Bivocational workshops in Michigan

On September 14 I was privileged to lead a couple of workshops at the Church Equipping Conference for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan.  The workshops I presented were "Transitioning Your Church to Be More Effective" and "Time Management for Bivocational Ministers."  Each were presented twice that day.  Jeff Iorg, President of Golden Gate Theological Seminary was the plenary speaker, and following that service we broke up into the various workshops scheduled for the day.  George Fountain, Bivocational Pastoral Consultant for the BSCM, was the person who initially contacted me about coming, and I want to thank him for the opportunity.  I never heard an official total for the event, but during lunch I did overhear someone estimating there were over 400 people attending this conference.  Judging from the attendance in my workshops a number of those persons were bivocational ministers or lay leaders in bivocational churches.  It was truly a great day.

In an event like this there is often not a lot of time available between workshops.  I think there was about a 15 minute gap between sessions which did not give the presenters and attendees much time to interact between sessions.  However, I was struck by some of the comments I heard as people were leaving my workshops and by e-mails I later received.  This was especially true regarding the "Time Management for Bivocational Ministers" workshop.  It became clear to me that this workshop was really needed by some of those who attended it.  At least one was about ready to leave the ministry because of the stress he was feeling as a bivocational minister.  Another thanked me for a personal story I shared in that workshop, and I felt from his words and the look on his face that it spoke to a challenge he was feeling in his own life.

I want to commend the Baptist State Convention of Michigan for recognizing the value bivocational ministers bring to their churches and for ensuring that their conference offered opportunities for those pastors to come together for fellowship and instruction.  I hear from so many bivocational leaders that they feel ignored or abandoned by their regional and denominational leaders.  George Fountain and the other leaders in the BSCM are making sure their pastors do not feel that way.  May their tribe increase!

Bivocational ministry is tough, and those whom God has called to this ministry needs all the support they can receive.  We in denominational leadership must make sure that we provide them with the instruction and encouragement and support they need to fulfill God's call on their lives.  As the numbers of bivocational ministers continue to climb in virtually every denomination, this support will become even more critical in the future.

For those pastors (both bivocational and fully-funded) who feel overwhelmed by all the demands on their lives, you must find ways to bring your life and ministry into a proper balance.  I know that is not easy.  Believe me, I know.  But, your life, your family, and your ministry depends on you doing that.  Find a workshop that will help you do that.  Talk to other pastors who seem to have been able to do that and ask how they've done it.  Read books and articles that address this.  I've written two that can help you get control of your time:  The Healthy Pastor: Easing the Pressures of Ministry and my newest book The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry: A Pastor's Guide. I'm not recommending these just to sell books but because I care about your well-being, and I know first-hand what happens when a bivocational minister doesn't practice good self-care.  Let me know if I can be of any help to you.