Tentmaking Tips

My wife’s AMEX Gold card had a $325 annual fee posted to her account today.

If you're a pastor or in ministry and looking to boost your income, you might be sitting on a goldmine without even realizing it. The skills you use every week in ministry? They're often exactly what people are willing to pay for in the marketplace.

You don't need to learn something completely new or spend years getting another qualification. You just need to repackage what you already do and find the right audience. Here are five skills you probably already have, and how real pastors are turning them into income streams.

1. Counseling

You've been doing pastoral counseling for years. You know how to listen, ask the right questions, and help people work through their struggles. That's a valuable skill.

I know a pastor (actually more than one!) who'd been counseling people in his church for years but had never been formally qualified. He decided to get properly certified as a counselor, and now he has a successful private practice as a side income. He's still in ministry, but he's al...

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...

AI is everywhere right now. Course creation in minutes. Business plans generated instantly. Marketing copy that sounds like you hired a pro.

It seems like the perfect solution for busy pastors and leaders wanting to build their tentmaking income.

But here's what nobody's telling you: AI is both your biggest asset and your most dangerous trap.

Let me explain why - and how to use it without getting burned.

How AI Helps Your Tentmaking Journey

Speed and Efficiency
I help people turn their knowledge into scalable online programs working just 4-5 hours per week. AI has made this so much easier.

What used to take 20 hours of course planning now takes 20 minutes. Need marketing copy? Done. Content outlines? Instant. Research? Lightning fast.

Idea Generation and Research
Stuck on what tentmaking path to pursue? Try this prompt:

"I'm a [your role] with expertise in [your skills/experience]. I have [X hours] per week available and want to build $[income goal] in additional income within ...

A few years ago I met a pastor who runs a small business on the side.

He was apologetic about it. "I'd love to 100% be focusing on ministry," he said, "but we just need the extra income."

But when we talked in depth his impact in the community and the opportunities he had were gold.

This pastor thought his "secular" work was taking him away from ministry. He had no idea he was sitting on a missional goldmine.

Many see tentmaking as a necessary evil - something we do to pay the bills while we get on with "real ministry."

But what if I told you that tentmaking isn't taking you away from mission? What if it's actually amplifying your missional impact in ways traditional ministry can't touch?

Here are three hidden advantages of tentmaking that Paul understood (and why he chose this path for reasons beyond just paying the bills):

1. You Build Authentic Relationships Where Non-Christians Actually Are

Your workplace isn't an interruption to ministry. It IS ministry.

Think about it: W...

My latest Travel Hacking pursuit has been earning American Airlines Platinum Status primarily with spend on a credit card & shopping through their online portal.

If you're interested in launching your first online course but don't know what to teach, I've got something special for you. My brand new free course "The 90 Minute Blueprint Builder" will take you from stuck to crystal clear in just 90 minutes. You can grab it inside my Raw Launch Lab community.

Starting your own business should be exciting.

But for many pastors and Christian leaders, it feels overwhelming.

Even terrifying.

I get it. I've been there myself.

The truth is, most people never take that first step not because they lack the skills or the calling, but because of invisible barriers that hold them back.

Let me share the most common reasons why people hesitate to start their own business—and more importantly, how you can push through them.

1. Fear of Financial Failure

This is the big one.

The fear that you'll lose money you can't afford to lose.

That you'll jeopardize your family's security.

That you'll end up worse off than when you started.

Here's what I've learne...

Over the summer, my daughter got married! 🎉

So wonderful to have time to celebrate her and her new husband and get them settled in Winchester (beautiful city by the way if you're in or visiting the UK).

It was a fantastic day and we loved every minute of it. Then ... rest!

But while I was resting ...

I also got some time to think about how I can help more people build tentmaking income and - well, I created a thing!

Over the last 6 months I've chatted to many Christian leaders about building online programs:

91% gave me the same answer. (Well not exactly 91% but a lot!)

It wasn't time. It wasn't tech skills. It wasn't even money.

It was this: "I'm not sure what I would teach."

Think about that for a second.

These are people who counsel marriages every week...

Who've guided teenagers through life-changing decisions...

Who've helped families navigate their darkest seasons...

Who stand up and deliver messages that transform lives every Sunday...

And they're not sure what the...

What I typically characterize as “Life Hacking” on this blog is any way you earn extra money that’s not in a specific business or skill.

I want to continue my “6 Month Update” series today and share what we’ve been up to with Agent Hacking.