New Churches Podcast | Season 1 | Episode 743

Managing Your Time as a Bivocational Church Planter

Ed Stetzer & Brad Brisco

Episode 743

Time is our most precious commodity, and most bivocational leaders say they have trouble managing it. Ed Stetzer and Brad Brisco discuss practical ideas for managing your time.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

  • The difference between “bivocational” and “covocational”
  • The danger of compartmentalizing
  • Why managing expectations is crucial
  • The importance of a theology of work
  • How to find healthy life patterns

Helpful Resources:

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Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

The No. 1 challenge, every single time I ask a bivo/covo planter, always has to do with time management – managing multiple aspects of life. — Brad Brisco

We definitely have to have a conversation if your approach to church is professional clergy centric. — Ed Stetzer

I’ve seen people have two or three couples and two or three singles, all going together to plant a church. If you’re bivo or covo, you cannot plant as a Lone Ranger. — Brad Brisco

There’s something in our culture that’s not healthy where we have to be the hero, we have to be the center. You can’t have a healthy long-term ministry like that. — Ed Stetzer

Church planters tell me they feel guilty with the amount of time they spend at work because those are hours they can’t spend on the church plant. — Brad Brisco

If you’re going to be bivocational, covocational, there are some jobs that are not good jobs for you. — Ed Stetzer

You have to operate with a planner and a calendar. You need to manage expectations. Most leaders need to set some social media boundaries. — Brad Brisco

Published on May 04, 2023

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About the Podcast

New Churches Podcast

The New Churches podcast offers practical answers to your real ministry questions. We aren’t going to provide lofty pie-in-the-sky theories. Instead, we are going to help you in your real ministry context, with your real thoughts, questions, and issues.

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Meet the Authors

Ed Stetzer

Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is a professor and dean at Wheaton College where he also serves as Executive Director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center.  He is the incoming Dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and he has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates. He serves at his local church, Mariners Church, as a Scholar in Residence and Teaching Pastor.

More Resources from Ed

Brad Brisco

Brad Brisco directs strategies development for the North American Mission Board. He holds a doctorate in missional ecclesiology; his thesis focused on assisting existing congregations to transition in a missional direction. He also serves on the national leadership team for Forge America Mission Training Network. Brad is the co-author of “Missional Essentials,” a 12-week small group study guide, “The Missional Quest: Becoming a Church of the Long Run” and “Next Door As It Is In Heaven.”

More Resources from Brad
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