David Drew enrolled at Christian Leaders Institute to pursue his dream of youth ministry as well as ministry counseling! Here is Drew’s Story…
Fulfilling Ministry Counseling Calling
I am a man who did not grow up in a church. I heard about a church as a religious notion people did out of obligation or to feel great about themselves. I was never introduced to the Christian faith about a relationship with the One living God. As an infant, my parents nearly lost me because my physical body rejected nourishment. After some experiments, my health was sustained. Suffered from a broken arm at the age of 5 by an abusive parent. At the age of 10 I was always considered a peacemaker, one who stopped fights in school but would get in to trouble because the school principal suggested that it be left up to the staff to handle the matters. After following that directive, two of my friends lost their lives in a severe fight because the faculty refused to acknowledge until police were involved. Before knowing what it meant to love my enemies, I condemned the principal and said that this was because you refused to allow me to be a peacemaker.
Years later, and in my high school days I went to a youth function based event that was at a church I knew little to nothing about. I will be honest I went because a lovely young lady asked me if I would go. I went for the wrong reasons, but God got a hold of me there after a few weeks of keeping myself guarded behind walls, lets just say the walls of Jericho fell tremendously. It was no easy life there after. I profess the faith of Christ I become ridiculed, I read my Bible the schools say I need a scholastic book for a mandatory reading time. I listen to praise and worship, and others would make fun of what I listened to beyond the valley of bullying. But I held my head up high. Through the younger years of trouble, I was mentally, physically and emotionally subjected by forceful submission to resist doing anything church related and nearly to the effect of praying over meals were regarded as taboo. I have always lived in America mind you, but this society has always about prove your worth before you can receive the respect of value for your existence. That’s something that should be taught in school, that we are more than what someone sees on the outside. From the experiences of a youth and teenager, and the years of military experience and even unto college the tests, the heartaches, trials I expect them to come but each time they come with greater intensity, but I know now what Ephesians means to wear the full armor of God and also to take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.
I have been scoffed at by scholars, have been judged by believers and non-believers for waiting patiently for God to direct my steps, the worlds sees it as laziness or wasting my life while I work full time. I sacrificed my jobs to show love towards others, but the world saw it as an excuse even though I knew the Spirit led me to make the right choice. Love God and Love others. I know that if people of my own family didn’t understand what love from the Creator and to express towards others meant they would only see me as the shell, not the clay-jar that hold’s a place inside for the dwelling of the Spirit of the Living God.
Due to the journey I have walked and fear that crept up after every time I showed love, an affliction or circumstance came up I thought God was punishing me for something for standing up for my faith in Christ and being an imitator of Christ, that I was one of those less that adequate persons to be loved by God because of everything I kept encountering, that I stopped pursuing ministry and began pleasing people by hard work, practical living and I had put God as a back burner instead of my Front-Man to lean on, guide with, and be directed by, because it appeared as though the God I knew and served left me abandon more times that I could count, but then I recalled His word saying that He is closest to the brokenhearted, which brought my heart to repentance of thoughts and behaviors and realized to be a leader among many, I would need to be taught how to lead a few, I have never truly shared my full testimony of my Story, but many afflictions I have endured I believe were training experiences for righteous serving and I am now taking that step of faith into the calling of ministry into youth and mentorship as well as youth Christian counseling. I know that I have put off the call for way too long, but also His Word says “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army that I sent among you.”… Joel 2:25 KJV. The Lord sends His army angels to encamp around the righteous and it is by His great grace and through Christ’s righteousness that I am made righteous to serve as He came to serve and to be grounded in His Word as well as to equip disciples to understand the world can be harmful and cruel but we have the God of all things that loves us and protects us because we believe, receive, accept, confess and trust in Christ with everything the finished work He fulfilled on the cross for us, we can live in the grace of God as a gift given unto us that we could not earn.
I am here today to be of further use for God’s purpose and plan-driven for my life and the lives He desires me to interact with by bringing to them the Good News and How much it means to hold fast to your faith in Jesus Christ concerning all things. I would say one of the most challenging aspects would be reaching the young generation that is so fast paced and technology dependent that quiet time and a moment of reflectiveness can be very hard for a new believer. With new and young believers the walk in faith of our Lord Jesus Christ can be confusing and harsh but placing positive role models in their lives that believe likeminded and are grounded in the Word of God its exactly where I believe with confirmation of the Holy Spirit and through other people stating you would make a fine youth minister with proper training. This was over seven years ago, but now after a year of constant prayer and fasting every other week for six months its become clear that this is where God is directing me. My local church Senior Pastor has been very encouraging and has also been diligently praying as 1 Thessalonian 5:17 we both have been praying in Spiritual Tongues continually and then it occurred about school and not having resources for funds, I prayed Father God please provide funding for my biblical ministry leadership training. I know we are not necessary to be scholars to spread the Gospel, but I pray that you would open doors where the doors have been locked in front of me and then I came to CLI. Scholarship to CLI is necessary as I stated I don’t have financial resources for the education in biblical ministry and applications of principles taught, but I am certain as God empowers me to be fruitful the time and energy and resources I know that sowing into this scholarship will return great work for the Kingdom of God. Prayer for me would be that my mind would always be focused on God, that the Spirit would always keep me sensitive to His voice and the anointing of leadership and revelation will be upon me as I journey through this avenue God is preparing for me to be able to serve better Him by serving others.
Hendrik Nel could not afford a traditional seminary education, but with Christian Leaders Institute he can now take free online ministry courses, and fulfill his calling in ministry!
Free Online Ministry Courses Help CLI Student Achieve His Calling
You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. (John 8:32)
My name is Hendrik Nel and I live near Johannesburg, South Africa. We are a country steeped in spirituality. Although this includes all kinds of beliefs it most sincerely also include Faith in Christ. For over 300 years Christ has been preached in the streets and in all kinds of houses. He has set all kinds of people free and His message still remains the biggest in the country.At the age of 8 I was in a Sunday school meeting and accepted what the lady teaching us, said. She spoke about Jesus in a way that I completely understood and accepted. There was power in her words as, I now believe, the Holy Spirit gave her ability. I remember the moment I received Jesus as my Saviour well. For days afterward I wanted only to draw pictures of Him as I felt my heart completely filled with His love.
My dream for the future is to take this Truth, this Love, this Reality I found in Jesus to whoever is out there, but especially to those who know about Him. Those who are caught up in places that give God lip-service only, but never really open their heart to Him. Kind of like the old song says: “I love to tell the Story to those who know it best, seem hungering and thrusting to hear it like the rest…”
I have been an assistant pastor for 8 years up until recently when I had to quit for various reasons. I definitely would like to be a Pastor again as this is where, I believe, God has given me anointing. In order to reach and teach those who “know” about Him, I need to be a recognised pastor to minister effectively into their lives. This is where I want to thank CLI for what they are doing in qualifying workers for the Kingdom!
On the 10th of October 1986 I was filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. This single event placed God’s desires in my heart. Over the years following, up to now, God has been busy fulfilling each of these desires, one by one. The next step, I believe, is for me to stand in the position of pastor in the area God has already prepared for me.
There are some unique challenges in my geographic area that will need to be addressed. The area is huge and has a lot of farms. The towns are well populated with mainly middle and low income groups. Out on the farms the population is obviously less concentrated, but still reachable. Luckily people living around here are used to travelling, so where-ever God stations us will be accessible to most living in the area.
I am thankful to the church I was associated with for the teaching they gave into my life. There I also learned how to do church administration, help people, run church services and all aspects of ministry. The church we currently visit, as members only, is also teaching me great aspects of the love of God. This, I believe, is the greatest teaching I need to reproduce in people outside the church.
My grandfather, on my mother’s side, was a pastor. My mother and father were saved as well as my siblings. I grew up in a Christian home where we loved God. I am immensely thankful to God for the blessings of these, my forefathers, that He has graciously also granted me.
As I stated above, I need to study to be approved by the people God is sending me to. Without a formal education, which I cannot afford, people will not hear me and the message of Love and Grace God has given me. I have noted how people will not regard our words today, even if they are God-ordered, if we do not have an education behind our name. A study bursary of CLI will take away this problem!
May I ask you as the leadership at CLI to please pray for me so that God’s will shall be done. May He open the doors He planned to be opened and may all other doors remain closed. Also ask that He will be glorified with all I endeavour to do.
I thank you and bless you in the Name above all names – Jesus, the Saviour.
Princy has deepened her understanding of Scripture and the Bible by enrolling at Christian Leaders Institute and enhancing her connection to the Bible and God.
Gaining Ground In Scripture – CLI Free Ministry Training Enhances Understanding
2 Corinthians 5:7
For we live by faith, not by sight.
Praise God!
Hello everyone! I am Princy from New Delhi, India. My parents work as Chartered Accountants. I have two siblings an elder sister and an elder brother. Since the very beginning of my beautiful christian life i had been in sink with the Lord. My church has contributed a lot in the upbringing of my spiritual life. I would rather say the Christ life. I went to a convent school and all the years of my life were filled with the Holy Trinity guiding me to the light. I remember how i used to mug up the Our Father but i realized the true meaning of the Lord’s prayer when i started gaining sense of prayer and the presence of Jesus when i started attending the prayer group meeting of my church.
I started attending the prayer group meetings regularly and this is when my faith became stronger and the spirit touched me in a way I had never felt before. I started realising the importance of each single word the Lord was trying to tell me.
At a point i actually realised that “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” actually meant a lot. I started forgiving people who did wrong to me. This beautiful journey became a blessing when I was chosen by the Lord as the Coordinator of my prayer group. We are called “The Arrows Of Jesus Christ.”
I always had a dream to make my prayer group expand and make Christianity spread across the entire world. This is when i decided that to do that I myself should be thoroughly equipped with the blessings and love of God. I came across CLI and it changed it all.Faith grew from seeds of doubt, and I came upon a whole new world that, for the first time, actually made sense to me. To this day, I do not find faith stifling or constricting. Rather, faith has been liberating and transformative for me. It has opened a constellation of meaning, beauty, hope, and life. I went through the basic class and it made me stronger and stronger.
I just want all of you to pray that may I be able to be as humble and as close to Jesus as possible. May all of us be the replica of our Lord.
No one ever could die for us or send his only soon to give his life for us. Our Lord is the mighty one. May we all have the courage to be his prayer warriors and spread across this mission in the World.Jesus Loves Us All!