Caleb Kliewer : my leadership pathway
My journey toward ministry began in high school when my youth pastor decided to tap and encourage me to take on more leadership roles in the youth group. She also recommended me for a program called FaithFront, a leadership program for high school students who desire to step up in the church and the world as Christian leaders. Both my youth pastor and the people at FaithFront kept pushing me to be a better leader.
In my youth group, I started a youth leadership team, with the help of my youth pastor. Ikept moving forward with other leadership opportunities that included an internship withFaithFront and student leadership at Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS, along with 3 churches I interned with nearby—Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren, Koerner Heights in Newton, and RidgePoint Church in Wichita.
During my senior year of college, I was looking for what I was going to do, and I found out about the Leadership Pathway Residency opportunity at StoneBridge Christian Church in Omaha, NE through someone I know who works there. Today I serve there as a NextGen Resident, where I am learning more than I ever have before. I am becoming aware of what my capacity for ministry is, while trying to follow the Lord's leading in this.
I have to admit, though, I expected the transition from college to doing this to be much easier than it has been. It is a hard learning experience learning the job and learning to live with people who start as strangers. I moved away from family and friends to come do this, and that has been one of the hardest transitions of my life. There have been a lot of days that I have felt really lonely and wanted to quit and go back to my family and friends. I have also become more and more convinced that when someone chooses to devote so much life to ministry, the enemy will attack and do what he can to stop those who choose to devote a lot of time to ministry, vocationally or non-vocationally. But, the Lord has kept me going here. We learn that we are not strong enough to face the world alone, and we NEED His strength.
I have loved getting to really make a place where students want to be and invest in their lives!
I have disliked some of the hard but necessary processes of getting ready for each event, because I would rather just be at the event, but there is no event if I don’t plan it. Detail management is one of those soft skills I’m focusing on with this residency. For those church leaders wondering if residency is worth it, I would tell them that being a church where young people can come and figure out what this whole ministry thing is about is one of the most valuable things they could do because it equips the next generation not only to go into ministry but to be effective at it. When I began, I was hoping that I could be successful and impressive in this ministry. Now I am learning that ministry is much bigger than me, and that if there is a chance of success, it is not because of me but because of the Lord.
…
Stonebridge is a multi-site church in Omaha and has been a partner of Leadership Pathway hosting several residents. If you are interested in your church partnering in similar ways to Stonebridge reach out to set up a conversation.
Go HERE to learn about Stonebridge’s student ministry and find social media links.