Youth Leader Calling

Youth Leader Calling

My name is Marc Russell and I have a youth leader calling from God. I come from Pontiac, Michigan and partly Flint, Michigan. Both cities are poverty-stricken and full of everyday obstacles like drugs, crime, gangs, and teenage pregnancies to name a few. I was like many others who grew up without any type of religious background. I had two kids by the age of 18, and two more by the age of 22. I got in trouble with the law – I fought a lot – I did what I thought everyone else around me was doing just to get by. Then one of my older friend’s dad came to me and asked if I would like to ride with them to church one evening. He promised there would be games and other fun things to do so I reluctantly went. There were games and snacks and a bunch of other kids my age, and I ended up having fun too. On the ride home, my friend’s dad asked me if I was saved and went on to explain how important it was. Well, about 5 minutes later I was on my knees in the back seat asking Jesus to come into my life and into my heart and I asked for forgiveness for my sins.

I wish I could say that was the day that I became a GOOD Christian, but it wasn’t. I still struggled in life. It wasn’t until I was older that I felt a calling to read the Bible. I happened to be sitting in a jail cell at the time. As I read, I felt a connection with the Scriptures and a connection with the Holy Spirit. I read and prayed, and as I did I started to see positive things happen in my life.

That’s when I knew that the GOD of the Bible is real. I wanted to share what I’ve learned not only with my kids but with kids who were struggling like I was in a rough environment. That’s when I received my youth leader calling from God. Having very little resources, I went online and did a search on how I could make this happen. I found Christian Leaders Institute and have been enrolled and studying towards ordination ever since. I feel like everything clicked and happened for a reason. Now, I’m so grateful to have CLI to help guide and teach me what I need to know in order to be a strong Christian leader in my community.

Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.