**EDITED**
Few Christians that attend church regularly and practice Christian family life live in this man’s town.
Nathan has decided to learn to be a pastor at Christian Leaders Institute.
Even though his past is shaky he has overcome with Jesus to find his calling.
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Hello, my name is Nathan Parrott. I live in the United States in a small Colorado town. There are a few Christians here but not as many as there should be. The majority of the people who currently live in our area are people who work in the oil field and gas industry. I have yet to meet any of these people who are Christian or practice Christian living. I feel that it is my duty to try and change this.
In 2013 I was prosecuted by the Federal Government for something that I hadn’t done. It was because of another person’s greed that I was incarcerated for the entire year. At first I was very angry and could not forgive this person for what they had done to me. There are a few Christians who know what I mean.
I made friends with another prisoner who started to talk to me about the Bible and its teachings. I was interested in what he had to say. As a child I had attended bible school on a regular basis. In jail I decided to continue those studies and take them a little further. I started to have Bible studies with the few Christians there in jail on a regular schedule. I enjoyed reading the Scriptures and discussing it with the group.
In my off time during the day I would sit outside and think about what we had studied. It was at this time that I learned to understand all the wrong and the hurt that I had done to my fellow man. I regretted the life that I had led up to that point in time.
Ephesians 4:1-32 ESV / “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
It was one of these days that I felt that the Lord was calling me and that he was telling me that I should right what wrongs I had done in my life. I felt that it was time that “I” became born again. I confessed to the Lord my sins and asked for forgiveness. When I made that decision it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. After I became born again I continued my studies. I felt I was being called to bring Gods people to him through his word and decided that the best way to do that was to become a Minister and bring the word to them. Few Christians in our area take action to teach.
Christian Leaders Institute, (CLI), can give me a quality education that will enable me to go forth and spread the word. Without their help it would be much harder for me to get a quality education in ministry. To be able to understand the Bible, bring it to people in need of God’s word and be able to answer their questions is invaluable. I greatly appreciate what CLI has done for me up to this period of time and am looking forward to continuing my education through them.
With my decision to go into Ministry my community and my family have been very supportive. Knowing that I do not have to leave the area to get an education for the ministry is of great value. Few Christians today take the time to get educated.
It is my plan to plant a church after I have finished with my education. I believe that the Lord is leading me into this education so that I have the ability to share his word. Being a Pastor is what I am striving for. With God’s help and the help of CLI I will become the best Pastor that I can be. With their help I will be able to preach the Gospel and be able to maintain my congregation and church. So few Christians today learn how to do this. the education that I will obtain from CLI will allow me to carry on what The Lord has planned for me.
God Bless everyone at Christian Leaders Institute. And God Bless all of those who attend CLI.
It seems today few Christians in need are offered tools to help their lives. Here at Christian Leaders Institute we strive to provide everyone God’s tools for good lives. To become a student or learn more CLICK HERE! To donate toward a student’s tuition CLICK HERE!
Ministry Passion – The Next Step for Christine Bierma
My name is Christine Bierma and I live in New Lenox, Illinois, USA. I have known Jesus for as long as I can remember, and I am so thankful to have been raised by believing Christian parents. It has always been clear to me that I am His and He is mine. However, it has not always been clear to me what my path in this world should be. Over the last 20 years, I’ve married my high school sweetheart, Doug. We have raised 4 children, and we have been blessed with a beautiful life both as a family and in the church. And yet, I am continually asking myself, “Lord, what is my purpose? Where is my path?” I have been serving in the church for 25 years. My ministry passion included serving as a worship leader, worship planner, teacher, mentor to young moms and a council member. Those roles in the church have challenged me and shaped me into the woman I am now. God has blessed me with many talents and an unquenchable thirst for His word and service in the church. This thirst comes from the depths of my being: it is this thirst that drives my ministry passion and has brought me here to CLI.
In my search for my ministry passion, purpose and path I’ve spent countless hours on my knees begging God for an answer. Wanting to see the whole plan, I’ve been asking for at least the next step in this journey. I feel compelled to minister to young moms, a group of women who need encouragement, love and need to learn who God is as their Father, their partner in this difficult season and ultimately, their Lord. I also feel compelled to continue with worship planning and leading. When I’m given the honor of planning and leading worship, it is one of the greatest assignments of my life: to usher people into the throne room of the one, true, God. I want to learn more about God and his Word so that I can help direct the people I serve. The more I know Him, the easier it will be to bring people to Him.
A scholarship to CLI would mean that I could take the next step in this ministry passion path God has put me on. Studying in a seminary setting has been a long time dream of mine that has been unattainable because of my role as mother and wife. The ability to study, take quizzes and write papers from my kitchen table is a dream come true. The knowledge I would obtain through this course work, I believe, will help me continue to walk the path of service that God has laid in front of me. Proverbs 3:5-6 sums up why I believe CLI is where I should be right now, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” CLI is my next step of submission.
My name is Kimberly Rosso. I’ve been married to my husband Mike for 20 years. We have two wonderful sons, Matthew and Tyler, and a precious daughter-in-law, Stacie. I was born in New York State, USA. We did, however, recently relocate almost 1,000 miles from New York to Georgia. I haven’t been a Christian all of my life. I was raised in a religious home, but not a Christian one. I lived a very ungodly lifestyle for many years. One night, about six years into my marriage, I was lying in bed and felt a strong presence that I sensed was the Lord. I jumped out of bed feeling this sense of urgency and told my husband that God is real, death is real, and we need to do something about it!
We eventually gave our hearts to the Lord at a crusade, started attending a bible believing church, and were baptized in 2004. While living in New York, my husband and I helped to plant a church in the area we lived in. He was ordained as a deacon and we were very active in several ministries there. I was blessed to be used by the Lord in these ministries, but one thing in particular that I felt, and still feel strongly about is the moments that God has used me as a vessel to give godly counsel to others. I am at CLI learning to counsel others in their walk with God.
During my lifetime, I’ve had some bad experiences and many hardships. I feel these experiences made me a stronger person, and have already had some opportunities to use these experiences as a testimony to help others. The funny thing is, I’m not the most eloquent speaker and am usually at a loss for words when trying to find the right thing to say. So, I know it’s only by God’s equipping that me giving counsel is even possible. I always pray for wisdom and discernment, and many times He has honored those prayers. I feel that the Lord wants me to be available to counsel others in some way. I don’t know how, but God does. One big challenge that I’m currently facing is that we just recently relocated from an area where we had a wonderful church home and a very large church family, to an area where we know absolutely no one. However, we felt very strongly that this is what the Lord wanted us to do. I know how Abraham must have felt when he was told to leave his home.
We are in the process of finding a new church home, and I am waiting to see how I will be used here. I know this world is full of hurting people that will seek counsel in ungodly ways. It is my hope that the training I receive through CLI will help to prepare me to be available to give godly counsel for those times that God calls me to do so. Learning to counsel others is a wonderful opportunity for me. I would ask that you pray that we find a church home, get connected with a church family, and that my purpose for being in this new land will be made clear.