Being Prepared for Ministry
What I’m about to write isn’t my story, but rather, it’s God’s story. My life is just a minuscule part of the big picture of His plan. I give Him all the glory. As I look over my seventeen years of life, I stand in awe of the wonder of our God. I pray that as you read this you will clearly see the fingerprints of God.
I was born on July 16, 1997, in the beautiful city of Durango, Colorado. My parents were excited to welcome their firstborn into the world. Over the years, they also welcomed three more girls and two boys.
The first eight years of my life, we lived in Aztec, New Mexico, on a family ranch. Dad served as a youth pastor and assistant pastor. I grew up believing I was a real cowgirl. By the time I was four, I could ride a horse all by myself. My aunt, cousin, and grandparents all lived next door. My mom home schooled my sisters and I, what adventures we had!
The Lord then called us to move to Chappelle, Texas. While we were there I went to a “real school” for the first time. I also accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior after watching my sister grow closer to Jesus after she became a Christian. My Dad taught at the school I went to and also served as the assistant pastor. We lived there for two years. All was well until God threw a curve ball right at us. Tragedy struck when my dear Nana died suddenly in a car accident (We had lived next door to her). This was my first real encounter with death. I grieved, but the Lord helped me through that tough time. I took hope in the promise that I would see her again someday. “Do not let your heart be troubled…I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2-3
Then He led us to go through deputation to raise money for a ministry. So we bought a travel trailer, and all seven of us went on one adventure after another. I have such dear memories of those nine months. What fun to sleep in a house with wheels every night!?! It may have been tight, but I loved every minute of it.
Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways. After nine months of raising support, the doors opened up for us to live with my Granny and Papa. Mom was expecting her sixth and I was about to turn twelve. This baby was a big surprise. We lived there till my brother was born, then we moved to Carlton, Oregon, where I live today.
Oregon is a beautiful state but because it rains often, people struggle with depression, cutting and eating disorders. For five years we served at a small church, full of dear people. God taught me much about friendship, love, peacemaking, sacrifice, and serving Him, through leading worship over the years. I still have a lot to learn, but He is faithful. “He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion.” Philippians 1:6
Last summer I had the amazing privilege of going on a mission trip to India, Croatia, and Austria. It had been a life-long dream of mine to go to India. While there I stayed at an all girl’s orphanage. At night I led devotions. One stands out to me, Jesus had told me to talk about His fatherly love, how He is the perfect father. Tears rolled down their cheeks. What an honor it was to be able to minister to their hearts.
Meanwhile in Oregon, the Lord was working miracles. He opened a door that we didn’t even think was a possibility. My parents followed Him, took a huge leap of faith, and moved to a church that had been dying for years. This was my dad’s first time as a full-time pastor. After two days of being back in the states, we had our first week at our new church. That was a little over a year ago.
During the past year, I’ve been leading worship once a month, teaching children, and leading worship at my youth group. My family and I have learned and grown so much through this experience. I love serving my Lord and Savior, in whatever ways He leads.
My ministry dream is to continue to serve in my church. One day I hope to become a faithful wife and mother. I would love to have a lot of kids, like eight. Ever since I was very little, I have felt led to lead worship, teach kids, and have a big family. In January, I’m going on a mission trip to Uganda until April. I can’t wait to see how the Lord will lead in my future.
Christian Leaders Institute is a huge blessing to me because it’s free, has sound doctrine, and is online. This makes it possible for me to get training while still being able to serve in my church and abroad. Please pray that I will have wisdom on my future choices and that I will follow the Lord wherever He leads.
Philippines Church Planting
I am Russell Cunning. My vision is to do Philippines Church Planting and to start a school in the Philippines. The school will offer free English lessons to the children who can attend. Having lived in the Ukraine, China and India, and having visited Poland, Turkey, Thailand and the Philippines, I can testify that people who speak English well will get better jobs than those with higher qualifications but poorer English skills.
As a child I attended a Protestant Sunday School and Church, and as a young adult a Protestant Church. When I was 24, I heard a man speaking about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and salvation in a way that was completely new to me. My heart was opened and I quickly came forward for prayer and made my first real commitment to God. Soon afterward I was baptized in an above-ground swimming pool! That was many years ago. For a long time I attended an Assemblies of God church in four different locations. After a personal crisis, which I was unable to handle well, I backslid for many years. While never losing my core beliefs, I did lose my faith. I had no faith to believe that God was seeing me through my trials, and chose to believe that I alone was ‘working through my problems’. It is only now where I am living in a predominantly Hindu culture, that I have begun to long for the Lord once again.
My step-mother is from the Philippines, and I have visited there on three occasions. My heart was deeply wounded each time when I saw the children on the street begging for food, even scampering past restaurant employees, to grab gnawed bones from the rubbish. I gave some cooked rice sometimes, but it was like trying to empty the Pacific with a thimble, the need was so great. I want to build a church and a school to offer free English lessons. I believe that giving a child some cooked rice will feed him or her for a day, but teaching them English will provide the opportunity to get a better job and to earn enough, so that their children will not need to beg.
Of the titles mentioned, I prefer pastor because it means ‘shepherd’. A shepherd is a guide, not a ruler. A shepherd helps and looks after the flock. It is through gentle and loving guidance, advice and counseling, as well as God driven prayer and teaching, that I see myself overseeing the church and the school.
During my years of doubt, I became a teacher of English, and soon realized that I was a natural teacher. I loved helping people to learn. I felt my lessons were the most effective when my students thought we didn’t study so much as enjoy our time together.
The Philippines presents some personal challenges for me, I am very overweight and if I didn’t feel led here, I would have chosen somewhere less humid and perhaps a bit cooler! Then there is the annual typhoon season which destroys buildings and crops, and kills many people. Another challenge is the presence of militant separatists seeking to create an independent Islamic state, and who target foreigners.
Being a properly qualified pastor is important to me, even though I know that this is a calling from the Lord. While it is God’s earth, he has put earthly rulers in place and they will want to see evidence of qualifications. I also want to ensure that during my time in the wilderness, I did not pick up any incorrect beliefs.
Though I feel like I have gained many strengths over the years, I have also become weak in other areas, so I would greatly value prayer to support my personal walk with the Lord. In teaching we have a saying: “To teach is to learn twice.” So often I have found greater understanding of something when I am teaching – and in my pastoral duties it is the same – as I explain aspects of Jesus or the Holy Spirit, I gain a deeper understanding myself.
Greetings in Jesus name. My name is Owro Charles, I am from Nigeria. Currently, I live and work in Italy but my parents are living in Nigeria. Here in Italy, Christianity is different because of the Roman Catholic teachings, which are predominant.
Because my parents are Christians I had the opportunity to grow up as a Christian and to understand what Christianity is really about. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and personal Savior and was baptized as a child. I have continued to walk with God to this day.
My ministry dream is to become a successful preacher. I know the Bible says that he who wins souls is wise. My dream is to make sure I preach the gospel to the world.
Most of the time people call me pastor, but I call myself an evangelist. I want to really move with the word of God to all parts of the world as a church planter, not as a residents pastor.
My church has played a very important role in my studies, they have encouraged me and prayed for me. My family has also really encouraged me in this because they know I have a ministry dream and this is one opportunity for me to bring it to pass.
A scholarship is very important to me because it has been a very big challenge for me to study more about the Bible. Money has always been an issue whenever I have tried to attend a ministry school, but with this opportunity, I will be able to complete my course, in Jesus name.
I need prayer to be able to complete my studies and to fulfill my ministry dreams.