Dennis W. Bickers, The Bivocational Pastor: Two Jobs, One Ministry. Beacon Hill Press, 2004.
Referenced in: Small Church Leadership
Companion booklet: The Work of the BiVocational Minister
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Bickers writes out of his passion to help those who, like him, minister at a church while maintaining some other form of full time employment. Bickers also authored the booklet, The Work of the Bivocational Minister, which functions more as a primer on the work of bivocational ministry, and how to navigate the tasks of ministry while dual employed. This volume discusses many of the same issues, but with a special focus on the person who does bivocational ministry. Bickers helps ministers who have this special calling conceive of their ministry more intentionally. He discusses the same subjects in most current leadership literature – vision, integrity, commitment, passion, time management, personal growth, equipping the laity, etc. – but from the unique vantage point of bivocationals (bi-vos).
From the Publisher
Bivocational ministers face unique challenges. Often, you are called to lead smaller churches with few resources, many of which have plateaued or are in decline. Many bivocational pastors have little or no formal theological training. Bivocational ministry is looked at by some as a “second-class” ministry performed by people who do not have the opportunity to serve a larger church. Along with your family and church responsibilities, your second job also requires a large amount of time each week.
But you have a special calling, as both of your jobs can provide opportunities for ministry. In his new book, Dennis Bickers provides solid advice to help you succeed in bivocational ministry. You’ll learn how to:
- Manage time wisely
- Define success on your own terms
- Develop a vision for your church
- Maintain a passion for the ministry
- And much more!
About the Author
Dennis Bickers has spent more than 27 years working with smaller churches. For 20 years, he was a bivocational pastor and currently serves as an Area Resource Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky. He is the National Project Director of BivoNet, a ministry to the bivocational ministers of American Baptist Churches USA, and also serves as an area resource minister for ABC of Indiana and Kentucky. Bickers is a member of the advisory board for the Bivocational Ministry Center at Campbellsville University. He is the author of four books including The Bivocational Pastor and The Healthy Small Church (Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City). Bickers has an MA in Religion and is pursuing a DMin from Liberty Theological Seminary. He frequently leads workshops on bivocational and small-church ministry for various denominations and serves as a coach for both bivocational and fully-funded ministers. He lives in Madison, Indiana, with his wife, Faye.
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