What It Means to Be Bi-Vocational — and Why I’m Not Choosing
There was a time when I struggled with being bi-vocational. Like it meant I hadn’t fully “made it” in ministry. Or like my ‘marketplace’ work was just a temporary detour until I got back to the “real” calling.
But here’s the truth: I’m not stuck between two callings. I’m standing in both — fully. And in this season, I’m not choosing.
I’m bi-vocational, and not by accident. Not because I couldn’t make one role “work,” but because I’ve been formed in both spaces. Because both the church and the workplace are places where I encounter God, stretch my gifts, and serve people I care about. And because, if I’m honest, the tension has been just as shaping as the clarity.
Two Worlds, One Calling
During the week, I teach tech. I work with young adults trying to break into careers they were told weren’t possible. I talk about productivity tools, IT support, networking, hardware, Zoom features — and I also talk about emotional regulation, imposter syndrome, growth mindset, and community.
Outside of this work, I also gather with a group of people around tables in Queens — not just to preach or lead, but to stay. To practice presence. To create a church that feels more like Acts 2 than an Instagram reel.
I used to think these were two different lives.
But they’ve started to bleed into each other — in the best way.
I’ve had students ask for prayer.
I’ve trained church leaders using language I learned in tech classrooms.
I’ve watched the Spirit move in team meetings and Sunday gatherings alike.
This isn’t two lives. It’s one layered one.
The Old Metrics Don’t Work
There’s a version of success in both church and work that says: pick a lane. Go all in. Build a platform. Make it scalable.
But faithfulness doesn’t always scale. And sometimes the lane God calls you to isn’t a straight shot — it’s a patchwork.
I’ve spent years now resisting the pressure to flatten that into one title.
I’m not less of a pastor because I teach tech.
And I’m not less of a professional because I preach on Sundays.
I’m more of myself — because of both.
The Tentmaker Legacy
Sometimes people forget Paul made tents. The apostle. The church planter. The writer of most of the New Testament.
“We worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you…”
— 1 Thessalonians 2:9
Paul wasn’t ashamed of that. He carried both. Not because he lacked faith, but because he trusted God could be found in work that didn’t look “spiritual” on the surface.
That’s my legacy too. And maybe yours.
What Bi-Vocational Life Actually Looks Like
Let’s be real. It’s not glamorous.
It looks like:
Writing sermon notes after grading rubrics.
Making hospital visits during your lunch break.
Carrying sacred conversations in your mind while prepping lesson slides.
Feeling stretched. And often unseen.
Wondering if you’re doing either role well enough.
But it also looks like:
Knowing what it means to serve people outside the church bubble.
Staying grounded in the grit of everyday life.
Watching God use your weakness as much as your strength.
Becoming fluent in two languages: sacred and secular — and realizing they’re not enemies.
I’m Not Choosing — I’m Weaving
Every day, I’m learning that bi-vocational life isn’t a compromise. It’s a calling.
I don’t feel torn anymore. I feel tethered — to a God who doesn’t need me to perform, to a people who need presence more than polish, and to a life that makes space for both sanctuary and spreadsheet.
If you’re living in that tension too — between roles, identities, callings — I just want to say:
You’re not fragmented. You’re woven.
You don’t have to choose just one thing to be faithful.
Sometimes faithfulness looks like showing up fully in both.
Bi-vocational isn’t a burden to overcome.
It’s a testimony to carry.
And I’m still carrying it — with open hands.
