Bi-vocational

From our advanced leadership forum (if you wish to join the EBA Community click here

Here in Seattle there are a number of bi-vocational church planters (paid for two jobs—one of which is the church) and avocational church planters (paid at one job, not the church—and doesn’t expect to be paid from the church).  In one case, a church planter started an espresso shop to supplement his income.  When his church grew large enough to support him, he gave the shop to a new church planter who is now earning his living at the shop and starting a church from customers and networking opportunities.  He also does workshops for his denomination (SBC) to supplement his income.  Another church planter from Guatemala, works as a Volvo mechanic fulltime in order to do ministry.  I have a colleague in Portland who is an avocational pastor and works with twelve or so house churches—he owns a home and rents out rooms and shares the living space.  He also has a house church that meets in his home, and it’s funny, almost everyone who’s ever rented from him has gotten involved in the house church—he’s started at least two house churches now doing this.  He also makes money by writing a syndicated column and doing prayer summits.  Then, finally, are the wealth of more typical house church planters who work at regular jobs during the day and do their church ministry by working around their work hours.  
From Tom Bandy
Debra:

Some have heard me talk about the Christian Catering Service run by an ex-parish pastor. There is the business, sharing prayer and sacraments among employees and operated on Christina principles ... which in turn reinforces a "community" of which this person is pastor.

Bruce Cole shared an article about Christian Banks. It is not difficult to imagine someone as an accountant or financial consultant, linking with a faith based for profit, and alongside that leading a small house church or Christian community.

Almost any occupation COULD be done on Christian principles with an intentional Christian witness, and that is the point. To be truly bi=vocational, one would not want to step in and our of Christian lifestyle, but lead a seamless faith filled lifestyle in which you do two distinct activities.