Bivocational ministers are found around the world

This past weekend I received a message from a Facebook friend from Brazil.  He is attending seminary preparing for the ministry.  He speaks no English and uses Google translator to communicate with his English speaking friends.  His message was to thank me for my books which he has found has been a great encouragement to him and very helpful.  I am assuming one of the books he has read is Conciliando Profissa E Ministeri which is my book The Bivocational Pastor translated into Portuguese and published by CPAD which I believe is the publishing arm of the Assembly of God in Brazil.  I appreciated his comments very much.

A few years ago my book The Healthy Small Church was published in Korean by Word of Life Press.  I won't even try to reproduce the title of that book here!  The church in Korea continues to grow, and with the recent issues in that part of the world I would anticipate even more people will be coming to Christ.  I am honored to know that my work is playing a small part in meeting the leadership needs of the church there.

Last year I received e-mails from bivocational ministers in Scotland and India asking if I had plans to do any workshops in their countries.  They were reading my books and following my blog and other writings.  Perhaps God will one day open doors to do that, but for now I continue to develop resources that they can use in their churches and in their own personal lives.

It is easy for us in bivocational ministry to feel like we are all alone, but nothing could be further from the truth.  In the US bivocational ministry is growing across all denominations, and in some that growth is rapid.  Although I have not seen figures, my guess is that it is growing even more outside the US.  The fact is that God has been calling, and continues to do so, an army of bivocational ministers to serve the needs of His church around the world.  My friends, if you have responded to this call on your life you are part of that army.  Do not ever allow yourself to become discouraged and feel like you are "just a bivocational minister."  No, no, no...you are part of a significant move of God that is occurring around the world.  You are God's elect.  We should be both proud and humbled that He has chosen us to be part of this work.

Do you know a bivocational minister who is a little discouraged in the work right now?  If so, send him a link to this post.  It is my prayer that all who read it will be encouraged and reminded of the special call God has placed on their lives.