Church Planter Education – My Story as a Church Planter

Church Planter Education

A church planter education is usually something that costs a lot of money. Christian Leaders Institute has made this formal training free of charch. Here is Andrew Elliott’s story and how he found CLI.

Andrew Elliott – United States
I live in the Bend OR a mountain resort city in the western United States. There are a lot of church in my city, but there is also a high suicide rate. I believe this is because so many people move here to get away from their old lives and they don’t have family or friends in the area. This creates a lot of loneliness and isolation. Which is a key reason for the high suicide rate?

I grew up in the church but walked away fro God in my late teenage years. I became a heavy alcoholic and became ensnared in a deep addiction to pornography. I had one child, and my wife was getting ready to leave me. It was at this time that my friend took me, passed out drunk, in the back of his car to a pastors house for help. During one of our meetings the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and I finally saw the damage I had created in my life and the life of others. I wept for 40 minutes and gave my life to Jesus. I received a new heart that day but did not know how to live the life God was calling me to. I didn’t even know how to be a good husband or father. Thankfully I was blessed to have mentors come around me and teach me how to live.

I own two furniture stores in my city and am the Associate Pastor at our church. In my many years of business training, I’ve seen the value of investing in building a quality team of leaders to increase our opportunity for growth. What I love about CLI is the vision of creating leaders and mentors all over the world. It is my dream to see people freed from the slavery of sin and then to go beyond freedom by being activated in the amazing calling and life of adventure God has for their life.

Church Planter. As an entrepreneur, it’s my passion to break up the ground, build a foundation and create a space for opportunity. I believe churches are the greatest place for an opportunity in this life and I want to be God’s partner in starting more.

My salvation. What I have experienced through Jesus must be shared with others.

Surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers, this is a true nature’s paradise with many people moving here to “get away” from life, explore nature and pursue their pleasure. We also have nearly 20 alcohol breweries and many marijuana dispensaries in this small city. It is truly a place where people seek their pleasure. It is difficult to get people to gather together for worship and Bible study on a regular basis.

The Senior Pastor of our church is the one who mentored me out of my addictions 17 years ago. Because of his investment in my life, I moved with him to Bend in 2012 to start the church where I currently operate as his Associate Pastor.

When I first started giving myself to ministry, I saw my family as an obstacle. They required time and energy which pulled me away from my passion to build the church. Over the last several years the Holy Spirit has taught me that my family is my first ministry. Being their father and pastor is my first joy. I love to have them participate with me in ministry, but I also love to take time out to just enjoy them and allow them to enjoy me. I’ve found they are God’s instrument to refresh me and keep me energized for the long game of ministry.

As a small business owner and volunteer pastor, I have found that finances have played a key role in keeping me from pursuing formal ministry education. The opportunity to enrol with CLI for church planter education is a huge blessing for our family and me. I also see it as a huge blessing to our church, our city and to future church plants I work with. They will be true beneficiaries of the training I receive.

As a vision-driven leader, I can get to focused on the work at hand and forget about the basics. Please pray that my personal walk with God stays at the center of my life and ministry. Pray that I can always share from what I am living rather than what I have learned.

CLI offers a complete curriculum for both house church planter education and church planter education all free and online.

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