When I realized that Bible College was not the format I wanted my philosophy of ministry to develop in, I began to desire something more organic. I wanted to spend my time doing ministry and living life because I realized the books I was reading in Bible College, could be recommended and bought at a much lesser cost than my tuition payment. The thought of going into thousands of dollars of debt to become a servant to all never really appealed to me. I knew I could learn and grow just as well, if not better, in a life pursuit of doing what I was designed to do. Granted, when I first started thinking about ending my Bible College career, my thoughts weren't quite as developed as they are now. I just knew I wanted something else.
So, I finished my second semester at Lancaster Bible College and I never looked back. I wanted more of real life (if you are a fan of the institutional bible college paradigm, please don't be offended. It just wasn't for me). So I entered the second year program at the Berkshire Institute for Christian Studies (BICS). My hope for that year was that I could figure out the direction I wanted to take my pursuit of ministry.
Near the end of my second semester at BICS, I was then presented with the opportunity of enrolling in the Antioch School for Church Planting and Leadership Development. It based it's educational criteria on training and mentoring through church based education and practicums. This open door seemed like the exact answer I was hungering for. I applied, was accepted and have been enrolled for almost a year and a half.
Over my enrollment I have had several frustrations with the amount of time this is taking. At this point I have officially (or unofficially depending on how you view accreditation) begun my fourth full year of education. It is looking like this process will still take another two years to earn my bachelors of ministry. I do have to take some classes but during this time I also design several ministry practicums, work full time, participate in a local church, and live life. I have grown so much due to the fact that I am not in the bubble of a campus. Many church leaders have spent time mentoring, developing, and training me. The classes I have to take have really challenged my biblical philosophy of ministry. They have started discussions about how the local church ought to look vs. how it really is. It has brought a challenge to not only think theology but live out my theology and biblical world view as well.
Some of the discussions that I started with my mentors last year we are still having and struggling with. But the coolest part is that I can see God challenging us to push out this conversation into the church. And that is AWESOME! What does it mean to be a local church? I can tell you it is more than a building. Though the classes and "education" aspect of my schooling seems to be going slow, I can see the growth in my own thinking and life. I don't regret my decision to pursue this church based format. It has helped me to develop my philosophy of ministry and see the gifts and creativity God has designed for me to have deep in my core. I don't know if this kind of growth would have been possible for me in the Bible College format. Don't get me wrong, education is important. We need to constantly be pursuing wisdom. But I desire to be part of what I'm studying while I'm studying it. To God be the glory!
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