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CFTROU 0136: Church Reimagined: Redefining & Rethinking Bivocational Leaders

Today on Church for the Rest of Us, we continue our conversation of replanting, renewing, and reimagining the way we do church in 2021 by delving into the topic of bi-vocational ministry. We believe we could extend the church further and faster with people who are willing to be by bi-vocational church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders, and that’s why we started a two-year residency program here at Family Church. Today we talk to Pastor Jimmy Paul, a bi-vocational pastor who was led to move his family from Illinois to South Florida to participate in the residency program. In addition to his full-time job in his family’s furniture business and some work in real estate, he is also pastoring college students through some of the most crucial times of their lives in our college ministry. Tuning in, you’ll hear about his family’s experience of the residency program, his thoughts on full-time ministry versus bi-vocational ministry, and his advice for anyone who is considering becoming a bi-vocational pastor. We feel that this may be one of the best podcasts we’ve ever done in terms of inspiring people to do something outside of the box, so tune in today!

Key Points:

  • An introduction to Jimmy Paul, his family, and his full-time job.
  • How Jimmy serves at Family Church as a bi-vocational pastor.
  • How he was led to leave his life in Illinois and do the residency program in South Florida.
  • What it was like for him and his family to be part of the residency program.
  • How he feels about his calling in the college ministry.
  • How Family Church has helped him become successful as a bi-vocational
  • The importance of his whole family being involved in the process.
  • How the program works: they don’t send him out alone, he is part of a team.
  • The importance of having a group of pastors’ wives that support each other.
  • Thoughts on full-time ministry vs part-time ministry with a full-time job.
  • Advice for anyone else who is considering becoming a bi-vocational pastor: just do it!
  • The value of speaking to other bi-vocational pastors before you choose this path.
  • Advice for pastors trying to encourage people to step into bi-vocational
  • The importance of over-communicating and extending grace to bi-vocational

I love being in both worlds where we can celebrate what God’s doing and also being around people that aren’t Christians that are challenging how I think, and it makes me a lot more compassionate when I do get up and teach. Click To TweetI would say that bi-vocational ministry is the future of the church. Some hybrid of vocational pastors that are paid, bi-vocational pastors that are unpaid or paid less, that is the future of the church! Click To Tweet

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jimmy on Twitter

Leslee on Twitter

Jimmy Paul on Twitter

The Math Doesn’t Work: Why the Future of Church Planting is Bi-Vocational

Church for the Rest of Us on Twitter

Family Church Network

Family Church on Facebook

Family Church on Instagram

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