How did my blog become an all basketball blog? I guess that's what happens during the playoffs!
New Topic for commenting:
Talk to me about bivocational and lay ministry.
You know when ministers give their story...and you hear so many of them talk a/b running from God's call...yada yada yada...Well, I never felt that. I ran full speed into my call...until recently I recognized the way in which I too, have become the cliche' Jonah story. Here's how it has been for me. I ran toward vocational ministry (on the condition of my ministry being my primary source of income). I have spent way too much time placing conditions around my response to God's directions for my life. I now better understand and am fully satisfied that I am supposed to be a bivocational minister...for many reasons, that span an aray of motivations...which I am conitinuing to discover. I will comment a little later on describing more of the reasons why...or at least what I feel I can say here...but I first want to hear what you think a/b bivocational and/or lay ministry...+s and -s and personal experinces and feelings.
5 comments:
I've really been thinking about bivocational ministry, too. About 8 years ago, I was a youth minister at a small church where the pastor was bivocational. There was something refreshing about it, to know that he wasn't there for the paycheck.
I think there's probably a better biblical basis for bivocational ministry than ministry as primary source of income. Not that the latter is "unbiblical," per se.
And about your Jonah experience… You're only what, 22, 23? It could still happen. I know I was pretty confident way back then. I'm pretty sure I'm in the proverbial belly right now.
I forgot how dang old you are!
I'm deceptively immature.
Bivocational ministry makes sense for a lot of people these days. Part of it is because pastors/ministers feel out of touch with the world in which they live, so they put themselves in a position where they can engage with the culture. Part of it is because some people have 2 passions: church and their other job (construction, business, farming or whatever...depends on your passion and location I guess). And I guess part of it might be to earn an income because the church can't afford a full-time pastor. I'm sure other reasons remain because I'm not a bi-vo pastor.
Perhaps one negative about being bi-vo is finding a flexible job. As long as you can have Sundays off, then it shouldn't be a big deal. The positive would be your church structure would not be as complex or overwhelming, so you could handle 2 responsibilities.
I have to be careful not to sterotype bi-vo pastors as those who aren't "good enough" to be full-time because this is not the case. That's a shame to think like that I'll admit. It all goes back to calling (and if you even have 2 callings really) and if you feel like this is where God is leading then he'll take care of the road ahead.
Having the ability to be salt and light in the world without carrying the stereotype of "Pastor" is refreshing. The downside is the the necessity of work has to take precedent over my passion for the church. It's a new day for those of us called into ministry.
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