Bivocational Ministry – Blessing or Curse?

Kent Murawski

The Upside of Being Bivocational

Bivocational simply means having another vocation in addition to your ministry role, but is it an effective strategy for pastors and churches? Is it sustainable? Is it better or worse than “full-time” ministry? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being bivocational? How do you survive the rigors of bivocational ministry? These are some of the things I want touch on over my next few posts.

Aciamax via Flickr

There is a lot of talk these days about bivocational ministry. It seems church planting is becoming more expensive and many churches are just too small to support a full-time pastor. Having been bivocational for many years myself, there may be some unique and helpful perspectives I have to offer. Although I am currently not bivocational, the majority of my sixteen years of ministry have been (9 years bivocational, 7 years full-time).

There seems to be a stigma about bivocational ministry (or maybe it’s just perceived from those of us that are or have been bivocational). As a bivocational minister, you sometimes feel that you are not quite as successful, spiritual or don’t have the same level of faith as those who are in full-time ministry. Although some of it may be our own insecurity, there is a reality to this. There are also many pastors that have great respect and empathy for those who are bivocational because they realize the commitment and sacrifice required to do such a thing. Essentially, there is no such thing as a part-time senior pastor.


There is no such thing as a part-time senior pastor.
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The Benefits of Being Bi-vocational

Despite the difficulties, there are many great things about being bivocational. In my own life, the only regret I really have is the pressure it put upon my family, mostly in the way of limiting my time, but overall it was a positive and growing experience. There are so many lessons I’ve learned that I wouldn’t trade for the world: Through being bivocational, I learned:

  • How to be a spiritual leader in your workplace, even when Jesus isn’t what you share in common with people.
  • How to better relate and empathize with my congregation and understand the challenges they face when attempting to live out their faith in secular culture that is antagonistic toward Christianity.
  • How culture really thinks and feels about Christians and the Church.
  • How to share my faith more effectively with the unchurched and even those who may be hostile toward faith in Christ.
  • Jesus needs sold-out, spirit led, fully surrendered Christians in the workplace to be salt and light to a dying world.
  • That spiritual gifts are still in operation and the Holy Spirit is active no matter what setting you find yourself in.

Being bivocational has given me the opportunity to work up close and personal with Mormons, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, and skeptics. In working with these diverse types of people, I’ve discovered people aren’t as closed to the gospel as we think. In fact, if you serve, show love, act non-judgmental, are intentional about asking questions and gently sharing your faith when the opportunity presents itself, you may be surprised how spiritually open people really are. They may not immediately embrace Christ but they are more willing to talk about it than you think.

The Holy Spirit in the Workplace

One day I was hanging out before work with my boss and another coworker when out of the blue, my boss asked me, “How did you know you wanted to be a pastor?” I shared as best I could that it was something I felt “called” to by God and after I came into relationship with Him, I knew it was His plan and purpose for me. I went on to explain that we all have a plan and purpose greater than ourselves that God wants us to discover. At that moment, my boss blurted out, “Woh! Did you feel that? When you were talking about purpose, I felt something powerful!” She felt the Holy Spirit! It was a divine moment where the presence of God broke into my workplace. I didn’t feel a thing, but they felt the Holy Spirit’s presence.

At the same job, after nearly two years of working and living out my faith in front of the my coworkers, I noticed there was some spiritual hunger and I had the opportunity to start a Bible study before work. It was a simple discussion about the Bible, sometimes topical and other times taking them through the story of Jesus and the Gospel. It was an incredible opportunity to see God at work. One of the young ladies from the study came to our church and gave her life to Christ. She shared her testimony on Easter Sunday.

The Conversation Continues…

As I mentioned, there are upsides and downsides to being bivocational. In future posts, I will share more about the downsides as well as some practical tips about surviving the rigors of being a bivocational minister.

What are your thoughts about bivocational ministry? I would especially love to hear from those who have experience in this area!

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By Kent Murawski July 28, 2025
When was the last time you ended a summer feeling more energized than when it started? ​​Summer brings changes for many of us—minimizing our motivation to work, disrupting work routines, and altering schedules. With summertime often comes a desire to slow down, and yet, we're not always sure how to do that. This week is my last new post for a little while (though I may resend some popular posts from the 2024-2025 season). I’m pressing pause to create space and pour my energy into finishing my new book. But stay tuned—when I’m back in six weeks, the newsletter will be refreshed with some exciting updates you won’t want to miss! Read to the end to find out more. In this week's edition of Catalyst, I want to share 3 ideas to help you effectively navigate summer. 3 Ways to Master Summer Without Burning Out 1) Stop and Think (Reflect) Socrates famously said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." For Socrates, life was more than pursuing the things that most men occupy themselves with, things like wealth, household affairs, status and position, and political clubs and factions. He believed that life only has value and meaning when we question what we think and know, and by more deeply understanding ourselves and others. The beginning of summer is an ideal time for reflection, and we all tend to occupy ourselves with the things Socrates talked about more than we probably care to admit. Taking a reflection day at the end of each quarter (consider removing "or trimester" for conciseness) can be an effective way to navigate seasonal changes. Finding a place far enough removed from your normal day-to-day life will help you get into a different headspace. A friend of mine often says: Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. I've used hotels, monasteries, or even a beautiful outdoor location if the weather permits. Here are a few questions you might want to ask: How am I feeling spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically? How are my closest relationships doing? Am I living out my core values? Is my life moving in a direction I feel good about? What do I need to change or adjust? Here are a few ideas for how to conduct a reflection day: Prayer, meditation, or silence Review your biggest wins and assess your goals from the previous quarter Work on high-impact projects that require focus Preview the upcoming quarter and set your Big 3 goals: personal, marriage/family, work/business 2) Cut the Non-Essentials (Reevaluate) Both my wife and I work, so when summer arrives, we need to re-evaluate our schedules to accommodate our twelve-year-old son. In the past, I've made the mistake of trying to keep the same workload despite being home with him two days a week. I ended up frustrated all summer long, living in the tension of wanting to spend more time with him while trying to carry the same workload. Summer requires me to pare down my work roles to the essentials: Writing (currently working on a new book) Executive coaching (6-8 coaching clients) Relationship building and outreach Necessary administration (keeping this to 30% or less of my responsibilities) Moving forward, I will probably keep things this way. It feels more sustainable than the unrealistic expectations I previously held myself to. Once you define your key roles and responsibilities, the question becomes how to achieve better work-life integration not work-life balance. I use the Big 3 System. Choose only three big things to focus on at one time—quarterly, weekly, and daily. That's right, just three. Those three things are usually a combination of personal, marriage/family, and work. Each quarter, I typically choose 1 personal goal, 1 marriage and family goal, and 1-3 work goals, depending on the quarter. Here are a few questions to consider. If you have a partner, discuss them together: How does your schedule change in the summer? What work-related responsibilities and expectations do you need to adjust? What are 3 things you want to do this summer? What do you NOT want to do? 3) Choose What Matters Most (Rest) Paring down expectations isn't only for work, it applies to rest, too. Because it's summer, there is the temptation to want to fit in everything (—vacation, visit family, trips, fun, etc). In the past, we would try to do so much that by the time fall rolled around, we were exhausted. Last year, out of necessity, we planned a staycation instead of going away. It was one of the best vacations we've had in a long time. And besides, summers in New England are gorgeous! We went to see a movie, ate out, went to Six Flags, had a beach day, and took days in between just to relax. We loved it so much, we're doing a staycation again this year! Write down your list of summer expectations and plans. Now, cross out everything that feels exhausting and unfun. Don't try to fit everything in this summer. Pick a couple of things that feel life-giving and focus on those. Your Move Reflect. Re-evaluate. Rest. Choose one of the three and work on it in the next 24 hours. Plan a day of reflection. Have a conversation with your spouse. Choose how you're going to rest this summer. I don't care which one it is, just take action. Here’s one question to consider: What would you stop doing this summer if no one was watching? Most people think summer is about maximizing experiences and fitting everything in, but the truth is that the most productive leaders use summer to strategically subtract, not add. They understand that rest isn't what you do after the work is done—it's what makes the work sustainable in the first place. You've got this.
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For Socrates, life was more than pursuing the things that most men occupy themselves with, things like wealth, household affairs, status and position, and political clubs and factions. He believed that life only has value and meaning when we question what we think and know, and by more deeply understanding ourselves and others. The beginning of summer is an ideal time for reflection, and we all tend to occupy ourselves with the things Socrates talked about more than we probably care to admit. Taking a reflection day at the end of each quarter (consider removing "or trimester" for conciseness) can be an effective way to navigate seasonal changes. Finding a place far enough removed from your normal day-to-day life will help you get into a different headspace. A friend of mine often says: Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. I've used hotels, monasteries, or even a beautiful outdoor location if the weather permits. Here are a few questions you might want to ask: How am I feeling spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically? How are my closest relationships doing? Am I living out my core values? Is my life moving in a direction I feel good about? What do I need to change or adjust? Here are a few ideas for how to conduct a reflection day: Prayer, meditation, or silence Review your biggest wins and assess your goals from the previous quarter Work on high-impact projects that require focus Preview the upcoming quarter and set your Big 3 goals: personal, marriage/family, work/business 2) Cut the Non-Essentials (Reevaluate) Both my wife and I work, so when summer arrives, we need to re-evaluate our schedules to accommodate our twelve-year-old son. In the past, I've made the mistake of trying to keep the same workload despite being home with him two days a week. I ended up frustrated all summer long, living in the tension of wanting to spend more time with him while trying to carry the same workload. Summer requires me to pare down my work roles to the essentials: Writing (currently working on a new book) Executive coaching (6-8 coaching clients) Relationship building and outreach Necessary administration (keeping this to 30% or less of my responsibilities) Moving forward, I will probably keep things this way. It feels more sustainable than the unrealistic expectations I previously held myself to. Once you define your key roles and responsibilities, the question becomes how to achieve better work-life integration not work-life balance. I use the Big 3 System. Choose only three big things to focus on at one time—quarterly, weekly, and daily. That's right, just three. Those three things are usually a combination of personal, marriage/family, and work. Each quarter, I typically choose 1 personal goal, 1 marriage and family goal, and 1-3 work goals, depending on the quarter. Here are a few questions to consider. If you have a partner, discuss them together: How does your schedule change in the summer? What work-related responsibilities and expectations do you need to adjust? What are 3 things you want to do this summer? What do you NOT want to do? 3) Choose What Matters Most (Rest) Paring down expectations isn't only for work, it applies to rest, too. Because it's summer, there is the temptation to want to fit in everything (—vacation, visit family, trips, fun, etc). In the past, we would try to do so much that by the time fall rolled around, we were exhausted. Last year, out of necessity, we planned a staycation instead of going away. It was one of the best vacations we've had in a long time. And besides, summers in New England are gorgeous! We went to see a movie, ate out, went to Six Flags, had a beach day, and took days in between just to relax. We loved it so much, we're doing a staycation again this year! Write down your list of summer expectations and plans. Now, cross out everything that feels exhausting and unfun. Don't try to fit everything in this summer. Pick a couple of things that feel life-giving and focus on those. Your Move Reflect. Re-evaluate. Rest. Choose one of the three and work on it in the next 24 hours. Plan a day of reflection. Have a conversation with your spouse. Choose how you're going to rest this summer. I don't care which one it is, just take action. Here’s one question to consider: What would you stop doing this summer if no one was watching? Most people think summer is about maximizing experiences and fitting everything in, but the truth is that the most productive leaders use summer to strategically subtract, not add. They understand that rest isn't what you do after the work is done—it's what makes the work sustainable in the first place. You've got this.
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