Why Ellerslie

When I was seven, I wrote these words in my journal: “Someday, I want to become a world-changer!” I wasn’t sure how, exactly, but I knew I wanted to do something significant with my life; something that would help people, something that would make a difference. I used to love reading books about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad – I imagined myself smuggling slaves to safety at the peril of my own life, using secret code words and leading slave children through hidden passageways in the dead of night – all while being ruthlessly pursued by greedy slave-owners. In my mind’s eye, I always made it to my destination safe and sound, and delivered my young charges into the arms of their waiting parents (who were weeping with gratitude). I used to wish I lived back in the days of the American slave-trade so that I could become a heroic rescuer, just like the valiant Ms.Tubman.

As a child, I romanticized the idea of being a “Christian hero.” I imagined the thrill of adventure and the satisfaction of changing the world – but I never envisioned the hardship, discomfort, pain, and spiritual attack that comes when you take a stand for righteousness. It wasn’t until I was in my early twenties, deep in the fray of full-time Christian ministry, fighting fervently for souls, that I begin to really understand the battle of Kingdom service.

When Eric and I stepped out, young and idealistic, into Christian ministry, we got hit – and hit hard. It felt kind of like taking a baseball bat and hitting a hornet’s nest – only to realize that our feet were stuck in concrete so that we couldn’t run from the angry insects that were now coming at us with a vengeance. We were attacked on all sides by both seen and unseen forces. Discouragement, disillusionment, and confusion came at us from every angle. Even though we were strong Christians and had a vibrant relationship with Christ, we had not been prepared for the battle we had entered. And though we were making an impact upon the world and fulfilling the call God had placed upon our lives – for many years, we did so with a limp, reeling from the serious battle wounds that we collected on a daily basis. We began to recognize why God took Moses to the back-side of the desert for 40 years – to break, prepare and refine him – before launching him into his role as Israel’s leader. We began to better understand why God led the apostle Paul into a set-apart season in Arabia before sending him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. And why even Jesus spent 30 years preparing spiritually for his public ministry.

As E.M. Bounds wrote, “It takes 20 years to write a sermon, because it take 20 years to make a man.” God sometimes must take us through a season of intensive spiritual

by Leslie Ludy

It’s a chance to avoid the spiritual burn-out and mediocrity that can all too easily creep into the life of a Christian minister.

Amy Carmichael wrote about the formation of her ministry to temple children in India, in her book Gold Cord. It took her years to find like-minded men and women that truly possessed the spiritual strength that was needed for such a high calling. Time and time again, people would come onto the field to join her work – idealistic and filled with dreams of being a Christian hero. But all too often, they were not truly prepared for the battle, and after a few months or years, the romance faded, the burn-out set-in, and they limped away in defeat.

Eric and I have heard similar stories from modern-day missionaries and ministers. They are longing for valiant Christian men and women to come alongside them in Kingdom work – men and women who have the Gospel DNA embedded into their souls, their outlook, and their daily decisions; those who have truly been prepared for the intensity of the battle for souls and Truth.

Whether God has called you to the mission fields of Africa, Haiti, or Main Street USA – whether you are called to fight for the soul of one little child or rescue millions of people - He desires to equip and prepare you for the sacred calling He has placed upon your life. That’s what you’ll experience at Ellerslie – a set-apart season of spiritual training.

Becoming strong to be poured out for His glory. Being built by Him into a true world-changer, able to withstand the winds and rain and emerge from the storm in perfect peace. That’s what this set-apart season at Ellerslie is all about. I count it a privilege to be a part of it with you!*

preparation and equipping before launching us into the ultimate calling He has placed upon our lives. Maybe it’s not 40 years like Moses, or 30 years like Christ. But often there is a need for a set-apart season, where an unshakable spiritual foundation can be laid in our lives before we enter the intensive fray of full-time missions or ministry work. It’s kind of like boot camp for the soul, before a soldier enters the actual war.

After “hitting the hornet’s nest” early in our ministry, God had to take Eric and I through a spiritual boot camp, of sorts. He had to show us all that was missing from our spiritual armory, and equip us to be victorious in the battle for His Truth. We took a season of our lives to truly grasp vital aspects of the Gospel life, such as wrestling prayer, spiritual disciplines, tensile strength, daily intimacy with Christ, true faith, self-sacrifice, and inner holiness – at a deeper level than we’d ever known before. And when we entered back into the ministry He had called us to, there was a completely different outcome. No longer were we pummeled by defeat and discouragement – rather, we were strong, valiant, and triumphant – truly equipped for vital Kingdom work. We were able to enter the fray with a spiritual swagger rather than a spiritual limp.

That’s why I’m so passionate about your time at Ellerslie. It’s a set-apart season of training, equipping and preparation. It’s boot-camp for the soul, becoming spiritually fit for the battle.

Excerpted from the Ellerslie Student Blog at www.ellersliestudents.com.

Becoming strong to be poured out for His glory. Being built by Him into a true world-changer.

A TASTE OF ELLERSLIE TRAINING | WHY ELLERSLIE? | THE ELLERSLIE PASSION | THE REBIRTH OF HONOR | CAST AND CREW