My name is Gregory Clarke. I currently reside in Kitchener, Ontario, but was born and raised in Hamilton and remained there until early 2020. Someone told me about the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here). Thus far, being a CLI student has been very rewarding. One of my greatest desires was to get to know Christ on a deeper level. Studying who He is, during the times He lived in and throughout Biblical redemptive history, and learning about God more, allows me to fellowship, understand and love Him on a deeper level. The youth pastor training at CLI is my next step in ministry training.
My Journey
Born in the mid-’70s, I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s. Ronald Regan, the Cold War, BMX bikes, the birth of hip-hop and rap, Televangelists, Transformers, and the like are what I grew up on. My family had a strong Christian upbringing in Jamaica, so going to church was normal for me.
My parents divorced in the mid-’80s, which was a very taboo thing in the church those days. For me, it was a very different experience. I didn’t even know what a “divorce’ entailed. I didn’t talk much as a child and kept to myself. Kids teased and bullied me quite a bit. However, in 1986, I was saved at my family church. I had doubts about my salvation, but a few years later, while attending People’s Church in Hamilton, a few good brothers in Christ prayed for me and reassured me.
Spiritual Wake Up
Things were “quiet on the Western Front,” as it were, in my spiritual walk with Christ. However, in 1995, God woke me up to Who He really is! Some call it “the infilling of the Holy Ghost” or “being baptized in the Holy Spirit.” The bottom line, God got my attention for keeps. From that time on, in every area of my life, God has been working in me.
People’s Church had a bus ministry at the time. There, I was a bus captain to some of the roughest kids for the Sunday school that we picked up from the North end district of Hamilton. Wow, they really pushed my limits.
However, one particular day my patience ran very thin. Before the day even started, I thought to myself, “Oh great, not those kids again.” No sooner had that statement come out, than God sternly spoke to me. He said, “Those are My kids you’re talking about.” It may have been a “small, still voice,” but it was stern and firm. I’ll never forget it! Not only did I humble myself and ask for forgiveness, but He also gave me a heart for the youth. I ended up loving those kids the way God intended.
Heart for Youth
That heart for the Youth has never died, and it’s still there. Throughout my years, through bad relationships, bad decisions, tragedies beyond my control, trials, and triumphs, God has kept me, continually molded me, and is still working inside of me.
In early 2022, my hunger for God grew deeper. I knew that if I were to be used by God in any way, apart from God’s favor and blessing, I needed to be equipped. I had heard of the Christian Leaders Institute a while ago and took some classes. However, I never finished… now it’s a different story.
I desire to allow God to use the gifts of writing, storytelling, and drawing to reach, preach and teach to the youth of this generation. There were doubts that I struggled with, on many levels, because of all the things that I have been through in the past. My thinking has been, “God?…. How in the WORLD can you use me, when my past sucks!”
Yet, in His loving wisdom and grace, God spoke, “Because someone needs a father figure to have my love pour through to receive.” God always has the last say.
Youth Pastor Training
Friends and family, as of late, God has planted the seed in me to become an official youth pastor. I don’t have ten years, or more, to do a lot of training, with all due respect. However, CLI does have the youth pastor training tools that I need to take the next step.
For me, free youth ministry training is essential, because it’s important to be equipped. And not just for the obvious reason of education, but for everyday life. We are all called “…be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks us to account for the hope and confident assurance, elicited by faith, that is within us, yet to do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 paraphrased). It’s important to be equipped, on every level.
As God continues to lead me down this amazing path, I not only know He has a lot in store for me regarding Youth Ministry, but that my latter years are becoming greater than my former years! Praise God!
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
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