Ranch Ministry
There are many people who want to know God but maybe are at a disadvantage that leads them away from God. CLI graduate, Daniel, hopes to start many ministries including a ranch ministry that will help lead those in need to know God.
My name is Daniel. I am from the United States of America. I grew up in the United Methodist Church and at the age of 9, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.
My wife and I are launching Pirkle Ministries in order to help meet our community’s physical and spiritual needs. We plan on holding bible study, worship services, and soup kitchens as well as charitable events to gather and deliver the everyday necessities for those who cannot afford them.
Daniel’s dream for the future is to have a ranch ministry that will reach out to those that are in need of both money and God.
Our dream is to open a ranch ministry for the economically disadvantaged where they can live rent free in exchange for being a ranch hand. This would be open for individuals and families. The word I most identify myself with is servant. I do not feel I fit into the mold of Pastor or Evangelist or any traditional term. I want to serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by sharing the Gospel and helping those in need.
Growing up in the Church, I knew I wanted to serve. I assist my Church by running the sound board as well as running the presentations, slideshows, announcements, etc. I also am a layperson taking training through the UMC as well, this is how they have supported our ministry. We live in the Appalachian region in southeast Kentucky. In our region we are very economically disadvantaged, many have unfortunately fallen under the addiction of drugs (we have a bad meth epidemic). I would love to see the people in our region free of drugs and back to the foundation that matters, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Training at CLI is very important for Daniel’s ministry and future ranch ministry, so that Daniel can have knowledge that is effective in leading others to Christ.
The scholarship at CLI is important to our ministry because without it we would not be able to receive the training we need in order to be effective and reach others for Christ. Please pray that we receive financial support, the partnerships and relationships that we need to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our community. Thank you CLI!
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My name is Quama Hamilton, and I live on one of the small Caribbean island known as Trinidad. I have one brother and live with both my parents. My husband does telecommunications, we have been married for six years and share the same home with my parents. I am a full-time junior Pastor and Missionary at my local church.
My country has a broad range of religious, ethnic and cultural groups making it a challenge at times to get the gospel out. Individuals of these various groups are mostly engulfed in their preconceived thoughts and ideas of who God is rather than coming to the knowledge of the word of God. However, despite these challenges, my parents were eager to grow closer in their relationship and walk with God. As a result, they led me to my faith in Christ.
My faith in Christ started at the tender age of three, as my mother enrolled my brother and me in Sunday school at our local church. From then on my hunger to know Jesus and to worship him grew more and more leading me to be baptized at the age of twelve. Due to the pressures of being a teen, I lost my virginity at fifteen, and that lured me more and more in the desire to commit sexual sins. At that time, I left the church I where I got baptized. Friends of mine invited me to fellowship at their church. It was bigger in size and congregation but quite intriguing, as the worship appealed to my love for it. I continued to attend and was convicted of the sinful life I was living. This conviction caused a paradigm shift to take place. I rededicated my life to Jesus at the age of seventeen, and I have not looked back since.
My ministry dream is to be a missionary for Jesus. I desire to take the gospel of Jesus to the nations of the earth and to fulfill the command of Jesus as it is stated in the book of Matthew 28:19-20. It says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world.”
I see myself as a church planter as the role of the missionary has similarities to such. The call of God in my life became clearer while working for a telecommunications company. The Lord spoke to me instructing that I should leave my job and go into full-time ministry. I was twenty-two years old at that time. As a result, a lot of questions were raised by close family members and friends to persuade me from the decision I made to leave my job. But such didn’t deter me as I was convinced that it was a clear direction from God in walking in his plan for my life. Shortly after leaving my job, I dreamt of traveling to the nations of the earth. When I awoke, I heard an audible voice say to me, “You are a missionary, and you will go to the nations.” A few months after, I got the opportunity to go on my first mission trip to the Dominican Republic. What a life changing experience it was! I returned home and preached my first sermon at my church.
Some unique challenges that I face on a day-to-day basis where I reside are that most of the people are more focused on material and academic accomplishments rather than fulfilling God’s plan for their lives.
Another challenge is, as a result of our communities being multifaceted in religious beliefs, individuals have their unique understanding of who God is.
The church that I currently attend has had an immense impact on me becoming more of the missionary God has called me to be. The church has offered me opportunities to grow spiritually by the means of leadership training seminars, conferences, and Bible study sessions. It has also contributed financially to my mission trips. I received on-hand training in handling church matters as a result of me being a junior Pastor, and it allowed me to be part of the church board. Thereby enhancing my ability to exercise skills in decision making and church planting.
My husband and I share similar ministry dreams, so he fully supports me. Being a full-time minister, I have limited time to attend an on-campus Bible college. So the fact that CLI is an online Bible college makes it possible for me to have a good quality and solid Bible education. Also, this scholarship will be a vital asset considering my responsibilities, functions and roles I play at my local church. I have gained more knowledge of the work, my ability to preach the word enhanced due to the knowledge gained. My skills to mentor others also have improved which has been a great asset to the role I currently have as junior Pastor.
In fulfilling the call of the missionary, I can accurately and effectively deliver the word of God to a lost and dying world with boldness and confidence. A scholarship at CLI will also increase my desire to study the word more, rightly dividing it as a workman so that I should not be put to shame in delivering it.
My prayer is that I will continue to preach the Word of God without compromising. That I will not only be a hearer of the word and a preacher of the word but a doer of the word. So that I will not allow men to deter and deceive me from the knowledge of God’s word. Also that my relationship and walk with Him increases daily.
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Witness For God
We are all called to be a witness for God to whoever we meet and wherever we are. God used James Baucom to be a witness for him even through the tough situation James faced.
My name is James Baucom. I currently reside in small town Fla. Lake Helen. I live with my wife of 32 years. Our daughter lives with us and is a blessing to us. I am a diabetic, with a lot of the problems that come along with the disease.
Even in great pain, James chose to be a witness for God to anyone who would listen.
This past November I was awakened around 2 am one morning with severe chest pains. All my life when I found myself in any trouble, I called on Jesus. That early morning I did the same. And as always He answered. I was overcome by both a sense of peace and urgency. I had an appointment with a doctor that morning, so I continued to rest a few hours.
Long story, short, God once again healed me while putting me in a great place to witness.. After much prayer and thanksgiving and countless hours of witnessing, I was sent home from the hospital.
James testimony and witness for God should be an encouragement for us to be a witness for God in places we sometimes don’t expect.
I tell all of this for your encouragement. No matter where we are, no matter what is happening to us, God will use us to reach those who need a witness. I pray you will find God’s strength in my circumstances and embrace His grace and power to you in your circumstance. If God can use me, He will indeed use whoever is available. Make yourself available by trusting Him no matter where or what the situation we face.
James is at CLI to ensure that he gets formal instruction so he can witness for God with even greater knowledge.
Now through this experience, there is time for me to continue a formal instruction period at CLI. Which I highly recommend, so that we have access to ministry to more places and more people so that God will be glorified in all the world. Now may the Great God of heaven and earth hold you and lead you as He wills.
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