I don’t know why, but these two ideas seem to be at odds with each other: money and ministry.
If you make too much money, or have nice material possessions, you’re probably not serving Jesus. If you are voluntarily poor and minimalist, you’re probably living the Gospel.
At least that’s what we perceive.
It’s a tension we don’t bring up often. But it’s a conversation I want to have with you.
And I apologize up front: this post is longer than usual. But I guarantee you it’ll be worth it.
A Passion For Ministry
I have a passion for ministry.
I long to see worship leaders, church planters, pastors, and apostolic leaders released to do the work of the ministry in their generation.
I long to see the lost saved, the sick healed, the Gospel proclaimed to all the unreached people groups. I want to spend my life raising up worship leaders who are close to the presence of God, ushering the church into deeper levels of His presence.
But there’s a story I hear too often.
A Story We’re Afraid To Tell About Ministry
It’s the story of Jimmy. Jimmy is a fictional character, but represents a lot of young ministers.
Jimmy felt a call to “full time” ministry when he was at a church camp in the 4th grade. He wanted to either be a missionary or a pastor. He went on numerous short term missions trips through High School, maintaining a positive, youthful exuberance about his future as a minister.
He was confident God would make his path clear for the future.
Unsure of what exactly to do after high school, he enrolls in a Bible College in order to further “prepare” for God’s will. Throughout this whole process he is waiting, stalling, longing for some shining light to direct his paths.
College drags on and life sets in. The youthful zeal he used to experience becomes overwhelmed by classes, dating, and hanging out with friends. In the end, he graduates college with $30,000 worth of debt.
But He’s still holding onto His calling to serve Jesus in full time ministry.
He gets married, has a couple kids, and plants a church in the inner city. The salary obviously isn’t enought to provide for his family so He works at a local grocery store part time to try and make ends meet.
Jimmy and his wife get along, but there is constant strife in the home due to financial strain. The wonderful, should-be life giving, calling to “ministry” is looking more and more like a cuss word in Jimmy’s life.
Is your story similar?
What if it didn’t have to be this way?
What If We Told a Different Story?
What if ministers tapped into the power of entrepreneurship – to generate good income on their own, not dependent on a church salary?
What if Jimmy was financially independent of the church and could spend his extra time focusing on ministry, not as a means to making a living, but as a passionate calling he could pour His life into?
What if church planters were trained on how to make a living online? There are so many options for online business that require an initial investment of time, but can eventually run in a passive way, depending on your skill.
What if there was another way to be in ministry without $30,000 of college debt? Too often, college is a form of “stalling”. You don’t know what to do, so you go to college to hopefully discover that. I’m sorry, but that’s an expensive, bad plan.
What if our young ministers took action to start businesses with their church plants without waiting to be “picked”?
What if we weren’t so overloaded with debt but were free to be a vessel that God could give through?
What if business and ministry served one another in our lives?
Go And Glorify God
I believe God has called you. No doubt.
But don’t expect God to brush your teeth, put your clothes on, and tell you what to do today.
As you delight yourself in His goodness, He will give you the desires of your heart. He has given you passions. Pursue those passion creatively, make money, and go serve Jesus. That is glorifying God.
It’s not a sin to make money. It’s a sin to treasure money more than God. Having money will give you margin in your life, minimize stress, and enable you to give like never before. To put it simply, you must have something in order to give something.
Take action. Embrace responsibility for your future. Go and shine amazing grace into the world.
This is part of an ongoing conversation we’ll have here on the blog. Thanks for joining the discussion!
Question: How are you living out this tension of money and ministry? Let’s go for it, my friends. Join the discussion!
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You really hit home this morning, I’m sitting in my office preparing for my message and praying and doing what us pastors do. But the realization is the Lord has clearly called me and my wife to another state 12 hours away. I only have 5 more weeks as a full-time youth/worship/small groups/graphic designer/video editor pastor… I’m super freaked out because I know God has spoken. But there is no job for me when I get there. Ministry is all I know. I want to serve God and watch heaven come to earth, but how do you do that and still provide for your family… It’s a question that has battered the side of my brain for weeks now. I’m not good at anything but ministry (or so I think)… I totally agree with you in that many of us stall in the process of the calling. I have a friend that sounds just like “Jimmy” Graduated from CBC just got married and has a kid on the way and finds him self working part-time at Sams Club and is not in ministry. Can’t get a good job because his degree is in Pastoral. I find my self wishing that I would have started a business or got a degree in something so now in my situation I wouldn’t be in this position. Don’t get me wrong I know the Lord has big plans for us, But how grand would it be to not “have” to rely on a church to be your pay check. But rather it being as place to pour into. Good word David
Hey Ryan, you’re not alone. I would probably challenge your comment that says you’re not good at anything but ministry. Typically, ministry skills can transfer into a lot of other areas of leadership. Sometimes you just have to get creative with it.
Amen brother! I’ve been talking and praying about this for a long time now, but still just don’t have the answer. I love what David said in this article, but where do we find all the answers for your questions :). I would LOVE to hear more. Just got on your blog and could do with some direction?!
Blessings to all the pastors working so hard!
What if the modern church awoke to the facts of what the Bible says instead of what our humanistic denominational doctrines have told us? I have heard all my life that “God will never put more on us that we can bear” or “God doesn’t hear a sinners prayer” and many many more things like this. The facts from scripture are that both those statements are false! To explain my point, we as God’s children have been way too reliant on ministers in our knowledge of scripture, when the Word says to Study to show ourselves approved unto God! In my area, the church has this poverty mentality. That Jesus left His throne to become poor and live a poor, broke life, to redeem us. The Bible says to pay double honor to God’s ministers for they are watchers of your souls. God provides for those He has truly set in the body to do a role. Self called guys may not find that provision. After all He told the 12 to take no script or changes of clothes and God will provide ur needs. Paul said he robbed other churches to be able to sustain his ministry to the Corinthians. Someone paid for Paul’s livelyhood as a minister. Apparently his church did! But there were times when Paul made tents to pay his own way. The fact is this: when its God’s will, it’s God’s bill.
If Jesus was so poor, why did they cast lots for His garment? It was obviously not a rag! If God isn’t concerned about money, why did Jesus sit by the offering plate to see who put what in? After all He said, “You all gave of your abundance, but this women gave the only two mites that she had!” Why is the tithe of the tenth a commandment so that God’s house will have abundance? It wasn’t certainly commanded to hoard it up. Maybe to provide for His ministers to be free to study and preach? Jesus had a treasurer for some reason named Judas. Anyone can keep up with pocket change, but to need a treasurer must mean there was some money to be overseen. Imagine this: A man shows up and starts healing EVERYONE who came to Him. He is turning the world upside down, and yet noone seeks to bless him? Today’s tv ministers are doing no miracles and yet people are sending checks to them everyday? My point is simply this: God provides for His called thru His peoples faith. To not pay our Pastors is a shame in the eyes of God! Why would God contradict His own Word? He didnt want His preachers dealing with complainers in the church so they could give themselves to study, prayer, and preaching. Why in His name would he want them working at the Kroger, or Walmart Food Center?
Good thoughts, Chris. I just think ministry changes when it becomes your paycheck as well. I’m not saying pastors shouldn’t be paid. I think there’s definitely a place for that. But I also think we should think creatively about how we can make money in unique ways. Kroger or Walmart definitely isn’t the answer. We need the entrepreneurs to rise up!
We do need entrepreneurs to rise up in the church, but I’m not sure whether those who are entrepreneurs would normally make good pastors & vice versa. Maybe being a shepherd doesn’t take an entrepreneurial mind/motivation.
Agreed. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, but I believe a lot of pastor’s carry this gift.
Agree ?
Interesting topic you bring up. Thanks for being willing to even though “talking about money makes people funny”. I’m kinda in the midst of this, and so are all the “ministers” at my church. I’m the worship director and I along with all paid staff are “bi-vocational”. And we’re not a tiny church. A church of our size would normally have several full-time staff. I’m not sure what the others are paid, but I’m definitely less than half-time. So, I’m a freelance web developer as well. Not really “so”. I was doing web-dev before I took on these responsibilities at my church. But felt God leading to switch to freelance so I could invest in other things and be more flexible. My wife & I are also trying to put a good bit of time into other ministry in our community. It all sounds great in theory, and I think it can work, but sometimes it’s very frustrating being pulled in multiple directions, and multiple bosses, and be stretched pretty far financially. But for us, God has been very faithful and it’s been Him drawing me to trust and be His servant every day, asking Him what should take priority. So while I often wish I could focus on worship (or other) ministry full-time, if I’m looking at the financials, I can’t. I keep asking God how my work can intertwine in ministry more.
Just thought I’d share a bit of my experience in this. Thanks again!
Daryl, great to hear from someone living this out! If you’re web-savvy, I’m sure there’s an endless amount of options for you to make money online. That’s an incredible skill to have!
Loved this post. I’ve had an entrepreneurial bug for years, and always saw online marketing as what would “finance” my call into full time ministry. The dream was temporarily derailed after a season of rapid loss, as well as feeling pretty certain that I’m being planted within a specific church community that can’t afford any additional staff. This post, which I randomly came across, is literally an answer to prayer. On to taking that next step of faith to continue doing what I love, without the living-in-poverty part.
Great to meet you, Ami! What exactly are you planning to do online? Would love to hear!
A multidimensional topic for sure. A spiritual icon I am not, so please do not think that I believe I have it figured out. But, Matthew chapters 5 and 6 speak directly to this. Especially Matt. 6:24 Some things I have thought about, just observations. Sometimes a call to ministry is your own sensitivity that something needs to be done. You do it, it grows, then it declines. I have known lots of people who believed they were called to full time ministry that are no longer in it. I can not judge them negatively because they aspired to that. I was a music minister, but my life moved in such a way that it was not a “lifetime” calling. I have a 1st cousin who went to seminary and became a pastor, but the money he made in the oil business finally lured him back.My experience has been that (save for a rare few), people in the ministry are just as conflicted and afflicted as everyone else. One’s life and ministry will go through changes, and most people will never have “enough” money. Matthew chapt. 6 also says God will provide for you. God will keep you and provide for you WHERE He wants you. You must use your own discernment as to how he does that. As is well known, Paul made tents. I know a few people at church with lots of money. Some of them are not happy and secure, and still think they don’t have enough. Being self employed and owning a business, I can attest to the fact that it owns me, not the other way around. I think that is the essence of Matt. 6:24. “I will earn just a little extra.” Then a little more etc. Your ministry doesn’t have to be tied to a paycheck. How much of you is left after you make your money, regardless of how? There is nothing inherently wrong with money, just what does God want you to do. I honestly think that a Christian lifestyle should be relatively minimal. If God blesses someone with money, they have a duty to give a great portion of it to the ministry or ministers, or be charitable with it.
Truth is good no matter where you here it. Steve Allen once said, no matter how big your house is, you can only be in one room at a time. You can only drive one car at a time. With 7 billion people in the world, about 6.7 billion would trade places with us in a heart beat. Well you see how this could ramble on, just hope some of it made sense. Oh, BTW it is my experience that music ministers go through this more than any one else on church staff.
Thanks for your thoughts, Don. Always enlightening. Why do you think a Christian lifestyle should be minimal? Can you expound on that idea? Thanks.
Are you a good steward if you spend your money on things you don’t really need? There have been surveys that indicate that someone ( single or couple) making $60 to $80 thousand a year live just as comfortably as someone worth $60 million. Minimal doesn’t equal poverty. I do know a guy worth several million that drives a 20 year old Toyota compact pick up. Wealth in itself does not equate to sin. Poverty does not equal spirituality. If we don’t have some type of income, we drain others. The less than whole or disabled need help. We should participate in helping and also contribute to missions and church planting. We should prepare for retirement as much as possible to avoid being a drain on others. Wealthy people have been ruined in an instant before. They had their faith in money, lost it all in the market crash and jumped out of buildings. Luke 12:18 to 20 applies. I wrote a song once that had this line it (not an original thought though) ” You have so much money you can not spend more, so the rest you get is for keeping score”. Luke 12:34 applies. If gaining too much wealth is a sin, God will forgive you ,,,,,,,,, right ? I think the answer is this. Strive to do and have what you believe God wants you to do and have. I believe this. Christians are forgiven for eternity, but our sins and insecurities plague us in this life. ” Be sure your sins will find you out” If you gain a lot of wealth that God does not want you to have, you will not enjoy it, it will sour on you. New problem. There is a problem with getting a salary from a church. Whenever someone pays your salary, they set your agenda. If your agenda does not align with theirs, you have a decision to make. Now, we each personally get to make those decisions. We enjoy the rewards or consequences as we aspire to be more like Christ. Oh, I don’t think Christ lived in poverty. Nor did He live in luxury. Next thought, having a young child will bring all kinds of new worries and insecurities to thoughtful and conscientious young parents. You will NEVER know enough to raise a child. That is where God steps in. How do you provide for them? That is where God steps in. Just speculating. Disregard if not applicable.
You opened the door to another long one. Now, what do YOOUU think ? ? ?
I don’t think having wealth and enjoying it is a sin, but I believe we need to give – we need to use money to advance the cause of Christ in our generation. But that’s the same truth for those with lots of money and for those with little. I like how John Piper said it – “we spend our money in such a way that it is clear that money is not our God, but Christ is.”
You may scroll down to summary and avoid the blah, blah, blah ! I honestly think that our positions on the issue are not that far apart. The ability to make or attract money is a God given talent. It can be used for His glory or perverted, just like almost anything. My story is this. Being a musician at the age of 60, still in music, never having been rich or famous is unusual. But, God has a plan for each of us who will follow Him. Money and our thoughts about it touch every part of our lives.
I have lived a very comfortable and happy life but in a non materialistic way. I always knew that musicians usually don’t acquire a lot of wealth. But at the same time, I don’t think I have been deprived of anything. If I were to be angry, or jealous of another person’s wealth, or think out of fear that I don’t have enough, for me it would be sin. I do believe that God helps each of us to prepare for our own life that is ahead.
This was a life shaping event for me. In my mid 20’s, I spent a lot of time in Central America, mainly Honduras. It was said at the time, that the only country in the world in more poverty was Bangladesh. After that, I felt guilty asking God for anything. That is until we started having children, and I had to figure out how to provide for them.
Rich people need a Savior, but I don’t buy into the wealth and prosperity gospel. Our treasure is in Heaven. We are children of the King, but let us not be entitled, spoiled brats. I see other children of the King who’s condition is worse than mine.
I do agree with what you said, God does not wake us up every day, and brush our teeth and comb our hair for us. I do believe that old cliche, the harder I work, the “luckier” I get. I am self employed. I make every day what God has laid in my path and I have the diligence to find and do. Some one who is smarter and works harder
might be wealthier doing the same thing. But what better place to be than doing what God wants you to do, and having what God wants you to have. If it were that easy to be wealthy, then everyone who read Donald Trumps book would be a millionaire.
Even after all these words, we have not defined what wealth is. If we count wealth as money or numbers in an account, it can all be gone in an instant. If we define wealth as tangible assets, family, land, buildings, cattle, goats, sheep, trucks, airplanes, limousines, whatever,,,,,,, the book of Job talks about that.
Money,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I would rather have more than less, but I think God’s plan is in there somewhere.
Summary, rich people can serve Christ. If it were easy to be wealthy, then we would all be wealthy and by comparison we would all still feel poor ’cause we don’t have more than the next guy. If we put our security in wealth, read the book of Job.
What is your hourly charge for listening? I am running up a pretty big tab.
The tightrope with money and ministry is having things without them having you. The rich young ruler had much, but what Jesus saw was that his possessions and wealth actually had him!! When God is truly leading us, there will be only a blessed life. Even the persecutions are a blessing if we are in the place to see like Jesus saw. I love Him.
How can we have things without them having us? Is it OK to enjoy things? Do you have to give everything away? This is a great topic of discussion.
Someone just sent me this e-mail.
“You will never know that Jesus is all you need, till Jesus is all you have”.
by Mother Teresa
Powerful.
Wow. I graduated from college and worked in the inner city with a part-time grocery store job for two years…. insane. Great stuff, can’t wait to talk again.
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