Too Busy to Start Tentmaking? Think Again!

I hear it regularly from pastors and church leaders: "I'd love to start a tentmaking business, but I'm just too busy."

I get it. I really do.

Church planting, leading a ministry, shepherding a congregation - it's all-consuming. The demands on your time feel relentless. There's always one more person who needs you, one more crisis to manage, one more sermon to prepare.

But here's the truth I've learned after 20 years of coaching church leaders: if you're waiting for the "right time" to start, you're already too late.

Let me explain.

1. The Time to Start Is Now (Yes, Really)

I know it sounds like a cliché, but stick with me.

If you're thinking you might want a tentmaking income "one day," that day needs to be today. Here's why: it takes time to figure out what you actually want to do. Time to explore your options. Time to develop your skills. Time to find a coach or mentor. Time to build something sustainable.

The best time to do all of this? When you already have a secure income.

Nobody wants the crushing pressure of having to make a business work because there's no food on the table. That's a recipe for poor decisions and burnout. Instead, develop a more mature motivation - start now when you don't need the income, so you have options when you do.

The 60-Year-Old Pastor Problem

I've coached church leaders for two decades, and I've witnessed the same painful scenario over and over again:

A pastor hits 60. Both he and the church realize he's running out of energy. They need younger leadership. But his retirement is still 5+ years away. Then comes the really complex, difficult conversation: "What am I going to do?"

Having seen this play out repeatedly, I was determined never to find myself in that situation if I could avoid it.

If you're in ministry in your early 50s, now is the time to start thinking about the future - not when you're in your early 60s and your options are far more limited.

2. Planning for the Future Isn't Faithless - It's Faithful

Let me be clear: I'm not immediately in a position where I need a tentmaking income. God willing, my job is secure. I lead a large church and a family of churches. I have options.

But I suspect - actually, I know - that this situation won't last forever. I likely won't have the energy I have now to do everything I currently do.

That's why I'm planning now.

Planning for the future isn't a lack of faith. It's stewarding what God has given you. It's being wise. It's following the example of Joseph, who stored up during the years of plenty to prepare for the years of famine.

3. You Can Make Time If You Choose To

I stopped agreeing when people say, "Have you been busy?" or "You must be so busy."

Why? Because there's a cultural "value" placed on being perceived as busy. And I don't like that label.

Instead, I prefer to feel that I'm doing what God has asked me to do and given me grace to do. That's a completely different mindset.

Here's my honest assessment: apart from those in an extreme season, I'm not convinced there's anyone who can't time-block 4 hours a week to seriously explore a tentmaking income.

And if not now, you can plan for when your current season ends and you do have more time.

4. The Real Issue Often Isn't Time - It's Emotional Energy

OK, now we're getting honest with each other.

Very often, ministry drains not just our time but our emotions. I was in exactly that state myself.

But here's what I've learned: you can find tentmaking income that puts that emotional energy back in!

My small business takes only a few hours a week, and it actually fuels me with energy for ministry. It gives me a creative outlet. It reminds me that I'm capable of building something. It provides a sense of accomplishment that's sometimes hard to find in the slow, messy work of discipleship.

Now, you do need to find the emotional resources to start looking. But very often, that emotional journey is important for your overall health anyway.

Are you really happy with the emotional state ministry is leaving you in? If not, it's time to make a change regardless.

5. Don't Just Trade Time for Money - Build Leverage

Here's a crucial point: you don't just want to find a role that pays the same hourly rate as your ministry work. In fact, you don't want that at all!

You want to find something that leverages your time and breaks you out of the time-for-money hamster wheel so you can actually have more time for ministry.

But How Do You Do That?

Ah - now you're asking the right question.

That's the journey I went on a few years ago. I explored multiple options:

• Book publishing – passive income, but low margins and I lacked long term passion for it
• eBay store – hit $35k annual turnover working 3-4 hours/week, but needed staff to scale
• Software as a Service (SaaS) – high impact, but high support needs taking more and more time
• Affiliate marketing – explored but didn't pursue deeply although am integrating into my current business
• Scalable coaching/course creation – this is where I landed, and it's been the sweet spot

The reality is there are hundreds of ways to create a tentmaking income. You've just got to find one that fits your unique gifts and passions and gives you life.

The Bottom Line

So here's what I honestly believe: no one is too busy to develop a tentmaking income if they really, really want to.

The question isn't whether you have time. The question is whether you're willing to make it a priority.

Because one day - maybe sooner than you think - you might you had started today.

What do you think? Are you ready to start exploring your tentmaking options, or are you still waiting for the "perfect time"?

Standing with you

Simon