Surprising Calling to Ministry
Greetings in the name of Lord Jesus! My name is Leah DesLauries-Stollar from Washington, USA.
I can honestly say I’m amazed at the way our Heavenly Father can take a mess of a person, and put them in a place of faith, devotion, and AWE for what the Lord can and does accomplish.
I didn’t come from an overly religious background. I pestered my parents to attend church for two reasons: 1. I was attracted to the art, architecture, and the feeling of awe in being in God’s house. And 2. My friends’ families always seemed to be so involved with their houses of worship, and I wanted that, too.
Why couldn’t I be more like them? My eight-year-old-self wondered. We couldn’t be like them because we were a completely dysfunctional family. Drug abuse, a co-dependent marriage between my parents and sister, who was older by eight years, whom was a perpetual runaway.
I credit what small exposure I had to God to my paternal grandmother, Ferne. She would take me to Mass, and then to the Grotto in Portland, Oregon. When we moved to Bothell, WA, I talked to my mother, and we started attending a Lutheran church there. Upon my insistence, I was baptized at the age of nine.
A few years later, my parents divorced after a violent episode. I was sent to live with my maternal grandmother. I felt very let down by God. Soon acting out in every abhorrent way I could think of. By the age of 20, I’d tried almost any substance to kill the pain of being abandoned, unwanted, and a useless human being. I was pregnant with my daughter. Her father was a dealer, and his mother was worse. So, with the help of friends, we left that abusive cycle.
Some years later, my daughter was attending church with her friends and BEGGED my husband and I to go. To make her happy, we did. Amazing! She found us a congregation who spoke plainly and made Jesus accessible! After attending for two years, learning the Gospel, the hope, and love that Jesus has for us, we three (daughter, husband and I) decided to be baptized. Now, my father who is a Godly man in his right, sat the three of us down before the next day’s baptism ceremony. He cautioned us that things were going to be more challenging from here on in. How soon that was proved right. Spiritual warfare stuck! We had no doubt we had received a surprise calling to ministry and we accepted that!
Time passes; new daughters are born, my mother became too ill to care for herself, my husband broke his neck, my pre-teens start testing boundaries. I was working two jobs to support my family. All these changes brought me to my knees. The living Word saved me from just giving up. Praise be to God.
My ministry dream has already begun in a sense. I work as a manager in a fast food restaurant, and I tend to be a mama to some of these lost children. We pray in the break room, hanging out the drive-thru window, and even in the walk-in fridge at times. The best time to pray is always now. It seems that I’ve become a mother, counselor, and confessor all in one place.
My dream is minister to those I meet, those I work with, and those I meet during my travels. I want to share the love of Jesus, letting them know he’s always with us. In everybody’s life, there are times when it feels as though all is lost. The living Word gives us HOPE.
I identify with the word Pastor the most, although my ministry tends to be more wandering than stationary. I travel extensively when the good Lord allows. The unique challenges in this area? We’re more or less rural, but becoming more citified every day. We have extensive substance abuse problems, the neglected children that are the unwilling victims of what that lifestyle entails.
My wonderful pastor is very supporting of me and always does his prayerful best to direct me in answers I seek. My family is also very supportive – as much as two teenage girls can be at those ages.
The reason the CLI scholarship is of the utmost importance to me is that when called to counsel, comfort or reassure, that through God, I can do so. Being a life-long learner, I pray to encourage others that they may too have God’s peace.
Bible Study Courses Online
Hello my name is Robert Crews. I am 39 years young, married to a wonderful woman, and a father of two daughters. I am a heavy lift operator for a container depot in Jacksonville Florida. I have gone to Church off and on since I was very young. I was 15 when I first really knew that I needed to be saved and had asked Jesus to come into my heart.
At that age, I was like most other teenagers around me, and I gave into the worldly things. From that point in my life till 2005; I was still all about me and only being with God, I would say maybe 10% of the time. In ’97 I got married to my high-school girlfriend, we had two beautiful daughters then divorced in 2002. I took it hard and fell into some very hard times. I went to jail for drugs; I was at an all time low. It wasn’t until then that I knew that I needed real change; change that only God could do to me. So in 2005 I asked God for forgiveness and have turned away from my old self and have turned to God. Now I am married to the best woman that God could have ever placed in my life.
Now that God has been chiseling on me for the past few years, I feel that He is telling me it is time to help others. I have been searching for different Bible Study Courses Online and courses on learning the Bible more fluently and things that will help me to be able to talk to others about God; then CLI popped up on my google search. I read the welcome page, and now here I am. Hungry to learn how to speak to others about God. I want to learn more about the Bible so that I can help people that are in the same place that I was. Also, I feel led to help the next generation, such as my daughters and others.
Being able to take these classes I feel will help me understand the Bible. It will also help me to be able to speak to others feeling confident in what I’m talking about. I have been asked about my faith and what the Bible says about this and that, and not knowing what to say or where to go I did not answer. This is how I know that God has intervened and led me to this institute so that I can learn more and be able to respond those questions asked.
Teach Children about God
Julie Renee’ Johnston, United States of America
I was born and raised in the United States of America where one might believe that ministry is easy and open. However, I have seen and heard so much negativity toward Christians and our beliefs among neighbors and even some claiming to be Christians. There are a lot of differences on who and what God is and if we need him. Responses to news headlines daily mock prayer and those who ask for us to pray for our leaders. While many have heard God’s word here, it does not penetrate their hearts.
I first came to know the Lord as a young child. My parents took my sister, and I took the Baptist Church each Sunday when we were very small. Then when we were old enough to decide if we wanted to go my mother would take us, or we would ride the church van to attend. Jesus moved my heart when I was seven years old. I accepted him as my Lord and Savior and was baptized.
Throughout my life, I have always had plenty of questions about Christianity, the Bible, and God. There have been those who were able to answer some of my questions and others that dismissed them. I have not always been confident about asking questions as I felt if might seem as if I were questioning God himself, rather than trying to learn and understand. Working with both toddlers and elementary age children in my church, I want to be able to answer their questions, guide them in the scripture to help them better understand God’s word and help them to develop their personal walk with God.
I want to be able to answer their questions, guide them in the scripture to help them better understand God’s word and help them to develop their personal walk with God.
Having been through my share of crises both worldly and spiritually, I believe that I could also help women who have struggled and strayed from God at times. To let them know that they are not alone and God does accept them back when they return to him. There were times that I felt very judged when I returned to God’s calling and already had one child and one on the way with my now husband. I want to help ensure that anyone God brings into our church or my life feels accepted and that they have a place and a person to confide in.
Small Group Leader would be a title I would identify with most since I teach children about God in small classes, and I am most comfortable in a small group or one-on-one with people. Large crowds have never been exciting for me. In fact, when doing various activities growing up, I was always so anxious about having people look at me, even if I wasn’t speaking. God has often tried to move me in these uncomfortable situations, but I never felt confident enough to answer. Having grown in experience and my personal walk with God, today I am more confident in my ability to stand and speak. Now, expanding my knowledge thanks to Christian Leaders Institute will help me be more confident in speaking confidently about God’s word.
While I have always been drawn to a calling in ministry, my heart was moved to fully pursue it after my children were born. I knew that aside from trying to raise my children with love for God and His word, I wanted to help other children to learn of God’s greatness and mercy. The innocence and inquisitiveness of children’s minds make teaching them about the gospel so wonderful and rewarding. I love to see as they ask questions and sing about God’s love for them.
There is a church on practically every street corner here and that allows people the opportunity to find the church that is best for them. Every denomination and non-denomination are represented throughout the region, and of course, each believes it is the best and only way to find Jesus Christ and Heaven. People have been known to scoff at others because they do not share their specific, individual belief system. When people should be rejoicing for one another in finding their path to accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they are judging because it was not done ‘their way’ and is, therefore, wrong. We should be able to gather together as Christians and children of God and share in the delight of His grace instead of trying to pit each denomination against the next in attempts to get all the non-believers in our camp. I have found that often people who have an interest in learning about Jesus Christ and God are turned off of the pursuit because the ‘Christians’ they encountered were so negative toward others.
My church has been so supportive of my ministry calling by not only giving me a place to pursue it but giving me resources to expand my knowledge and mentors to answer questions or simply encourage me when I am unsure of myself or my ability. Even though I came into the church apart from God’s commandments, they saw in me the opportunity to grow myself and my family in Christ and the ability for me to share him with others. My mentors had encouraged me to participate and volunteer when I thought to have two young kids would make it impossible. They have loved me and prayed for me, that I might grow in Christ and do his work.
My family has been so impactful in my ministry calling since I didn’t now answer God’s call until after my children were born. My husband had never been to church until he started attending with me, and I want to be a good example to him of what a good Christian should be. Helping him to find God in his life is another reason I wanted to pursue ministry. Simply exposing him to God’s word each Sunday and Wednesday, and praying for him daily, I hope that through my calling I can help him to answer God’s call in his life as I gain knowledge and grow in my faith and walk with God.
Being an oilfield dependent household has strained our family financially, and we currently are just trying to survive paycheck to paycheck. A scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute would allow me the opportunity to pursue my calling to ministry and gain the knowledge necessary to adequately share God’s word with others. Without CLI I would have to continue trying to discern God’s word through my endeavors and understanding. Something that is possible to do, but would take much longer and leaves room for more mistakes and misunderstanding. A scholarship allows me the opportunity to get the necessary training and knowledge to adequately teach and minister to those who are in need of God’s word, His mercy, and grace.
We all need prayer, and prayer for my ministry calling is needed to help me stay the right path, listen to God always, and answer His calls. Prayer for God’s mercy and grace to help light my path and keep it straight is needed as I continue this journey to my calling and preparing myself to be the light for others to find Jesus Christ. Though there will be struggles along the way, as every person must encounter to grow, pray that I will be steadfast in God’s word and trust in Him always to provide me all I need to minister to others and bring them to God’s word so that they too may trust in Him.