Personal Journal: Pursuing Life Goals

There are many events that have shaped my life and also cause me to pursue academic work and create goals here are Colorado Christian University. The one that stands out the most is my recent church planting experience and my desire to learn more about the Lord and become better equipped biblically to serve my parishioners. In this essay I will discussion how this major event has transformed my life and also cause me to venture further in my education and seek a degree here at Colorado Christian University (CCU). As a husband, a father of five, and a Pastor, I maintain a pretty busy lifestyle. But one things for sure is that I have always had a tug to finish my degree. My wife is a great supporter of education and has always encouraged me to finish what I

For many years, I have worked in ministry as a support ministry member. In 1993-1997, I served as Administrator at Beacon Light Full Gospel Baptist Church under the leadership of Bishop Darryl S. Bister. I was responsible for all of his appointments, drafting of documents, and overseer of additional staff members and responsible for the day to day operations. In 1997, I was called to Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church with my husband under Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr. I served in many capacities in this ministry from worship leader to Administrator to the Registrar for Greater St. Stephens School of Ministry. My husband along with our 3 children was then called to Denver, Colorado to serve at Heritage Christian Center under Bishop Dennis Leonard. We serve in that ministry

I’m in the middle of a journey in my life with choosing to return to school after being downsized from a job of more than 12 years. These past few weeks have been exceptionally difficult with taking multiple classes, homework, looking for a job, running a house and my husband getting sick. This was the main thing that just took me over especially since he’s usually healthy and rarely ever gets so much as a cold. We’ve been together since high school so together longer than we’ve been apart. We’ve been back and forth to the hospital and to a specialist all in the past few weeks. The devotional contains so many scriptures that sent me the messages I truly need to hear as I was feeling overwhelms and tired. But the following is the one that hits home for me:

As a pastor it is imperative to possess a desire to be successful in the up building of God’s Kingdom. However, often times there become a very thin line between success for God, and success for self-gratification. At this point, one would need to re-look the purpose for their calling.

On Tuesday, November 26, I critically listened to a sermon at The Word of Faith Christian Church delivered by Pastor Julius Stephens. It was a regular Tuesday bible study with about eight people. Pastor Stephens 's topic for the day was everybody has a purpose. In this paper, I will critique Pastor Stephens 's sermon based on its introduction, body, delivery, conclusion and finally my overall reaction to his speech. The reason for the speaker 's sermon was to ensure his audience realizes their worth.

“I grew up with extended family being in Ministry”. Pastor Daniel’s grandfather retired after 52 years of pastoring in Mississippi, “which molded my understanding and willingness to receive the call of ministry”. At 17 I Pastor Daniel received the call to ministry. He was “in the alters” at his church, seeking direction from God in his life and God reminded him of his

Nobody quite understands the stress and strain of working in ministry. When one imagines being a minister, they may originally understand it to be a once-every-Sunday job, yet I can personally attest to it being far from this. I’ve seen the inside workings of churches for years, as my mother has worked for them for as long as I remember. She has finally settled in as the Youth and Families Minister at Big Canoe Chapel, which has turned out to be a much more demanding job than anticipated. Ministry continues through everything that she does, forcing her to be on the job in every social situation. The ache of this is that ministry is largely about caring for others while abandoning your own needs and desires. Over time, this has taken an enormous

Recently I sat down with my pastor to discuss my future in ministry. I had some very heavy things weighing on my heart. After laying them out, I stated that “I often feel like I don’t have the needed self-confidence to do this ministry thing” and that “I think that I’m going to need a very supportive pastor in order to survive my first pastorate.” It was there that he stopped me cold and made if very clear that I could not and should not enter into ministry with that mindset. I could not expect my self-confidence to come from other people. I had to seek that from God. In the moments to come, through some very introspective conversation, I realized that I had been approaching the entire idea of ministry from the wrong direction. Without realizing it I had made it a “strong on the outside” thing. I had completely avoided the true spiritual formation that needed to be occurring on the inside.

: It so happened that the challenge I faced was my own stubbornness against the pastor's bible study outline. God has a way of showing up and showing out. After reading and researching the scriptures, it happened that my bible study coincided with the pastor’s outline and scripture. The day of the bible study after my prayers, I felt confident, and I deliver the lesson with compassion, pride, joy and love. Furthermore, it was well received by the twelve students, because I blended the pastor’s outline and my scriptures together. The congregation said it was interesting, different, and they had learned a lot from the discussion of the scriptures.

As each stage builds life and careers most often a series of important moves take place. While these stages build you go from wondering if the goals you chosen where the right ones, stop at times to contemplate life as you move from level to level. Novice adults in ministry take several positive steps to meet their challenges head on. Taken in and studying the life of God as a model, especially His vision of the kingdom of God. Ministries need to allow their senses to grow and mature (Powers, Bruce P. Church Administration Hand-book. Nashville, TN.: Broadman & Holman, 1996.

It has been a good first year in pursuing my doctoral study at Talbot School of Theology although the study was challenging. As I take time to reflect on my calling and to seek God further guidance, I thank Him for the opportunity to pursue this academic journey. I am also grateful for the support from my wife and children, followers of Christ at my church and at Biola community. My sense of God’s call for me became clear early in this year as a result of my understanding purpose and growing commitment to serve His Church. My fervent desire to serve other’s needs in spiritual dimension through teaching God’s Word and preaching the Gospel led me to leave my engineering career after two decades in order to devote full time and energy for the

The life of a pastor requires many developed practices, none more important than personal spiritual practices. The author, adheres to many daily and weekly habit s to develop personally and spiritual with the hope to remain spiritual vibrant. As Addington explains all great qualities of leadership come form the place deep inside our hearts, the hidden recess of our souls, whose “channels lead to deep veins of God’s work and molding” (Addington, 2014 p1).

I’m taking this course be more submerged in the Word of God. I also want to be able to articulate myself went it comes to my Faith. For a century the Bible has been read not only as history and God's Word but also for own enlightenment. The Bible is not just for us to keep to ourselves but to help one another. This, of course, is a meaningful reason for studying the Bible for those who believe in God, but the Bible is also surprisingly educational for those who do not believe. It is full of individuals facing ethical choices, life trials, and circumstances that are valid to us today. The Bible finishes in the New Testament with the story of the life, teaches, death, and revival of Jesus Christ. His ministry remains significant in our present

It began at an early age. I was a sophomore in college interning in the youth department at my home church, Grace United Methodist, in Hastings, Nebraska. My senior pastor, Jim Miller, was an incredible man of God who really showed me what it looked like to live Jesus out in the flesh. He saw something in me, which at the time I blew off completely. Jim saw my gifting’s, and strengths for ministry. I remember one specific afternoon when I was preparing for a youth Bible study that he came in and started talking to me about Seminary and the process of becoming a United Methodist Pastor. At this time in my life I had a plan for my future, a plan that included the medical field, not a full time ministry job. Although, now after much time in prayer and pursuing the heart of God like Barton discusses in her book “Sacred Rhythms” I look back and see that this was the beginning of Jesus’ pursuit for me to serve within the local church under the United Methodist umbrella. Barton writes, that it is in this place of intimacy with God where we are lead to a place where we are not in control, but are fully rendered to Him (Barton, 67). It was from this deep intimacy with the Father in prayer that helped me navigate this call that God had put on my life.

I would like to reflect on a few key moments of my spiritual journey from childhood that has led me to my call to ministry. I do believe that as the prophet Jeremiah was called before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5) that some are called and know their purpose from an early age while others find their path later after stumbling through life. Perhaps it might be that they have heard the call but were uncertain or unwilling to answer the call. Looking back on my life’s journey, I can see the “God moments” and how they have influenced my faith journey.