Tentmaking Tips

This passage runs contrary to ministry culture in the US and probably challenges our paradigms.

Paul, a successful church planter & author of much of our New Testament, is making tents? Surely if anyone deserves a full-time paid salary, it's Paul. Paul even talked about how he had the right to support from churches as a traveling preacher (1 Cor 9), but in some cases "did not use this right" because he didn't want anything to "hinder the gospel of Christ." He wanted to preach the gospel "free of charge."

Paul told the Ephesian elders:

I have not coveted...

But…

You’re worried about your husband or wife’s reaction.

“It’s too risky!”

“We need financial stability!”

“I don’t want you working nights and weekends!”

These concerns are totally understandable.

The key to bringing your spouse along on the journey is to start small & go slowwwww.

You don’t have to quit your job next week to start tentmaking on the side. You don’t have to put in 20 more hours of work each week on top of your busy ministry schedule. You don’t have to empty out your savings and retirement to get started.

Start small.

Like with Travel Hacking for example. I can almost guarantee you that your spouse will love it if you can plan an extra free vacation for the family each year. And that’s totally doable without a huge time investment. Check out this blog for more info: The Best Credit Card for Travel Rewards. 

After...

While most financial advisors would recommend having multiple streams, I’ve found that too often pastors/missionaries don’t pursue this.

Why is that?

I’m sure there are a number of reasons:

1. Don’t want to get distracted

2. Don’t have time

3. Worried about the optics

4. Perceived lack of additional skills

I can understand because I’ve been there too.

Then I realized that the reasons to have additional income streams far outweighed the reasons not to have them.

Here are some benefits:

1. Supplemental income for your family to make up for low or moderate ministry pay

2. Less pressure to stay in a ministry position that’s not a fit

3. Follow the Lord where he leads, even if it doesn’t pay much or anything at all

4. Interact with more unbelievers outside the church/ministry

5. Modeling integrity in the business sector

6. Increase in generosity

7. Get out of debt sooner

8. Save a sizable emergency fund

9. ...

It’s true. And sometimes they are very generous.

Chances are you have several thousand dollars at your primary bank that can be moved around. Perhaps this is your liquid emergency fund or some money you’ve been saving for a future purchase.

Use that money to redeem the best checking account bonuses when banks offer them.

Let me give you a few examples.

Chase Bank recently offered a $300 bonus for opening a new personal checking account and a $300 bonus for opening a new business account. I opened both. After completing a few activities, they deposited those bonuses right into my account.

Citi Bank then had a promotion offering up to a $750 bonus if you opened a new checking account with them (bonus varied depending on how much money you deposited). I signed up for this one as well and moved some money over.

Different banks offer promotions at different times, so just make a...

Needed: ~$60k+

Ways to make an extra $60k+:

1. Social Media Management - work with clients to create social media accounts and post regular updates to them

2. Commission Sales - many sales jobs are flexible and allow you to get paid for results rather than for time

3. Online Courses/Coaching - online education has become a very large industry with great potential for full-time income

4. Realtor - this can provide a little extra money, part-time income or full-time income depending on the time you can spend

5. Moving Company - I have friends that are running a moving business to provide for themselves full-time for ministry purposes

6. Real Estate Acquisitions - real estate investors are often looking for people to help them find and purchase new properties

7. Freelance programming - learn to code and monetize your ability online

8. Network Administration - offer IT...

Needed: ~$20,000

Ways to earn an extra $20k (for you or your spouse):

1. Uber/Lyft Driver - in your free time, drive people around, build new relationships and make extra money
2. Virtual Assistant - using a site like Upwork.com, you can work from home as someone’s assistant on your own time
3. Deliver pizzas - the classic Dave Ramsey way to earn extra money
4. Paint houses - you can make significant extra money doing just a few houses a year
5. Mow lawns each week - many of us did this as teenagers and if you scale it up a bit, you can easily make extra income
6. Hang Christmas lights - I have a friend who makes $200-300/house each year doing this for a total of around $20k/yr
7. Virtual Bookkeeper - learn this skill and help others online keep track of their income/expenses
8. Deliver packages for Amazon - can pursue this around your ministry schedule
9. Become a...

Needed: ~$5,000

Here are some ideas to earn an extra $5k:

1. Teach English Online - many opportunities to teach English online to people wanting to learn from and practice with native English speakers

2. Instacart/Door Dash/Uber Eats - food and grocery delivery has become even more popular with the pandemic

3. Tutoring (pick a subject) - online or in your city, there are opportunities to tutor hourly in subjects you are proficient in

4. Flip products on Facebook Marketplace/eBay/Craigslist - guitars, purses, couches, or other high value items that you can look for good deals on and sell for a bit more

5. Couponing - if you are diligent about finding and using coupons, you can save/make quite a bit of money

6. Referrals - connect with your friends in sales and offer to bring them leads for a referral fee (many industries...

At times, the Apostle Paul was a tentmaker to support his ministry. If that’s what you’re looking to do, you’re in good company!

All over the world pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders are working outside their ministries to support themselves inside their ministries.

Some call it bi-vocational.

Others call it co-vocational.

Still others say they are “tentmaking” like the Apostle Paul.

Whatever you end up calling it, the first step is to decide what Level of Tentmaking you need.

One level isn’t superior...