Thursday, November 14, 2019

Thursday's Catch: Bi-Vocational Ministry and More


What Skills Does a Bi-Vocational Pastor Need?

More and more, I hear pastors say that bi-vo is the way to go. By supporting themselves they can start a church from scratch without having to solicit funds from supporting congregations until they become self-sustaining. By supporting himself, a pastor cannot be held hostage by a church bully–or a committee of controllers–who insist that he do things their way to keep from losing his job and throwing his family into financial crisis. Read More

The New Normal: 9 Realities And Trends In Bivocational Ministry

Bivocational ministry is more than a pit-stop along the way to "real" pastoral ministry. It's as real as pastoring gets. And it's becoming very common, very fast. Read More

5 Benefits to Bivocational Ministry

Despite the focus on full-time ministry, more than 1 in 3 churches (37.8%) in America have bivocational pastors according to the 2015 Faith Communities Today survey. That’s up from 28.6% in 2010. There are indeed a growing number of pastors who are choosing to work two or more jobs. Here are five benefits to serving in bivocational ministry. Read More

4 Steps to Spiritual Survival for Bi-Vocational Pastors

The unique challenges of pastoral ministry are well known. These unique challenges are only compounded when the pastor is bi-vocational. Time constraints, financial concerns, and difficulty accomplishing basic pastoral priorities often define this ministry. These constraints cause a unique temptation for the bi-vocational pastor to neglect caring for his own soul. Read More

Desiring God: Bi-Vocational Ministry [Podcast]

Bi-vocational ministry is a strategic and challenging call. Danny Ovalle, a bi-vocational pastor in New England, recently joined us to talk about the rationale and practice of serving as a pastor while supporting his family with an additional job. Listen Now

4 Reasons You Can't Assume People Know the Gospel

While we as pastors explain the gospel and invite people to respond to Christ in our preaching and personal conversations, I’m afraid we sometimes believe the gospel is clear when it isn’t. Here are four reasons why it’s important we don’t assume people understand the gospel. Read More

7 Ways to Draw Millennials to Your Church

LifeWay Research found 70 percent of young adults who indicated they attended church regularly for at least one year in high school do drop out of regular church attendance. That does not mean, however, they have left never to return. In fact, according to LifeWay Research, almost two-thirds return and currently attend church (within the time frame of the study). That same study found most don’t make a conscious decision to leave due to a doctrinal dispute or significant disagreement. They simply drift away because the church doesn’t seem as important to their lives as it once did. Many have looked at a church and decided it is no longer relevant. Read More

4 People Influencing Your Kids You Have Never Heard Of

Previously, parents felt good if they knew the names of their children’s friends. Student pastors wanted to stay up to date on the top music artists. For those seeking to point the next generation to Christ, they may have some relentless competition from names they’ve never heard of and never even thought to investigate. Do you know who PewDiePie is? What about Jeffree Star or Shane Dawson? How about Markiplier? According to a recent study from Morning Consult, those are the four most influential people to millennials and Generation Z. The thing they all have in common? YouTube. Read More

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