My name is Kristel Hunt. I have a calling to minister. Therefore, I am online studying ministry and Bible courses at the Christian Leaders Institute.
My husband, Greg, and I live in a small town near Branson, MO. We have been blessed with 28 years of wedded bliss, two sons, and a daughter-in-law. Looking back over my spiritual journey, God has always been with me. Some of the most blessed times I have experienced have been when I am serving God alongside my family.
My Journey
My parents have always been great examples of faithful servants in God’s church. Through their actions, I knew the importance of giving back to my church to further the reach of God’s kingdom. So, likewise, God has shown me what it is like to be a part of His family through the gathering of His people in the church.
After I left home to join life with my husband, the church was not high on the list of priorities. I was not confident in sharing my faith, but then God gave me the desire to join a community of believers again. God led me to ask Greg repeatedly to try a church service with me. He reluctantly agreed. In the next few months, God radically changed Greg’s heart. He was a man on fire for the truth. We both had found a home in the United Methodist Church. I served faithfully in the choir, taught Sunday School, and attended Bible study.
We left Wisconsin to live closer to Greg’s parents in Missouri. However, we didn’t leave our faith in Jesus behind. On the contrary, we needed Him even more. Greg needed healing from the anxiety that came with his job in Wisconsin, and we had two young boys that needed to know God. Therefore, I became involved as a Sunday School teacher for the high school students and then teacher and music leader for the children’s ministry at Kimberling City United Methodist Church.
New Direction
One Sunday, a pastor came into the worship service to tell the congregation of a sister church plant in Reeds Spring, MO. It was a brand-new church to be planted in our neighborhood! The Holy Spirit quickened in my heart when I first heard the plan for this new sister church. God called us to help. I quickly became busy helping advertise for the new church as I was a graphic designer in Branson, MO, at the time. Then after a year or so, I said yes to directing the children’s ministry. What a joy! I got to build a children’s program for my boys like the one I grew up in. I had a great calling and passion for my boys to know who Jesus is and what it means to be a part of his family.
Struggles
I have been blessed as I look at the responsibilities God has entrusted me with over the years. Further, I have had a lot of success in these ministries with the help of God. However, I have struggled while living in that blessing. I was never sure of myself, always doubting my abilities and always putting myself down because I believed the lie that everyone was better than I was in some way. Furthermore, I wallowed in “failure” due to my decision to quit my dream of getting a college degree and having a series of jobs that didn’t last more than a few years at a time.
God has not ever left my mind. I have always believed he died for me and forgave me of my sins. And even though I thought I was trusting God, I was not. My emotions sank, and my anxiety grew every year, thinking of what I failed to do as a wife, mother, daughter, and career woman. To top it off, I suffered from migraines lasting for days. They left me in isolation. Therefore, I withdrew from serving alongside my church family for several years.
Growth
Then God led me to search His Word for my identity in Christ. The Holy Spirit confirmed that I must confidently claim this to come out of the isolation that my emotions, anxiety, and headaches put me in. The Holy Spirit was right! My identity and faith in Christ brought me back to participating in service with my church family. I now use my creative talents with the Praise and Communications teams. My church deemed me LifeSong’s graphic artist, as I take care of all the slides for worship services, put together event flyers, and designed our latest t-shirt. What a blessing to feel useful again! And God has not stopped there.
Encountering God
In September 2022, God blessed me with an encounter with Him that I will never forget. I signed up to attend a women’s conference, Ashes to Beauty, with a group of women from the church. I desperately wanted to spend quality time in God’s presence. There was time for praise, listening, and prayer, and no other responsibilities. God and I had great conversations that weekend. I laid down some heavy burdens I didn’t realize I was carrying. I asked God for forgiveness and help in many areas of my life. As a result, God freed me from the heaviness of depression and anxiety. God also confirmed my calling to minister.
Further, on Saturday night, three young women prayed for me as their hands covered my head. Together, we believed God for a miracle. God answered that prayer with instant and total healing from migraine headaches! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
My Calling to Minister and Study at CLI
Since then, I have known that I am accepted through Christ, and He calls me His daughter. I want everyone to know what I know. And to claim that they are known, forgiven, and accepted by God. God has placed a calling on each of us to be a witness of the Good News in Jesus Christ.
Through the Christian Leaders Institute classes and my understanding of God’s Word given by the Holy Spirit, I am better equipped for my calling to minister. I am also better equipped to be an effective witness. I witness to my family, the church, those that have fallen away, and those that don’t know Jesus yet. My gratitude goes to all the visionary partners of CLI that helped make my dream of furthering my education and answering my calling to minister a reality. One day, I pray that I can partner with CLI to fulfill someone else’s dream. God bless you!
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, 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.
Find out more about women in ministry here.
