Ep.10 | Co-vocational and Bi-vocational Ministry for Pastors | Eric Hoke

11/15/24 • 40 min

In this engaging conversation, Eric Hoke discusses his journey from traditional full-time ministry to becoming a co-vocational pastor and author of "Market Street Pastor." The discussion centers on the crucial distinction between bivocational ministry (working another job temporarily until full-time ministry becomes viable) and co-vocational ministry (intentionally maintaining both church and marketplace roles as a long-term strategy).
Hoke shares his experience planting All Saints Church in the Bronx, where financial realities led him to discover the unexpected benefits of co-vocational ministry. These benefits include better community connection, increased lay leader involvement, and improved pastoral sustainability. He notes that co-vocational pastors often demonstrate greater longevity in ministry, partly because their regular engagement outside church walls provides healthy perspective and balance. The conversation addresses common concerns about co-vocational ministry, particularly the fear that it represents failure or inability to succeed in full-time ministry. Hoke challenges this perception, emphasizing that pastors possess valuable transferable skills—including communication, leadership, and project management—that are highly valued in the marketplace.
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on practical implementation, addressing the crucial question of how pastors can balance church responsibilities with full-time employment. Hoke emphasizes that success requires a fundamental paradigm shift: rather than trying to maintain traditional pastoral duties while working another job, churches must embrace a team approach where responsibilities are thoughtfully delegated among church leaders and members. The episode concludes with a forward-looking perspective, suggesting that co-vocational ministry may become increasingly common in Western churches. Hoke encourages church leaders to proactively consider this model, not as a compromise but as a strategic approach to sustainable ministry that better engages the entire church body in its mission.
For those interested in exploring co-vocational ministry, Hoke offers resources through his website ihelpastorsgetjobs.com, including his book and weekly newsletter.
Key Topics:

Eric's background and journey from full-time ministry to co-vocational ministry in NYC
Understanding the difference between bivocational and co-vocational ministry
Common objections to co-vocational ministry and how to address them
Identifying transferable skills from ministry to marketplace
Managing time and responsibilities as a co-vocational pastor

Key Takeaways:

Co-vocational ministry is a long-term strategy where pastors maintain both church and marketplace roles
Bivocational ministry is typically a temporary arrangement until full-time ministry becomes viable
Co-vocational pastors often report better work-life balance and longevity in ministry
Churches need to shift from depending solely on paid staff to activating the whole congregation
Pastors have many transferable skills including communication, leadership, and project management

Resources Mentioned:

Market Street Pastor (Eric Hoke's book)
ihelpastorsgetjobs.com
The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter

Guest Information: Eric Hoke is the founder of ihelpastorsgetjobs.com and author of "Market Street Pastor." After serving as a youth pastor and executive pastor, he planted All Saints Church in the Bronx, where he discovered the benefits of co-vocational ministry. He now coaches pastors on navigating marketplace opportunities while maintaining church ministry.
Connect with Eric:

Website: ihelpastorsgetjobs.com
Book: Market Street Pastor (available through website)
Weekly Newsletter: Subscribe at ihelpastorsgetjobs.com

Join the Conversation:

Subscribe to the podcast
Leave a comment on our YouTube channel
Share your thoughts on co-vocational ministry

Eric's background and journey from full-time ministry to co-vocational ministry in NYC
Understanding the difference between bivocational and co-vocational ministry
Common objections to co-vocational ministry and how to address them
Identifying transferable skills from ministry to marketplace
Managing time and responsibilities as a co-vocational pastor

Key Takeaways:

Co-vocational ministry is a long-term strategy where pastors maintain both church and marketplace roles
Bivocational ministry is typically a temporary arrangement until full-time ministry becomes viable
Co-vocational pastors often report better work-life balance and longevity in ministry
Churches need to shift from depending solely on paid staff to activating the whole congregation
Pastors have many transferable skills including communication, leadership, and project management

Resources Mentioned:

Market Street Pastor (Eric Hoke's book)
ihelpastorsgetjobs.com
The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter

Website: ihelpastorsgetjobs.com
Book: Market Street Pastor (available through website)
Weekly Newsletter: Subscribe at ihelpastorsgetjobs.com

Join the Conversation:

Subscribe to the podcast
Leave a comment on our YouTube channel
Share your thoughts on co-vocational ministry

Previous Episode

Ep.09 | Rock #5 - The Launch

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the fifth "big rock" of church revitalization - launching the new vision and plan. They explain that while "launch" can refer to a specific kickoff Sunday service, it's really a season of putting all the pieces of the plan in place and beginning to implement them.
Just as the Israelites built the tabernacle in stages and conquered the Promised Land in phases, and NASA conducts extensive preparations before a space launch, a church must do a lot of groundwork before the public "launch" of their revitalized ministry. This includes getting ministry teams and leaders in place, promoting the church in the community, setting up the children's ministry, preparing the worship service and sermons, developing an integration pathway for new people, and more.
The hosts emphasize that the vision team who developed the plan are not necessarily the ones who will lead the implementation. The plan must first be approved by the elders and rolled out to the whole church to get their buy-in. Then the critical first step is identifying and empowering the right leaders and teams to execute the various components of the plan.
Outreach is a top priority to begin engaging the community. However, equally important is having an integration pathway ready to welcome and follow up with new people. The initial components of the discipleship pathway, especially a clear plan for evangelism and a new believers class, must also be in place.
While a specific launch Sunday gives everyone a goal to work towards, the "launch" is really a 90-day season of building momentum. An initial kickoff Sunday should be followed by several weeks of outreach-focused services and events to keep engaging newcomers, followed by "in-reach" focused services to help retain them. Then another outreach focused series and finally leveraging the Christmas season to connect with even more people.
As the analogy of a space launch illustrates, different "thrusters" are needed for different phases. The initial booster rockets get the rocket launched, then separate as another set of engines propels it forward. In the same way, a church may leverage certain outreach events or sermon series in the initial launch phase, then shift to an integration focus to propel the church forward in the next phase.
The goal is not just to have a single exciting "launch Sunday" but to be fully prepared to love, welcome and guide the new people God will send. As the Lord stirs people's hearts to visit the church, it is a sacred stewardship to be ready to provide them an excellent experience and purposefully move them towards a relationship with Jesus.
Getting ready for a "launch" is like preparing to host a big party at your house. You need to clean the house, set the table, bake the cake and have everything in order before you open the door and invite guests in. In the same way, before promoting itself to the community, a church needs to "clean house" by making any needed cosmetic improvements to its facility, "set the table" by developing a warm and welcoming culture, and "bake the cake" by putting the discipleship pathway and ministry systems in place to help new people grow in Christ. Then it can confidently open the doors and invite the community in.
The hosts conclude by reiterating that launching a revitalized ministry is not about perfection but readiness in the key areas. It's not just cosmetic changes but a heart change - aligning the church culturally and practically to reach the people Jesus died for. That's the ultimate goal of church revitalization.
Bible passages cited:
- Israelites building the tabernacle (Exodus 35-40)
- Israelites conquering the Promised Land (Book of Joshua)
- Story of Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22)

Next Episode

Ep.11 | Navigating Church Governance for Effective Revitalization

In this episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant discuss the importance of clear church governance and polity in revitalization efforts. Many struggling churches face challenges related to leadership structure, accountability, and decision-making processes. These issues can hinder progress and make it difficult for churches to move forward in a unified direction.
The conversation begins by addressing common scenarios churches face, such as long-time influential elders resisting change, constitutions that no longer serve the current needs of the church, and a lack of clarity regarding the pastor's role and authority. Bryant emphasizes the importance of the elder board operating as a unified front, even if there are disagreements during the decision-making process. He shares an example of a church where an elder stepped down after recognizing his vision did not align with the rest of the board, allowing the church to move forward.
Blair and Bryant discuss the need for flexibility when it comes to church constitutions, as they were written to provide guidance but should not hinder the church's ability to function effectively. They encourage churches to view their constitution as a tool to serve the church rather than the church serving the constitution.
Bryant then outlines a four-team polity structure that can help churches navigate governance and decision-making:
1. College of Elders: A group of spiritually qualified men who provide leadership and guidance to the church. The elder board, consisting of 3-7 members, is a subset of this college and is responsible for approving decisions and holding the church in trust.
2. Executive Team: Led by the lead pastor, this small team (2-3 people) helps execute the vision and handle daily operations of the church.
3. Ministry Team Leaders: These individuals oversee various ministries within the church and are accountable to the executive team.
4. Church Members: Congregants who serve on one of the above teams to support the church body.
The hosts also address the role of women in church leadership, acknowledging that while their particular church context has male elders and pastors, women can contribute significantly to the health and effectiveness of the church through roles on the executive team, as ministry leaders, and on ad hoc vision teams.
For pastors looking to develop elders, Blair and Bryant recommend investing in and discipling key men in the church from the outset, implementing an elder training track, and learning from other churches that have successfully navigated this process. They stress the importance of having strong, local spiritual leadership to support the pastor and share the burden of decision-making.
The episode concludes with a reminder that the primary purpose of elders is to ensure that lost people are being saved and saved people are being discipled, as seen in the early church (Acts 6:1-7). While practical matters like finances and facilities are important, they should not be the sole focus of elder meetings. By structuring the church leadership team effectively, elders can delegate responsibilities and maintain their focus on advancing God's kingdom.
Bible Passages:
- Acts 6:1-7 - The appointment of deacons to serve the needs of the church
- 1 Timothy 3:1-7 - Qualifications for elders