Jon Sampson

We’re in the middle of a discussion about why bivocational ministry is a needed, and positive, idea for the church. To read the beginning, go here.

4. It’s sustainable

The truth is, church planting (and church “long-terming”) has to look different as our culture changes. As I mentioned earlier, it takes a lot of resources to do church the way we’ve been doing church. Planting a church bivocationally means you’re not in a rush to reach a certain number of people so their tithe can support your salary. When you’re in a rush, it’s easier to gather a big crowd – mostly of Christians transferring from other churches – than it is to do the work of getting outside, meeting people, and building relationships. When you gather a big crowd, there’s less of a need to get out, listen to people’s needs, and serve the community. It’s easy to feel successful with just a Sunday show.

Sustainable planting also means you’re not in a rush to reach a certain type of person with a certain income so their tithe can support your salary. Instead, you can focus on anyone – college students, people in the margins, lower income people.

That slow growth means that more of the people who join your church/community may join because they’ve come to Christ from relationships within the community. That’s a powerful way to grow.