Student Story: My Kairos Story

My journey into ministry started with a simple invitation to do some part-time administrative work at the church where my family attended. I was a young working professional who was already over-committed between deadlines at the office and two young toddlers at home. Sensing a call that was far deeper than the quick chat that solidified my new position, I found myself making a sweeping career change that launched me into a complex ministry environment where my corporate experience proved limited and sometimes even unhelpful. I found myself learning an entirely new language and a set of social nuances that I hadn’t encountered before. I immediately abandoned an old vocabulary full of hard corporate jargon for softer terms that seemed to be used for the same purpose. I barreled head-first into a gender-role divide that I was completely unaware of. The tumult of discovering that I was on the wrong side of a multi-faceted, centuries-old, scriptural and cultural dilemma then forced me into a theological conundrum of which I was entirely unprepared to refute or support.

I knew the answers that I needed would be found in some sort of formal theological training, but I had no time, no money, and no idea where to start. I spent months learning the difference between bible schools, seminary, Christian college, and para-ministry training centers (YWAM, Capernwray). The options were confusing, and I didn’t know how I could commit the time and money that would be required to go back into formal education. Not only that, but I didn’t feel confident that any of these solutions would translate back into the unique and convoluted environment I now found myself in.

Kairos University was the complete solution that I was looking for. I decided early on in this educational process that if I was going to get where I wanted to go, I would need to be honest with myself and with everyone on the journey. I remember telling the enrollment advisor that I had no previous bible training, no Christian education whatsoever, that I had two toddlers at home, and that I worked for an hourly wage in a church ministry support role. I laid it all on the table and sat there with my jaw dropped as I heard that I could make this work.

Within weeks, I was swept into the strong current of the Kairos community. I found myself enveloped by the support of an incredibly diverse student body who were also passionately seeking answers, clarity, and equipping for the unique call on their lives.

I worked closely with my own, personally appointed, mentor team to chart a path through my program that would not just give me the credentials that I needed but the experiences and relationships that would carry me in my vocation. Every professor that I met, made it clear that the goal was for me to know Jesus better through whatever I was studying. I’ve done this program at my own pace, with my own agenda, and with my own ministry context in mind throughout the process.

I can say with confidence that I found more than an education through my program at Kairos University. Kairos University has helped me to articulate and define my calling in ministry, equipped me to serve in my unique environment, and prepared me for the future. With the care and support of this community, I’ve expanded my ministry area, improved on skill sets that I didn’t know I had, and learned how to articulate a strong vision of the future. While completing my program, I moved confidently from an administrative support role to a leading ministry position. My ministry area has doubled in size, and I now lead a team of paid personnel. I went from zero bible training to preaching sermons on Sunday mornings. Where I was once intimidated by proposed theological debates, I now feel grounded in the unity of the Church and equipped to restore peace where differences arise. I used to feel threatened by others who questioned my calling in ministry, and now I feel not only prepared to defend my call but also to affirm others whose call is different from mine.

My journey through Kairos University has entirely defined where I stand in ministry today. My personal faith in Jesus has tremendously transformed during my years of Kairos through the intentionality and expertise of the faculty, the vulnerability of the student body, and the flexibility of the learning environment.