Tentmaking Tips

If you are a tentmaking pastor, you will never be as “available” as someone paid full time by the church.

Good.

That is not a weakness to hide. It is a leadership advantage if you handle it properly.

Here is how.

1. Clear the Guilt First

Most bi vocational leaders are not exhausted because of workload. They are exhausted because of internal pressure.

You feel:

I should answer that message immediately

I should attend every event

I should always be reachable

A real pastor would be more present

That thinking will crush you.

Look at the apostle Paul. Never as available as people wanted him to be. No zoom. No mobile. Often in another nation. Always on the move. Yet he achieved far more than many of us with all the tech support!

Availability is not the same as faithfulness.

If your church depends on you being constantly accessible, you do not have a healthy church. You have dependency.

Clear the guilt. Replace it with conviction:

I am called to shepherd

I am not called to be...

Every pastor thinking about tentmaking faces this tension:

“What if this works?”

“What if this distracts me?”

“What if this fails and wastes time?”

So most do nothing. Or worse - they leap without testing and create chaos at home and church.

Neither is wise. Paul didn’t abandon ministry to try tentmaking. He worked with what was in front of him. That’s the pattern.

Step 1: Start With Skills You Already Have

Before you explore something shiny, ask: What do people already ask me for help with? What do I do naturally well? What have I been paid for before?

Testing works best when you build from skills you already have.

If you’ve never renovated anything, house flipping isn’t your first experiment. If you’ve never coached anyone, launching a course tomorrow isn’t wise.

Start from existing strength.

Step 2: Reduce the Risk Window

Never test in a way that:

• Puts your family finances under strain
• Damages your credibility
• Forces you into stresssful decisions

Instead, define ...

In the last newsletter I shared 3 lessons I learned on my tentmaking journey over the past 8.5 years.

If you haven’t read that newsletter, you can read it first here.

I started my real estate company in August of 2017 and began a tentmaking journey that continues to this day.

One of the things I see happen every year is this:

People start the year with good intentions to earn additional income … but without a plan or with a bad plan. I know because I did it myself for many years.

Last week we talked about why vague resolutions don’t change anything and how direction beats willpower when it comes to your tentmaking goals.

So let’s take the next step:

How do you move from “I want to” to “I’m doing it”?

Because intentions without implementation are just wishes.

✅ 1. Clarify Your Income Target

Tentmaking isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Ask yourself:

• Do I just need a little extra each month?
• Am I aiming for a significant part-time income?
• Or do I want to fully replace my salary?

Knowing how much you actually need changes what you pursue and how you pursue it.

Write it down. Be specific.

✅ 2. Choose the Right Strategy (Not Just the Most Popular One)

There are dozens of ways to build tentmaking income - from house hacking and real estate to online ...

The start of a new year has a way of making us reflective.

What needs to change?
What do I need to take seriously this year?
What can’t be left vague anymore?

For tentmaking pastors, those questions often land in a very specific place: income, capacity, and freedom.

Not because money is the mission - but because money affects whether you can stay in the mission long-term.

Paul Didn’t Make Resolutions. He Made Room.

When Paul talks about his tentmaking, he never frames it as a compromise.
It’s not a fallback plan.
It’s not a lack of faith.

It’s wisdom.

“You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.” (Acts 20:34)

Paul didn’t set abstract goals like “trust God more” or “be more disciplined.”
He made practical decisions that created margin - financial, relational, and missional.

That’s the heart of tentmaking.

So as you think about goals this year, here’s a reframing that might help:

👉 Don’t ask, “What do I want to achieve?”
👉 Ask...

As we celebrate Thanksgiving (my wife's American so I'm allowed - sort of), I just wanted to take a moment to say a genuine thank you.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re someone who’s stepped out - maybe in faith, maybe into new territory, maybe just one small step at a time. Whether you’re juggling ministry, a side gig, or just exploring what “tentmaking” could look like in your own life, I want you to know how much I appreciate you.

It takes courage to step out. To try something new. To provide for your family while still following your calling. You’re not just making ends meet - you’re making an impact, both in your community and beyond.

It takes courage to do something different to the norm. To step out into a new (well, it's actually old) model of combining ministry and income generation.

It takes courage to face the questions, the doubts (both yours and others), the raised eyebrows and even the disapproving silence!

It takes courage to set a big goal. Small goals are...

For many pastors, the scariest part of tentmaking isn’t choosing an income stream.
It’s telling their church and leadership team.

You might be excited about finally getting some financial breathing room… but you’re also thinking:

• “Will they think I’m less committed to the church?”
• “Will they assume I’m planning my exit?”
• “Will this damage trust with my elders, leadership team or board?”

And here’s the thing: if anyone in the church is going to hear criticism like,
“Why isn’t our pastor 100% focused on the church?”
…it’ll usually hit your leadership team first.

That’s why how you communicate your tentmaking desires (or current reality) is absolutely crucial. Done well, your leaders can become your biggest defenders and advocates. Done badly, it can create suspicion, insecurity, and unnecessary tension.

Let’s walk through three key pieces:

1. Why your leadership team must be in the loop
2. How to start the conversation in a healthy, honouring way
3. Common questions you’ll face -
...

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...

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...