Called to Serve in Ministry
Hello! My name is Kelly Kuresh (Litle). I live with my cat Tatum in a rustic cabin on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and a Diploma in Interior Design specializing in kitchens and baths. Further, I am also an artist and a writer nearing the completion of my first work of fiction. I am called to serve in ministry, so I study at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online free Bible courses, Click Here).
My Early Years
I was born in the mid-sixties, a time of great cultural upheaval and the rise of music designed to destroy souls. My parents split when I was young and my step-father had disdain for anything to do with God and religion. Apparently, I received Catholic baptism but knew nothing of God or scripture.
When I was ten, I had what I can only describe in retrospect as a breakdown. It started one night while in bed staring at the stars. Earlier that day, we learned that space was infinite – on and on and on. I tried to wrap my head around that as I thought about my own mortality. Was death just this black infinity forever? Or were you stuck in one reality forever?
Both of these ideas terrified me, and it began to dawn on me that death was out of my control. I was going to die. I had such a panic/anxiety attack that I was gasping for breath. However, it sounded like I was laughing. My mother opened the door to my room and told me to knock it off and go to sleep. I knew then that I would never be able to articulate my fears to my parents. Frankly, I knew they wouldn’t have the answers.
My Crisis of Faith
I went through this terror on and off for the next five years until I began babysitting for our local dentist and his wife. They were devout evangelists. I can’t recall how I brought the subject of my fears up to the dentist’s wife. But, I know I must have because she sat down with me one afternoon. She read and marked passages in my Mom’s Bible (that I have to this day). She gave me a great deal of peace. They moved away shortly after that, and being sixteen on a farm, my scriptural education stopped there for the time being.
In my twenties, I attended regular mass at the Catholic Church. I attended for several years at several churches as I moved West. The last mass I attended was at the Cathedral in Victoria. It is stunning and impressive and elaborate. As the priest, et al, began their procession all decked out doing their ritual, I thought, “what would Jesus think of this? Or what if He was just a really good talker when he lived but we got it all wrong, and it’s all come to this? Would he laugh?” It was a crisis of faith.
Spiritual Trouble
The churches I attended didn’t seem too heavy on scripture. So, I never heard the dangers of divination. Shortly after I stopped going to Mass, a relative had my astrological chart read and sent to me in a report. I was ripe at that point for ‘new age’ ideas that were being espoused and normalized everywhere. This same relative gave me a set of tarot cards, and I looked at them as a conduit to God. I never stopped believing in God and had no idea the sin I was committing. In reality, I wanted to be in control and I took from the tree of knowledge. I did this for many years and felt I was bringing hope and peace to those who sought my help.
In mid-2000, I began to see the depth and scope of the spiritual trouble we were in. It completely changed my perspective. I used divination to navigate my life and knew many people who consulted similar spiritual tools. In the last ten years, I suffered some major losses and tragedies and sought answers through cards. Meanwhile, I began to see that Satan and those who worship him were getting bolder and bolder. It seemed to me that if Satan is as the Bible says, then Christ must be too.
New Direction
When the world turned upside down in 2020, I felt a compulsion to read the book of Revelation in the Bible. I found a Youtube channel called Good Fight Ministries which exposes the evil within music, movies, etc. They brought up verses warning against using tools of divination and pointed out that good intentions didn’t matter as it was strictly against scripture. At that moment, I repented and cast them aside. I went through my house and removed all books and objects associated with new-age practices. Then, I asked Jesus to forgive me.
Ironically, the same year I had my anxiety crisis our class received Gideon Bibles. Through all my many moves and years, I have always had it with me. Inside the front cover, on a page saying ‘presented to,’ is my ten-year-old scrawl saying Kelly Kuresh, Grade 5, October 10, 1975. On the back cover was another place to sign titled ‘My Decision to Receive Christ As My Saviour.’ This was unsigned all these years. So on October 10, 2020 – exactly forty-five years later – I signed my little childhood Bible. It said, “Confessing to God that I am a sinner, and believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins on the cross and was raised for my justification. I do now receive and confess Him as my personal Saviour.”
Called to Serve in Ministry and Finding CLI
Mostly unemployed since March of 2020, the Lord always provides what I need. There is much comfort and gratitude in that. I prayed to ask how I can best serve and what steps I should take. God answered that I am called to serve in Ministry. I knew I wanted and needed training, so I immediately began to research the path to Christian Ministry. I couldn’t believe it (or could I?) when I found CLI. CLI offered an extensive amount of training, and I enrolled with them that very day. I don’t have any preconceived ideas of what being called to serve in Ministry looks like specifically for me yet. However, I’m willing to get direction from the Lord. I joyfully look forward to living a life in Christ! Blessings!
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course, and then you are allowed to enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is Jonas Alexandre, from the USA. I am an Accountant and work as a Finance Manager in Tampa, FL. Married for 33 years, my wife and I have two adult children and one grandson. I am excited to study at the Christian Leaders Institute for ministry training, credentials, and ordination (Learn more about online free Bible courses, Click Here).
Early Life, Conversion, and Growth
Born in Haiti, I grew up under solid Christian teaching. My mother, local Baptist church, and confessional secondary school taught me well. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord as a teenager. Sadly, I do not remember the exact date of my conversion. I remember it was at Vacation Bible School one summer upon the teacher’s prompting.
Therefore, my journey is like a “Nicodemus meeting Jesus at night” or as a “Road-to-Emmaus” type of experience. The resurrected Christ revealed himself to me through “what all the Scriptures said concerning himself!” I had already made a decision and was attending church. I have believed and served in the church in various capacities since my childhood. Further, I taught Sunday school to other young adults, etc.
Around 2000, I had a series of encounters with God through my daily early morning devotions. I started listening and yielding to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to me through the Word of God, the Bible. God became real to me in that period. Previously, I was content to be a good and faithful church member and layman, a law-abiding citizen with few “external” vices. However, I neglected the “weightier matters of the Law- justice and mercy and faith.” The Lord challenged me to pay attention to the sins in my heart like covetousness, envy, hatred, hypocrisy, lust, lying, pride, unrighteous anger, etc. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
Further Growth
I give credit to a few ministries and their tools for helping me along the way. First is the NLT version of the Life Application Study Bible and Notes. It opened up my understanding of many biblical concepts and doctrines and to apply them in my daily life. Next, the Experiencing God book and study by Blackaby and King challenged me to experience and – know – God through obedience. Then, the Bible Study Hour by the late James M. Boice was instrumental to my desire to study more and go to seminary. Finally, I also credit the Friends of Israel (FOI) ministry’s Institute of Jewish Studies, which I attended for a couple of years. It deepened my understanding of prophecy and eschatology. However, due to costs, I never finished the seminary programs.
I have been serving in the Church with a desire to grow for over three decades. It has been in various ministries with increasing responsibilities. I served in both French and English-speaking churches over the years. I served as a Church Trustee and Administrator, Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent, and Bible study teacher. Licensed to preach by my church in 2013, I also became an Associate Minister leading Sunday Worship and Bible Study.
After the Great Earthquake of 2010, the Lord put on my wife’s and my heart to organize annual missions trips to bring the gospel to remote areas in Haiti. In addition, the knowledge I gained in both previous seminary programs helped me to teach at church and work. I led a weekly Bible Study with co-workers for the past 13 years at work.
Ministry Training, Credentials, and Ordination
I thank the Lord for my wife’s support and encouragement to continue studying and growing. She encouraged me then to establish nightly family devotions in our home. She also encouraged me to go to school for training. Recently, she encouraged me to go back to school to obtain the necessary credentials and ordination to be more effective in ministry. My wife researched many seminaries online for me and found Christian Leaders Institute and CLI’s Leadership Excellence School!
I was incredulous at first when she told me it was entirely free! I could not believe it until I read the info on the site for myself. Then, I listened to Rev. Henry Reyenga and Rev. Steve Elzinga in the Getting Started class and saw Francis Chen’s video. Francis Chen had the same dream as me: a place online where one can study the Word of God via text, audio, or video and grow! Christian Leaders Institute and CLI’s Leadership Excellence School are simply visionary!
My ideal ministry is to teach and preach the gospel locally. I want to do this in churches in the USA and the countryside in Haiti. Unfortunately, many in Haiti are into animism or ritualistic traditional mass attendance without personal knowledge and relationship with Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course, and then you are allowed to enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
More of You and Less of Me, Lord!
My name is Judith Diakanyo from South Africa. I am excited to be part of the Christian Leaders Institute to learn more about God’s Word (Learn more about online free Bible courses, Click Here). Currently, I am serving in the kingdom of God as an intercessor. Also, my husband and I do outreach programs often sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ amongst the homeless in our neighborhood.
I am looking forward to connecting with fellow CLI students in my area. The course on connections has encouraged me to be part of the CLI networks in my area. I will update my experiences once I have made contact with the CLI network in South Africa.
My Journey
Let me share a bit of my upbringing with you. I grew up in a quiet neighborhood. My mother was a domestic worker, and I stayed with her and my dad at the servant’s quarters. Staying on my mother’s employer’s property was fun. So, I had lots of fun spending most of my time outdoors playing as a child.
My childhood plays a critical role in my walk with God. I met a friend who came from a God-fearing family. She invited me to attend the home cell at her house every Tuesday. This amazing family would fetch me every Sunday, and I went to Little Falls Christian Centre with them. At 14, I gave my life to Jesus.
I came to know the Lord and feel His love amid my flaws as a human being. Peer pressure influenced me in my late teen years, and I made some hectic hiccups. I had a few near-death experiences due to my negligence, but GOD always came through to save me.
Jesus saw me through it all and remained good to me even though I did not deserve it. As a result, I love Christ with everything that is within me! I have learned to shift my focus from being a people pleaser to being a Jesus Lover because HE first loved me.
My Ministry Dream
I dream to share the Love of God with those that the world has rejected and with those that are seeking love in the wrong places. I want people to know how deeply God loves them and longs to have an intimate relationship with them. God has created a desire in my heart to minister to refugees. I always imagine myself sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ at harbors as refugees enter a new country. My prayer is to introduce them to the only refuge, Jesus Christ.
Therefore, I have come to CLI to have an even greater relationship with God through intense study of His Word. I want to know God more. I also want to learn more about the Bible and the Kingdom of God free online at CLI. Then, I can be a good steward in my Father’s Kingdom. If I can achieve the above, it will be a good start to being equipped to walk well in God’s purpose for my life.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course, and then you are allowed to enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.