My name is Edie Boles from Ohio in the USA. I am a student at the Christian Leaders Institute to study to be a licensed minister (Learn more about studying to be a licensed minister and studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Story
As a youth, I grew up attending Sunday school in our small town. Our dad dropped us off before Sunday school started and then picked us up after. When my brother and I got a bit older, we lived close enough to the church to walk. We attended most of the functions designed for kids such as Bible school, Christmas plays, youth group, etc.
As a teen, I drifted away from Sunday school and church. I went down a road that could have turned out to be a bad one if I hadn’t already known about the love of Jesus. After I graduated high school, I married a man I met on that bumpy road in my youth. I also had two daughters with him. Unfortunately, he suffered from alcoholism. Which caused him to be very abusive. This abuse and controlling nature from my spouse slowly made my life chaotic. I felt lost and all alone.
Loneliness Got Me Back to Church
In my lonely state, I found Al-Anon. For some people, Al-anon is a great program, however, it was not for me. As an extremely shy person, it was more of a challenge for me than a help. Because of that, I remembered a place where I felt loved and accepted. So with my daughters in tow, I went back to church. Slowly, I became more and more involved in church activities. One Sunday, we had a missionary visit. She was a beautiful woman named Meryl Esenwein. She spoke during the worship service. Meryl also taught lessons that she called “chalk talks.”
On this particular Sunday, I felt like she was talking directly to me. Meryl asked us if we had asked God what He wanted us to do for Him. For me, it was a mind-blowing question that stirred in me. Finally, one day, I got on my knees and asked God what He wanted me to do for Him. Now, if you ask God what He wants you to do, you better be ready for His answer. The next thing I knew, I was a substitute Sunday School teacher. Then, before long, I was teaching every Sunday. After some time teaching, they asked me asked to be the Sunday School superintendent. So, I continued growing in my faith and stepping out in service for Christ.
Struggles and Return to Faith
Not long after that, my mom suddenly passed away. Even though we were not close, her death hit me hard. It made me very angry at God. I had all this faith that God was going to heal her, but she still passed. However, at that time I didn’t understand true healing, which is the healing God had for her. Through my pain, I allowed my anger to put a wedge between God and me. So, I stopped going to church, praying, and reading the Bible. I plummeted into a very dark place. It was the most miserable time of my life. Even the chaotic life of living with an alcoholic was better than where I was without God.
Speaking of my ex-husband, at this time, his drinking cheating, and abuse were at an all-time high. At this point, I was so lost, lonely, and depressed. Life had no meaning. However, God had a plan. That plan involved my youngest daughter, Amanda, who was a light in my darkness. She convinced me to go back to church. In Amanda’s words, “Our church.” It was a few weeks before Easter that I finally listened to my baby girl and went back to church.
When I walked into the sanctuary, I knew I was home. God filled me with a peace that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. That was the moment when I took a personal relationship with Christ seriously. I returned to teaching Sunday school and attending Bible studies. For the first time, I read the Bible from cover to cover. I not only read it, but I also devoured every word. The more I served God, the closer I felt to God, and the more I wanted to serve Him.
My Calling Struggle
One Sunday, we had a guest speaker. On this particular Sunday, preoccupied with some things going on at home, I was having a hard time focusing on the message. It was at this time when I heard a voice (that I know now was the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit said, “You will be a pastor.” I was taken aback because I thought I was the least likely person to be a pastor. I was shy, had an alcoholic husband, and was a “hot mess” as my daughter said. Confused and frightened, I thought I must have misunderstood. Believe it or not, I even tried to pass this calling off on my ex-husband.
However, I continued to hear the Spirit calling me into pastoral service. So I prayed about what God wanted me to do. The whole time praying, that same voice said, “You will be a pastor.” Yet, I continued to doubt. “Why me, I am not what God wants, I can’t preach, I can’t even talk to people,” I responded. This struggle went on for a while. The Holy Spirit spoke and I denied it with some excuse. All the while, I prayed for clarity. This struggle went on for about two years.
My Call Confirmed
At this time, our church had a Wednesday evening program for the youth called “Logos.” The leaders asked me to look into a sister program for the teens called “Alpha.” They wanted me to attend the training. At this training, my call was confirmed in my heart and I finally obeyed.
Even though I felt called to be a pastor, I was anxious about it. So I kept my call to myself for a while. One day, while talking to the Pastor of my church about some youth events, he mentioned a friend of his was going into the ministry. Without a thought, I said, “I feel called to Pastoral Ministry also.” It came out of my mouth as if someone else was saying it! It was like watching a video of myself where I couldn’t press rewind.
After that, I enrolled in a program through my local church. I took some classes that didn’t pan out. The old doubts came flooding back. “God didn’t call me into pastoral ministry.” So I prayed again for clarity from God and for direction. One day, God led me to Jeremiah 29: 11, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give hope and a future.”
Ministry Service and Study to Be a Licensed Minister
From then on, this passage has been a source of my strength. After this, the Spirit led me to an online study. Upon completion, I received a certificate. With a certification in hand, I got involved with a ministry called Characters Out Loud. This ministry helps those who are in the midst of a crisis. We worked mostly with the homeless and those who suffer from addiction. Since then, we disbanded, but still, look for ways we can be of service to the homeless. We hope that one day we can revive the program.
Currently, I serve a church as a pulpit supply. I have been there for four years now. However, pulpit supply is limiting. I cannot administer communion, baptize, or perform weddings. So, I feel my call is in licensed ministry. I found the Christian Leaders Institute online and am studying to be a licensed minister. I am thankful for this tuition-free study opportunity to become a licensed minister.
Every day, I feel God’s grace. Grateful for all the lessons He brought me through, I would not trade any of them. They helped me to grow in faith and into the person I am today. In Him, I find my strength. God has a plan, and it’s a good one full of hope and a future. On this, I stand strong. God Bless!
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.
The Saving Grace of God
My name is Michael Boger, from the USA. My calling is to minister to men. Therefore, I am studying online at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Journey
I grew up in a small city in Washington State. Growing up in a non-Christian home, I was taught that men and boys were worthless and were to be slaves to women. I am the eldest of five children with two sisters and two brothers. As a small child, my mother trained me for service, not to God but to my mother and sisters.
As I grew, I rebelled against the system as I saw it. I got into fights and drugs. Alcohol became my coping mechanism. By age thirteen, I was a full-blown drug addict and alcoholic. I had been running with gangs for so long that I was a violent offender. Most of my childhood was spent in the county detention facility and foster homes. It was in the detention facility that I first heard the gospel. However, the message did not turn my heart to Christ at that time.
At fourteen, I went to live with my grandparents. Again, I heard about Jesus. However, my grandmother was wise enough to understand that simply telling me to change and follow Jesus was not going to work. Therefore, both of my grandparents modeled Jesus to me.
But, I wanted more of the dark side of life. I rejected religion and got into the occult. I worked for several years as a medium and fortune teller, eventually becoming a priest in the local Satanic church. Why did I go that way? Because I wanted power over my life. I wanted control of my life and what that control promised. Little did I know that what it promised was false power, imprisonment, no control, no destiny, and only pain and suffering.
The True Power of God
Then one day as I prepared to cast spells and worship a false deity, the Holy Spirit came to me. He put a hand on my back and pushed me down, not violently but with strength. As I lay there frightened and not understanding what was happening, a voice came to me and said, “ENOUGH.” The voice was not forceful but filled with power. Instantly, I knew that it was the voice of God. After a while (I don’t know how long), I got up and drove to a local church. It was not on my own but guided by what I know now to be the Holy Spirit. I went inside and found the first pastor I could. I told him my story, and he led me to Christ right then and there.
Calling to Minister to Men
That was in 2009. Since then, I have found true peace in my life, true joy, and the true power that only comes from surrendering your life and will to Jesus. I know the meaning of life now. No longer am I violent but a lover of peace. No longer a rebel, I am a willing participant in the Kingdom of God. I have been and still am being changed by the saving grace of God. I am called into God’s service in the ministry as a pastor and men’s leader. With this calling to minister to men, I have the vision to see men set free. They can be set free from the prison of sexual sin and lust addiction. I want to do this by facilitating a class on the subject. Like my grandparents, I model Christ for the world to see.
What I need now is ministry and Bible training. Recently, I searched online and found Christian Leaders. So, I enrolled at the Christian Leaders Institute. I will be ready to serve where God leads me. Thank you, Christian Leaders!
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.
Lost and Found
My name is Cristina Alvarez. Looking for an online college-level Bible study program, I found the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here). Now, I can learn more about the Bible and what God wants for me in life.
My Story Begins
I grew up in sunny Los Angeles, California. I grew up Catholic and my parents taught me to follow God. So, I did just that. However, by the time I was 15 years old, I was going all this time to church but never really understood what was to be learned. It was a repetitive and traditional part of my culture. After completing one of my sacraments as they call it, I turned 15. My quinceanera came, and I was not feeling that I wanted to continue to attend church.
During that summer before my sophomore year of high school, my mom met a lady that attended Calvary Chapel. It was in our local city, and she invited my mom. My mom started attending and came home sharing beautiful stories of how the sermon was touching or moving for her in her life. She later invited me to attend with her, and I agreed. I started attending the youth ministry and quickly enjoyed the environment. I really loved the people’s joy and servant’s hearts. Within the year, I decided to dedicate my life to the Lord and received the gift of Salvation. I also got baptized in the church.
Later that year as a student in high school, I got into a relationship with a boy from my school. He was not saved. He was a non-believer, to be exact. Long story short, I left the church to please him. That season of my life lasted 6 years. What I had found in the church quickly got diminished for a boy. This boy was spiritually troubled and ended up hurting me in the end. When the relationship ended my mom continued to invite me to church. I just couldn’t make my way over there and always had 101 excuses to not go. I never went.
My Story Continues
Life took its course, and I got into another bad and unhealthy relationship. This time, it went differently. I got pregnant out of wedlock. Ten years later, we married. It was not because we really wanted to, but to please everyone in our lives. Our parents were very frustrated that we had a daughter but had not yet married. So, we married. A short year later, we ended in divorce. We had grown apart. It was an unhealthy relationship and an abusive one. So, I filed for divorce and left the house with my 8-year-old beautiful daughter. We then lived with my parents and started our new life.
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair” (II Corinthians 4:8 NKJV). One day I said a quick prayer while I cried in desperation for a change in my life. I threw a pity party in a moment of weakness and decided to search for motivational quotes on Pinterest. There it was. The verse that would save my life and put me back on the right path. The path of Jesus.
I love this verse. This verse is what pushed me and motivated me to seek Jesus once more. However, I never want to turn my back on Him again. The truth is I left God. He never left me. I had found myself in situations where I knew it wasn’t a coincidence but merely God’s favor over my life. My mother never stopped praying for me to return to the church, serve the Lord, and walk in His path.
In Christ: Finding a Bible Study Program at Christian Leaders
Today, I have fully immersed myself in all things Christ. If Christ is not at the center of something, I don’t want it. I pray for everything; before, during, and after everything. Prayer helps, it gives me peace, it provides hope, and it restores.
I am currently a baby follower. But I am thirsty for the Word and thirsty for the Holy Spirit to keep working in me. Finding this course of Bible study program by Christian Leaders is the cherry on top. I can now learn the basics and build my foundation in Christ. I am building a firm foundation brick by brick, study by study, and surrounding myself with like-minded people.
In my journey, I learned that we become who we surround ourselves with. I wish I realized that sooner. Although, life has its ups and downs, and I do not regret nor would I change a thing. Because now, I can share my testimony with others. I cannot wait to see what God does in my life next, and in my daughter’s life!
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.