Sean Benesh's Blog, page 8

Why We Need to Stop Pretending that Bivocational Ministry is an Anomaly

The cultural tides continue to change. They always are. This not only happens across nations as a whole but within ministry in particular. Culture is interesting. It is the codification of traditions that build up over time. Then one day, without knowing, we wake up and simply assume that things have always been this way....

Why Launching a Startup in Ministry is a Crazy Fun Adventure

I admit I’m a bit of an adventure junkie. No, probably not in the way that comes to your mind. I’m not looking for an adrenaline rush, nor do I take reckless risks. By definition, adventure means “an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks.” Yes, in that definition, there is the reality of danger. But maybe...

What I'm Learning From Coaching Ministry Leaders to Launch Startups

Over this past year, I've seen an explosion of church planters, pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders sign up to be coached through launching startups. It's an exciting time as more and more leaders are opting for this preferred future. To pair together ministries with startups is becoming increasingly normative. So...

What Would You Do If You Weren't Funded to Do Ministry?

I think about this question a lot. Probably too much. Looking back on my life post-college I’ve been in “paid” ministry every year since going on staff at a church in 1998. Since then I’ve always alternated between seasons of “full-time paid ministry” and “bivocational ministry.” As I’ve moved back and forth between these...

Why So Many Have Lost Their Appetites for Ministry

One by one over the years I’ve watched friends, colleagues, and acquaintances step away from paid ministry. While I noticed it years ago, and maybe I’m more sensitive to it today, but I’m watching the trickle turn into a torrent. Of course my follow-up question is always … why?

Obviously the reasons are myriad, but not as ...

Why Self-Sustainability is the Wrong Goal in Church Planting

For as long as I have been involved in church planting self-sustainability has been lauded one of the highest goals for any new church. When you think about it, there’s an inordinate amount of time, focus, and energy that goes into it. I’d even contend that conversation alone drives the majority of what takes place in chu...

I've Found the Best Book Ever on Church Planting

This is not hyperbole nor an exaggeration. I believe it. I truly have found the go-to guide on church planting. That doesn’t mean there aren’t innumerable other great books out there on church planting that hit different facets of the conversation, but they all come together in Church Plantology: The Art and Science of Pl...

Aligning Your Startup in the Solutions Economy

One of my favorite ongoing conversations in our startup coaching is about how new businesses can meet a local need. While this conversation on one hand seems rather simple and straightforward, it usually takes some digging in to uncover how. Sure, some startups by nature are focused from the get-go on addressing a local n...

What Everyone Seems to be Missing About the Bivocational Conversation

Admittedly there’s nothing new about this whole bivocational conversation. It’s as old as the New Testament as we read scant accounts of Paul’s ministry and work life. We really don’t know much other than he made tents. We’re not privy to how much time he dedicated to it, how profitable it was (or wasn’t), nor even if it ...

Why Startup Coaching is Like Personal Training

I see them all of the time at the gym I workout at … personal trainers. They are as ubiquitous as squat racks and disinfectant spray bottles. They all have the same matching t-shirts, with the guys most often donning size “smedium.” I like that they’re there. A lot. While I normally don’t chat with them since I have my no...