No Greater Joy than Walking in the Truth
My name is Michele Beaugrand. I have lived on the beautiful Space Coast of Florida for the past 26 years with my high school sweetheart and amazing husband, Dennis. Together, we have raised two wonderful sons and have been blessed with four precious grandbabies. Recently, I began my studies at the Christian Leaders Institute for ministry training and Bible learning (Learn more about free ministry training and Bible learning online, Click Here).
My Beginnings
Unlike my husband, I was not raised in a Christian family. My mom and dad had my older sister and me when they were very young. Sadly, their marriage did not last. They divorced when I was one year old. My mom remarried while I was still very young. My stepdad was a good provider for our family but not much else. So I grew up without a nurturing father figure in my life.
My walk with the Lord began around age eight. I attended a Sunday school program at a church near my home and followed a prompting to ask Jesus into my heart. There was a bus that came around on Sunday mornings. It picked up neighborhood children and brought them to church. The seed that was planted then very slowly took root in my heart and mind through the faithful people who made it their ministry to reach out to the unchurched children in the community.
We moved away from there shortly after that, and I did not continue to attend anywhere near our new home. As a teenager, I very sporadically attended various churches with friends’ families. Through those times, I gained a sense that I was missing something very important in my life. However, I still didn’t quite understand what it was.
Marriage and Changes
When I married my husband at 19 and we started our life together, we were far from walking with God. I did not have the means for college after school ended. So I began in the workforce right away. I also attended community college with no real sense of direction for what to do or be.
Shortly after we married, my husband and I moved far away from all of our family in Michigan to Minnesota. There we lived a very materialistic, selfish lifestyle. When a tragedy befell our lives seven years into our marriage through the passing of my husband’s dear grandfather, the primary male figure in his life, our whole outlook on life drastically altered. We both came to the realization that having a family was way more valuable than any wealth that we could ever accumulate. And so, our journey to parenthood began.
Attending Church
Our choice to become parents also brought with it a conviction to my heart. If we were going to do this, then we HAD to make a commitment to raise our children in the church. The prompting I felt came from that seed planted in my heart so long ago. So, with our newborn son in our arms and a new life just beginning in Florida, we stepped into our new walk as churchgoers.
For me, the first part of that journey was a huge learning process. Watching how a Christian was supposed to act, I emulated the things that I was supposed to say and do. However, I was not emotionally engaged with God on a daily basis. I volunteered for anything having to do with children. Thus, I began a lifetime of Children’s Ministry volunteering and eventually employment. With it, also came a misunderstanding that I was earning God’s love through all of my good deeds and works.
Deeper Knowledge
A year later, we moved to another part of the county. Although we continued to drive to the original church we had started at, we were no longer a part of the community. We began to feel disconnected. One day, as I was pushing my infant son through our new neighborhood in his stroller, I met a neighbor from across the street. Through that relationship, God walked into our lives in a very meaningful way. It turns out she was the wife of the pastor of a local church just down the road from us. She invited me to attend a young moms group that she was leading at the time.
From there on, my journey into knowing Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior took shape into something more deep and meaningful. My husband and I became members of the church. We attended their services every week as well as many of the programs they offered. I learned more and developed my prayer life. I again threw myself into the children’s programs. Teaching the children helped me to learn the Bible and about being a Christian myself. I never had much exposure to all of the traditional Sunday school stories before.
Growing in Christ and a Walk with God
Fast-forward all these years later and what had begun as a small ember in my soul has now become a burning passion for the unfailing love of my Heavenly Father and for His Word. I am so grateful to see His hand in absolutely every part of my life, from childhood until now. I am in awe of the forgiveness He bought for me through the blood of His precious son Jesus. Further, I am humbled by the abundant grace that He covers me with every day as I walk in a fallen world.
Through my faith in Jesus Christ, I have been saved from a life that was previously held hostage by emotions, depression, insecurities, doubts, and fears. He has delivered me into a new life that is not about me or for me or because of me. That is something that I remind myself of daily!
A New Season
My husband and I have entered a new season of our lives within the past few months. Due to the pandemic and his ability to work remotely, we have become full-time RVers. This decision did not come lightly or on a whim. It was a call on our lives to go out into this specific community. We are to nurture relationships and encourage and build others up in their walks. It came at the cost of having to sell our home of 26 years. We also had to leave everyone and everything we had come to know and love behind. We are trusting the Lord to lead and guide us on this path and use us for His glory alone.
Ministry Training and Bible Learning at Christian Leaders
I hope to gain newfound confidence and boldness through the ministry training and Bible learning available at Christian Leaders Institute to help me on this new journey. My passion is for leading young children to Him the way I myself was led. During my time as a mom of young children and a baby Christian myself, I was not yet equipped to help our sons fully develop and pursue their own walks. I pray that become a better witness to them and to our grandchildren through this new time of learning in a more structured environment.
I also hope to gain some credibility through a degree from Christian Leaders. One that will open doors to possibilities where they might not have otherwise been opened. As I had to leave my job of eight years to go out on the road, I am no longer contributing to the family finances. Therefore, having the option of free ministry training and Bible learning through CLI makes it possible to pursue this amazing opportunity.
Much appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Henry and the others for their faithful dedication, sacrifice, and pursuit of this spiritual dream and vision.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course. Then you can enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
