Maybe you're a teacher, a nurse or doctor, a business person, a trades-person or in retail…why not keep your career but still consider multiplying churches?
Often we think it is one or the other. I wonder if God has given you this career so you can actually be launched into planting churches that plant churches. I am convinced, if we are serious about reaching the Western world, we need to change the way we plant churches!! We need to think differently, outside the square.
In Europe, I work with people who are doctors, teachers, IT specialists who are planting churches that plant churches. In fact, one pastor has a business that successfully sells his inventions throughout Europe and beyond.
What are the benefits of being a church planter who works in a career?Maybe for years you have seen these as limitations; stopping you planting churches. I think the points below are positives and maybe God allows them so the multiplication of churches happens. Think China, India, Africa: they are seeing churches multiplying exponentially.
- No payment is required from the new church plant or anywhere else, because you have a career.
- Benefits that come with your career:holiday pay, insurances, sick pay - in some jobs, maybe a car - are resources for the family and the church.
- You have finances for time off and good holidays, so emotional health is maintained.
- As your time is limited, you need to be focused to choose people and release them into ministry activities.
- You are meeting and mixing with people in your career world who are potential disciples and hopefully you can lead them to Christ.
- A small community of faith is sustainable, and small multiplies best. Remember, being able to plant a new church is never about the size of the mother church, it’s always about leadership readiness.
A church planter friend of mine in Poland asked me, “How big does a church have to be to plant a church?
I asked him, “How big do you think it has to be?
He replied, “I’ve been told a church has to be 200 people and I have to have $20.000 euros”
I began to laugh. “Well, you won’t be planting many churches then, will you, and you certainly won’t be able to multiply!”
He agreed.
In Poland, there are over 40,000 towns and villages which have no church in them. Multiplication needs to happen if we are serious about reaching this generation and the ones to come.
The one thing Jesus asked us to do was to make disciples. It must be a focus as your time is limited as a bi-vocational church leader, which I see is a very positive thing. This focuses us on priorities. Others are released into ministry and harvest to get the job done. Kind of what Jesus wants I reckon...
No ABC is needed, in other words, NO drive for Attendance numbers, Buildings or Cash!
Relax, enjoy, focus on disciple-making and multiply!
Well that’s my list. I’m sure you’ll have yours.
Do you have a church in your heart? Go for it. You can do it. Use your home to begin with, don’t stop your career… you have all the resources you need.
A last word of warning and wisdom: Make sure you team up with a group of churches that can help, support and encourage you. It’s too dangerous to do it alone.
Below Ralph Moore gives his take on this, which is an excellent read.
Ralph Moore: Benefits of Career/Freelance Church Planting
