The Blog

For the past couple years I’ve been hearing about how amazing Pastor’s School is, first from my pastor in Iowa, then from the folks here at Crossfire MC. It’s difficult, however, to truly describe something as life-changing as Pastor’s School, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first got there.

The workshops I attended were mostly pretty good, but the one that impacted me the most was “Praying with Passion and Power”. The thing that I remember the most from it is the speaker showing us a chain mail and explaining how, when we wear the chain mail it’s like we’re wearing prayer; we’re alone with God. Chain mail is heavy, and most of us would be able to put it on and wear it for a few minutes or even a few hours, but how many of us could live in it; how many of us could fight in it? Prayer takes training; it’s not easy. Prayer warriors don’t become warriors overnight; it takes time.

One thing I would recommend to anyone attending Pastor’s School is climb the mountain. It doesn’t matter if you go all the way up or just halfway or even a quarter of the way (I didn’t go all the way up), but climb it. Take some time away from your day, go during a lunch or dinner break, and get alone with God on the mountain. Why does being on the mountain make such a difference? Because you’re making an effort to be with God. You’re sacrificing time and comfort to be with Him and He’ll meet you in that place.

I climbed the mountain on Wednesday during our dinner break and I was just sitting there looking out over everything and thinking how big God is and just praising Him for everything He is, and He just spoke to me and began to show me all the different ways that He’s fulfilled dreams that I’ve had, dreams that He’s given me. Like when I was looking for a job and I thought how amazing it would be to nanny for a family and then two days later there’s an ad in the paper from a family that needed a nanny. Or like how I’ve always wanted to be a part of a worship band that does youth conferences and camps and such, and now I am, even though it looks crazy different from the way I’d imagined it. This was a confirmation of the dreams that God has given me, and an inspiration to me to continue to go after them.

There are so many other things that God did during the two days of Pastor’s School, and if I were to try and describe them all they would fill a book, so for now, I’ll just encourage you to consider taking a couple days away and going to Pastor’s School next year, even if you’re not a pastor; if you are in any kind of ministry at all, Pastor’s School will benefit you. And God will totally blow

- Kaitlin Pederson

Today I am in Phoenix Arizona at Tommy Barnett’s Pastors School. This is an amazing conference where incredible things are dreamed and then lived out. Thousands have been effected by this ministry in one way or another, including me.

Pastor Tommy has taught me that nothing is impossible with God. If I dream it he can do it. Every time I come to Pastor’s School I leave with more of a hunger to reach the lost. This is my ninth Pastor’s School. Today I decided to climb prayer mountain. The last time I climbed it was ten years ago. It wasn’t by choice then. I was with a group and I had to. Today I climbed for a purpose. I need answers from God. Sometimes you have to do things on purpose to get your heart in the position to hear for God. I had no idea I would learn so much about my walk with God from the journey to the mountaintop.

I started out ready, excited for what God was going to do. With a pep in my step I moved quickly along the trail. From further away the mountain didn’t look that big. Then I came to the foot of it. Im no mountain climber so to me this thing was big. Determined to get there I started the climb. I noticed as long as I stay focused on the path, it really wasn’t that difficult of a trip, but when I looked a head it seemed like I would never make it. Half way up I stopped and looked back and I noticed how far I had come. I hadn’t arrived but the buildings and people keep getting smaller. Finally exhausted, I made it to the top. When I got here I realized something. God was speaking.

He said, “Here you are receiving dreams and visions and they excite you. However, when you get to the base of thes dreams, you realize how big and vast they are. You think maybe this wont ever happen. Maybe this is too much for me. Maybe I cant do it. Maybe its too big. But go, walk, start. As long as you keep your eyes on me, the only path, I will make your burden light. I will give you what you need. You will look back and see all I have brought you through. And even if it still looks too big, you will know I am with you. You will know you can. Through me you can!"

I made it to the top. I’m writing from the top and I am getting answers from God. It’s time for me to go back. Go down into the valley, but I wont leave here what I have learned. That is that through him all things are possible and knowing this will carry me to the next mountain and the next dream.

What are your dreams? What are your challenges? Who is your God?

-Pastor Danny Eley