Tent Making, Bivocational

Thanks to Bob for his question and Steven for his observations. In my experience, I'd (Jim Griffith) echo Steven's scenario, but for two additional reasons.(Incidentally, most of the autopsies I've conducted on church plants had a full-time planter and lack of money was rarely the issue.)1. On the whole, financial uncertainty is not sustainable by anyone. Many planters, in their zeal to follow their calling, underestimate considered the weight of "ongoing" financial instability. We're admonished in the Bible not to worry about daily provision, but the counter principle is not that we should live daily with "financial uncertainty." In the NT era, if a person worked, the family ate. Many church planters work their rear ends off and still don't eat. What's wrong with this picture?2. Additionally the issue is one of not having enough "start-up" capital to sustain the lag time.Having said all this, I want to offer some counter-intuitive observations that I've seen played out time and again. Look for the other two installments.

Here's an alternative funding model to consider.

1. Planter moves in on full salary for 3 to 4 months and meets as many people as possible.
2. Planter must not work when first gets to location so that he can meet people.
3. Everyone must know that working the job is part of the plan.
4. Support base must be long enough to supplement planter’’s income if job does not pay enough.
5. Job must be one that help planter meet people and work the community.
6. Planter must have enough energy to work and still do ministry.
7. Everyone has to know that they're in a marathon and not a sprint.

Reasons to consider bi-vocational church planting

• Bivocational forces you to get out of the office and into people’’s lives.

• No one's home during the day, you may as well do something to contribute to gathering

• Biggest difficulty facing a planter is that they don’’t know anybody and therefore don’’t talk to enough people

• Most planters spend 1st year setting up the ""paraphernalia"" [SteveNicholson] of the church:
  • Office
  • Web-site
  • Stationery/ Business Cards
  • Brochures

• Virtually no correlation between amount of $$$ into the church plant and
  the success or health of it

• In early stages, what’’s left to do but network?

• Keeps the startup costs low

• Guarantees planter making decisions based on leading of God and not
  financial constraints: by maintaining financial control, you maintain
  creative control. ""Borrowing"" money invites others to interfere with your
  vision

NB: Better to spend $$$, providing clear guidance through healthy
assessment, training, and coaching ecosystem, (approx $5,000).

Advantages:

1. Removes sense of urgency to move seekers unnaturally to giving
2. Removes pressure on the timeline to get the project ""profitable""
3. Forces planter into networks