Ministry Training Gratitude

Ministry Training Gratitude

My name is Amanda Muncy and I have ministry training gratitude for Christian Leaders Institute. I am the wife of Doug Muncy for over 21 years. Together, we have a daughter who has recently graduated college. I am a homemaker, and my husband is a coal-miner, who has recently found himself the new Associate Pastor appointee of Praise Assembly of God in Alum Creek, WV, USA. This is something that we both thought God was leading us into for awhile, but now that it is here, it seems unreal.

I can remember my mom walking my older sister and I hand in hand out of the hollow to a little church. I was excited every single Sunday morning for the love that was shown to me and to show off my creativity during Sunday School crafts. However, my mother lost her desire to be dedicated to a church family after some disappointing behavior in the church leadership. So after age five, we no longer went to church. Even so, thankfully, the seed was planted, I knew Jesus loved me.

After this point, my “church going” comprised of an annual trip with my aunt to Easter Sunday Service. I was very thankful for that yearly reminder of what Jesus had done for me because He loved me. By the time I was age seventeen, my older sister had a driver’s license and access to mom’s old station wagon. Around this time, my sister began attending church services more frequently, and not too long afterward I started tagging along. At first, it was just something cool to experience going somewhere independent of my parents. But then there was one service that the pastor preached a hard message followed up by a strong altar call. I felt the pull of conviction in my heart, but I was very shy, and the thought of going up in front of the church mortified me, but my mind was made up. I walked back to the restroom, quietly knelt down by the toilet, and asked Jesus to forgive and save me. And did He ever! Even though I was in a small bathroom kneeling by a toilet, Jesus met me all the same. It is still humbling to look back and to think that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords overlooked my ignorance and irreverence of His glory by using a toilet for an altar. But He radically saved me all the same, and I became a New Creature in Him. Jesus is my Lord, Saviour, and King.

We have been attending Praise Assembly of God for over six years. There I have been involved in just about every aspect of the church. For over a year the Pastor has been allowing my husband to preach a couple of Wednesday nights a month. Recently, the Pastor appointed my husband Associate Pastor (in training). He has begun the process of being coached by the Pastor and soon will be taking classes through the Assemblies. I believe it will be advantageous to receive a good quality education for myself as well, to further advance the effectiveness of our pastoral ministry. The Christian Leaders Institute scholarship will well equip me for the challenges ahead of us and fills me with ministry training gratitude.

My dream is to be the type of leader that inspires and trains others to realize their God-given purpose. To disciple people on how to have and maintain a strong family unit. My additional dream is to be able to reach out, inspire and motivate drug addicts and the homeless, to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus. I desire to aid in rehabilitating them back to a productive, clear thinking Christian citizen.

Drug addiction is a real pandemic in my region. So many lives are being taken by overdoses, broken families, child neglect and abuse, all due to the opioid crisis where I live. I have seen people literally take apart their own dwelling, selling it piece by piece, such as the hot water tank, cabinets, siding, etc. to get money for a fix, even some attempt selling their children. It’s so very heartbreaking.

I have ministry training gratitude for the teaching I received through the “Getting Started” course. The two clips by Steve Elzinga alone were worth every bit of the time spent. My husband and I are recent empty nesters but I am looking forward to using the strategies presented through this online course to strengthen our family unit. Prayerfully, I will be able to pass on the knowledge to our church congregation. I truly wish I would have had this type of education sooner, I could see in many aspects we could have been doing much more to encourage our daughter’s walk with God.

There is no specific event that inspired me to minister God’s love to others. The sheer magnitude that God has shared His love and power with me over and over, I honestly can not help but share it with others. I have ministry training gratitude for the insight already given by Christian Leaders Institute. I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of the application of the strategies presented in the “Getting Started” course.

Praise Assembly of God in Alum Creek, WV, under the leadership of Pastor Dan McCormick has created an environment that feels like a family. Dan’s ministry has an atmosphere where it is easy to succeed, and, just as importantly, he has created an environment where it is a safe place to fail. Pastor Dan does all within his capability to lead, guide, direct, support and make room for whatever it is you think you are called to do. And, if you fail, he has also made it a soft place to land, pick up the pieces and start over.

My prayer for my husband and I is that God’s Will for our ministry will come to fruition.

Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.