Kaili Perez

STUDENT STORY

PREPARING FOR MINISTRY AT SEU AT INSPIRE CHURCH

All the way in Waipahu, Hawaii, students at Inspire Church call Southeastern University “home.”

Located on the island of O’ahu, Inspire Christian College is one of Southeastern’s partner sites. Through a partnership with the church, Southeastern provides online programs for students studying ministry, digital media and business. There are currently 10 students enrolled.

One of those students is Kaili Perez, who has been attending since 2017 and is pursuing her degree in ministerial leadership. Kaili works full time as the resource media developer at Inspire Church, while also taking a full course load. She is always busy but knows with certainty that she is where God wants her to be.

Although Kaili is now confident about her calling, she didn’t always want to pursue ministry work. She spent much of her childhood and adolescent life removed from the church. “My mom is a Buddhist, and my dad grew up in a CatholicMormon household…so I found and experienced my faith completely on my own,” said Kaili. “That was one of the hardest parts of growing up.”

Kaili pursued an education degree at a different school before she discovered Southeastern, and she hoped to get a job teaching on another island.

“I knew God had put it on my heart to shepherd the next generation; I just wasn’t sure how,” said Kaili.

When SEU at Inspire Church opened, despite the pressure from her peers and parents to pursue other avenues of work, her calling became clear. “My dad really wanted me to have a backup plan, but I knew that if God had confirmed it, everything would work out,” said Kaili. “And once I finally had my parents’ blessing, I knew I was choosing the right path.”

The transition from a traditional college setting to the Southeastern partner site was not easy for Kaili. Switching from face-to-face courses to online proved to be a new and unexpected challenge. “I had to learn how to balance my studies and work really fast,” she explained.

She typically works in the church office Tuesday through Thursday, and then also works on Saturday and Sunday. On her days off she frequents coffee shops around the island and does homework.

She has, however, discovered a community with her classmates at Inspire Church. Similar to the habits of many college students, Kaili said, “We tend to join forces during finals and midterms.”

Even though taking accelerated online courses can be challenging, Kaili gets to work closely with church staff and learn firsthand how to run an effective ministry.

“The most influential part of my experience at SEU is our practicum program. We get to connect with our leaders on a new level,” she said. “The relationships we build through practicum are priceless.”

Kaili has found a beautiful community of friends, family and mentors at Inspire Church. When she looks back on her time at Southeastern, she recognizes the importance of obedience in particular.

“Without obedience, you will miss your opportunity,” said Kaili. “You will miss slaying your Goliath; you will miss all that God has for you.”

Kaili hopes to eventually work as the children’s director of her church once she completes her degree in 2021.