I am Ryan Wilson. Trista, my wife of thirteen years, and I live in Tennessee. I work in the manufacturing sector. Trista and I have six children, and she is pregnant with our 7th child, due in June. My hobbies include gardening and cooking. A born-again Christian for 12 years, I currently work in the children and youth programs at my local church. Furthermore, called to minister to children and youth, I am a student at the Christian Leaders Institute.
I grew up in the Catholic faith and attended a Catholic elementary school. I then went on to a secular high school. During high school, I continued to study at Sunday school. However, after high school, I discontinued going to church. I finished high school and stopped my pursuit of faith. Ten years later, when my daughter was born, I began asking myself questions about reality. So, I started to investigate other religions. Ultimately, I was led back to God.
My Salvation in Christ
Then, one night, during a very uncertain time in my life, I started to pray the rosary. It was the only thing I knew to do from my Catholic upbringing. Halfway through praying the rosary, I put it down. Fully aware of my own wickedness and sin and my deep desire for Christ as my Savior, the Holy Spirit convicted me. I broke into tears, and my prayers changed to a repeat of the words, “I need You.” I continued to cry out to Jesus in complete submission to Him while I repeated those words.
After what seemed like an hour of crying, which was probably only about ten minutes, I felt complete peace roll over my entire being. I no longer had the burden of my sin. The crying continued. However, the words changed from “I need You” to “Thank You, I love You.” That was a Friday night. I went to the church closest to my home the following Sunday morning. The Pastor immediately welcomed me and asked me to join a small group. The following Tuesday night, I attended my first small group Bible study. Ever since the night I was born again, my life has been different, and God is a major part of my life.
Called to Minister to Children and Youth
I am interested in learning more to equip myself as I am called to minister to children and youth. Further, I want to become more adept in my knowledge of the Bible. Having six kids, being middle-aged, and attending college and/or seminary is not an option. I look forward to studying at the Christian Leaders Institute. The tuition-free courses at CLI allow me to pursue my ministry calling and to support others for Christ. I aim to gain the knowledge to minister to the children and youth in my local church and to shepherd them into adulthood with a strong foundation in their relationship with Christ.
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling 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, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- 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.
Find out more about women in ministry here.
