Dennis W. Bickers, The Work of the Bivocational Minister. Judson Press, 2007.
Companion volume: The BiVocational Pastor
Referenced in: Small Church Leadership
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is perhaps the best and most succinct description of bivocational ministry. Bickers also authored the book, The Bivocational Pastor: Two Jobs, One Ministry, which focuses on the development of the person who does bivocational ministry. This volume discusses many of the same issues, but with a special focus on the work of bivocational ministry – what it is, why it may be needed, what are its challenges and rewards, etc. He also presents seasoned, practical suggestions on how to execute the tasks of ministry (e.g. preaching, church development) while dual employed.
From the Publisher
The latest in Judson’s best-selling “Work of the Church” series!
- What is bivocational ministry?
- Why choose it?
- Where can you find it?
- Who is the bivocational minister?
Veteran bivocational minister and author Dennis Bickers answers these basic questions in establishing the work of bivocational ministry. Simply defined, it is the professional ministry of any pastor or salaried church leader who also has other sources of income. Traditionally, it is a ministry that has been treated as second-class and less than ideal, but Bickers celebrates its benefits and rewards, even as he acknowledges its challenges.
- What makes bivocational ministry challenging?
- What makes it rewarding?
- What might a week in the bivocational life look like?
Bickers also explores how bivocational ministry can work for the local church and how it is gaining credibility and appreciation in various Christian denominations. Finally, he shares some practical tools to aid the bivocational minister in the common challenges of sermon planning, compensation, and goal setting.
This compact volume meets a critical need in the emergent church as it offers creative and practical insight into a time-tested, if not always honored, paradigm for ministry in the twenty-first century.
About the Author
Dennis Bickers has spent more than 27 years working with smaller churches. For 20 years, he was a bivocational pastor and currently serves as an Area Resource Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky. He is the National Project Director of BivoNet, a ministry to the bivocational ministers of American Baptist Churches USA, and also serves as an area resource minister for ABC of Indiana and Kentucky. Bickers is a member of the advisory board for the Bivocational Ministry Center at Campbellsville University. He is the author of four books including The Bivocational Pastor and The Healthy Small Church (Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City). Bickers has an MA in Religion and is pursuing a DMin from Liberty Theological Seminary. He frequently leads workshops on bivocational and small-church ministry for various denominations and serves as a coach for both bivocational and fully-funded ministers. He lives in Madison, Indiana, with his wife, Faye.
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