Katherine Adams –
“My name is Katherine Adams, and I currently live in The USA, in a small city known as Racine, Wisconsin. Pursuing ministry in this country is a gift, there are many opportunities to share God’s Word with the people who live here.
“I came to know the Lord through childhood friends of mine, who were kind enough to include me in worship services in middle school. I felt then that God had a plan for me, I wasn’t sure yet what it exactly was, but I knew there was a plan.
“After finding The Lord, I felt that He was leading me towards a women’s ministry. More importantly, to try and help use my knowledge of the Bible to help women in domestic violence shelters. Being an abuse survivor and having lost friends to domestic violence, I truly feel that this is how I can best serve God. To try to lead these women back to God, and help use His words to heal the wounds that they have been afflicted with means so much to me. I know that this is what I am supposed to do with my life, not only to share my own personal experiences, but to honor those that have been lost to this issue.
“In my are, there are several unique challenges, for one, Wisconsin has the highest drunk driving arrest rate in the country. Also, they are high on the list for domestic violence as well. I know that through God, I can make a difference here. If I can become a Pastor, I feel that I can change lives, and lead people back to Christ.
“My local church has been so supportive of my decision to return to school, and I want to thank them so much for being an additional blessing on my life. They have been there through thick and thin and have never faltered on their love of Christ and for the people who attend the church. My family has also been very supportive in my life and always have been.”
Katherine Adams Receives a Scholarship
“A scholarship is so important to my dream of becoming a pastor, because without it, I won’t be able to attend school for a long time, if ever. I know that no matter what, God will always be with me and will always have my life in his hands, and if this is in his will, then it will happen. I hope that you can pray for me in my ministry so that I can be blessed enough to help lead others back to Christ and help people as much as I can.”
Katherine Adams has been through a lot in her life. In a state where alcoholism and spousal abuse are among the highest in the country, Katherine Adams looks to reach out to the victims of domestic violence. Instead of letting her own history of being abused rule her, Katherine Adams, in the power of God, will use her story to help other victims of domestic abuse find their way out of the suffering that it brings and into the love of God. Katherine Adams seeks a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute so that she can be equipped with a fuller knowledge of the word of God as she moves forward to do the work God has called her to.
[wp_dp ar=cli_mission_donor subint=both]
Valerie White-Bynumm –
“I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to first thank you for taking the time out of your schedules to read my letter and to consider making a donation to CLI. Your donations will benefit people like me who have a calling on their lives and a hunger to grow stronger in the Lord but lack the finances that are incurred.
“I live in the United States of America. I have lived in Baltimore City, Maryland for most of my life. My parents were humble hard working people, as am I. I come from of family of nine, and I myself have seven wonderful children. My parents were not regular church goers, but they always sent my siblings and I to Sunday school. My mother often recited the 23rd Psalm with me, and my father often talked about how his parents made him sit through two services each Sunday. He would use Sunday as a rest day .
“There is no great tragedy or particular moment in my life when I suddenly believed that Jesus died for my sins on the cross. I feel as if , for as long as I can remember ; I have always prayed to God , in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. I publicly accepted Christ as my Savior and repented from my sins when I was 14 years old. I spent a great deal of time going to Church with my best friend and her family. I learned how to pray and how to repent for my sins, but I didn’t understand what it meant to have a personal relationship with God. I have called myself, testing God or bargaining with God. But I know who God is, and I want him to use me a living testimony as to his grace and his glory. I live for Jesus, and I want others to know how they can share in this joy and peace that I have found.
“I live in the inner city where drug and alcohol abuse are steadily increasing. The crime rate and the unemployment rates are high. The people have a great need for the word to meet them where they are, because there are churches on every other corner yet so many are not compelled to go into them.”
Valerie White-Bynumm Receives a Scholarship
“Jesus delivered me, and I know that if he did it for me, he can do it for others also. I am called to the ministry of evangelism. I am encouraged by my Pastor and my family to continue on in my ministry. I want to learn more about the Bible to become more effective in my deliverance of the word.
“It is my dream to someday co-pastor a church with my husband; but for now I believe that I am right where God wants me to be and I feel a great need to continue on this path of evangelism and to further my christian education.”
Valerie White-Bynumm lives in the inner city where crime, drugs, and alcoholism are already high and continuing to grow. In this dangerous setting, Valerie White-Bynumm is aware that only the power of God brought her through life without allowing her to become entangled in these things. Valerie White-Bynumm knows that God’s power can also bring others in this setting out of their dangerous paths and to the peace of knowing God. This is why Valerie White-Bynumm is seeking a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute, so that she can bring the much needed love and power of God to people who desperately need His hand on their lives.
[wp_dp ar=cli_mission_donor subint=both]
Preaching Class- I am so thrilled to read the course reflections written by students at the CLI “Sermon and Construction Class.” Can a preaching class online actually work? At CLI, we feature proven methods taught in seminaries and Bible Schools. But we are different from a typical preaching class in that CLI links to teachers from all over the Christian World. I am going to share with you one of the reflections from student. Enjoy.
Preaching Class -Sermon Construction and Presentation Summary By: Isaac Brooks 
As I begun this preaching class on sermon construction and presentation, I was plague with traditional habits and superficial understanding of how preaching or teaching is suppose to be done. The art of entertainment was widely displayed as pictorial evidence for what upcoming minister and leaders were to do. I look for a preacher who is funny and entertaining and likeable, without asking whether he’s preaching the Bible and not just his own understanding of the bible. I’ve join a church because I felt the style of music was good without caring how accurately its doctrines reflect the truth of the Bible. I didn’t know what to expect, believe it or not believe. This hindered my growth in the ministry until I was posed with the opposition of “Is that all”. Now that I have been seeking more understanding and authority, I’ve learned to bypass the habitual avenues of lack.
Preaching Class – A New Understanding
Sermon construction and presentation has helped me develop a new understanding of how to create an effective sermon with various point of views. This preaching class gave me introduction to the tools, structures, and concepts helped me learn the foundational of putting a sermon together. The methods of this course have helped me develop the tools needed for future sermons. Integrating the information presented in the lectures has helped me see beyond the word printed in the scripture. The focus of read and defining has exploded in my system.
A few examples are:
The introductory by Dr. John Piper on expository preaching; “True preaching expounds biblical truth with your heart afire for God” awaking the desires I was seeking in God! This isn’t something you just read and say, “I interested in this”. This says; I’m excited about what I learning and teaching.
Writing for attention by Karen Friedman, gives you a pictorial for what you are teaching by point out article notation in a news paper. The bold writing attracts your attention. Memorizing that one point helps with constructing your topic or at least identifying a topic reference.
Preaching Class – Types of Sermons
Understanding the different types of sermons helped me understand what was displayed all these years of attending a church. Expository, textual, and topical sermons are all excellent ways to deliver the Word of God to the congregation but understanding my style of delivery has helped me understand how to present with more confidence and technique. I have a textural delivery and study pattern with expository reference. This may sound weird but I have looked at my previous teaching and notice take I incorporate both type of preaching styles in the teaching lessons. What I’m saying is, what I have learned from this course is how to summarize my teaching style.
This preaching class has re-energized that main principle I learned when I first understood God! That principle has helped me through tough and rough times, trails and tribulation, tragedies and suffering. This principle has giving me joy, peace, love, understanding, favor, and prosperity. What I am referring to is the walk with God! That Principle! There is a different in learning what God wants, and walking with God. God doesn’t ask for you to understand His every move, His ways, His thoughts, His pattern or His vision. Him wants is to follow His path and all thing shall be added to me according to His riches and my faith. I believe that this class has ignited that passion and desire back in me to run on and see what the end is going to be. I’m not afraid of my surrounding chatter or my critics’ opposition. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me. I have allowed Him to come into my life and control what He has already ordained! I know that if I did this in my own will, I would mess it.
Studying for and putting together the content of an effective sermon by Henry Reyenga, has put a lot of thing in perspective. In reference: How he identifies what to study (Christianity) and what does the first hearer hears. A very true and direct point made in this study is what does it means to you. If you don’t believe what you are teaching; how do you expect other believers or none believers to believe in what you are teaching. I’ve learned to live what I’m learned and learn from what I live. Developing creativity in your sermon is also part of inspiring the congregation to want more than a Sunday morning God! This part of the Bible school study has inspired me to look at the Word of God differently. Everyone can’t see what I see. This study also incorporates an in-depth description on how each part of your study effects how the congregation receives the message.
Write your first sermon by Henry Reyenga. This was one of the most challenging parts of the whole preaching class. The first sermon was un-orchestrated for me because I wasn’t sure how to start. Reading over all the material from previous weeks and studying many online sermon constructions, I just couldn’t focus on how to present what was in my heart, and display it onto paper. I learned that if it’s easy, it’s may not be worth it, so I started taken note and comparing them with the word of God. (What a relieve it was) This part showed me to not believe in what I know, but to follow and reference God for all your understanding. Studying gave me insight but God gave me revelation.
Preaching Class – Mastering Preaching
The next six to eight weeks were part of mastering my understanding to sermon constructing. In reference: Effective Introductions, Effective Body Language, The Body of the Sermon, The Conclusion of a Sermon, and Choosing Topics and Using Technology in Preaching. These weeks of this preaching class has helped transformed my understanding and mindset.
I have to point out one article by H.B. Charles Jr. My Two Cents on Pulpit Plagiarism was the most eye opening topic of the whole lesson. He spoke of how we are learning the same context but describing it in the revelation God gives to us. H.B. Charles quote “Indeed, it was the same text. And it was essentially the same message. We both preached the same doctrinal theme from the text. We organized the messages differently. We labeled the messages differently…….” “All faithful preachers deliver an unoriginal, “stolen” message – the Word of God”. Now, this helps me understand how not to used plagiarism in a message or sermon but to formulate my sermon and let God deliver the message. It make come close to what another preacher or teacher is presenting, but if were doing God’s will, He knows what his people needs. We are willing vessels for God’s will, walk in faith. A great eye opener! God is always in the mist!
Thank you for this preaching class!
Check out other Bible School Preaching Blog Articles.