The Bible school class Missions and Revivals gave Lee-ann Koster a new drive for the spirit of God. The impact of this class, offered at the Christian Leaders Institute Bible school, is clear in her reflection paper. She writes, “The people I read about were normal people there was nothing special about them, but God chose them to spread His word and by His way they did.” She then continues to say, “I always knew that there were people you spread the word of God, but I never took the time to read their story, I never knew how they suffered and that made me cry and lit my fire that God has given me even more, why should I be quite about His wonderful grace? Those people were just like me, they did it, they believed it, they spread it, they died for it, am I willing to do the same? My answer, Yes! I am willing to do it, I am able to do it, it amazes me what God can do, what we can do in His name.” God has used her experience at this Bible school to ignite her passion for the spreading of His word.
Bible School Certificates
Lee-ann started her Bible school experience with an orientation class called “Getting Started: Christian Basics Certificate.” In this class, students are introduced to the Bible school structure and community used by Christian Leaders Institute, and they obtain their first certificate from the Bible school. The “Christian Basics” certificate offers each student who successfully completes it the opportunity to gain a scholarship to continue their Bible school education free of charge. It also asks the students to introduce themselves – their Christian walk and ministry dreams – to the faculty. Lee-ann describes her ministry dream this way: “My ministry dream would be to lead people to God, and to teach them of His grace, His forgiveness and His love.” This ministry dream to share God’s love has led her to seek a Bible school that will afford her the opportunity to study His word more deeply. It is through this that she found Christian Leaders Institute.
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Fleashia Ford is currently enrolled in several Bible school classes at Christian Leaders Institute. She has also completed some classes, and many of these classes ask the students to share what they have learned. In her reflection paper on Church and Ministry, Fleashia says “I will forever utilize what I learned about evangelism in this course. I’ve come to know and believe that sharing the Word of God is what ministry is all about. Teaching and sharing with people what Jesus has commanded. In order to do this you have got to know the Word for yourself and this comes through study, prayer and meditation.” She later says, “Finally I thank you for touching on hospitality. In our African American Culture it is more common for members to be hospitable toward the Pastor and family. But we too have to hospitable and approachable to people. ” These are two areas of this Bible school course that will have a lasting impact on her ministry.
While our Bible school brings the information to students, it is the Holy Spirit that teaches them what they need to learn for their ministry. One thing that the Holy Spirit wanted Fleashia to discover in Pastoral Care and Marriage was the importance of conflict. She writes, “Conflict can turn into a wild fire and destroy lives, witness and testimonies. The bible says that the tongue can do a lot of damage and cause a lot of destruction. We have wild fires here in Oklahoma , especially in these times of drought. If a wild fire is not dealt with property, live stock and lives can be lost. Well this applies to the spiritual realm as well. Every wild presents opportunities for ministry and conflict resolution. How you deal with the conflict directly determines the outcome. If you don’t deal with the wildfire in the right way you can cause even more problems. But if you deal with the conflict God’s way you can bring peace and blessings instead of further destruction. That is why it’s important to keep a close walk with God in His word and in prayer.”
Online Bible School Certificates
To enroll in the Bible school classes on which Fleashia is reflecting, she first had to obtain the CLI Christian Basics Certificate. This orientation to the Christian Leaders Institute online Bible school structure also asks students to talk a little about themselves and their ministry dreams. In her introductory letter, Fleashia “My dream is to continue with the great commission of Jesus, preach the word in season and out, and help my Husband who is a pastor to win lost souls.” It is this dream that caused her to pursue Bible school. Her pursuit of a quality Bible School led her to Christian Leaders Institute, which provides a quality Bible school experience without expense to the student.
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At a Bible school like Christian Leaders Institute, it is important to see the impact of courses offered on the students. For this reason, many of the classes have a final reflection paper where students reflect about what the class has taught them and what they consider important. Jeff Ulrich – a Bible school student who lives in America – reflected on the impact of the class “Church and Ministry.”
One recurring theme in his reflection on the experience with this Bible school class is confidence. As Jeff talks about the funeral portion of the course, he says, “The funeral service prep and how to write a funeral service was very informative. It makes me feel a lot more confident on doing funerals.” Later, when reflecting on the portion of this course dealing with marriage, he says, “I don’t know how many weddings I have attended but didn’t really know how to create a service. This was invaluable information. I feel very confident in being able to perform a wedding now.” Both of these statements are coming from a man who has been doing ministry in America for 25 years. The quality of CLI’s Bible school curriculum can be seen in this testimony.
Bible School Certificates
Jeff Ulrich began his journey at Christian Leaders Institute like any other student, by obtaining the “Christian Basics Certificate.” The Christian Basics Certificate is earned through completion of the Getting Started course. This course serves as a student orientation to this Bible School structure and community. In this class, students are asked to write a few paragraphs about their Christian journey and how it led them to this Bible school. In his testimony, Jeff shares his vision for a community driven church.
“My dream for ministry is to start a church that has a strong community base with a message of grace but not lacking in preaching and following the truth. When I look at the book of Acts I see how close they were as a community. I feel like that is really lacking today. People are starving for human interaction. It also has to be based on prayer and the Holy Spirit. When I look at a lot of churches today I don’t see the Holy Spirit working in a dramatic way like he did in the book of Acts. That power is alive and well today if we have the passion and desire to listen and obey His voice.”
What drove Jeff Ulrich to the Christian Leaders Institute Bible school model was a powerful dream for churches in America. He recognizes that the power of the Holy Spirit is central to anything in the building of the church, but He also knows that a great Christian community is just as key to bringing the kingdom of God in America today back to the biblical model. His pursuit of the ministry has brought him to the online Bible school, where he can be equipped with the knowledge to further his ministry.
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