For centuries, the pastoral role has been seen as a whole and complete life call: full-time vocation, stopping other endeavors to give oneself completely to it.

In the last decades, the “bi-vocational pastoral role” has increased in prominence, namely due to:

• the multi-faceted & integrated aspects of society that combine social, business, political and economic aspects, hugely linked by social media and internet,
• the lack of sufficient resources in churches to finance full-time staff and ministers sufficiently for the need,
• the seeming detachment of some isolated full-time ministers; lack of skills that lay-people have, losing empathy, relevance and even authority to speak into their lives.

This article is not intended to debate the above issues, but rather to share my experience and ideas in navigating a bi-vocational ministry. I have been involved in one form or another since 2006 and have experienced a slow and gradual journey where God has dealt with me and challenged to grow in who I am in service to God.

Let me offer a simple definition for the purposes of this article:

BI-VOCATIONALISM is a space where the person sees more than one arena as a sense of high calling from God to impact and grow God’s mandate & purposes in multiple arenas. They do not see one as more important than the other, but both have God’s purpose and calling on their lives where they must fulfill and obey.

BI-VOCATIONALISM is not a “part-time” and “part-time” role (although realistically in terms of the 24hs we all have this is true), but rather a “full-purpose” mentality to accomplish what God puts upon their hearts for each arena.

Why and when should we consider a bi-vocational ministry?

• We feel a sense of calling to 2-3 fields of ministry, eg. An area of industry work as well as missions and kingdom work. We have skills, excellence and contribution that is observed and affirmed by others in these various fields.

Proverbs 22:29 (NIV) – Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

• We have a huge burden and resonance to be a witness and impact on lives in the marketplace.

Acts 18:2-3 (NIV) – There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

• We enjoy contributing to God’s kingdom work by partially / not drawing a salary, or giving in excess of time, finance or capacity to God’s work without drawing the compensation usually due.

Acts 20:34-35 (NIV) – You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

If some, or all, of these reasons resonate with you over an extended period through your working career and are affirmed by mentors and spiritual friends who know you, it is worthwhile considering if indeed bi-vocationalism is a call.

The following are good indicators which one will discover with time and intentionality:

1. Developing a foundational mindset that “it can be done” despite facing complex situations

Lacking this, the person cannot visualize themselves as being a successful and diligent worker in their fields and may end up cutting corners, dishonoring God in what they do.

2. A tested capacity – where one has the energy and ability

Bi-vocationalism occasionally has challenges rising on both or more sides of their work, often coming together at the same time! Lacking capacity will lead to a less-than-best effort in navigating them resulting in consequences for marketplace or church.

3. Fruit

I have observed some people who have both mindsets and capacity but wish to do something to prove themselves. They often end up not integrating well with either the marketplace co-workers or with the church leaders. They become mavericks who must do something on their own.

For example, someone may desire to use their business platform and opportunities for evangelism. However, she also has a reputation for not being submissive to her leaders and her church. Thus, while she feels successful and enjoys her work and ministry, the impact of her work is limited as she does not have upon her heart the need to work with others, to integrate with churches in the field. Ultimately there may be a question of how the work can continue, a serious concern about discipleship of those she has influenced. This undermines both the impact and sustainability of what she set out to do.

I do believe God uses such personalities, but if they do not mellow or change, then their ministry may not bear spiritual and long-term outcome that God may desire for Kingdom work.

How can I grow my Bi-Vocational Calling and Ministry in a sustainable way?

When we give things “a try”, it is a step of faith and an experiment. And this step is needed for us to find out if we are able to adapt and have continued passion for it. We need the clarity and affirmation that this path is for us. However, after trying if we find extreme discomfort, it may be an indication we are not suited for it. There is no shame in trying to find God’s leading and fit.

I know a brother who was very passionate about his service in church and was also an excellent witness in his workplace. He began to grow his church ministry, becoming a ministry overseer. In time, he felt such a strong passion for this that he applied for no-pay leave to serve as a full-time staff in church. Three years later, he felt he missed being able to make a contribution in his industry. He could see that God has gifted him to be able to contribute to the marketplace, he returned to the marketplace, and at the same time retained his passion for what the church is doing.

A sister wanted to bring positive change to her church which required her to play a role in certain key ministries. In order to do so, she chose to leave her corporate role. She started her own company so she could have more control over her work pace and volume, freeing time for church. Interestingly her company did so well that it grew to demand more and caused considerable stress. A few years later, she found a way to close the company, return to corporate work and served in church as an active lay leader.

These two stepped out in faith to explore the fit God has for them. Along the way they came away clearer about what fitted them, their bandwidths and strengths, and the need to involve others. I believe they are better for trying than not trying!

What can we do to help us adapt, grow, and sustain the pace of bi-vocational ministry?

I have observed these 5 helpful elements:

1. Know the season of your capacity.

We all have different capacities, they also vary with health, life-stage and mindsets. What is this season for you?

Joseph had a dream early in life about leading his brothers, but it did not come to pass until he later entered Pharaoh’s court.

Moses felt strongly for the injustice of his people, early in life he killed an Egyptian while trying to intervene in a beating of the Hebrews, but he only entered into a God-given role much later as a shepherd of the Hebrews in the desert.

When God calls us, there are seasons of fruition. You may sense a bi-vocational call, but this may or may not be the season of the fruition of that call. God prepares us, gives us capacity and release us at His timing. Don’t ignore the call, nor cast it aside. Rather keep holding it in your heart and preparing yourself for the skills and capacity that are needed when it comes.

2. Find “pit-stops” to refresh your calling and passion in God.

When I used to teach in a school, I would have just finished a heavy Sunday ministry and on Monday mornings I would trudge to school with all the students rushing for their classes. I was complaining about Monday blues as the students probably were (but for different reasons!) I would ask myself: why am I doing this? Do I really need the money? Is this worth it? For me, the deepest answer is: God has called me to this in this season! Therefore, I need to overcome my mental fatigue, I need to be more effective in time-management, I need to be wiser in balancing my energy, and more competent in my skills in both arenas — all this because of God’s calling!

Taking time to remember God’s calling, refresh my perspectives and “sharpen my saw” is crucial to sustaining a bi-vocational journey for the long-haul.

3. Keep God’s sabbath.

Isaiah 58:13-14 (NIV)

¹³“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the LORD’s holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

¹⁴then you will find your joy in the LORD,

and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”

The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Easier said than done, but the Sabbath is made for man—as Jesus said—so we must respect that God never intended man to run 24/7. Taking a space once a week to pause work and harried-ness, to re-find God’s compass and hear Him is an important “maintenance” our Creator God promotes for His creation made in His image—man.

I don’t always succeed in keeping a Sabbath, but because I desire to keep the heart of it and have built a disciplined rhythm, I keep it more often that I don’t. Sabbaths are not dogmatic rests for me, but rather times of renewal, reflection and prayer in God’s presence. It has kept me sane all this while!

4. Know your “spiritual pathway” and walk in it.

Gary Thomas, in Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to God (Zondervan), wrote about 9 paths that draw people closer to God. We all resonate with 1-2 pathways more than others, and we should learn to leverage them to draw closer and more deeply to God.

My esteemed senior, Pastor Lawrence Chua, once shared insights with me about his bi-vocational journey which he successfully navigated as a law firm director and a senior pastor. Ps. Lawrence commented that it is imperative for a person to experience Psalms 1:1-3 (NIV):

¹Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. ²But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. ³He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Ps. Lawrence said that it is one thing to feel refreshed by the river of God after a church camp or a retreat. It is another thing to experience this while multi-tasking, having multiple roles and juggling multiple responsibilities—that is the challenge of claiming and experiencing this promise of God. Hence, I believe that it is needful to walk in ways that we know resonate with us to experience God deeply and even quickly by adequate preparations, amidst our busy responsibilities.

5. Seek to put God at the center of everything by over-balancing to correct misalignments.

I wish to describe a tension here: having Christ as the center means that all priorities should be aligned to God’s leading and word to you for that season. Because God is a living God who may lead us to change certain directions, or we have inadvertently made mistakes and the Spirit convicts us of misalignment, there are then areas that are imbalanced when out of sync.