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.
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