My name is Caleb Custer, and I am thankful for the online ordination training opportunity at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about Studying the Bible, Click Here). I’m from Ashland, Ohio; however, I’m currently a graduate student in Pensacola, Florida, U.S.A. I attend Pensacola Theological Seminary, where I am working on my Master of Divinity degree and intern at a local church. I graduated from Pensacola Christian College with my bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Ministries in 2019 and plan on graduating with my master’s degree in the spring of 2022. Taking classes from the Christian Leaders Institute is a bit different for me since I’m a seminary student. I have to take the time to watch videos and read the notes between my job and my local classes. Thankfully, CLI has made it easy to take classes in the midst of a busy life.
My Spiritual Journey and Dream
My parents were both first-generation Christians, so I grew up in a home that was vibrant spiritually. We attended a conservative Baptist church and were there whenever the doors opened. My parents were both concerned with our spiritual life and tried to provide the best guidance they could. They put my eight siblings and me through a private Christian school, even though it wasn’t cheap. They invested in us and made sure that each of us knew that we were loved by them and by God. As a result of their efforts, I came to know the Lord at a young age. I started asking questions about salvation before I was five years old and accepted Christ as my Savior on September 5, 2002.
My spiritual dream is to eventually become a senior pastor at a local Baptist church and teach average laypeople to know the Bible as a Bible college student. I strongly believe that the church in America is mostly ignorant when it comes to the Scriptures. We know some Bible stories and some catchy verses, but how much time do we spend digesting the meat of Scripture. My dream is to find a way for the person in the pew to know the Bible forward and backward. I definitely don’t think I’ve arrived at maturity yet, but I want to keep pressing toward the mark.
Online Ordination Training at CLI
Probably the biggest two obstacles I personally face in that journey are laziness and shyness. God has blessed me with a pretty good mind, so I’ve never really had to work that hard in school. That’s been a big help, but it’s also led me to be lazy in my walk with God. I assumed that I know the Bible well enough and don’t need to work hard. The other obstacle is my shyness. I have no problem speaking in public, but I really struggle connecting with people individually. I’m introverted and find it hard to get a good conversation going. I’m going to have to fight both of these obstacles if I want to serve the Lord to my maximum potential. With God’s help and strength, I can overcome.
I started taking classes at the Christian Leaders Institute so that I could perform my sister’s wedding ceremony. She and her fiance asked me to marry them, but to perform the ceremony, I needed to be ordained. I looked at online ordination options and found that most of them were with organizations that I would oppose spiritually. Finally, I found CLI. My beliefs align much more closely with CLI. I am thankful for the opportunity at CLI the generous donations of others have given me.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is Theresa Jeremiah, and I am learning the Bible online for free at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about Studying the Bible, Click Here). I live in Brooklyn, New York, USA. I did not grow up in a Christian home. My siblings and I attended church frequently on Sundays, but it was just religious activity. I did not realize that until I made Jesus my savior and Lord.
My Christian Journey Begins
In my teens, my oldest brother and a remarkably close cousin surrendered their lives to Jesus. My cousin talked to my friends and me about Jesus and the need to be “born again.” He was nice to talk to, so we listened to him and asked a bundle of questions. Regardless, we had no intention of doing anything about what we were learning. As a matter of fact, we made fun of it every time he left us.
Eventually, my brother invited me to three days of meetings at the church he attended. I went to the services, and on the last night, I was sitting at the front and hated it. My concern was about myself, “Why did they give me this seat? I don’t want to be close to the front.” I don’t remember anything the preacher said in his sermon, but I heard him say, “What if you die tonight? Where would you spend eternity?” I thought about it. I knew I was afraid of dying. Suddenly I felt as though someone lifted me and brought me to the altar. No one had touched me. It was amazing, but I feel as though I never walked to that altar. The Holy Spirit carried me. I surrendered my life to Jesus.
Challenges and Standing Firm in My Faith
I started my Christian journey believing that I would only experience perfection. A few months later, I was shocked when I experienced two sisters’ unkind behavior toward me. I was in a prayer meeting and decided that it would be my last night in church. To my surprise, when the pastor went to the altar, he began to speak about what was in my heart. He said, “You might be saying, tonight is my last night here. Don’t let anyone stop you from serving God.”
That confused me! I reasoned within myself, “Who told him what I said? I did not tell anyone.” I wondered if I told someone and forgot, but I knew I did not discuss it. It was in my heart. That night, I made up my mind never to turn back from the Christian path. I thank God for that early experience because more than twenty years later, I am still on this journey with the Lord! I now know the wheat and the tares will grow together.
My spiritual dream is to help many people get to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. I want to help them become strong disciples and teach the weak and discouraged believers how to grow an unwavering faith in God. Since I got encouragement and am stronger for it, I want to do the same for others!
Learning the Bible Online at CLI
I have a hunger for a Bible education. Learning the Bible, rightly dividing it, and evangelizing effectively are my goals. This desire drove me to the internet to look for affordable education. I could not find anything to fit within my budget. I looked for a free class for learning the Bible online and found the Christian Leaders Institute. At first, I thought what I was reading was too good to be true. However, I concluded that God answered my prayer! I did the getting started class, and now I am about to complete the Christian Leaders Connection.
The high-quality education at CLI means so much to me. I am blessed to be learning the Bible online. Someone made this possible for me, and I look forward to contributing to others’ free education soon. Thank you, Christian Leaders Institute, and all the others supporting this institution!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Hello! I am Sharon Karcha, and I am taking free Bible training courses at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about Studying the Bible, Click Here). I live in Preeceville, a small rural community in Saskatchewan, Canada. My husband Duane and I have been married for 36 years. I am a mother of four children who are all adults and started their own households now. So, I have four terrific additions to the family by way of my children’s spouses. I got to grow with my children as we were called to homeschool. It was one of the biggest blessings of my life. We thank God to see our adult children walking in the ways of the Lord with their spouses, desiring to follow and serve. The biggest family bonus I have had in recent years is three beautiful grandchildren. We are praying and believing that God will be a central focus in our offspring for generations to come.
My Early Years
My childhood was wonderful, but not always easy. I saw my parents living their faith every day of my life. I made a personal commitment to follow Jesus at the age of four during family devotions. The question has been asked, questioning a young child’s ability to truly know and understand their decision at such a young age. There is no doubt I understood the decision I made and was impacted emotionally at that early age.
My dad knew he was called to ministry even before he was a Jesus follower. In mid-life, he decided to further his education to go into full-time ministry with seven children and a wife to support. I saw the intentional living and unwavering faith and determination to follow Jesus at all costs. That is the basis of my foundation in the Christian faith. At present, I have three sisters, and the four of us have a regular bi-weekly prayer teleconference. Since we do not live nearby, it helps us to continue to petition God for generations to come. We are thankful regularly for the faith of our parents and establishing us in the Christian life.
My Youth Service for Christ
I have also been an active church participant, a pastor’s kid, and church planting and mission work. The whole family was engaged in ministry. I feel that it really established me in leadership and gave me purpose even as a youth. I was privileged to see my whole group of close friends come to a saving knowledge of Jesus in my high school years. What a huge blessing that impacted me greatly as a teenager.
I had many wonderful experiences in my growing up years. The bar was high for being a Christ-follower. I never had a desire to sway from my upbringing. The world’s influence was nothing to what I witnessed as a Christ-follower. I am grateful to this day that God kept me in the palm of his hand.
College and Work Experience
After leaving my parents home, I spent some time at Bible College. While there, I realized that my background did not recognize or acknowledge women in ministry unless it was a foreign ministry. I did not feel called to be a missionary, so I did not pursue further Christian education. I was educated in the field of human sciences and worked the majority of my career supporting families in crisis.
Eventually, I ran a community-based program taking on leadership. I often felt frustrated in the area of supporting others. I knew the biggest difference for families would be to introduce them to Jesus. However, being a government-funded program, it was not a solution. The programming that we provide would be much more successfully done in the context of the church. I also recognize that many families would not seek support, as mandated support by social services. There would be challenges, and of course, there is always the need for funding. However, I still believe the local church should be providing this type of service, even in small rural communities.
Finding the Free Bible Training Courses at CLI
My future dream and goal are to support individuals to be rooted and grounded in the Bible and local church support. To give them the tools to live their life abundantly as Jesus promised. I recently stepped down from that position as it required a 3-hour daily commute. Finding the free Bible training courses at the Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) at this time is a gift. At this time in my life and given our current financial situation, I would have struggled to fund the education I can take through CLI. I also would not consider relocating to take further education as I feel called to my local community. It is where my home and husband are, so online availability makes this doable.
I would love to say that I have lived my life to the fullest, serving Jesus. Still, as happens to many, with a busy family, homeschooling, working away from home, my time was not always spent on furthering my understanding of the word and how it impacts daily living. I have been in many leadership situations, which often brings tough things to deal with. It is always a reminder of the importance of dying to self and living to serve others. I came out of a very toxic work environment and felt completely burnt out.
Exciting Future: Wherever God Leads
I have also been in situations where local churches struggled with strong, healthy leadership. Being from a pastor’s background, there have been times when I was not sure of what my role should be or when to speak up and when to keep silent and pray. I am learning how to keep myself in a healthy place spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. I do not regret the situations that I have come through, for they have been learning opportunities. They give me the ability to show compassion and empathy to others in extremely challenging situations.
I am so excited about the future and what God has in store. I have many good and hard experiences to draw from. When we begin moving in a direction, God takes that small act of obedience and turns it into something good and usually unexpected. My heart is full of anticipation for the future. The training available to me at CLI will be part of my next steps; I have no doubt.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.