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It was a Thursday, late afternoon, as my wife and I finally settled in behind the “news desk” – really just an eight-foot long folding table covered with a checkered tablecloth – while the senior pastor adjusted the zoom feature and double-checked the audio on the camera in front of us. Once the camera was rolling, the folding table would indeed become an authentic looking, digitally-created desk scene, complete with skyline background and appropriate lighting, but for now it was simply a folding table.

It had been a little bit of a stressful, traffic-dense commute from our client’s hobby farm, where my veterinarian wife and I had just been tending to a mini-pig and a couple of pet goats, to the church building from which we would momentarily be teaching our mid-week Bible study – this week on Genesis chapter two.

In our haste to get to the “studio” on time, I had only just managed to change out of my surgical scrub top and into a presentable, “green-screen” suitable, button-up shirt while neglecting to swap out my work pants and boots, reasoning that the online audience would only be able to see my upper torso anyway, as long as I didn’t fidget too much while in front of the camera.

My wife had wisely set out a complete change of clothes for herself before we had left our home that morning and she masterfully transformed her look from house call doctor to teaching pastor in about the same time it took me to shutdown, restock and secure our veterinary house call vehicle for the night before shooting off to our pastoral “gig.”

Thanks to the skillful and judicious use of text messaging, the senior pastor and, now, master audio-visual technician/director/producer was ready and waiting for us as we assumed our seats in preparation for that night’s lesson.

After a brief but very sincere and heartfelt moment of prayer we began to teach our lesson on Genesis to an enthusiastic audience of one – the aforementioned senior pastor (due to pandemic related attendance restrictions) and the unblinking eye of the camera.

As soon as I sat still for a moment, I realized I should have probably changed my pants as well as my shirt, as the musky, unmistakable, but not entirely unpleasant scent of goat began wafting up and around us. I had earlier pinned the goats we were working on between my knees to hold them still for their injections and now we were being subtly reminded of our other vocation even as we began to delve into the teaching for the evening. However, the camera was rolling, and the lesson was live, so I only quietly acknowledged the fleeting, crinkled nose, wifely glance from my spouse and co-teacher.

Soon enough the social media comments, questions and hellos began to scroll across the large monitor screen positioned off-camera, but readily viewable to us, and the goat smell became irrelevant. The counter tracking the number of views began ticking upwards as we carefully and joyfully teased meaning and nuance out of each verse in the text before us.

Although I remained relatively certain that few other American pastors were addressing the heady yet absolutely critical topic of the Creation Week whilst sporting the fragrance of pygmy goat, I mentally referenced an article I had just read citing the fact that roughly 38% of all pastors in the United States fall into the category of being bi-vocational (LifeWay – “Facts & Trends” – May 2019). I could not help but smile at the thought that there were likely many men and women just like us, racing home from factory jobs, office jobs, retail and restaurant jobs, caretaker jobs and homemaker jobs with just enough time to compile their notes and references and swap out their uniforms of the day in order to carry out the equally important duties and calling of serving their church congregations, be they teaching, making hospital visitations, dropping by on a shut-in or praying with a family in crisis.

I also briefly envisioned Paul the Apostle, tossing aside his own work apron with that same mixture of satisfaction over a job well done and annoyance at the limitations of time that we too feel each week, before running out the door of his shop in order to engage the audience of his day amid the eye rolls and shaking heads of his first century contemporaries.

As we continued teaching, my heart leapt with delight as the name of a client we had seen earlier in the week and invited to join online flashed on the monitor in front of us. In the course of our veterinary practice, the topics of death, suffering, the “big picture” and other such topics often come up. As our clients learn more about us and get to feel more and more comfortable around us they usually learn rather quickly that we are also Free Methodist pastors in addition to being a husband/wife veterinarian and registered veterinary technician team. Admittedly, this information about our pastoral calling might never go beyond the “that’s interesting” stage but frequently it lends itself to sincere and frank discussions and/or confessions, in some cases, about their church experiences or lack thereof. Sometimes the animal medicine part of our visit is over long before the soul tending part and we end up talking with our clients for an additional forty-five minutes about things that are essential to their well-being but have little to do with a rabies shot or eye exam we just conducted on their beloved pet. We often invite those clients to tune in or check out one of our studies, either online or in person, when that is possible. Many do.

And even if clients don’t end up joining a study, many will call upon us should tragedy befall. We are honored and consider it a blessing and part of our ministerial role to have performed memorial services for family members of several of our clients simply because they trust us and have nowhere else to turn. Occasionally, those simple acts of kindness lead the way towards much deeper, more meaningful relationships that extend well beyond the veterinary realm and into the eternal realm.

On this particular evening, however, it was a pleasant enough and satisfying treat and answer to prayer simply to see our client’s name show up on the screen and to know that they were taking small steps to find out more about the faith that we hope is so intrinsically interwoven into our veterinary business so as to be virtually inseparable from understanding who we are and how we practice.

And, thus, after an hour of, hopefully beneficial, and certainly animated teaching and digital discussion we concluded our lesson for the evening, signed off from our online Bible study and switched modes yet again to become support crew and audio technicians to the senior pastor and incoming music team who were arriving to pre-record their song set for the following Sunday.

Like us, many of them were stepping out of roles they occupied in the so-called secular realm to do their other job of ministry and service to the Kingdom.

It would be another hour before we finally pulled into the driveway but two more before heading off to bed. We would, naturally, be weary in body but joyful in spirit. Even in our tiredness, though, we were able to reflect upon Paul’s encouragement in 2 Thessalonians 3:13

“And as for you, brethren, never tire of doing what is right.”

About the Authors

Veterinarian Dr. Gay Zambrano and husband, Dan Zambrano love to speak and teach on the truth of God’s Word and His creation. Dr. Gay Zambrano is a 1991 graduate of the Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine. She fulfilled an externship at the London Zoo. Practicing full-time small animal and exotics medicine in the Long Beach/West Orange County area since 1991. Part-time clinical and consulting positions in laboratory animal medicine for 15 years. Gay has also been an adjunct professor at Bethesda University, teaching Life Science and Earth Science from a young earth biblical creation perspective.

Dan Zambrano has a B.S. in Marine Biology from Cal State Long Beach. He is a Licensed Registered Veterinary Technician. He has worked at Cabrillo Aquarium, the Los Angeles Harbor Dept., California State Fish & Game Dept., and the L.A. Zoo before partnering in the mobile veterinary practice with his wife.  Dan is a certified speaker for the IAC (International Association for Creation). He is currently working on biblical creation based guide book for local zoos in Southern California.

Another exhausting day at work is nearly over. I text my long-suffering wife as I navigate through an exhaust-choked rush hour toward another late dinner. Late because I stop at the hospital on the way home to pray with and encourage the Smiths as they watch their son lose his battle with leukemia. My kids have already eaten and are tucked into bed hoping for a bedtime story from pops. It’s a short story. I’m tired. She invites me to relax on the couch for the evening news and conversation. Laptop open, prepping for tomorrow’s small group, I think I replied with the appropriate yes or no to my beloved’s vocal inflections. I don’t remember the content of our “talk.”

Normal for a bi-vocational pastor is seven long days a week, juggling competing, valid expectations from your spouse, children, secular boss(es), congregation, superintendent, community leaders and fellow clergy. Burning brightly through this haze is the call of Jesus Christ to be a faithful disciple, proclaim good news, and make more disciples.

Today, I superintend the Free Methodist churches in Northern California and Nevada, but I served as a bi-vocational pastor and church planter for over a decade. I lived it. I loved the bi-vocational life.

Still, that was a while back, so I asked several bi-vocational pastors in our church network what they found to be struggle and joy in their calling today. More than half (64%) of our conference pastors are bi-vocational. They are young and seasoned, men and women, Black, White, Asian and Hispanic. Their answers and my experiences reveal that while dual-career ministry holds unique difficulties, you can be bi-vocational and love it – if you follow a few key practices.

The chorus of joy-killing concerns from these double-duty pastors are harmonized into one recurring note. Not enough time! Elvia Guido Cruz from San Jose says “time!” Henry Raven in Oakdale responds, “time coordination.” Mike Moresi from Fernley reveals, “Your work, home life, preaching, and ministry are in constant conflict.” Gayleen Myer in Santa Cruz reports, “feeling spread too thin.” Jim Crawford from Sacramento laments, “the inability to respond to ministry needs because of work commitments.” Not enough time, multiple competing demands, too few resources, a mind divided over multiple responsibilities, energy depletion – all agreed bi-vocational pastoring is hard.

Still, the joy of bi-vocational ministry can significantly outweigh its sorrows. With spirit-infused energy, incarnational perspective, healthy boundaries, family united, inherent cross-training, increased credibility, good planning, leadership development and expanded evangelistic connections, double-duty ministry is both fruitful and joyful. Living these nine secrets allows a pastor to be bi-vocational and love it.

Be Spirit-led. Those led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Prayer is the essential first priority. No Christian can expect energy, joy, guidance, wisdom and sense of childlike wonder in the midst of crushing pressure to flow from a prayerless life. But life abundant flows from abiding in Christ. Start here or don’t start at all.

Be incarnational. Embrace each task at hand as an incarnational opportunity to glorify God. Pastor Gayleen, teacher/tutor/pastor, says, “Consider every job as a gift from God, ask God to use you where He has planted you. Instead of wishing for something different or longing to spend more time pastoring, ask how He can use you or shape you through your secular work.”  Pastor Henry, mortician/social-worker/pastor, says, “I love the mortuary business, we work with people at their deepest point of need.” Elvia, pastor/chef says, “I’ve learned that God is everywhere, and I am serving God whether laboring for the church or in my kitchen.”

Set boundaries to be fully present. Regardless of the profession, time management is critical. Every physician, stay-at-home parent, teacher or landscaper could go 24/7 without being “finished” and lament the lack of time and energy. Many families have a mom, dad or both that must work two jobs simply to make ends meet rather than from a sense of divine call.

Choose to limit the time you invest in a particular role and be fully present in the moment. This gives peace and joy. Give yourself four hours a week, for example, to develop your sermon, and stop when the time is up. During those hours, give it your full, undivided attention. When you repair your customer’s transmission, embrace the life-giving measure to bring safety to the vehicle’s occupants and refuse to think about your next small group meeting. Choose a “date night” every week, or play time with your children, refusing calls from work. Focus fully and joyfully on one thing at a time.

Mike, dockworker/trucker/pastor says, “choose to love your home life, work life and church life, because many of the hobbies you might otherwise enjoy will need to be put aside.” I have worked many different jobs while pastoring; janitor, counselor, administrator, manager, social worker, and teacher. I always made time for my wife and children. As much as I or they would have liked? No employed person ever does. My primary sacrifices were movies, sports, television and other time wasters. Easy trades for purpose-filled joy.

Be a family on mission with Jesus. What’s not to love about helping set up an auditorium for worship, hosting a church game night, helping with lake-side baptisms, and having far more friends and social engagements than those not connected with church could ever imagine? Life on mission with Jesus is a good life for the whole family. Many of my four sons’ best memories are serving the homeless, welcoming refugees, learning instruments, setting up activities – as a family.

Leverage increased credibility. Elvia says, “I really know the needs and struggles of the people I minister to, which enables me to better gauge how I challenge and encourage my hard-working congregation.” Credibility climbs high when the pressed-on-every-side, exhausted people you lead know that you live in the same crucible. The bi-vocational pastor tends also to have greater compassion for their flock, rarely complaining over a church’s “lack of commitment” because they know the real sacrifices volunteers make to engage ministry. Pastor Henry says that by working outside the church, “my congregation has more motivation knowing I am not asking them to do anything I don’t do myself.”

Maximize the cross-training. Pastoral training and leadership positively benefit the secular work-place and vice versa. As the director of several residential group homes for people with disabilities, my pastoral training provided much higher morale in my departments over others in the agency I served. People respond well to kindness, love and respect, even as they are led and corrected. Likewise, the training I received in financial management, administration, leadership development and mental health counseling on the secular job are huge value-adds for church world. Both my secular work-place and the church I pastor are better-off as a result of “cross-training” between each sphere.

Planning leads to more joy, less stress. Every bi-vocational pastor experiences dredging their weary mental reserves for something meaningful to share while driving through traffic on the way to the meeting hall. This is ridiculously stressful and unhelpful for those served.  Planning leads to joy.

I developed the practice of taking several days each year to plan out the next year, months and weeks. The first order of each day is fasting, prayer and searching the Scriptures, as well as reading something relating to best-practice. Sometimes joined by others from the church, I develop sermon-series plans and outlines, basic strategies for group development and leadership training, reprioritizing leadership investment and building family time into the schedule. My wife and kids could anticipate that, while perhaps I am uber-busy this week, next week we planned a beach day. Knowing I will preach on family life in two months means I have eight weeks throughout which I can snag tidbits and wisdom as I commute listening to audiobooks, tend to my work-mates real-life struggles and observe church interactions. I prep over months, not minutes. I am prepared, more confident and better equipped to feed the congregation well when I operate out of a plan.

Live to develop and deploy leaders. Everyone must learn that no one can do everything. Too many full-time pastors try to do it all. They serve but do not lead or grow their church. Bi-vocational pastors know they need others, regularly invite people to join them on mission, and tend to deploy others with more freedom to lead. Loving bi-vocational ministry only happens when you love to develop and deploy others for ministry more than doing everything yourself.

Win souls for Jesus. Pastor Mike in Fernley rejoices that nearly a third of his congregation is the result of work-related relationships. More than half of a church I planted were initially work-related converts and their connections.  As a bi-vocational pastor I had far more daily evangelism opportunities than I ever had as a full-time pastor. Effective pastors must intentionally arrange their lives to be with those who have not yet heard the good news. Bi-vocational pastors have this opportunity built into each and every day.

Stress and difficulties, hard choices and seemingly impossible balancing acts are the norm in bi-vocational ministry. When these nine secrets are embraced, fruitfulness and joy are real. Sure, you don’t get to binge Netflix and still be effective, but the gain in tremendous. What’s not to love?

…

Pastors interviewed for this piece are:

James Crawford, Lead Pastor, God’s Family Christian Fellowship, Sacramento, California
Elvia Guido Cruz, Co-Pastor, Oasis Church San Jose, San Jose, California
Henry Raven, Lead Pastor, Sierra Foothills Christian Fellowship, Oakdale, California
Mike Moresi, Lead Pastor, Fernley Free Methodist Church, Nevada
Gayleen Myer, Assistant Pastor, Corralitos Community Church, Corralitos, California

About the Author

Mark Adams superintendents the Sierra Pacific Conference (Network of Undeniable Blessing), superintended the North Central Conference and church planted and pastored at several Chicagoland locations. Mark has also worked as a mental health counselor, child welfare worker, social work supervisor and was on faculty at Garret Evangelical Theological Seminary. He is married to Kerrie, and they have four sons and eight grandchildren.

^{(1)After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. (2)There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, (3) and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them (Acts 18:1-3, NIV).} 

I am a bi-vocational associate pastor, university mathematics professor, and founder of a ministry initiative to serve unseen leaders. I serve at a Pacific Coast Japanese Conference church in Costa Mesa, California, and I teach at a California State University campus. I love God’s call on my life.

And I prefer the term co-vocational – a term that I came across in readings a couple of years ago.  On the good days, my vocations work together in a synergy that leaves me speechless with thanksgiving to God.

Called into Ordained Ministry

I did not grow up in a Christian family. I studied mathematics and physics in college, where I encountered Jesus through the witness of friends in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. I became captivated by Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom. After college, I returned to school for graduate studies in mathematics, then began my career as a university professor of mathematics.

A one-year visiting professor position brought me to a new city, where I first discovered the Free Methodist Church. I began praying weekly for revival with two friends, one of whom was a local ministerial candidate at our church. Our church hired an associate pastor, and she inspired me to consider God’s call on my life. During an excruciatingly difficult season at our church, including an accident that left this associate pastor paralyzed, I began to explore and express this call. It has never been a call lightly taken, and there has been a lot of pain mixed with joy in it. In 2014, graduating with a Master of Divinity from Azusa Pacific University and feeling like I had crawled to the finish line of a marathon, I was ordained as an elder in the Free Methodist Church.

Co-vocational Synergy

Over the years, I have prayed and held Bible studies at school, I have brought students to church, I have had the privilege of mentoring students and colleagues at school, and skills learned in academia have translated over into my work at church. Students have told me that I teach mathematics as if I am preaching. The academic schedule has provided time for me to travel on mission trips to Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Thailand, and Myanmar.

On a sabbatical semester, I taught future teachers and economists at a public university in Uganda. During that semester, I worshiped at a Ugandan Anglican church and participated in a small group with young Ugandan scholars at the home of the distinguished Ugandan chaplain.

One summer, I went on a prison education trip to Uganda as part of a team of students and faculty primarily from my university. For two weeks, we served at Luzira Prison, teaching inmates and learning about the correctional and rehabilitation system in Uganda.

This past January during our university’s winter break, I visited Thailand and Myanmar, where I visited dedicated ministry leaders in remote areas, participated in a Free Methodist Southeast Asia Leaders Meeting, and mutually encouraged and was encouraged by young female ministry leaders.

I sometimes hear it reported that many pastors have very few interactions with people of other faith traditions; not true for the co-vocational pastor. I live my life among a beautifully diverse group of colleagues and students, many of whom know that I am a Christian and a pastor.

Building a Co-vocational Culture

 God is creative, and it takes inspired imagination to see the unique callings of co-vocational pastors. Listen to your co-vocational colleagues as they share. Hear their vision and commitment.  Help them to articulate what they see and to make it concrete and actionable. Offer coaching.

The life and ministry of a co-vocational pastor will look different. There are time constraints and scheduling challenges. People will struggle to understand what it means for a pastor to serve without pay. Choose language and structure that acknowledges, invites, includes, and welcomes co-vocational pastors.

Recognize that the non-church income of the co-vocational pastor can provide a beautiful and powerful ability to follow God’s leading with fewer financial constraints. Maximize this ability to serve.

I encourage co-vocational pastors to develop their non-church vocations with commitment and excellence. You have distinctive gifting in your area of work. Dedicate time and resources to your professional growth. There is intrinsic value in these vocations, along with special opportunities to serve and love the people among whom you work.

And I encourage co-vocational ministers to pursue pastoral training. Go to seminary. It is not easy to take classes while also working in a non-church vocation, but you can do it. Go part time, and let it take longer than if you were a traditional student. If you are called to pastoral ministry, pursue ordination.

Free Methodist Conference leaders, together we have the opportunity to build a conference and denominational culture that will challenge, support, and bless our co-vocational pastors. Some will be staff pastors, lead pastors, church planters, missionaries; others will serve uniquely in roles created just for them. The Kingdom of God will advance.

Final Shout-Out

I struggled for years to understand my co-vocational calling. People often would put air-quotes around “pastor” when speaking of me or to me. I internalized messages that took away my voice and pushed down the fire in my bones. In a deep valley time, a friend and mentor gently helped me to reflect and to choose to live my call. In the days that followed, conference leadership blessed me with words of vision and hope and calling, and I experienced a resurrection in my life.

Today, at Rise OC where I serve, Lead Pastor Tobi and Executive Pastor Phil empower me and bless me to fully bring my voice and my heart. Along with our church board and our congregation, they embrace my co-vocational calling. They respect me as a full member of the pastoral staff.  They help me dream about what God will do in the years ahead. Sometimes they let me share about mathematics. Always they welcome all of who I am.

What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:18, NIV).

About the Author

Jenny Switkes serves as an associate pastor at Rise OC, a Pacific Coast Japanese Conference church located in Costa Mesa, CA, and teaches at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. At Rise OC, she focuses on local outreach, global missions, and mobilization of people into leadership and service. She takes joy in serving unseen leaders, and has traveled to Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Thailand. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys working on a ministry initiative called Enhearten and going hiking, including some epic hikes with her brothers.

Just as I laid my head on the pillow early on a Saturday night, I heard the text notification sound loudly on my phone. I was annoyed with myself because I had forgotten to move my phone and charger back to my office or turn off the sound. I know the best practice for me is to keep my phone away from the place I rest, and I Iet out a deep sigh as I rolled over to at least turn off the sound. That’s when I saw it was from a mentor and friend of mine, and I opened it.

“Praying for you this weekend. Many of the pastors I know are bushed–all the regular stuff, plus a building lockdown with no weekend services or in-person meetings, plus the pressure of figuring out how and when to regather on weekends, then a country blown up with strife and riots–it’s a lot of weight to carry. I’m praying the Lord will refill you each–with strength, with peace, with grace, with wisdom. Blessings, my friend!”

This mentor-friend had been a local church pastor, among other roles, for more than five decades, and now he pastors other pastors like me. He had coached me in leadership and preaching, but it was always most evident that he was concerned for the condition of my soul. He was intimately acquainted with the desperate need for refilling in certain seasons of ministry. As I read his words, my mind went to the apparent suicide of Darrin Patrick in May, and the suicide of Jarrid Wilson last fall. These pastors were well known in certain circles of the Christian world, but there are so many others suffering silently all the time. Then add to all of the normal burdens of pastoral ministry the extra weight we carry during this pandemic season and undeniable racial unrest. Even the most ebullient of us “are bushed,” as my friend described it, and need refilling.

As a new lead pastor in my first year, I came into a church body that was discouraged after a long transition and I was experiencing a high level of burden to bring hope and expectancy to our people. I was often drained and my own rhythms of self-care and restoration for my soul were in need of recalibration since the job change and move to a new community. In certain times of worship, I had experienced the sense that I was gulping the Holy Spirit like a parched soul, and I hoped that would quench my thirst for a time. But when the church building closure and stay-at-home order happened, I remember telling my spiritual director I couldn’t seem to “get ahead” of that need for filling. I knew I needed more rest and retreat from the constancy that this season was requiring, but I just couldn’t see when or how to take that break. Isn’t that the reality: leaders don’t get to “take a break” in the midst of the crisis? It seemed the best I could do was day-by-day to turn to God and get through the day.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions” (Exodus 16:4).

Go each day and gather enough for that day.

I have seen the abundance of the Lord in terms of blessing, provision, and spiritual fruit for me and all around me. I’ve celebrated God’s goodness with his people and been in awe of his glory and lived these seasons when soul care was barely a thought because I was so filled with joy and the reality of his loving presence. But the seasons change, and the question in front of me was a question that comes before all of us sometime: Will we be faithful and obedient to go and receive from His hand, even if it’s just enough? Will we live in loving gratitude for how He is faithful to provide what sustains us, especially when we couldn’t sustain ourselves?

“When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’” The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.” (Exodus 16:14-20).

Even soul care, which sometimes is presented like this ethereal or maybe even passive process of being restored in the presence of God, requires effort and obedience. It’s not always easy, especially for leaders, to get into the presence of God in a way where we can receive from him. Sometimes we are too busy being like God for people, feeling the burden to lead them through and provide for them … at least until they grumble at us and we go before God to finally say we can’t take it anymore like Moses. Sometimes we feel ashamed that we are so dry or so doubtful or so discouraged because we are the ones who teach other people about the goodness and abundance of God. Sometimes we grumble at God that leadership is too difficult to receive “just enough” in return, and wonder when we get to arrive in that land of milk and honey with a grateful people.

Of course, the disciplines of word and prayer and personal worship must become the day by day priority to gather what God provides straight from heaven, and if we put other things first we often find the opportunity evaporates like manna in the hot sun. Some days, especially in these last three months when I’ve been tempted to let the tyranny of the urgent rule my life, I relied on devotional reading and prayer points crafted by other people that came straight to my in-box. At other points, I had to reach out to praying friends and ask them to pray for me that I would be faithful to put myself in a posture of receiving from God because I felt so empty even after “quiet time.” Some days, I realized I needed a time of lamenting, singing, or travailing in prayer, and it was anything but a quiet time. Through it all, the voice of the Spirit kept whispering, “I will rain down bread from heaven, and it is enough for each day.”

As I returned again and again to the story of God’s people and their wilderness experience, I was convicted as I was reminded that “just enough” with God always includes rest for our souls:

“On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much — two omers for each person — and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. He said to them, ‘This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’” So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it … Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” So the people rested on the seventh day.” (Exodus 16:22-24,29-30)

I have been learning in this season to give thanks for enough for each day and experiencing how He blesses my faithful obedience with the opportunity to rest in His holy love. It’s been proven yet again that God’s grace is indeed sufficient for me; the bread of life sustains my soul.  This doesn’t keep me from longing for days of abundance again soon for me and my church family, yet undoubtedly, a key part of our soul formation comes from the forced process of being dependent on the Lord for enough. This is how the Spirit teaches dependence on the Lord for the days when we won’t have to be, but will choose to be so He receives all the glory.

About the Author

Kaye Kolde is a beloved daughter of God who also has the privilege of being a wife, mom, and Lead Pastor at Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church. She first met Jesus in her early 20’s and her calling to vocational ministry came in her mid-30’s when she was primarily a stay-at-home mom. Kaye is passionate about seeing lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and then offered in pursuit of advancing the kingdom of God. She loves to teach and preach and help churches re-imagine their discipleship strategies. On a day off, she’d most like to be hiking and listening to worship music or enjoying good coffee with friends.

The Holy Spirit is as dunamis today as he was on the Day of Pentecost. On that day the disciples became apostles. They turned from fear to boldness. Their faith and doctrine were enhanced and empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit. All of a sudden, everything that Jesus taught them made sense. The Kingdom of God was in them, in their inmost being, in their faith, and in their words and actions.

When challenged by the religious leaders and threatened with imprisonment, they continued preaching, healing, and seeing miracles happen while asking for more boldness, parresia, and dunamis (spiritual power that manifests in the natural realm).

Personally, I seldom feel the dunamis after repeating the prayers of the ancient fathers. I may feel comforted in knowing that I am loved and cared for by God. I may feel re-assurance after doubting myself. This kind of self-doubt usually occurs when I slip into my do-it-yourself mode. And, I can feel peace when I pray through a list of requests and concerns. But I have experienced that Holy Spirit empowerment comes primarily from a different kind of praying, praying in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18).

For me, praying in the Spirit leads me into the Father’s presence where I can be still, rest, and listen. To be clear, this is usually in English but at times it may include a prayer language. Time in the Father’s presence, or in the “inner chamber” (Mt. 6:6), is for sifting through motives (James 4:3) and engaging in peace (Phil. 4:7). Then from the place of peace, I can present requests with faith. When I allow the Holy Spirit to be Lord of my prayers I can intercede effectively and sometimes enter a “groaning” prayer which is unspoken but definitely gripping my spirit with a specific burden, weeping, or overwhelming joy.

Praying in the Spirit most often will leave me feeling refreshed and invigorated but there are times when I just feel spent and drained. Either way appears more productive and valuable.

Learning to hear the voice of the Spirit in the moment of ministry provides prophetic words of knowledge and encouragement with a timely impact. Praying in the Spirit and intentional listening will often reveal insights, vision, and direction. This kind of dunamis is way beyond my own strength and guards my heart in proper peace and humility. This is most strongly noted in ministry cases with a demonic manifestation or when physical healing accompanies the inner healing.

One of the questions I ask many of the people who come to me for counseling and prayer ministry is “how do you hear from God?” For those who have an active prayer life and an engaging personal worship time, I can usually ask the Holy Spirit to give the insight. They will hear or see something clearly right away. Some others need to be coached to trust that what they are sensing is the Holy Spirit’s words. Still others need to be taught about prayer in basic form and that a “conversation” with God means that you have to do some listening. I’ll often explain Ephesians 1:17-19 at that point. The personal revelation they receive may come through scripture or through an insight or impression in the moment.

My part in the process is not to offer a prophetic word until they have tried to hear the Lord for themselves. That way their trust level increases rapidly and fresh faith in prayer arises. When I do offer words of knowledge or discernment, the stage has already been set for them to know that the Holy Spirit loves them and is working in their favor. This kind of profound work requires time praying in the Spirit, resting and listening for my own edification. Praying in the Spirit is a profound way of nurturing and strengthening my soul and spirit.

About the Author

Pastor Mike Henry is retired and living in Wenatchee, Washington, with his wife, Shelley. He continues in prayer ministry and life-coaching. He is involved in leadership development in Mexico and has recently published his first novel.

Emotions as Guides

Our emotions serve as guides to our inner landscape, leading us toward paths of connection and intimacy. However, many of us are taught early in life to view our emotions as mere distractions to our spiritual/relational journey – rather than allowing them to guide us, emotions seem like a swarm of gnats we repel and swat away. Truthfully, our emotions carry within them seeds of abundance, growth and healing, if we allow ourselves to hear what they have to say.

Core Emotions

I want to look at four emotions: joy, sadness, fear, and anger. We will call them core emotions because, though we experience many different emotions, most if not all emotions are rooted in one of these four. First is joy! Joy is all about love, connection, and abundance. We experience joy when all seems right in the world. Next is sadness, which is about loss as well as connection. We experience sadness when we lose or anticipate losing what we love – joy and sadness are closely tied together, and we really cannot experience one without the other. Then there is fear. Fear is about survival, and it is our internal alarm system (think fight, flight, or freeze). We experience fear when we or someone we love is in danger. Finally, anger is all about protecting our boundaries, and we experience anger when those boundaries are crossed. Similar to joy and sadness, fear and anger are connected, and often when we experience fear, we naturally experience anger.

Emotions in Scripture

God gave us these emotions. Unfortunately, we often do not see them as companions for our journey, but as hindrances we must get past.

Various scriptures certainly have been used to back this up. We learn it’s okay to be angry as long as we do not sin (Eph. 4:26), which seems impossible, so we bottle up our anger. We learn God does not give us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), in fact God’s perfect love casts it out (1 John 4:18) – so we cast it out too. We learn our sorrow and pain can stay the night as long as they’re gone by morning (Psalm 30:5), but anyone who’s ever experienced significant loss knows all too well the extended stay mourning requires.

Getting Stuck

These verses are wonderful, but they’ve often been applied in a way which leads us to go around our emotions rather than through them. When we bypass emotions, we get stuck in counter emotions. When we evict our sadness, we evict our joy as well, and instead of feeling better we feel numb. When we “cast out” our fear we do not feel power, love, or self-discipline, but get stuck in anxious inner dialogue loops. And when we bottle up our anger, we do the same to our boundaries until we inevitably explode on unsuspecting strangers and loved ones. Living in these counter emotions tends to lead to further layers of defenses, where we attempt to counter our counter emotions. For example, if we are out of touch with our fear and tail-spinning in anxiety, we may try self-soothing with food, drink, or mindless social media scrolling, and from there self-loathing or self-righteousness, etc.

How Do We Befriend Our Emotions?

The invitation today is to begin seeing our emotions more clearly as guides, companions and friends for our journey. This does not mean we are controlled by our emotions, but rather learning to walk in friendship with them. So how do we befriend our emotions? Here are a few practical steps to consider:

Locate

First, emotions are not thoughts in our minds but feelings in our bodies. Where in your body do you feel anger, fear, sadness, joy? Can you locate it? Place your hands where you feel the emotion. Maybe you carry anger in your gut and arms and you carry fear in your back and shoulders. Identifying where your emotions live in your body is the first step in befriending them.

Listen 

Next, what does the emotion need to say? Emotions cannot be thought through. They must be felt and heard. Our emotions carry messages from our inner landscape, and they often come as simple statements of reality or groanings too deep for words. Often feeling our emotions requires us to embody them as well. There is a lot to explore here, but start by asking the emotion you’re feeling, what do you need to do right now? Scream? Run? Punch the ground? Dance?

Also, your emotion may need to be heard by a friend or a safe community. You could also invite Jesus to meet with your emotions – often, allowing your adult self to host this conversation will allow our emotions to speak more honestly. Certainly, this is where various forms of contemplative prayer can really come alive!

Love 

Last, loving our emotions is a journey which requires us to locate, listen and feel them as often as needed. A friend and mentor of mine frequently reminds me, “Any emotion truly felt leads to other emotions.” Befriending our emotions is to welcome them as friends and inner companions, which can guide us toward greater connection and intimacy within, with God and our communities.

About the Author

Michael is a spiritual director, retreat facilitator, speaker and writer helping people explore their “inner landscape” in order to cultivate healing and wholeness in their relationships to self, others and God. Michael is an Elder in the Oregon Free Methodist Conference and served as a pastor for three years at Journey Church in Sherwood, Oregon.

Authentic Christlikeness: Jesus calls us to it. The Holy Spirit provides the power to achieve it. We desperately need it – today more than ever. So why is it so elusive? I invite you to consider the faith religion substitution. Faith and religion. The two are not synonymous. However, in many cases we have substituted religion for faith. When it comes to authentic Christlikeness the difference is huge. Consider this illustration.

• Faith-based Christlikeness: Think about a teabag in a glass of water. Continued relationship + process + Time = water transformed into tea. The presence of the tea bag transforms the water into something new. The strategy is simple. Authentic Christlikeness is found in continually choosing to remain in relationship with Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us. While the strategy is simple, the personal cost is high. The Holy Spirit will challenge us to change. It’s not comfortable. God will ask us to do things we don’t want to do. It requires relentless faith because it only works if we completely surrender our will to the authority of the Holy Spirit. And this is precisely why many Christians choose not to do it.

• Religion Substitution Christlikeness: Think about a glass of water and a multi-color box of food coloring. No teabag. This approach tries to copy the look of real tea through adding the right amount of various food colors to the water. Likewise, religion observes the outward appearance of authentic Christlikeness and seeks to duplicate it through human efforts. Church attendance, Bible studies, behaviors, beliefs and values are achieved through emulating what others do – or tell us to do – rather than being wrought by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

This is the faith religion substitution. The religion-based approach has generationally emulated further away from true faith. Yes, it worships Jesus. It discusses Jesus. It’s perceived to be the same as faith in Jesus, but it’s not. It requires adherence to man-made religious values and priorities. Whereas Jesus invites us into relationship with Him and challenges us to faithfully remain in that relationship as we grow spiritually.

The strategy of religion substitution is complicated. It’s difficult to understand. It’s highly subjective. This allows for many different opinions as to the “right” definition of Christlikeness, and the “best” way to achieve it. Exhausting! While the strategy is complicated, the personal cost is low. And this is precisely why many Christians choose to remain in it.

While the focus of this article is not the great commission, it must be observed that the religion substitution version of Christlikeness has significantly hindered the missional impact of the church. Let’s revisit the tea vs food coloring illustration … “Hello, thirsty person. I see you’re in need of a refreshing beverage.” Which glass do we offer? Almost always it’s the food coloring, which is anything but refreshing.

The growing sense of despair and hopelessness in our Nation is a symptom of the loss of influence the church has had on the culture. It’s on us! But all is not lost. There is hope! It’s found in recapturing authentic Christlikeness. Authentic Christlikeness is not found in a better program, Bible study, strategy, conference or book to read. We don’t achieve it. We receive it. 

Action Steps:

• Stop looking for the next best strategy or program and recapture Jesus’ plan for authentic Christlikeness.

• Be in relationship with Jesus. In John 15:4 Jesus says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (NIV)

• Through relentless faith, submit and surrender your will to the Holy Spirit. Understanding this can and will be uncomfortable and painful at times. In John 15: 1-3, Jesus says, “I am the vine, and my Father is the gardner, He cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (NIV)

• Put relentless faith into action. Do what the Holy Spirit challenges you to do. It may mean standing up for that person your friends don’t like. It may mean extending true compassion to someone society has marginalized. The list goes on and on. Bottom line: As you become more like Christ, there will be times that you are God’s plan to answer someone else’s prayer – no matter how personally costly or uncomfortable.

• Multiply. Invite others to join you on your journey toward authentic Christlikeness. Encourage them to live faithfully surrendered to the Holy Spirit. As they grow, challenge them to invite others to join them on their journey.

It really is a simple strategy. Growing the church in Christlikeness means growing the people of the church in Christlikeness. It’s about relationship with Jesus. It always has been.

I’d love to continue this conversation with you. Feel free to contact me at alan@theavenue.life.

In Christ,

Alan

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”                         

Luke 19:10 (NIV)

What a powerful statement. Jesus was solidly focused on his purpose. When the crowd of so called “respectable” people began to talk, well let’s call it what it was, they began to gossip about Jesus. And to be honest, it really was scandalous what Jesus was doing. Jesus had intentionally decided to hang out with that wee little sinner – Zacchaeus. How does Jesus respond to his critics? Well, he clearly articulates his mission ­­– “I came to save those who need saving.” Now, the fact that his mission was so religiously criminal is an indicator of just how far the people of God had drifted from being a world­-changing movement.

A few years back, I was listening to a podcast by Jonathan Del Turco. He said that most organizations – and for the sake of this article just insert church here – start out as a movement led by a risk-taker. Over time, the natural drift is for a movement to become a museum, led by a caretaker. If left unchecked, a museum will eventually become a mausoleum, led by an undertaker. I fear that most American churches have subtly and slowly followed this trajectory.

Here’s the main point: Jesus launched a movement, and we get to continue to be that movement in this present age. If you find yourself in an organization that has drifted and you’re wondering if there is an easy solution, the answer is no. I wish there was a simple 3-step process I could share with you to reignite your organization. The reality that many of us are facing is that the farther away our organizations have drifted from being a movement in our communities, the more arduous it will be to shift back. It is hard work. If you are willing to try, let me offer some initial suggestions to get you moving in the right direction. Among other things, make sure what you do is actually aligned with your mission, start taking risks, and evaluate and revaluate everything against the mission. Full disclosure: Embracing the process of relaunching as a movement will cost you donors on the front end and may even cost you friends.

RE-ALIGN WITH YOUR MISSION:

Many churches have a mission statement that goes something like this: We exist to love God and love others. A little vague, but nothing wrong with that statement. The danger with vague mission statements is that we can easily use them to justify preserving and curating the past. Believe me, I am speaking to myself here. It is so easy to get off mission and not even realize it. When that big donor suggests a pet project or that influential member criticizes you for not wearing a suit and tie, it is easy to allow the mission of the movement to be hijacked by the agenda of museum.

How are you doing here? Does your functional ministry agenda, program, and language actually align with your written mission? In my current context, we are committed to reaching the 41% of people in our community who have never stepped foot inside a church. We are passionate about this. We allocate a large amount of money to create environments that clearly present Jesus as the only way to the Father and present biblical truths in a way that people with no religious background can grasp it all the while staying decisively true to the Scriptures. It is entirely possible for your organization to have a really solid mission statement, but to function in a way that doesn’t actually fulfill that mission. Is your church or ministry area aligned with the organization’s mission, or is your mission being hijacked by the need to preserve the past, to keep people happy, or simply, by normal missional drift?

TAKE A RISK:

Jesus took risks all the time, especially when it came to relationships. He risked scrutiny when he hung out with sinners. He risked ‘standing’ with the religious elite when he reframed the commandments to bring clarity to the law. He risked teaching spiritual truths in the form of simple stories called parables so that the Kingdom would be accessible to everyone. He risked being despised by the religious crowd for calling out their hypocrisy and reaching out to the least of those in society.

How are you doing here? Risk-taking may not be your thing, but I’d encourage you to consider stepping out in faith and risking something for the sake of one person far from God. I personally don’t believe that faith can actually exist apart from risk. Perhaps, risk following Jesus’ example to give more grace than you’ve been given. Every movement of God has been led by a risk-taker. Abraham risked leaving his home. Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” By faith Moses, chose to be mistreated along with God’s people (Hebrews 11:24-25). By faith the prostitute Rahab,… I’ll just leave you with that much (Hebrews 11:31). Jesus risked the cross, the disciples risked their lives, and the story continues with us. What are you risking?

EVALUATE EVERYTHING:

I like to say that people count, so we count people. Every number represents a person and that person represents a life changed, or not. You’ll never know how you are doing if you refuse to look at the numbers. You’ll never be able to honestly evaluate your organization, your priorities, or your effectiveness if you don’t compare one year to the next. If no one is showing up to an event, then evaluate it, reinvent it, relaunch it, or kill it. If people far from God are not showing up to your services, then evaluate, reinvent, relaunch, or consider honestly embracing a slow painful death.

INVEST IN DONORS:

The primary theme of this month’s newsletter is on growing your church, increasing attendance and increasing income while remaining Christocentric. Like some, I actually believe that all of this can be accomplished. People will give to a movement, but beware, the presence of money, at times, can be an indicator that you are shifting from movement to museum.

Movements typically start with little to no money. The lack of money demands ingenuity, originality, and creative problem solving, which are all essential components of keeping the movement alive. Here are some tips on increasing giving:

• Leaders lead in the area of giving.
• Leaders challenge other leaders to give.
• Leaders teach regularly on biblical generosity.
• Leaders regularly honor normal, everyday people who are exemplary examples of generosity (Barnabas Acts 4).

As we move back into a new type of normal, this is the perfect opportunity to reset your organization. We are not going back to life as normal when we emerge out of the COVID-19 pandemic, so make the most of this moment to kill all the sacred cows that threaten to hijack your mission.

 About the Author

Jon Swanson is the assistant superintendent for the Reach Conference and the communications pastor of Timberlake Church in the Seattle area. He previously served churches in Washington and Colorado in a variety of roles that have included lead pastor and worship pastor. He holds a doctorate and a master’s degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida.