A warm hello from New Zealand! My name is Mathilde Noordzij, thank you for reading my profile. I am a student at Christian Leaders getting evangelism and ministry training (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Life
I’m a Netherlands-born Kiwi, living in Auckland. I came to NZ in 1997 with my husband. Together, we have three wonderful young adult children. Unfortunately, we are no longer together.
I grew up in a Christian home. I am thankful to have known Jesus as a close personal friend since I was a small child. Throughout everything, my relationship with Him has always remained very close. I accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour at an early age and was baptized on the 23rd of June 1993.
Challenges
Life has not been easy. I feel quite vulnerable, but think it is important, to share that for many years I lived under the heavy constrictions of a mental disorder. At the age of 17, doctors diagnosed me with Dissociative Disorder. I came under the care of a Christian Psychiatrist and was put on medication.
What this looked like, for many years leading up to the diagnosis and for some time after, was constant high anxiety levels, voices in my head, self-harm, being out of touch with reality, and a complete inability to connect with people. Thanks to a Christian friend, I blessedly came under the care of a Christian Psychiatrist, who was blessed with a praying wife.
Throughout this journey, from a very early age, Jesus has been very close to me. For years, Jesus was the only REAL person I knew. I did not always believe that He saw me, as I felt completely invisible. However, I could not deny the powerful encounters I had with Him. With those, He showed me beyond doubt that I existed and was important to Him.
My Marriage Journey
After six years of “walking” with the Psychiatrist, I was at a point where I could lead a “normal” life. I finished my studies in Social Work and held down a job. It was also around this time that I met my husband. I didn’t know it then, but I know now, that we were both still quite broken.
I wanted to honour him as my husband and my promise to remain faithful which I made before God and everyone I knew. Needless to say, I learned a lot in our 16 years of marriage. The main thing I learned was that I was bought at a price: Jesus thought me worth giving His life for. So, in spite of everything, I found my worth and the courage to bring up my children by myself.
My Ministry Calling Journey
Shortly after becoming a single mum, I found a job with a national children’s charity. After a few months on the job, on a Sunday morning in church, God spoke in my heart very clearly. He said that this was my ministry. I argued with Him, as it wasn’t a Christian charity. The aim of it was not to evangelize, which was my idea of being in ministry. God kept saying, after each of my arguments, “This is your ministry.” He showed me His incredible compassion for the people group I was privileged to work with.
After some confirmations followed, I accepted. I worked at the charity for 10 years. I was given a great deal of trust and freedom. It was an amazing opportunity to find my wings and develop many skills. I am very grateful to God that He gave me this experience.
Finding CLI While Pondering My Call
Pondering some more about this, and in light of just joining the Christian Leaders Institute, my happy place within this role was leading a team of people. I enjoyed watching them develop their skills and discover and grow in their areas of strength.
At the end of last year, I lost my job with the charity, due to the COVID-19 situation. Since I asked God many times for a proper break, I consider this my time of a Sabbatical. Therefore, I am praying, searching, and listening to see where God wants me to go next. While this is a time of some uncertainty and financially very tight, I am very certain of Him. Jesus is my Lord, my Saviour, my Hope, my Strong Tower, and my Provider. He holds my past, my today, and my future.
Evangelism and Ministry Training at CLI
While my gifting is in the area of pastoral care and leadership, I’ve always felt very clumsy when it comes to evangelizing, I don’t really know what to say. So, I accepted that evangelizing was not my gifting or calling. However, I never felt comfortable about that.
With everything that happened in the past three years, through COVID, I feel an urgency to be ready to share the Gospel in a knowledgeable way. I’m ready to share my faith, and God’s story in my life. Yet, I need to know more than that, so I enrolled in evangelism and ministry training at Christian Leaders. I just started an in-depth study in the book of John, which is an 8-week course. Also, I will enroll in the Evangelism: Presenting Grace course as a start to my evangelism and ministry training journey with the Christian Leaders Institute. After that, there is a list of other courses I wish to pursue at CLI. I’m excited! Blessings!
Register for 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:
- Minister 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.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
