TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION

Ashara Family of Ministries believes ministry must be more than good intention. It must be trained, tested, accountable, and fruitful. For that reason, we certify our ministers annually and prepare our members through mentorship, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training for the missions we undertake. We believe those who serve must first be willing to learn, grow, submit to instruction, and walk faithfully in the work they are called to do.

Discipleship is the foundation of every Ashara venture. Every person who intends to participate in ministry service must first enroll in and complete the church’s teacher certification program. The principle is simple: one who will not be taught cannot rightly teach. Teaching begins with learning, and where there is no learning, humility, and personal growth, there can be no true discipleship.

Certification helps preserve the integrity of the work. Ashara’s certification process is designed to equip servant-leaders with biblical understanding, practical ministry skills, accountability, and readiness for the mission field. We do not treat ministry as a title to be worn, but as a responsibility to be carried. Those who serve must be prepared to serve well.

The target of this ministry is rooted in Isaiah 61:1 and reflected in the words of Christ concerning the lost. Jesus said, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?” Matthew 18:11-12.

Ashara exists for the lost sheep. We understand that salvation cannot be forced upon anyone, but the Church is instructed to preach the gospel, baptize believers, and make disciples. Our mission is not to chase religious appearance, argue people into faith, or build ministry around pride. Our mission is to carry the good news to those who are lost, wounded, overlooked, disconnected, or searching for the way home.

Ashara also disciples marriages. We provide support for marriages facing hardship, including families affected by incarceration. This work includes care for both the incarcerated and non-incarcerated spouse, as well as attention to the children and family members who are often affected by the separation. Ashara has served within the prison system for years, helping captive marriages find freedom, healing, responsibility, and spiritual direction.

Our marital services address practical issues such as marital conflict, practical Christianity, family restoration, and penal parenting. We believe marriage and family ministry must move beyond advice alone. It must include discipleship, accountability, forgiveness, responsibility, and tools that help families rebuild where damage has been done.

Ashara’s youth services provide healthy, wholesome teaching and experiences for children and young people. Each session begins with orientation and the development of godly character. Our youth curriculum emphasizes love, patience, righteousness, integrity, skillfulness, service, responsibility, servanthood, and kindness. These are not merely religious words. They are life-building virtues that help children grow into stable, responsible, and compassionate people.

We believe in training ministers and disciple-makers to do the work of the Lord with seriousness and integrity. Ashara may license, ordain, or receive the transfer of a minister or ministry after the proper training and review process has been completed. Our presiding council members are licensed and ordained, and they help maintain accountability, spiritual order, and doctrinal responsibility within the work.

Licensing is understood as the church’s tentative approval for a person to serve while that person continues to grow, prove faithfulness, and prepare for ordination. The normal process includes a public acknowledgment of the call to ministry, a formal request for licensing, and approval by the council. This step allows the church to recognize a developing call while still requiring continued training, maturity, and accountability.

Ordination normally takes place when a minister begins serving in a recognized ministry role. The candidate may announce a call to pastoral ministry or another ministry field, such as education, music, youth work, evangelism, or missions. An examining or ordination council then reviews the candidate’s spiritual qualifications, biblical understanding, ethics, moral character, personal testimony, and call to ministry. The council may recommend ordination, delay the process, or determine that the candidate is not yet ready.

Ashara’s license is unique because many of our license holders serve in mission fields where accountability and proficiency must be maintained. For that reason, Ashara requires annual training and recertification. The annual training must be completed before the end of the calendar year. If it is not completed, the license must be reapplied for. This process helps ensure that those who carry Ashara’s ministry authority remain active, equipped, accountable, and in fellowship.

Ashara’s modular discipleship approach recognizes that the Christian life is a fight, but it must be the right fight. Disciple-making teaches us how to fight within before we try to fight without. It teaches us how to turn from darkness, grow in godliness, endure pressure, and walk in righteousness. Everyone takes blows in life, but in Christ we learn how to survive the enemy’s attacks and walk away stronger, wiser, healthier, and more faithful.

Membership in Ashara is tied to mission. This faith-based corporation is formed for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its purposes include finding creative ways to disciple, feed, clothe, educate, house, and employ the less fortunate. Ashara also seeks to assist former inmates as they reintegrate into family, society, and the workplace; help those damaged by drugs; support victims of incest, rape, and domestic abuse; and use media, education, and community access tools to promote service, training, communication, and the free exchange of ideas.

Ashara’s work also includes supporting community-based media programs, training individuals and nonprofit organizations in the use of media tools, providing access to communication resources, promoting artistic expression, supporting educational programs, and creating an environment where diverse people and viewpoints can be served without discrimination. These efforts are not separate from the mission. They are tools used in service of discipleship, education, restoration, and community development.

All charter members must understand that our first priority is to make disciples for Christ. We may use programs, media, technology, training, facilities, and partnerships, but the tools are always secondary to the disciple-making mission. Members are expected to maintain fiscal responsibility, remain active and ready to assist other charter members, participate in Ashara fundraisers, support and attend the Seedling Gathering and Annual Planters Gathering, and abide by all bylaws and charter rules.

Ashara is not building ministry for appearance. Ashara is building people for service. We train because the work matters. We certify because accountability matters. We disciple because souls matter. We serve because Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost.