Brian and Maranda Leatherwood

Founders

Strength for Life Ministries, Inc.

We Need Strength for Life!

Charis (Greek) for Grace: favor, kindness, strength/power.

It's the Dunamis Power Every Believer Needs!
The word strength in the verse 2 Corinthians 12:9, …my strength is made perfect in weakness… which comes from the Greek word dunamis, the word for dynamic power. This is a strength that always releases sufficient power and possess the ability to make needed changes in our lives through God's grace that we just can't do alone.

After 14 years of Brian being saved but living the carnal Christian life,  one evening in early 2002 he was having a talk with God and asking for strength. Strength to overcome circumstances and make the tough decisions he needed to make in the vicious cycle of confusion that life continued to throw at him and Maranda. Then the Holy Spirit spoke "strength for life" into Brian’s heart. As they began to surround themselves with godly friends who would encourage them in the truth of who God really is, while also demonstrating God's love, challenged them at a crossroads to make a choice. To trust the security of their own plans [trusting in the natural strength] or by faith, trust in a good Father [His supernatural strength], the One who had a better plan for them? Praise God they both decided to choose God’s ultimate direction! 

And as God has consistently been present showing them the steps to take in this preparation time, and what it looks like, they dug their heals in and pressed on into a deeper relationship with the Lord. 

Fast forward to 2005, in the process of trusting and following God, they faithfully got involved in a strong local Church with great pastors, led life groups as leaders, also discovering a few of Andrew Wommack's powerful teachings "The True Nature of God" and "You've Already Got It". Brian knew after these life changing teachings that transformed the way he and Maranda visioned God and their spiritual identity, that the next steps was to be saturated in the Word, and Charis Bible College was there place called there. After much prayer and godly counsel, in late 2014 they uprooted their family and moved cross country from South Alabama to Colorado to attend Charis Bible College. The expectation was that God would reveal more of himself and the calling/purpose for them. God did exactly that and much more than they expected!

Over a 17 year period the name "strength for life" has consistently stirred within their hearts. Although the process of growth hasn’t always been easy (who said it would be), they knew at some point in time it was something God would birth in them.

With much patience and preparation in becoming a Charis Bible College Alumni in 2016, as the graduating class of “Destiny”, completing Ministry School in 2017 (it was all a life changing experience), plus having the privilege of serving Andrew Wommack Ministries for over 8 year now, in early 2019 they both had a peace and a knowing in their hearts that God would reveal more of the vision as they were seeking and asking the Him for clarity for the next steps. After attending a powerful teaching and prophetic meeting, they received a prophetic word about their future in pastoring and starting a Church with a heart for discipleship motivated by God's love and grace. The Holy Spirit confirmed the word and the day finally came for them to step out in faith toward the journey and the adventure God had established for them and their family from the beginning. Ministry work has been the launching pad into impacting lives with the gospel and a work towards their future Church family.

"I want to preach and teach the gospel of grace and truth that will set people free!" -Brian

April 2019, Strength for Life Ministries, Inc. was birthed!