My name is Aaron, born and raised in Southern California. I am studying at Christian Leaders. The tuition-free Biblical classes at the Christian Leaders Institute are equipping me for my disaster relief ministry calling (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Journey
I currently live in Canyon Lake in So Cal with my 16-year-old son. God blessed me with a loving Christian family. My parents and my upbringing were very impactful on my Christian walk and perspective in life. My dad is the greatest man I know and an amazing Godly example to follow. So, m goal is to provide the same upbringing and example for my son. Then, we can continue to pass it along to future generations of the family. It will fortify and expand our Christian impact in this world.
After life’s journey took an unexpected turn, I have been a single father for approximately 10 years. Like all challenges in life, I’ve learned and grown so much from these struggles. I fully trust in God’s perfect plan for our lives. My quest as a single father has been centered around providing my son with a stable and Christ-centered upbringing.
Spiritual Growth
Baptized as an infant, in my mid-20s I made a decision to get re-baptized as a personal statement of faith. I attended California Baptist University for my college Business degree. There I had some incredible professors who taught Old and New Testament classes that helped to deepen my biblical knowledge.
Now, I am 17 years into a full-time Fire Service career. I am a Fire Captain Paramedic on a ladder truck in a mid-size city in So. Cal. The career has been rewarding in many ways. This includes meeting other good Christian brothers and sisters in the Fire Service, as well as having opportunities for discussions, witnessing, and shining light on others in the department.
Service and ministry in the disaster relief setting is a big interest and passion of mine for the future. I love the perspective of Ecclesiastes 3 that “there is a time and place for everything,” My time now is raising a Godly son and transitioning into a service ministry in the future for disaster relief and service to those less fortunate around the world. Christian Leaders has been an exciting discovery for me. I look forward to furthering my knowledge and equipping myself with a service-geared ministry in the near future.
Disaster Relief Ministry Calling
God has put a calling on my heart for ministry through disaster relief. My experiences and training in the Fire Service have given me a passion for serving in the emergency setting. I see so many natural and man-made disasters around the globe. So, I would love to minister and show God’s grace and love through disaster relief and rescue ministry.
I also love the experience and training being a paramedic in the fire service has given me, and look forward to using my skills in future ministry. Being on the front lines on the streets in So Cal through the COVID pandemic has given me a taste of the health crisis that so many experiences around the world and in less fortunate places. I’m grateful to say the career that I’ve been blessed with will provide a pension in retirement that will help fund these disaster relief ministries that I feel called and groomed for.
I am enjoying the equipping that CLI is providing in my deeper learning of my faith. Also, I take ministry opportunities in the meantime with short-term local trips as well as everyday contact with friends, coworkers, and those around me. Thank you, CLI, for the great education to further my own understanding to lead an effective ministry in my future opportunities!
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.
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.
The Lord Is My Shepherd
My name is Allan Sundar. I am studying the Bible online at Christian Leaders through the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
Introduction to Christianity
I was born in Suriname (a former Dutch colony in South America) on December 21, 1993. However, I spent the first eight years of my life in Guyana. My Guyanese parents had to move back to Guyana a few months after my mom gave birth to me. We were struggling with financial issues. At the time, my mother was Hindu, and my father was acquainted with Christianity.
Due to submission to my father, my mother dutifully sent my sister and me to Sunday school frequently. In a small, 10m x 6m, community church, I was introduced to Christianity. I made it the foundation of my being. My sister and I enjoyed the various church gatherings. We were always quick to volunteer to be part of church sketches or any other stage performances. The memories of this place will always be cherished. Looking back at that experience, I know in my heart that that was God’s plan to direct me into Christianity to prepare me for the plans He has for my life.
A Move and Changes
When I was nine years old, my parents decided to move back to Suriname. As we started life again in a new (to me) country, we had various obstacles to overcome. One such obstacle was the language. This barrier greatly affected my education in the Dutch schools. In Guyana, I was at the top of my class. Hence, it bothered my mother that I was 2 years behind in the Dutch system due to the language barrier.
As my parents searched for private schools, God once again showed His sovereignty. He provided not just an English-speaking private school but an English-Presbyterian private school. It was another example of God’s providence in my life. Although my parents could not afford the tuition, He worked in the administrator’s heart to provide a special program for my sister and me. This meant we only had to pay 30%-40% of the tuition. In return, my sister and I cleaned one classroom at the end of the day until we graduated. It was truly God’s doing. Fast forward to the present, I gained a mentor, job, church, and a fiancé at this very institute over the years.
Broken Home Yet God Is Sovereign
Everyone has various struggles in life. One of my struggles was when my mother left me at the age of 12. She found an opportunity to work in a foreign country to provide a better life for my sister and me. It had been challenging for my parents to meet the daily necessities in life. My mother’s departure seemed harmless in the beginning. However, as time elapsed, my teenage life lacked the comfort and care of my mother. Soon, it became overwhelmingly painful for me.
My situation did not get easier since my father and I never shared a bond either. A few years later, my parents divorced. These various circumstances forced me to mature quickly. Despite these circumstances, God’s continuous watchful care over me never failed. He kept my focus on what was important. God provided me with a mentor – my current pastor/boss who had also been the school headmaster.
Calling Journey
My father is a construction worker. He can practically build a house from the foundation to the roof, even the furniture. I admire my father’s work ethic and his skills. Having witnessed my father’s work, ignited a desire within me to become an architect. I had dreams of building skyscrapers and bridges. As I got close to finishing high school, I looked into colleges. However, these colleges were beyond my budget. As a result, I focused on finding a local job in retail. I found my way into the business sector of Suriname for six years. I gained numerous experiences throughout those years. However, God had other plans for me. Due to various unforeseen circumstances, I had to leave the retail industry.
Here my life took an unexpected turn. After leaving retail, my pastor, mentor, and role model re-offered (the first offer was a year before which I respectfully declined) me a job. He wanted me to work as a teacher and to help him in the administration. At the time, it was the smartest decision. So, despite it being a non-profit organization, I took the job. I never thought I would be a teacher, but God knew otherwise. His will was being done throughout all of this. As I worked at the English school I attended in my youth, I grew to love my job. I found fulfillment in helping others. Passionate about sharing what I know to help others, I found my calling and purpose in life working at Christian Liberty Academy.
Studying the Bible Online
As I continue to learn and understand more about God, I yearn to seek Him more. I am forever grateful for His saving grace in me. Without Him, life would be meaningless. For this reason, I intend to live a life that reflects His love for me. The only way I can live for God is by continuously studying the Bible His Word. Thanks to Christian Leaders I can fulfill this goal of studying the Bible online at a tuition-free rate. This too is God’s sovereignty. 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.