Ministry Training For The Called By God
Some of us are blessed being raised in a home where God is welcome. Others were not so fortunate. God calls those close to Him, those who know Him, those who surrender their life to be a vessel for Him. He will call those who have known Him all their life. He will call those who come to Him later in life. God knows each and every one of our hearts and calls whom He chooses to call.
But now that we’ve been called, what comes next? Where do we turn to? How do we establish what we are called to do?
Get trained! Ministry training not only opens up future doors, but truly equips you in ways to be a leader in God’s army. While we need a depth of understanding in the Word of God, future ministry leaders also need to be guided in grief, hospital visits, marriage ceremonies, and the variety of challenges you will face in ministry just to name a few. All of these things can be found covered at Christian Leaders Institute where not only is high quality ministry training provided for free, but also online. This benefits you as a student in ministry training, but more importantly benefits our God to leave no man or woman called left behind. If you have been called by God, you will not be found turned away by CLI.
Jerry O’Brian found ministry training beneficial for him in his life. Read his testimony below.
Ministry Training with Christian Leaders Institute
Hello, my name is Jerry O’Brian and I live in the United States with my wife and three kids. I was born in 1981 in a little town called Paintsville, Kentucky. From birth, my life has had many struggles. Upon birth, I was dead. The doctors could find no life in me, but thanks to God above, my father (also my mentor), who is an ordained Pentecostal Holiness minister, cried out to God to spare me, and God gave me life. Satan himself knew the impact that I could have through God’s ministry upon my very birth and tried to stop it, but God said “NO”.
Beyond most people that I know, I have been very blessed since I was raised in a home that gave complete reverence to God in His plan of salvation and a holy walk with God. My father worked hard as a mechanic to provide a home and food on the table for me and my five siblings. Times were tough and many times we had little. As I am older now, I realize that what we had in each other as a family, especially being together with God, was worth more than all the riches of the world. As a young lad, I became very active in my church life by playing various instruments in church as well as singing. Prayer and worship to God was a common practice with my whole family and I can’t remember a time in my life that I didn’t know how or who to pray to. As I began to grow up, my life with God began to grow as well. I began to be more active by openly testifying and taking part in the services at church. At one point in High School, I carried a Bible with me on top of my other school books and read it sometimes between class work. Having it with me and having my classmates see it also was a way for me to let my light shine without having to say a word.
Now I am out of high school and have a family of my own. I have recently finished my Associates degree in Business from college. But my real desire is to see God’s will done within His church and to preach his gospel to a lost and dying world. I remember as a teenager I would walk the back yard at home and I could hear the spirit within me preaching as I would walk. It was then I wondered if I too had been called into the ministry. However, I was unsure of myself. What if I failed? Was I good enough? These were many questions I had that hindered me from stepping out in faith and pursuing the calling in my life. I have allowed Satan to stop me for many years by making me feel like I am inadequate to do God’s will in my life. I have had many times that I failed God, but it is important to always try. No one is ever truly defeated until they quit trying.
I am so glad that I found Christian Leaders Institute. It’s a wonderful feeling to have somewhere you can get quality ministry training for free. I believe that the true calling in the ministry comes from God above, and no its not to make money, it’s to spread His word and save souls. Our payment as ministers is in the hereafter when we are able to be with Jesus and lay our crowns at his feet in gratitude for all of the wonderful things he has done for us. Being able to get this ministry training from the Christian Leaders Institute is a great way to start the ministry that God called me to do so very long ago.
Receive Your Ministry Training With CLI
Click here to enroll with us today! Receive your free online ministry training! Check us out on Facebook to learn more about our students and about Christian Leaders Institute.
Christian Leaders Institute is always looking for ways to add to the resources we already offer our students. In keeping with our high standards of quality, we were recently blessed with two new professors who agreed to do classes for us here. Christian Leaders Institute would like to welcome these new professors and thank them for coming alongside us in our commitment to excellence in ministry training.
Dr. Wayne Brouwer
Wayne Brouwer is the husband of Brenda (nee: Karsten), and they are parents of three daughters: Kristyn, Kimberly, and Kaitlyn.
Wayne has pastored congregations in Alberta and Ontario, Canada, and Michigan, United States. He has served as a missionary teacher in Nigeria, and has taught at several colleges and seminaries in North America. Wayne has written more than seven hundred articles that have appeared in journals such as Leadership, Christianity Today, Preaching, Interpretation, Calvin Theological Journal, and Vital Ministry, and has authored over a dozen books including the second revised edition of his best-selling Covenant Documents: Reading the Bible Again for the First Time (Cognella), They All Were Looking for a King… (CSS), Being a Believer in a Non-Believing World (Hendrickson), Humming Till the Music Returns (CSS) andThe Literary Development of John 13-17: A Chiastic Reading (SBL). He has a weekly radio program on WHTC, and serves as Vice-President for Curriculum Development at the Church Leadership Center. In 2005 Wayne transitioned from a role as Senior Pastor of Harderwyk Ministries in Holland, Michigan, to position as Associate Professor of Religion at Hope College, and Adjunct Professor of Theology and Ministry at Western Theological Seminary, both also in Holland. He holds degrees from Dordt College (B.A.), Calvin Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.), and McMaster University (M.A., Ph.D.).
Wayne Brouwer’s class, “Biblical Wisdom: Understanding Life Through Old Testament Prophets and Sages,” is in the final stages of taping. It will be made available for students to enroll in sometime in 2015.
Ray Vander Laan
Ray received his Master’s of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1976, Ray Vander Laan has been actively involved in studying and teaching Jewish culture using the methods of Jewish education. He has continued graduate studies in Jewish Studies in the United States, Israel, Turkey and Egypt. Ray has been teaching high school for 35 years. He is an ordained minister with the Christian Reformed Church. “Echoes of His Presence” is a book Ray wrote, which was published by Focus on the Family. In 1998, Vander Laan founded That the World May Know Ministries. Over 10,000 people have joined him in study tours of Israel, Turkey and Egypt. Ray presents on field presentations that are used by CLI. Listen to Ray Vander Laan being interviewed by Jim Daily on the Focus on the Family Radio program. Click here.
Ray Vander Laan’s first class, “Biblical Interpretation 1,” is now ready and available for students to enroll in. This course explores Scripture in its original historical, cultural, and geographical context, focusing mainly on Old Testament people, places, and events. Professor Ray VanderLaan takes us to locations where biblical history unfolded and shows the relevance for contemporary cultures and people. Students who want to take this course must have completed Old Testament Survey before they are eligible to enroll in this course.
Christian Leaders Institute is honored by the willingness of these men of God to lend time and materials to help make Christian Leaders Institute an even better educational institution. We are also very grateful to the students and generous men and women whose gifts make it possible for us to have such high quality professors teaching our classes.
Become a Minister to Lead Today’s Broken World
From men to women and unfortunately down to the smallest pair of feet belonging to children, we live in a world where brokenness could describe many. We cry out to God to take our pain, take our fears, and wipe every tear from our eyes. We put a smile on our face to hide from others the ache inside our hearts. It may fool the truth to others, but our God sees and knows of everything hidden. We can not hide a thing from God, even the truth of our pain. We are in need of a Savior, in need of Jesus Christ. He heals more than just illnesses. He can even heal a broken heart. When brokenness is healed, we in turn can bring healing with Christ to a broken world. One of the many ways to accomplish this task is to become a minister.
Though there are many schools that provide ministry training, with CLI we provide all the training needed to become a minister online and 100% free to all of our students. Christian Leaders Institute believes in equipping those called and those with a desire with free training through the inspiration of the gospel. The apostles did not pay with money for Jesus’ teachings to advance God’s Kingdom. CLI corresponds to do the same.
Here is the testimony of one students calling from God to become a minister to lead today’s broken world.
Ministry Dreams for Njaka to Become a Minister
My name is Njaka Razafimbelo, I’m 29. I come from Madagascar. I am the last among three brothers. I have left my country for study purpose and I live here in France now. I’ve known God since I was young. I grew up in a reformed church where I have attended many activities and programs. These things were very good and have led me to understand spiritual life and have provided me a solid basis to my christian walk. But at a certain point in my life, I really wanted to go further in order to know God deeper. One day, a friend of mine had recommended me to a christian radio station. Then, I began to listen to different kinds of programs. Once, a specific message had so touched my heart that I decided to give my life to Christ for real. I was 19.
Three years later, I came to France to continue my study in computer science. Things were not that easy. A period of difficult test began. Nothing has gone as I have planned. I have faced failures and disappointments in many areas of my life. As I have been educated to be a very ambitious person, that made me quite frustrated. Life was just so challenging for me. In addition of that, I did not always make the right decision to deal with the difficulties I have faced. For a long time, I was wandering in some kind of spiritual wilderness where there seemed to be no hope. At this time, I have continued to serve in church but I felt like I was out of place. I wondered if I still was on the right way and I really wanted to give up. Then I began to ask why these things had happened. I was desperate to receive an answer from God. Daily, I prayed and pleaded for His help.
Then I gradually began to understand that these events were some kind of preparation for something. In fact, these challenges have taught me to trust more in God’s plan and schedule as I train to become a minister. It has shaped many areas of my character and has made my spiritual maturity grow. I have experienced also the reality of God’s unchanging love and faithfulness. He has never left me through all this. Searching answers during tough times has given me the opportunity to go deeper in my personal devotion and bible study. God has brought me out and I realize that these years were not a loss but has revealed God’s purpose for my life.
Now, I have a different vision about life. I desire to encourage people and share with them about God’s love, faithfulness and wisdom. To tell them not to give up because God has His own way to respond to our prayer. I have particularly a heart for young people who may be facing life’s surprises and challenges. Actually, my project is to share the Gospel of Christ to the young generation. To help them know God and give them hope in their personal struggles so that they may rise up to gain their country for Christ. So many things can be done here in France. Many still do not know Christ while the country has some christian roots. Very few people attend church and the country is experiencing a notable decrease of moral values. In all this, people are seeking for some spiritual answers about life since materialism has not fulfilled the craves for peace. What I have seen here has strongly moved my heart to do something, to become a minister. In my local church, the elders are supportive of this ministry vision and the challenges that await us in this country. I thank God that I have the opportunity to be involved in the youth department of my church while I am trained to become a minister. This year, God has given me more personal time. I know that there can be other opportunities I may embrace in life as ambition to pursue, but I am convinced I have to enter this calling. I am pleased I heard about CLI.
Having an educational opportunity at CLI is so important to me for facing these challenges. The proposed type of training to become a minister is suitable for me as I can’t yet afford full time ministry training. There is also the problem of a limited choice of seminaries and bible schools here in this country. I thank CLI and its partners for giving this training opportunity as I learn to become a minister.
You might pray that God may open new doors for preaching and especially more resources for spreading the gospel here in France.
Become a Minister Through Christian Leaders Institute
Click here to enroll with CLI and begin your free online ministry training to become a minister or to just get further in your ministry dreams! We also have a facebook page where you can see more stories on our students and an overview of CLI!