named Elior. I currently attend UMC in Texas. I started attending church when I was very young. I would lead our family prayers at home as well as ready the bible in church. In high school, I was part of the scripture Union group as well as other Christian groups at school. I am also currently part of the evangelism team at my church. I identify myself more as a pastor, prayer warrior, and evangelist. I have had a lot of confirmations from some church leaders as well as from God that I should be doing something in ministry. From having visions and dreams there is no way I can run away from serving God. I have been laying my calling aside for a long time trying to pursue a degree in the nursing field , every time I was about to get to the clinical part of the program something happened. Sickness or some major obstacle, and this happened to me 3 times and this fourth time I have decided to go ministry way to see what God’s will is.
Some unique challenges in my area would be traveling to different places of town to evangelize since public transportation is not as good in Texas. The other challenge is with so many people from different countries, people are so focused in meeting with their specific groups who speak the same language as them and getting someone from a different background to listen to you can be very challenging. Language barrier as well contributes to these challenges.
My local church is very supportive in developing my ministry in so many ways. We have mentorship in the church to help guide us into the right direction of ministry. Under the leadership of our pastors, we have a chance to practice sermon writing and learn different strategies involved in leading a ministry. In my local church, there are also so many classes and leadership training opportunities that run throughout the year and are open to everyone interested. We also have smaller group bible studies where everyone can share their abilities and bring out their calling in ministry. Also my husband is very supportive as he sees a huge calling upon my life. He has been my backbone and encouragement through my confusion of joining ministry. My husband also sees something greater in myself that he feels I’m wasting time in what I was called to do, in fulfilling the will of God. Him as a minister of God through music and as a worshiper in the Kingdom of God encourages me to do more in God’s kingdom.
Obtaining a scholarship at CLI is so important to me because sometimes we are taken back in doing the things that we are called to do because of lack of finances. I know because someone has donated to this ministry gives me so much energy to pursue what God has installed for me. Because I’m an advocate for helping orphans, this scholarship is teaching me that there is so much more in giving than receiving. Getting the scholarship is also very important to me because you learn at your own pace. You have distance learning, and as a mother I have always wished for flexibility. This scholarship is also helping me live my ministry dream because there is so much to learn in the courses provided. So far I have already learned a lot of things that I didn’t know were involved in serving. It’s also been teaching me to be humble because sometimes when you spend out of your pocket, you feel pride. You don’t really acknowledge God because you think you have achieved on your own.
Prayer is definitely needed because so many challenges come up when you decide to serve God. I need prayers to be strong, to not give up with the ministry, Prayers to be able to conquer obstacles in life. And just the courage to take on and preach the word of God to so many nations.
If you would like to be part of God’s plan for helping orphans, or even if you are called to another area of leadership in the church, you can get free training online at Christian Leaders Institute.
Click here to apply now!
Pain is something that we all experience. some learn and grow through it. Some let it define them. Others, like Melissa Vanmeter, experience God’s profound grace in the times when pain is most profound.
Melissa’s experience with God’s profound grace came when her first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. For those who have never experienced it, it’s hard to imagine the pain of knowing you’ll never be able to hold your child… to see his first smile… to hear his happy cooing. But Melissa realized that she didn’t have to give up hope. Here are her own words about her first experience with profound grace:
I gave my heart to God in 2007, after my first miscarriage. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to endure in my life, and I knew I needed the Lord to help me get through it. I also knew that if I ever wanted to see/hold my baby, I had to get to heaven. The end of 2014, however, is when I TRULY started living for the Lord and putting my entire life into his hands. I had found an AMAZING church, re-committed my life to God, was baptized, and grew closer to God than ever before.
Melissa’s current full-time ministry is her family. Because she stays at home to care for her house and her living child and works at home, Melissa needed to find training with a flexible schedule.
Hello! My name is Melissa (“Missy”) VanMeter and I am 28 years old. I am a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom (I am an Affiliate Marketer as well as a DoTERRA Essential Oils Wellness Advocate.) I have an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice, as well as a Veterinary Assisting diploma. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Dale, for 11 years. We have a precious 5-year-old son, Aidan, and 2 angel-babies in heaven.
We live in the country, in West Virginia (USA) and travel across the USA during the winter months. Although hate-crimes against Christians are unfortunately becoming more common, I’m blessed to live in a country where Christianity is still the main religion.
But God was calling Melissa further into ministry. He set it on her heart to make a difference for Him in a community that is ravaged by drugs. Her calling is to preach Christ to the younger people who are so frequently drawn into drugs. If they can experience the same profound grace she did, the fatal overdose rate could drop significantly.
West Virginia has a huge drug problem (and a very high overdose death rate.) I would love to start my own non-denominational church focused on the younger crowd, to combat this drug epidemic. These folks need to learn about Christ, accept him, and allow him to heal them of their addictions. I suffer from Social Anxiety & have terrible stage fright & difficulty with public speaking. In order to successfully make this dream a reality, I know that God must help me overcome those issues. Knowing how awesome my God is, however, I have total confidence that he can and will do just that. I also know that with God’s help, we can change lives! This program will also, of course, benefit my own spiritual life.
Being a stay at home mom means that if/when I attend school, it must be done online/at home with a very flexible schedule. So Christian Leaders Institute is a great fit. And without the scholarship program, I wouldn’t be able to afford the training necessary to accurately and confidently teach the gospel in a way that people can understand & relate to. I have read the Bible in its entirety. However, I feel the need to delve deeper & better understand the word before preaching the gospel to others. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity! Thank you so very much!!!
Who in your community could benefit from experiencing the profound grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ? If you feel that God is leading you to bring revival to your community, or even if you’re just looking for a deeper relationship with Him, Christian Leaders Institute can help prepare you for whatever lies ahead. You can find out for yourself by clicking here to enroll in your first class!