I survived another intensive class at Liberty Theological Seminary and have returned home. The class was very good, but it was good to pull back into my driveway Friday night. Now I have to get everything ready for my next class in about a month. That class looks to be the most difficult one to date.
Last night I had a call from a bivocational minister who was voted in as pastor of his church. He's had a couple of difficult pastorates before this one and wanted to know where he could get some help in learning how to be a better pastor. It's a question I am frequently asked, and the good news is there are a lot more opportunities to find good help than there was when I began my bivocational pastorate in 1981.
A growing number of schools now offer on-line programs that can lead to a certificate or a degree. Campbellsville University now has a certificate program on-line that is ideal for a bivocational minister. Their program provides a good mix of theological education and practical ministry skills. Liberty is now considered one of the top three distance learning schools in the nation, and they offer everything from their home Bible institute to doctoral programs. A number of seminaries now offer dual degree programs that allow someone to earn an MDiv and an MBA or MSW at the same time. This is a great opportunity for someone seeking to be an intentional bivocational minister.
If you are not ready for a formal education program there are numerous workshops and conferences offered, and don't limit yourself to only religious conferences. Classes on computers, public speaking, financial management, etc. are often offered by community colleges at very reasonable costs. Such classes can be very beneficial to a minister. Most denominations and judicatories provide training opportunities for ministers, and these are usually free or at a greatly reduced cost. You may want to talk to your judicatory leader and ask them to have me come in and do one of my workshops for bivocational and small church ministers.
One final option is to find a mentor or coach. Last night I received an e-mail from a bivocational minister who is interested in having me as his coach. It has been my privilege to coach a number of bivocational ministers who felt like they were stuck in ministry or some other aspect of their lives and needed some assistance. Coaching is a very powerful tool, and I highly recommend having your own personal coach. The costs are minimal, and the potential rewards are great.
When I began my ministry I felt that I was pretty much alone. There were few books or other resources written specifically for bivocational ministry. That is not the case today. There are a number of resources to help you in your ministry. The only thing you have to do is decide which ones are best for you and then use them.
1 comment:
I was glad to find your blog. Your "The Tentmaking Pastor" has encouraged me in my efforts to be bivocational. I work for AT&T Mobility in data support and minister with a Brazilian immigrant congregation in New Jersey. While I was in Brazil I was partially self-supporting (teaching English) and the only "full-time" ministry I ever had was miserable.
Regarding education, I've found this to be a struggle. My Bachelor's was in ministry, and only in retrospect did I realize that I should have gotten some education that would have been of value in the regular workplace.
So, now I'm getting ready to head back to community college for a computer science degree, then will likely work towards a Bachelor's in IT Administration. Once we are in a better financial situation, I can start to think about furthering my ministry training at a local seminary.
There is a lot more involved in preparing for and doing bivocational ministry than "full-time" work or ministry.
Again, it was a pleasure to run across your blog, and I'll be back. Thanks for all you do.
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