I'm Feeling Down

I've had a couple of conversations these past two days that left me a little bummed. God has given me a vision and a dream to plant a church here in Phoenix, Arizona and the dream He gave me can't at any level be done with out Him. It's just too different and too big (I know all church planters say that).

But people see God's dream through the world's eyes and it hurts. I know one of those people that I talked with this week said things out of love and protection for me, but the other I would of rather them not say anything at all. But whatever.

I don't have a degree and people tell me all the time how I have to have one for ministry. Prove it to me and I'll believe you. Because I oversaw a pretty successful junior high ministry and never got a diploma. I read all the books I would of for a degree and did more studying then I would ever of in college. I taught myself ministry and did it better then most. Not tooting my horn; just proving how God can do huge things.

I know I have no idea on how to start or lead a church, but I didn't know how to do junior high ministry either. Nor did the disciples know how to start The Church. Just because I haven't gotten my degree doesn't mean I haven't done the work for it. My God can move mountains and if we have the faith that God will move those mountains, He will.

He [Jesus] replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
I will get a degree, only because I don't want it to become a stumbling block for non-believe to become followers of Jesus Christ under my leadership. But for only that reason.

The point of churches won't partner with you to plant this church if the leader doesn't have a degree. Sweet! I don't want to partner with those churches, either. I want to partner with churches that look at this dream like we do..."this is crazy huge and impossible on our own" and have the faith that God can move this mountain! Those are the churches and people I want to partner with to plant this church.

Sorry for the rant. I had to get it off my chest. It really hurt to hear it from these people. I understand where they both were coming from. And I appreciated the conversation from the one, but I also don't take "wisdom" from believers that aren't believing in God's power and living like it.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep dreaming the big dream Josh. I have no doubts that God can use you for bigger things than you can imagine.

Why would you need a degree to start a church? Does each and every missionary have a degree? Do they "plant" churches in places all over the world? Do people in who live in straw huts in the middle of a humid jungle say, "I like your 'idea' of God, but you don't have a degree, so I can't believe what you are saying is true"? Do people in this country, who are down on their luck, or looking for truth hear our message of the gospel and then decide whether or not to believe in what we are saying based on their knowledge of our education?

I'm not saying that an education isn't important or wouldn't be important to running a church.

I think if more Churches ran their operations with a passion for Christ and the love He offers, more people would be willing to go every Sunday or even more often.

Too many churches try to run like a business and only look at the bottom line. The bottom line of a church is how people we have saved from the clutches of the Evil One.

How many things in this world have been invented or started by someone who doesn't have a degree in something?

You bring up an excellent point. Did the apostles have degrees in ministry? Oh wait, that's right, they didn't have universities back then. They had God lead them where He wanted them to go.

Wendy said...

I know God will use you regardless of your station in life. This has been proven many times over throughout the entire Bible. Would it be a good idea to get an education? Possibly. That is between you & God. If you are interested in one, however, talk to Steve. He is doing an online thing right now that will count as credits towards a degree at Louisiana Baptist University. It is pretty flexible & not too costly either. Email him for more info. Or you can check out this link http://www.studycenter.com/courses.html and look under the handbook link. It's pretty cool.

Anyhow, keep your head up, Josh. This is probably just the first of many adversities to come. Remember, Satan will attack those working for the Kingdom of God, and pastors usually seem to live in a fishbowl.

Love you and hate that someone has gotten you down.

Josh Burcham said...

Thanks for the encouragement. It's all good. People have their opions.

Phil Morgan said...

wow man! Was I one of these people? I have come to believe that there is a mixture of truth in everything. while I am a firm believer in not needing a degree to do something I have some strong suggestions as to why it helps and it has nothing to do with what you will learn while getting the degree. Sounds funny I know, but the info you will be given whil earning a ministry degree will be 10% useful and 90% head knowledge. That 90% comes in handy from time to time, the rest we are making up as we go along. I would love to talk with you about this if I WASN't ONE OF THE ONE WHO CAUSED THE RANT. If so, maybe we still need to talk!

Josh Burcham said...

No, wasn't you and I would be glad to sit and talk. Email me.