Only God has the power to transform lives. People have mastered the ability to mask and suppress, but only God can truly transform. Lives are changed when they encounter the power of Jesus Christ in a real, personal way.
Jordan Dainty had a personal experience with God’s power to transform lives. Even though he’d heard about Jesus since he was young, he was never shown how to live a daily Christian walk with God. So he ended up falling into addictions. At the young age of 13, he was under the power of drugs and alcohol.
My name is Jordan Robert Dainty and I live in the United States of America. I grew up going to church only on holidays such as Christmas and Easter, but had no significant involvement in the church fellowship. From as early as I can remember I felt moved by the word of God and the great sacrifice Jesus made for humanity. Doing ministry in the U.S. is comparably one of the easiest countries in the world. There is very little persecution of Christianity anywhere in the U.S. Church planting and finding ways and means to get education for ministry training are very accessible here. Coming to know just that little bit about God as a young child always kept me yearning for a more in-depth walk with Him. It is a true blessing to live in a country where, after my ministry training is complete, I have so many opportunities to utilize the knowledge I have gained.
When I was thirteen years old my addictions to drugs and alcohol began to take hold of my life. My great aunt Sherry caught wind of this and offered for me to go to Bible camp that summer. I went and it ended up being one of the greatest experiences of my life. I ended up attending camp through the same church two more times that year (once in the Fall and again in the Spring). During those months is when I truly accepted Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Although it would be a little over ten years before I decided to turn my life over to God.
As we might say in the U.S., God’s in the business of transforming lives. When Jordan committed himself to Jesus, he learned that it was possible to experience freedom from these addictions. Now he wants to go out and be God’s instrument to transform lives that are as lost as he once was.
My dream for ministry is very clear in my life today. Some Christian brothers and sisters of mine are in the early stages of planting a church in the inner city area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. We are all recovering drug addicts who have decided it is time to turn our lives over to the Lord our God. Even before beginning this process we realized that we would need leaders in the church who are settled in their walk and doctrine, just as Raising Up Revival Leaders has revealed. In 1 Timothy 3:10 says, “Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.” (NLT). If I broke down my ministry dream into two sentences, it would be expressed like this: I want to learn and grow in the Word of God, and in a relationship with Him, so that I may know Him well enough to properly teach others so that they might do the same. I want to be a legacy to what God can do to transform lives, so that when others see the blessings in my life they also decide to begin a vital walk with Him.
The title or path I most identify with in my walk with God is ‘Youth Leader’. My whole life I have had the ability to really relate, identify, and teach children of all ages. They gravitate toward me and I can only account that to a God given ability now that I see my purpose and will for God. I think that my time learning here at Christian Leaders Institute will be most well spent and most meaningful if I utilize my skills of reaching children.
Many times the best time to transform lives is during the youthful years. Addictions to drugs and alcohol often start in the early teens, and Jordan experienced this personally. Now he’s using his experience for the Lord among the youth.
Although there are not many challenges in my geographic area I know that, at this point, there are a couple challenges we are facing. We have yet to find a church that will take us under their wing to help build us up, strengthen, and teach us during this process. We do have some ideas of who we might ask or where we might go, but nothing is final yet. We are still in the process of asking and then receiving help from our local church or churches.
My family may not know it yet, but their influence on my ministry calling has been an indirect, yet substantial one. Almost every member of my immediate family suffer from the disease of addiction. My mom, dad, step-mom, and sister are still in the process of separating themselves from their active use, and finding recovery from their addiction. Due to the struggles my family faces I have been compelled to be strong and successful, so they can witness the change in my life and, in turn, want it for themselves as well.
The scholarship and CLI is so important to me because I fear without it I won’t be able to obtain the knowledge I need to be a successful leader in Christ. The classes I plan to take through Christian Leaders Institute I believe will properly equip me with the tools I need to be successful as a disciple for the Kingdom of God.
I ask that you send prayers that I can come to know God’s word, that I receive strength every day to accomplish the things I need to for this journey. I ask that you pray for our new church and that we may be successful in establishing our new place of worship. I also ask that you pray that I may gain wisdom and knowledge through the Word and that my life may be a reflection of that.
Perhaps you would like a new life in Jesus, or perhaps you could be God’s instrument to transform lives in your community. Imagine if every Christian leader in the world were setting out with a mission to transform lives for Jesus. What an effect that would have on the world!
If you could use ministry training, or just want a deeper relationship with the God who can transform lives, check out or courses of study by clicking here. Or you can enroll right now by clicking here.
Even countries where the gospel has been preached for years can need revival. The enemy is never idle, but levels attacks at believers wherever they may be found. That’s why we need people to be mentoring leaders in the church wherever they may be found.
Hardley Musiega Sogoni is very aware of these attacks. He lives in Kenya, a nation that identifies mainly as Christians. But Hardley tells how many who identify as Christians in Kenya still engage in ancestor and idol worship. It is this continued practice of idol worship that inspires his goal of mentoring leaders in the Christian community. He sees the need for God’s people to stay away from the practices of paganism.
I was born in 1968 in Western Kenya to Kenyan mother (died 2009) and a Kenyan father (died 2003); leaving behind my 6 siblings who are all alive. As a teacher trainee in Shanzu Teachers College in Kenya, I got saved and surrendered my life to Christ Jesus as lord and savior. I completed my Primary Teachers Certificate Course in 1991 and got married in September 1996 to Ruth Ikuni Musiega. Since 1997, we are parents to Charity, Joy and Glory who are beautiful daughters.
In 2005 I was transferred to Western Kenya and hence, commissioned as a pioneer pastor in the rural areas of Kenya. That meant I had to really surrender my whole life for Christ (dying to myself and letting Him live in me). The local church experienced growth over time that necessitated more knowledge on mentorship, leadership and church planting.
Mentoring leaders is an important part of revival. Without revival leaders, revival movements fizzle out and die. Because of this, Hardley’s vision for revival in Kenya includes a primary goal of mentoring leaders in the church.
My ministry goal is to Mentor many Christian leaders in Kenya and expand God’s kingdom by training local men and women and then send them to go to the unreached area of our nation. I want to give up everything for God just as Jesus did and to inspire others to do the same. My dream is to live my life like Jesus (after all I should be dead and only Christ is living in me). I want to be dead to sin, dead to worldly ambition, and live as if Jesus is the one doing the living in me and live only for His kingdom and sharing His love to everyone. One of my dreams also is to provide bible education to everyone for free (bible colleges in every town & city in Western Kenya).
I have read and re-read the bible but I feel there are plenty of things that I do not understand and when on mission ground in Kenya I would not want to under teach the word of God. Getting a scholarship with CLI would help me tremendously and will be a great building block for further studies.
Mentoring leaders is important in Kenya because many professing Christians are still engaging in ancient forms of idolatry and witchcraft.
Currently I live in Kenya but where I do Bi-vocational full time ministry. I have great trust to start ministry by 2020 as about 80% of the people in Western Kenya call themselves Christians but majority of the country men are yet to touched by the true gospel. Most believers still practice ancestral worshiping and witchcraft. These are the people that God has laid in my heart.
The main dream we (my wife and I) have is to reach the unreached people of Kenya but also we would love to be used by God to bring unity among the various churches in Kenya. Moreover, we would like to show the caring and love of Christ through helping kids who are orphans and bring bible education to anyone who are interested for free.
Due to financial challenges, I can’t really attend an on campus bible education program so the fact that CLI is an online bible college makes it possible for me to have a good quality bible education. The fact that CLI is bible based training institution is a bonus for me as it mean that I can spend less time on my study but still get the same vital information highly needed for ministry work. The teachings I will receive will assist me know more about God’s word and to understand it and how to pass it on to others, so I really appreciate that CLI is a donation based education.
Kindly intercede for us that the desire God has placed in our heart will grow and that in our future ministry, we will always seek to glorify our heavenly Father and that we will not seek our own gain.
If you are called to serve God, whether your service is mentoring leaders, preaching, evangelizing, or just leading your family, Christian Leaders Institute can help you achieve your ministry goals! Click here to learn more about our study programs, or click here to get started and enroll today!