Free Pastor Training – Christian Leaders Institute is seeking to deliver high quality online minister training. For those who finish the free getting started class and are accepted into CLI, you will receive Bible School or Seminary style ministry training, but this training will be delivered online. CLI offers over 20 advanced Bible College courses. One of the courses is “Church and Ministry” Many issues of the day to day work of a pastor are addressed in this minister training course.
We ask students to write a final reflection paper in this Church and Ministry course. See how free pastor training is reflected upon by this Henry Long of Nigeria. 
Henry Long Writes:
“First and foremost, I must thank God for bringing me in contact with CLI. The day I enrolled with CLI marked the beginning of something glorious and beautiful in my life and ministry.
During the course of this free minister training, I have learned so many things and will just briefly highlight some of them:
How to effectively run a small group of volunteers. How to determine the agenda of the group and how the needs of the members of the group can be met.
How to handle grief. This was evident when a particular friend of mine was overwhelmed and she broke down in tears. Before CLI, I would have started saying words like “Don’t cry”, “Don’t shed tears”, but learning the stages of grief and how hot handle the grieving, I was able to handle the friend and at the end of her grieving period, she came to say thank you to me for the way I handle the period.
I learnt that a great leader must always train a successor so the ministry won’t die when the founder goes to the world beyond.
Also, I have realized that the most treasured gift we can ever have as a leader or pastor is the relationship that comes our way every moment, because the way we treat people is a sermon on its own.
One area that I really have great interest in is evangelism. I have personally come to understand that evangelism plays a key part in the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. I love Lee Strobel’s video on the different styles of sharing the gospel. To help me in sharing the gospel the more, I started daily blackberry devotionals that I share with all my contacts and I can say that the Almighty God has been touching souls via that medium.
My understanding of hospitality improved when I went through the Hospitality class session. I now understand that the Jesus some people will only see is the Jesus we show them through the way we treat other people.
On a final note, I feel really satisfied and glad to have enrolled with CLI to receive this free minister training. I can really say that once I thought I knew, but with CLI, I now know better.”
Free minister Training – Opportunity to Sign up Now, Click Here
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Ford Johnson –
“I live in Nigeria and doing ministry here is highly competitive especially for starters like us who may not have the fund to start. Nigeria as a country varies in different States and the State where I reside which is Calabar in Cross River State has the highest cost of living and as such it makes it cost expensive for upcoming Ministers like us.
“I had just returned from Libreville and resumed school in Umuahia Abia State Nigeria at Holy Ghost Secondary School. On the 25th of November 1994, I had been longing for something which I personally did not really know, but the only word which I can use to describe it was a vast void. As I walked into the hall of Scripture Union School Fellowship Nigeria that afternoon, I was amazed to see a boy of about my age preaching the gospel and for sure that was my first time of ever seeing that. Within moment I was convicted and I gave my life to Jesus Christ at the age of 14, then I was in my JSS class.
“My ministry dream is to build a Christian center that will center on prayer and the word. It will be like a fellowship center for all churches and all believers. Our meetings will be held during the week and not on a Sunday morning but once a week and a monthly interdenominational outreach program. It will also have an outreach that will major on Evangelism and crusades for rural areas. We will also partner with NGO’s for rural development. However our Vision is to see the body of Christ come to the knowledge that we are one body.”
Ford Johnson Receives a Scholarship
“It will give me a legitimate platform as a minister of the Gospel. And this is what I have longed for, for over ten years. Having the call of God in my life is not enough, but it is important that I undergo training that will enlighten me in discipline, improve my language skills, and give me the ministerial exposure and training I need for proper scriptural exposition. Truthfully, it will set me up and make me ready to serve God and humanity.
“I would like you to pray for me in three things: For God to give me the financial support I need to start, for God to give me the right boldness to preach the end time massages He wants me to preach, and that I will be duly empowered by Him.”
Ford Johnson has desired to follow the call of God to ministry for several years, but has not had the means to do so. Because of various factors in the area where Ford Johnson resides, it is difficult for a new pastor to enter the ministry scene. However, Ford Johnson has not given up his dream of ministry because of this. Ford Johnson knows that God has called him to the ministry field and that he cannot give up that calling. In searching for a means to pursue the calling, Ford Johnson came to Christian Leaders Institute, where a scholarship will give him the training he needs at no cost to him.
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Online Preaching Class – At Christian Leaders Institute, Students evaluate the online preaching class and share their reflections. In this class, students survey teachings from some of the great preachers in our era. I thought I would share one reflection with you tonight.
By: Justin Maier
HOW SERMON CONSTRUCTION HAS HELPED ME IN MY PREACHING
Sermon Construction and Presentation was a great online preaching class for me. I have learned a lot from it. It is now helping me in my ministration as a Sunday school teacher in my church, Personal preaching to people and Christian discussion with people to help their faith.
The Following are the things I learned in the online preaching class.
Online Preaching Class: FIRST WEEK LEARNINGS AND ACTION STEP
I learned here what preaching/sermon are and the different types of sermon that we have.
What is a Sermon: It is declaring the unchanging truth of God’s word in a fresh, new, and life-changing way.I Learned that My Sermon Must engage the biblical context, proclaims the gospel, Connects God’s word to the life my audience, Be well organized and Easy to understand, Engage the imagination of my audience, Delivered effectively and orients my audience towards life in God’s word. This online preaching class was very helpful!
I learned Different types of Sermon: Of all the various types of Sermon, i found expository better as it helps into expanding what the Word of God is to the hearer compare to others like Personal Testimony, Bibliography, historical incident, topical, textual, springboard etc.
Online Preaching Class: SECOND WEEK LEARNINGS AND ACTION STEP
I learned how to begin a sermon. In beginning a sermon, I must do the Following
- I must put God First and allow Him to guide me in the messages to preach so as to come out with a message From Him to my audience. I must pray before and throughout my sermon.
- I must pray my way through sermon preparation because I need guidance in what to say and how to say it to my audience
- Preach to the need of my audience
- Know the occasion. Is it birthday, Sunday service, funeral, revival, bible study service
- I must research
- Know where I am preaching.
- Gather sermon materials, select bible scripture
This online preaching class taught me that my sermon must have 3 things which are: The seed-the seed of the sermon is the word of God) ,The Soil-The soil of the sermon is the People Hearing the Word, and The Spirit-The Success of the Sermon is the Holy Spirit.
Online Preaching Class: THIRD WEEK LEARNINGS AND ACTION STEP
I learned studying and putting together of my sermon.The study for My sermon must have the following 5 things: The study of the culture of Christianity, The study of what it means to the first hearer, The study of what it means to me, The study of what the word means to others, The study of what the word means to me.
Online Preaching Class: FORTH AND FIFTH WEEK LEARNINGS AND ACTION STEP
I learned how important my introduction must be.
I have just 90 Seconds to convince my audience. During my introduction I must reveal the problem to them. Make them understand the importance of my message and why they really need it in their lives. I learning that I must use the 7 Gears in my Introduction which are:
- Opening Illustration(starting in their world)
- Personal Connection(Connect With them, preparing them ready)
- Reveal the Problem, the fallen condition Focus(FCF) that only Christ can Solved
- Scripture/Passage Connections. explain how the passage is God’s Word to them
- Series Connection: explain How this Message will fit into their lives and their needs
- Proposition; Providing Answers to the Problem
- Interrogative Questions: How to apply them to their lives
Online Preaching Class: SIXTH WEEK LEARNINGS AND ACTION STEP
I learned how to prepare the body of my sermon and the body language to use. I did not expect this from an online preaching class!
In writing my Sermon body I must
- Start with a sermon skeleton :I will begin by determining the title, theme, central idea, outline, and other elements that make up the framework of the message
- Put the Meat into the bones i.e. Provides Write up for my Outline
- Write for the Ear. What am writing must first make sense to me before my audience. As I am writing, I must think about those who will listen to what I am saying, not those who may read what I am writing
- Make it simple, clear to understand and properly edited.
- Put in Proper usage of my body language .e.g. Hands, Voice, feet, body etc
- I must watch out for pulpit plagiarism
Online Preaching Class: SEVENTH WEEK LEARNINGS AND ACTION STEP
I learned how to explain/illustrate my sermons. Here I learn that that my sermon must be/Have:
- Concrete: I must not be abstract in my word/illustration
- Connotation: I must start with the head to get to their heart and mind
- Conflict: I Must explain the Problem to my audience
- Conclusion: I Must Provide the Solution to that problem
- Connection: My Illustration must link to my sermon/Message
- Christ: My Illustration/Message must @ all or any time Point my audience to Christ.
Online Preaching Class: EIGHTH AND NINTH WEEK LEARNINGS AND ACTION STEPs
Here I learned about my Conclusion when writing or developing a sermon. The Following are my learning.
- I must have the sermon conclusion with my introduction in mind
- I Must end sermon with the beginning turned around i.e. I will adds a very simple twist .
- I must build a burning consideration within my audience or congregation. When am ending my sermon, I must end it in a way that it lives on throughout the week. This can be done through prayer and proper choice of Word. It’s the Holy Spirit that convicts; He will help when I call on Him.
- My Sermon must point people back to Christ and I must offer an opportunity to receive Christ and expect people to respond.
- My sermon must have an argument in it so as to anticipate the objections the audience might have and logically refute them.
- My Sermon must have warning in it so as to warn them of the consequences of disobedience.
- My Sermon must have compassion in it so as to express God’s love and concern for my audience.
- My Sermon must have vision. I must be able to Paint a picture of what is possible if they obey God
- My Sermon must have encouragement. This will tell them they can do this with God’s power.
- My Sermon must be personal so that the person listening will feel like I am talking to him or her.
- In My Sermon I must Use a compelling illustration so as to helps make the message memorable.
- My Sermon must have piercing question. This engages in processing and applying the message.
This was an amazing online preaching class for me. I highly recommend this online preaching class for those who are interesting in serving in ministry.
Check out this great resource for sermons, click here