This blog is for bi-vocational people. Maybe you work full time and then also work or volunteer as a youth leader, or a scoutmaster, or a fireman, or service club officer. The key thing is that you probably make your primary living from one thing, and then choose to invest in a second thing because of some core value in your life. That might be supporting a family, and needing a second income to do so. It might be a sense of greater mission or calling, like it is in my case.
I am a bi-vocational pastor. I work a full-time day job, and also pastor a small church. Trying to juggle a growing family and two demanding jobs while also maintaining some sense of personal wellness is not easy, but I’ve been doing it for 20 years, and I think I’m ready to share some of the lessons I’ve picked up along the way.
What topics interest me? Productivity and life management, personal mission, work-life synergy, technology and productivity, small church leadership. Let’s look at some upcoming blog topics:
- “The tools I use to make the most of every day.”
- “Don’t cheat your day job for your night job.”
- “How to do what you really want to do without resenting what you have to do to get there”
- “Practicing what you preach”
- “Why bi-vocational pastors are better pastors”
- “How a part-time pastor makes for a healthy church”
- “Everyone is bi-vocational if they are living God’s call on their lives”
- “Keeping track of all the details when you are being pulled 100 different ways”
- “Work and ministry: striving for synergy”
- “When everyone wants a piece of you, how do you keep a slice for yourself?”
- “A new look at priorities – it’s more than putting the big rocks in first”
I’d like you to join me for an ongoing conversation about bi-vocationalism. There are some limited blogs and podcasts out there on this topic, and a handful of books. Unfortunately, there isn’t much fresh content being produced or curated. My goal is to become the most recognizable curator or subject matter expert on these topics as they relate to people working two jobs.
A curator has the privilege of sampling a lot of great content. The true heroes are those who came up with great ideas, often through years of toil, trial, and triumph. But, sorting through the good, bad, and ugly, and giving a community the context to celebrate and learn from the best ideas is the role of the curator. I get to show off people who are smarter than me, you get to converse about it, and we all become better at doing the things we love.
My Comments Policy
As you know, Web 2.0 is all about the conversation. But without a few simple ground rules, that conversation can turn into a shouting match that discourages others from entering into the fray.
So here is my comments policy. By posting on my blog, you agree to the following:
You may comment without registering. You can log-in via Disqus, OpenID, Twitter, Facebook—or not at all. It’s up to you.
You may post anonymously. I don’t recommend this, but you may do so if you wish. I may change this rule if it is abused.
You may post follow-up questions. If you have a question, chances are you are not alone. Others are likely thinking similarly. Therefore, I would rather receive your comments on my blog than via email. It is a better use of my time to address everyone at once rather than answer several similar emails.
You may disagree with me. I welcome debate. However, I ask that if you disagree with me—or anyone else, for that matter—do so in a way that is respectful. In my opinion, there is way too much shouting in the public square to tolerate it here.
I reserve the right to delete your comments. This is my blog. I don’t have an obligation to publish your comments. The First Amendment gives you the right to express your opinions on your blog not mine.
Specifically, I will delete your comments if you post something that is, in my sole opinion, (a) snarky; (b) off-topic; (c) libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum and civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e., an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. You may, however, post a link to your site or your most recent blog post.
You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from any and all liability that may result from those postings.
You grant me a license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. You grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, a video, or presentation.
In short, my goal is to host interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this simple comments policy will facilitate this.
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