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Advice for the Bi-Vocational Church Planter

Orginally published on Thursday, July 27, 2006 at 7:00 AM
by Todd Rhoades

Church Planter Luke Camara Shares some good advice about church planting... It is hard to start a church and have little to no money. It often means that in order to afford renting out the Middle School Cafeaturium, you need to cut back your own salary. Which means you have now just joined the ranks of the Bi-Vocational Pastor! I know what that is like. When I started out I worked a full time job. And if you have to work you might as well try to make it work for your church as well. So when you go out to look for a job, full-time or even part time, try to keep these thoughts in mind.

First try to find a job that you can leave at the office. You have enough on your mind already.

Second, try to find a job that is in your target community which allows you to interacting with your target group. If you are trying to reach upscale suburbanites do not get a job in the auto shop of Wal-Mart across town! I know of one church planter who is doing this well, he is a barista at the coffee shop that he is going to start his church in. He is meeting them in the church’s “building”!

Third, make sure that when you are at work, you are devoting all your efforts to the job before you. Nothing says poor church planter like poor worker. You want to impress these people not turn them against you.

And finally, keep your head up. The only path out of Bi-Vocation ministry is a bold vision that comes from God and through faith. When I made the move from a full time job to a part time job, it allowed me to spend more time focusing on growing a healthy church. But it also has increased the faith of my wife and myself. Those corporate checks always seem to show up on Friday.

You can read more of Luke’s writing at his blog here.


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 TRACKBACKS: (0) There are 10 Comments:

  • Posted by eric
    Thursday, July 27, 2006 at 9:22 AM

    I was a bivocational church planter for six years (will probably be so again in a few years). Here are two things I would add.

    You have to have a kingdom mindset. It is about building the church, not yourself. If you focus on your salary, then the ministry of the church suffers. It is about doing whatever it takes to make your church succeed as far as you are concerned. You are responsible for obedience. God is responsible for everything else. It may come down to hiring everyone else first. Why? Because you are putting the kingdom first.

    It is essential to have good time management and to set appropriate boundaries around your priorities. No skimping on the family time and rest time. Those are usually the first to go if they are not guarded well.

  • Posted by Jason Fletcher
    Thursday, July 27, 2006 at 8:40 PM

    This is exactly where I’m at--right at the outset of bi-vo church planting.  I really feel the comments about putting the kindgom first and your self/salary last.  My biggest fear going into this church planting thing was that I didn’t want to do anything that would hinder or impede the Body, and if that means working outside of the church for my financial support--then so be it!  I’d love to connect with some other guys who are out there doing the same thing. Sometimes I feel second class because I’m not “full-time” vocational.

  • Posted by eric
    Friday, July 28, 2006 at 6:14 AM

    Jason,

    Feel free to contact me. I was bi-vocational for six years, and will be here again in a few years. I am in the process of re-tooling for another church plant.

    eric

  • Posted by Luke Camara
    Friday, July 28, 2006 at 8:17 AM

    Jason, It looks like you are doing some great stuff. Feel free to e-mail/contact me about what it is like to be a bi-vocational church planter. I am there right now!

  • Posted by Vincent Klug
    Friday, July 28, 2006 at 12:10 PM

    I have gone over two months without income.  It is so hard to take time away from this baby church, when it is so clear to me that God has called me to pastor her. 

    Yet I feel the strain of not having an income...cashing in savings, selling stuff…

    What hit me was something I already knew that I have forgotten. 

    Twenty something years a go when I was called to youth ministry, I found a secular job where I could work with youth…

    I could much better give myself to a job that put me in the midst of the people I am trying to reach through Vintage-Faith Community Church. 

    Thank you Luke.

  • Posted by
    Monday, July 31, 2006 at 6:33 AM

    I am five years into a church plant in NE Oklahoma City in a surburb called Edmond.  I found that planting the church and using my passion for ministry can be a both/and verses an either/or situation.  I started a company where I can have the freedom to pastor the planted church by becoming a corporate chaplain in the market place.  The corporate setting is so ripe for the harvest and offering them a cool drink from the well that never runs dry is just what the doctor ordered for both of us. 

    I realize that planting a church is a life-time calling for me and assisting employees in the marketplace is a hugh part of that calling.  Might as well let big business pay my way as I build the Kingdom of God.  If I can earn most of my income outside of the church plant, that gives the church every opportunity to set deep roots in the city without the pressure of taking care of the pastor for a while.  If any of you would like to know more about how to do this let me know and I would be happy to share what I have discovered.  To God be the glory!

  • Posted by
    Friday, September 15, 2006 at 6:41 PM

    Guys,

    I’m currnetly 48, in school to finish my degree - I’m sensing God wants me to do some seminary too. Not that I want to - it seems to be His desire and I will follow. Bi-vocational church planting grabs my heart. I have been trying to start something here in my neighborhood. I’m currently on staff at a church (not the pastor) 20 hours a week. I’m leading a small contemporary service and caring for a few other ministries. My heart is so missional. I’ve assisted with two church plants over the years. I think it’s in my blood. Your posts are helpful and encouraging. I wonder if we could get MMI or another web site to chunck out a blog area for bivocational church plant discussions? I want to learn more from you.

  • Posted by Jim Dunn
    Monday, December 11, 2006 at 11:08 AM

    I was a Bi-vocational church planter for 5 years. I thank God for the struggle that it was. He provided everything we needed when we needed it and it taught me to rely on God and expect his blessing. I watched him give us a free church building from a church that had closed its doors 2 years earlier, as well as a house and a 15 passenger van ! This was after meeting in a storefront for 3 years watching people get saved and lives changed. We are now moving because we have outgrown this building. We will be doing something slightly unconventional. We will be sharing a building with a Romanian Church of like faith. They have a beautiful facility and the willingness to work together. We have decided that we can accomplish more for God Together than we could apart. God once again has allowed us to serve him in a greater way than we could afford or even imagined.

    My advise to someone desiring to plant a church would be to find someone who has the same burden that you do for ministry and work together as a team.  I stood alone and it was tough. God blessed yes, but I believe God blessed my heart not my methods. i would still love to have someone blessed with the ability to be a strong song leader. The second piece of advise is that if you can have peace doing anything else, do it. You will need a strong calling of the Lord to stick with it.

  • Posted by
    Monday, December 11, 2006 at 12:11 PM

    Jim,

    Thanks for your words of wisdom. Your scenario gets me so excited. Since I posted last, I have taken a part time position back in business (I am also ½ time on staff as a minister in my Church). I believe I know 2-3 very strong Christians that would be quite interested in working with me. I’m looking to God for a clear signal to proceed and a location that he would want us to begin (my living room or theirs). Any other thoughts?

  • Posted by Jim Dunn
    Monday, December 11, 2006 at 3:51 PM

    Robert,

    I can only speak from my experience but starting a church in your house / Bible Study is a slow growth process. I started in my home and had no growth in the church untill we rented a building. People feel as if you are a cult when invited to a church meeting in a home. (Home Church people need not reply) It is also illegal to have a church in a house. If you call it a “church” you must meet the safety requirements for a meeting place. i.e. parking,exits, fire extinguishers etc… Be sure to call it a Bible Study. 

    I am speaking of the physical needs here. I realize the great need for prayer and submission to God. But when I started out I had no help and made plenty of mistakes. Every Pastor I talked to including my own had no real idea what it takes to start a church because they had all taken over exsisting works.,

    Here is a great resource link
    http://www.christianlaw.org/resources/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,39/category_id,1/manufacturer_id,0/

    It is the Christian Law Association book on “How to Leagally Start a Ministry”
    feel free to email me with any spefic questions, I may or may not have the answer but I am willing to help.

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