by Michell Spoden
We all have dreams we would like to live out yet where do we begin. We may consider the highs and lows that come with our decisions to live out our dreams; yet does that hold us back or make us stronger? No matter how big or how small we may see ourselves through our accomplishments; there is one thing we should never loose and that is faith. More on this topic comes below from my Q&A with Cheryl Fritz, who is 45-year-old and was born and raised in Ohio. She works full-time in retail and part-time in ministry.
Michell: Please share with us bit about the online equipping school you started?
Cheryl: In May of 2012, I first founded Inside Out Training and Equipping School. In just 2 short years, we’ve grown and expanded by leaps and bounds. We’ve gone from just a handful of trainers to an ever-expanding team of 70 trainers. Our membership has grown from 10 members to nearly 9,000, and our classes have multiplied as well. We started out with just 2 classes, and we now have a full lineup of 26 classes. Inside Out doesn’t have overhead costs. All of our trainers (myself included) are volunteers. Our headquarters is on Facebook, and our virtual classroom is held globally through Skype, so this allows for us to offer classes free of charge. We may eventually have a button on our website for voluntary donations, but we are committed to offering free training that is readily accessible to all those who are interested in being trained and equipped.
Michell: Please share with our viewers a bit about your spiritual views and how you came to become a Christian?
Cheryl: As someone who was raised in conservative Christian denominations, it wasn’t until later on in life that I was exposed to a charismatic, Spirit-filled type of experience. Once I realized the extent of all that I had been missing out on, I began to dig deeper. I was confused and confounded because the Christian experience that seemed to be described in scripture didn’t seem to be the same Christian experience that I was seeing walked out by the laity of the church. I would sit on the edge of my seat and listen to evangelists share their testimonies of healing the sick, casting out devils, and moving in the power of the Holy Spirit; yet at the same time, I was determined in my pursuit to experience the same. I knew it was available to me as a believer. I just didn’t know how to transition from a place of ineffectiveness to a place of breakthrough. Then Holy Spirit took me through quite the unorthodox training and equipping experience. Most of what He taught me wasn’t learned in church. Instead He divinely connected me with others (mostly online) who were able to help me to get under better teaching. After that, it was like a whole new world opened up to me. I was starting to experience a breakthrough. God had set me on a path that would help me to walk out my dream of training and equipping an army of laity that would be at His disposal for service in the kingdom.
Michell: What is one of the greatest things that you have seen happen in your ministry?
Cheryl: Just recently I had attended a service. Honestly, it was one of those Sundays when I’d stayed up far too late the night before. I was watching the clock and entertaining visions of diving into my bed. It was a great service. I was just too sleepy to enjoy it. Anyway, long story short, at the end of the altar call, the pastor invited me to come forward and pray for a blind man. I felt the unction of the Holy Spirit to be somewhat stern with him. I told him to take off his glasses. He took them off, but he still had his eyes closed. I instructed him to open his eyes, and when he did, there were no corneas or pupils visible. Instead, his eyes were just cloudy and completely grey. Within minutes of commanding his vision to be restored, blue corneas began to appear and then pupils. He formally confessed his faith in Jesus Christ that day, and left the church with no assistance (saved, healed, and delivered).
Michell: What are some of your goals both personal and professionally?
Cheryl: My personal goals and professional goals are intertwined. I enjoy ministering so much that it never crosses my mind that there might be a work aspect to it. It’s a labor of love and something I find great satisfaction in participating in. While our online training is the core of what we offer, I would like to begin to make our training available in more land-based congregations. We are now beginning to host equipping the Saints conferences. This is something I have a passion for. I look forward to a day when we will have so many conferences booked (all at the same time) that we will have to deploy our training team members just to accommodate all of the requests.
Michell: If you could describe yourself with one word what would it be and why?
Cheryl: Determined. I’ve gone too far to turn back now. I have no desire to turn back, think back, look back, or act back. God has shown me too much. He’s wrecked me, and I can’t imagine any other life than the one He has blessed me with. I’m going full steam ahead, and loving every minute of it.
Michell: If you could change anything in the world what would it be?
Cheryl: The inactivity of the laity of the church. We have the creator of the universe indwelling us. He is chomping at the bit to go out everywhere with us as we preach so that He can confirm the word with accompanying signs. I’d like to see us colabor with Him and turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ.
Michell: What do you do for fun in your personal time?
Cheryl: I love spending time with my husband and our two children. My husband Anson is an amazing person. We’ve been together for 17 years. He’s the love of my life, and I’m so very blessed that God gave him to me. Our children are teenagers, and we’re enjoying the experience of watching them grow, mature, and pursue their dreams and goals.
Michell: Outside of your ministry what other social responsibilities do you engage in?
Cheryl: I work both a full-time job and a part-time job, so my schedule is pretty chocked full. Marketplace ministry is probably the one “responsibility” that I engage in, though I don’t see it as a responsibility. It’s more along the lines of just being something that I like to do. If I’m at the grocery store, I’m also multitasking as a marketplace minister. If I’m at the library, the gas station, or wherever else I might find myself over the course of my day, I’m always on the lookout for marketplace ministry opportunities.
Michell: If there is one piece of advice you could give a person, what would it be?
Cheryl: Don’t wait for your dream to find its way to you. Go out and get it. Be persistent. Take steps every single day to pull your destiny into your reality. Position yourself around others who are doing what you are passionate about and can teach you something. Learn and glean from the very best, and then take what you’ve learned and find your own niche. Be the best version of you. Don’t try to live your life based on everyone else’s highlight reel; you’ll only drive yourself crazy. Instead, live your own life, and enjoy your own journey. Be sure to enjoy the different stages as you go. Don’t be so focused on your long-term goals that you forget to enjoy your right now moment.
Visit the links below to see more of Cheryl Fritz’s work:
https://www.youtube.com/user/cherylfritz17
http://www.insideouttrainingandequippingschool.org/
About the Interviewer
Michell Spoden is the author of Stricken Yet Crowned and is also pursuing a transitional housing project for woman with an agricultural aspect. She has a degree in Business Science Administration and is finishing her bachelor`s in Project Management.
