Adam Larsen –
“My name is Adam Larsen. I am 33 years old. I am from the United States. I am thankful that doing ministry in the U.S. is free from a lot of challenges that other countries face. However I believe the Church in the U.S. faces many of it’s own challenges. I have been doing Youth Ministry the last few years and one thing I an consistantly seeing is a lack of the word in peoples lives. Even the ones that are professing Christians are lacking a true understanding of the Bible. This is one of the main reasons I felt called to enroll in this schooling. I want to make sure I have a true understanding of God’s Word and I want to be able to communicated it in an effective way.
“I came to the Lord about 13 years ago. I was not raised Christian and I was introduced to Church by my wife’s family. I read a wonderful book by Stu Weber called Tender Warrior and for the first time my faith became real. I accepted the Lord and began my walk. The Lord has done such an amazing work in my life and in my family.
“My ministry dream that has been placed on my heart is to be a Pastor or Church Planter. I had never had this desire until the last few years then the good Lord started moving dramatically in my life. Since then my family and I have been serving the Lord every way we can. We were the Jr. High Youth Leaders for the past 2 years at our Church and we are now the Young Adult Leaders (ages 18-30). I am not sure what the Lord has in store for us in the long run. I really feel he’s training me to be a Pastor at some point. My wife and I have also been talking about planting Churches after I retire. We are especially interested in Haiti but we’re open to wherever the Lord wants us.
“Our geographic area leads to many challenges. We live in California which is filled with many false teachings and false beliefs. We are consistently combating evolution, abortion, new age beliefs, gnostic beliefs, and many more. It reminds me of how Paul describes Corinth in a lot of ways.
“We have 4 children 3 boys and 1 girl. They are our 1st ministry. We try to involve them as much as possible in anything we do with our ministry or Church. I try to keep them involved with our Faith Family as much as possible. If we were to ever move to become missionaries or Church planters it would drastically effect their lives. I trust the Lord with this.”
Adam Larsen Receives a Scholarship
“This scholarship at CLI is very important because it will provide me with the knowledge and training I need to serve the Lord wherever he puts my family and I. This would also help in a great way because I won’t have the huge debt of a regular college. With 4 kids there isn’t a lot of extra funds.
“Please pray for God to lead and guide my Family and I and for us to be open to his direction, for my kids to never feel replaced by ministry, and that all this is done for his glory!”
Adam Larsen is called to ministry in the United States, where there is no official governmental opposition. However, Adam Larsen recognizes other barriers that exist even within the Christian culture. Teachings that are contrary to God’s revealed Word abound, and Adam Larsen desires to be on the front lines in combating these. To better equip himself, Adam Larsen is seeking a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute.
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Lashell Jones –
“My name is Lashell Jones. Im 30 years of age and I love serving the Lord. I currently reside in the United States in Herndon, VA with my husband. I attend Tenth Street Baptist Church and came to know the Lord at the tender age of seven. My mother raised me and my siblings in the church since we were babies. I accepted Christ as my Savior then was baptized and been serving the Lord since. Although I was raised in church I neglected to serve or follow Christ once I graduated high school and left home for college. I went out with the wrong crowds doing drugs and drinking alcohol forgetting all the morals my parents instilled in me growing up. After graduating from college I exhausted my time working and living on my own. It wasn’t until I met my husband who came to know the Lord that I decided to come back to Jesus. After witnessing the power of prayer that saved my husband life it opened my eyes back to the Lord and his greatness. Since then me and my husband have become the Youth leaders in our Couple’s ministry. I’m an active participant in our Women’s ministry and just received my membership to discipleship certificate.
“My ministry dream is to encourage God’s people especially our youth that when praises go up blessings come down. I want to start a praise and worship team used for Sunday’s devotion, Tuesday’s prayer service, Wednesday’s Bible study and other future programs. I strongly believe that praises can be demonstrated through song, speech and dance. My ministry will involve the youth and young adults which is our future. I also will like to start a big brother & sister club for our youth when they are away for college. Speaking from experience I know that Satan is busy doing those times when you’re away from the structure of home and your church family. I really wished I had a peer in Christ to call on when I needed prayer for strength and will power to continue to follow Jesus.
“I most identify with Youth leader. I feel my testimony help me witness to our youth. The youth at my church have seen my accomplishments and blessings from all my hard work and dedication. My light is shining through my walk and a lot of the youth look up to me already as a big sister. Looking back from both drug and alcohol abuse I know that the Lord is a way maker. After neglecting my health to the streets and experiencing those sleepless nights has prompt me to pursue ministry to help prevent my young sisters in Christ from following in my shoes.
“Growing up in urban DC and attending church was not considered the “In” thing to do. Kids teased me and my siblings for being different. They laughed when we could only play to the street lights came on and that was after we had all our chores and homework done. As a teen I wasn’t allowed to date until I was 16 years of age and even then it was all supervised. Things have not changed. A lot of my friends are either dead, drug users, drug dealers or working on baby daddy number three and the cycle is then starting all over again. I was caught in crossfire, jumped by my peers but still found the courage to graduate in the top ten of my high school. I thank the Lord for the structure I had at home although crime and chaos was happening right outside my bedroom window.”
Lashell Jones Receives a Scholarship
“My church has supported me in my ministry calling by allowing me to become an Youth leader in our Couple’s ministry. This has allow me to serve in my full potential. My mother is currently serving as a Minister at my church. I often accompany her when she’s called to preach at visiting churches. In addition, I assist her with her very own ministry “Herstory”. Through this ministry for women it allow us to reach out and share our story and how we overcome.
“A scholarship at CLI is so important for my spiritual growth and my ministry’s dream come true. My ministry will make a difference for our future. I especially need prayer for patience because I know its not easy encouraging our youth to follow Jesus. Our future is all we have to hold on to and we need to break the cycles of failure and neglect in our urban youth.”
Lashell Jones believed in God since she was very young, but later in her life she wandered away and was trapped in an environment thick with drugs and alcohol. After returning to the Lord, Lashell Jones became active in her church’s ministry. Lashell Jones wants to continue deeper into ministry, with the ultimate goal of reaching the youth. Lashell Jones sees her past – being drawn into drugs and alcohol – as an opportunity to reach out to others and keep them from falling into the same temptations. Lashell Jones seeks a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute so that she can fulfill these ministry dreams.
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Lizette van der Linden –
“I am currently living in South Africa and have been doing ministry here for 13 years except for the 3 years I have had the honor to live and work in Malta.
“South Africa has it’s own set of challenges , we do have freedom here to proclaim and worship the Lord freely without a lot of persecution and most people you meet will confess to be Christian but this is in name only. The Gospel have been mixed with ancestral worship and customs of the people, poverty and AIDS also play a role in the health and perception of the church and local believers.
“I was came to know the Lord 22years ago through a Gospel message on television. Went to the local church and I have not looked back since. I started a Prayer School ministry in 1998 that is still going today but the Lord released me to go and work and pray in Malta for 3 and a half years.”
Lizette van der Linden Receives a Scholarship
“My ministry dream is to help and plant churches that proclaims the truth of the Word of God where ever the Lord might want! I want to help local believers grow and have a better relationship with the Lord . CLI will help me with this dream by equipping me and making me more effective where I am now. By learning and spending even more time in the Word through this course I know I can make difference for the church and the Body of our Lord. My dream would be to make CLI teaching available to many in my community that does not have access to the Internet to have a space they could come to and be equipped.
“Pray for me as a woman in Africa since there are many prejudices against females in ministry and for divine opportunities to spread the Gospel! Thank you for the opportunity and material you have made available to me so far my the Lord Jesus bless you!”
Lizette van der Linden serves the Lord in South Africa, where religious freedom is the official stance. However, Lizette van der Linden faces a unique challenge in South Africa because there are many prejudices against females being involved in ministry. Also, Lizette van der Linden sees the cultural traditions and superstitions that have been integrated with the local Christian culture. Lizette van der Linden seeks a scholarship at Christian Leaders Institute so that she can be part of the development of a new Christian culture that is completely Christ centered.
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