Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chrystal Crawford. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chrystal, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Going from the idea to execution is very easy for me because with everything that I do I have either seen in a dream or vision first and sometimes they are things that God has revealed to me through prophetic word. I fear the Lord and it is very important that I am a good steward of everything that He shows me, so getting started is not hard because it is not an option, it is a mandate. What’s more important is that I have to remember that it was never my idea, but a God idea that I have to complete while I am here in this world on borrowed time.

When I started my first big project in ministry, “The Birthing Room,” I saw in a dream a room with approximately seven women in it. The room needed to be reorganized, and cleaned because no one had been in there in a while. When I had this dream, I immediately knew what I was seeing because I had been renting a space, but was not courageous enough to really invite anyone because after all, I had just finished ministering to large crowds and here the Lord wanted me to start over in a tiny room inside of a church. I had a real issue with this because I had already prayed and said that the whole building was mine. I was wrong, because what God was doing was preparing me to learn how to crawl before walking. He told me to fill that tiny room up and then watch what He would do. The next day I went into the suite I Was renting that had sat empty for months and I started cleaning and preparing for “The Birthing Room” class. I had to figure out what this was, was this bible study, a gathering for prayer, etc. The Lord revealed to me that this was to be organized like a clinic where women came to get assistance in getting through whatever trimester they were in, specifically the first trimester and it was my job to help them identify what they were “carrying” how to care for themselves, etc. It was very clever and creative. Women started to come, there was food, fellowship, learning and growth. The room started to fill up. I then had to figure out how to keep them engaged because as time went on, and it came time for many to go into a certain stage of implementation that is when we often times hit a wall.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an apostolic leader that assists multiple generations of believers launch out into their God-given purpose. I am the founder and CEO of the Ekklesia Training and Equipping Center which serves leaders internationally. Under the umbrella of the organization is C.O.R.E Academy Schools, which I founded in 2024. In this endeavor, I help families reclaim their children’s education and raise leaders rooted in faith, identity, and excellence. C.O.R.E Academy is a microschool serving students k-5 in person and k-12 online as an extension of homeschooling. I am most proud of the work taking place at C.O.R.E Academy. What sets me apart from others is that in my region there are very few microschools and I am the only microschool operating in my city.

He’s Able Christian Homeschool Group is also part of our education initiative providing opportunities for students to learn about sustainable gardening, field trips, social skills, and various activities that are in many ways specifically for students who have additional needs.

The Apostolic Global Mentorship Network is also part of The Ekklesia. In the mentorship I serve ministry leaders of all ages who desire to receive assistance in foundational discipleship, ministry development, theological studies and exclusive one-on-one mentoring.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Developing and maintaining relationships has been the most effective strategy. Relationships are a currency. When relationships are not effective or even non-existent, it affects growth, collaboration, operational excellence, financial planning and more. Alignment is critical as well as momentum so being aligned with the right people while going in the right direction and the right speed is critical to growing our clientele.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn what I had been taught in ministry as it applied to money. I used to think that asking for money was not something that ministry leaders should do, but I soon learned that if I was going to build anything, I was going to have to learn how to ask for funding. I soon learned that everything I did cost. Curriculum was the greatest cost, rental space, furniture, electronics, daily materials, marketing and advertising, outreach, etc. Leadership has changed the way I deal with people, money, and how I see life in general.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://apostlechrystalcrawford.us/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrystalcrawford116
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrystalcrawford