Sometimes we will get asked the question, “When do I know when it’s time to quit what I’m doing and try something different?” In other words, how do I know when it’s time to pivot? In this episode of the EntrePastors podcast, Jon and Les share some general principles and words of encouragement to anyone who might feel stuck in their current situation and looking for a fresh start. Jon and Les also share some big announcements about some pivots they’re making with the EntrePastors platform as well as their own personal business endeavors.
None of us naturally enjoy when big problems suddenly come upon us in our lives. We generally do our best to stay in a place of relative comfort and avoid hardship. But the truth is, God often works through some of the most challenging circumstances in our lives to grow us to levels beyond what we ever thought possible. In this episode of the EntrePastors podcast, Jon and Les talk with Jeremy Brown about some significant challenges he has been faced with and how he has trusted God to provide through various business endeavors. In addition to hearing Jeremey’s incredible testimony, some of the other big takeaways from this conversation are:
We’re confident you will find this conversation inspiring and motivating and would love to hear your feedback on what you plan to do moving forward as a result.
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As leaders and entrepreneurs, it can be easy to spend much of our time frustrated with how far we feel like we have yet to go in order to reach the goals and dreams we’re pursuing. This can lead us to a posture of impatience. On the other end of the spectrum some would-be entrepreneurs stay stuck for far too long in passive inaction, waiting for everything to come into perfect alignment before taking any steps forward to their preferred future. In this episode of the EntrePastors podcast, Jon and Les talk to people on both sides of that tension. They offer words of advice and encouragement for the pastor who is struggling with being patient in their current season and they also offer a much needed “kick in the pants” for the pastor who is stalled out and not moving forward and stuck in their passivity.
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For many people getting started in business, there is a natural resistance and discomfort in promoting their services to the marketplace. For a PASTOR who is launching a business, this can be even more of a challenge due to years in pastoral ministry dealing with scarcity thinking and the false humility that is often prevalent in a community of Christians. In this episode of the EntrePastors podcast, Jon and Les list five tips for how to promote your products, services, and offerings to the world in a way that is healthy and helpful.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors podcast, Jon and Les bring you the inspiring story of Zach Nyhuis as he shares his multifaceted journey as a pastor, entrepreneur, and founder of Rural Pastors International.
Zach's story begins with a life-changing trip to Uganda for his sister’s wedding, where he met Martin Nuku and realized his dream of training rural pastors in both theological and vocational skills. This encounter led to the formation of Rural Pastors International, an organization dedicated to equipping pastors with the tools they need to avoid prosperity gospel traps and create sustainable livelihoods.
We'll explore the program's impressive growth from humble beginnings under trees to a structured training facility near Jinja, Uganda, impacting up to 125 participants. Zach’s mission emphasizes the importance of financial independence in ministry—a vision inspired by Francis Chan, advocating for wealth-building to support ministry efforts sustainably.
In addition to his missionary efforts, Zach shares his entrepreneurial journey, from acquiring a small commercial cleaning business to scaling it into a multi-million dollar operation. Despite the challenges, he integrates his pastoral skills into his business, offering spiritual guidance and support to his employees and customers.
Listen in to hear how Zach’s dual roles as a pastor and business owner serve as a discipleship tool, and how his innovative approach is reshaping ministry beyond traditional church settings. Whether it's about mentoring young church members or managing a thriving business, Zach Nyhuis' story is a testament to the power of combining faith and entrepreneurship for transformative impact.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors podcast, we're diving into the world of coaching within pastoral ministry with our special guest, Dr. Barbara Ettinger. As an ordained pastor and leader within the Evangelical Covenant Church, Barbara brings a wealth of experience from her 30 years in ministry and her innovative coaching initiatives.
Dr. Ettinger emphasizes how coaching can empower individuals to find clarity and direction in their paths. She shares the distinctive skills that make effective coaches, such as asking powerful questions, active listening, and generating meaningful feedback. She also delves into the vital role that education and credentials play in coaching, while also addressing the balance between formal training and practical experience.
We'll learn about Dr. Ettinger’s journey, the coaching culture she's helping to establish within her denomination, and the resources and strategies that can make coaching more accessible and impactful, especially for pastors. Whether you're interested in becoming a coach or seeking pastoral coaching support, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical advice. So tune in and discover how coaching can transform lives and ministries.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast Jon shares five statements of good news for pastors as we enter 2025. Listen in as he unpacks the following ideas:
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast Jon speaks some words of encouragement and hope to any pastor who is struggling feeling discouraged, defeated, and desperate. In our work at EntrePastors, it’s not uncommon for us to hear from pastors who are so exhausted and frustrated. When they initially come to us we can see it in their posture and hear it in their countenance. However, we have also seen some of those discouraged and desperate pastors get to a place of abundance and margin. We celebrate with them as they get the “fire back in their bellies.” In this episode, Jon will offer up seven statements that will encourage a desperate pastor and illuminate a path forward to a healthier place.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast Jon interviews Jan Touchberry as they dive deep into the intersection of ministry and business. They explore Jan’s journey from vocational ministry to launching her "accidental" business in network marketing and affiliate marketing, and how her technical and marketing skills naturally transitioned her into the business world. They discuss the evolving landscape of bi-vocational ministry, the stigma pastors face when pursuing outside work, and the broader scope of ministry beyond traditional boundaries. Jan provides valuable insights on automating tasks to streamline business operations, the entrepreneurial spirit within the church context, and the changing opportunities for women in ministry roles. With personal stories, encouragement to embrace God-given gifts, and a peek into future dreams, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical wisdom for pastors and entrepreneurs alike.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon and Les talk with fellow pastor and author Eric Hoke about his new book Market Street Pastor. Eric contends that pastors want to work hard to provide for their families, be radically generous, and build a legacy of ministry that they can be proud of. In the modern ministry vocation, the only way to do this is to expand vocational options and earn additional income outside of the church. The problem is that pastors have only ever worked in churches and have no idea how to message their valuable skills in a way that makes sense to hiring managers in the open marketplace. As a result, they are paralyzed and frustrated because they know that they could break into the workforce, earn more money, and meet community members outside the church but don't know where to start on the job hunt. Eric Hoke understands how difficult it is to change industries and move from being a pastor to a marketplace professional because he did it in New York City, where he spent 10 years living and ministering as a church planter while also working in Manhattan for-profits. Eric has helped thousands of others to do the same through a proven five-step process that helps pastors break into the marketplace and build a ministry of sustainability.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon has an awesome conversation with Justin Johnson, founder of Dominion Wealth Strategists, a company that was founded with the sole mission of putting more money into the hands of God’s people. Justin discusses the flawed ideology that exists among some believers that celebrates poverty and avoids even the appearance of abundant wealth. Justin believes when God’s people embrace the dominion for which they were created, they will find success in all arenas of life, including their financial well being.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon has an awesome conversation with Nathan Bailey about his journey in the pastoral and entrepreneurial space. In addition to serving as a vocational pastor, Nathan has also built a very successful real estate portfolio and property management company in recent years. We discuss how he has managed the tension of working in both the church and the marketplace. Nathan is currently in the early stages of launching a coaching business in which he will be serving high impact Christian leaders as well.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon sits down with Katrina Fitten, the founder of New Day For You Financial. Katrina spent a season of her life in vocational ministry, but in recent years has shifted more into the marketplace as a financial coach. She primarily serves female entrepreneurs with financial literacy, coaching, and funding of their new businesses. Katrina subscribes to a way of thinking that is very relevant to where so many pastors in our audience find themselves. She says, we don’t have a money problem, but instead we have a money mindset problem. We’re excited to share this conversation with you in hopes that you will be inspired to broaden your own thinking around the topic of money as you hear from yet another example of what it can look like to serve others in the marketplace as an entrepastor.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon shares 10 statements, both positive and challenging about some common traits shared by the majority of pastors. It’s quite possible you will be uncomfortable with some of the statements that are made, but it’s also quite likely that you’ll hear a word of encouragement as well. Our prayer would be that God will use this episode to not only help you get clarity on where you currently are, but the courage to take action to move to a better place.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon and Les talk about a book that has made a big impact on Les in recent days called Indistractable: How To Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Ayal. Les lays out some of the big ideas from the book as he and Jon talk about the importance of learning to be more focused and present in our ever increasingly busy and chaotic world. The reality for most pastors and entrepreneurs is the constant onslaught of all the distractions that seek to pull us off course and take our attention away from the things that really matter. If our goal is to have a significant impact on the lives of others, at some point we must learn to be more disciplined as we take control of our time and choose to be present and focused where it matters most.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon and Les talk with Joel Bromley about the business/ministry he and his wife Kaitlin are building in the arena of financial coaching. Joel works as a full-time firefighter and Kaitlin serves on staff in their local church, but they are both passionate about helping other people not only experience financial freedom from debt, but also to be able to live and give like they never thought possible as they learn to get their financial houses in order. Joel and Kaitlin’s financial coaching is an excellent example of what it can look like to build a business down the “Information-Based Pathway” that we talk about at EntrePastors. When you have a clear message and an audience who needs the transformation that your message can bring, you have the ability to not only serve people with your message, but also to create a stream of revenue through that service.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon and Les talk with Aaron Hansz about his journey from working in the marketplace into vocational pastoral ministry. Aaron shares his unique perspective of some of the more noteworthy observations he made coming into the church world as compared to the corporate marketplace. And while Aaron is very excited about his work as a pastor, he continues to pursue an entrepreneurial business around coaching in addition to his corporate work. Aaron talks about how he has come to recognize how often pastors come out of the church world thinking they have very little to offer in the marketplace. But nothing could be further from the truth. As we say often here at EntrePastors, pastors have an incredible amount of transferable skills that are highly valuable in the marketplace.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon and Les talk with Rich Sanders about his new book The Christian Capitalist.
Rich is a pastor, small business owner, healthcare attorney, retired adjunct professor at Emory University, and former intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy. He and his wife, Rebekah, met at church in 1996, have been blessed with three children (James, Will, and Caroline) and live in Destin, Florida.
Through this conversation you will hear Rich share why he’s so passionate about helping God’s people not only make as much money as they can, but also how to generously share their blessings in a way that advances and grows God’s kingdom.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon and Les talk with Tim Walker about his incredible church planting journey as well as an exciting business he is building.
Tim planted Restored Church 12 years ago in Wilkes Barre, PA. Tim describes Restored Church as an urban church that is primarily of and for the poor. They’ve seen God do incredible things including never having a Sunday yet without new people, they’ve celebrated over 200 baptisms, and their church is primarily filled with first generation Christians that Jesus has rescued out of addiction, prision, prostitution, gangs, satanism, atheism, and everything else in between.
On the business side, time has launched Travel Multiplier, a business that teaches people how to do Travel Hacking. For many years in ministry Tim’s family barely made enough to live on, let alone travel for fun and recreation. That all changed when Tim learned how to earn thousands of dollars of free travel through a strategic process called Travel Hacking (no time-shares, pyramid schemes, or bait & switch gimmicks involved!)
Once Tim mastered this process for himself and his family, he started helping some other family and friends enjoy the same types of results. Then he realized he could turn it into a knowledge-based business that could generate real income for his family. Now through his business he teaches others how to do Travel Hacking through an on-demand course and one-on-one personalized coaching.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast, Jon and Les dive into the heartfelt journeys of Rusty Roberts and Sean Murphy.
Rusty, motivated by his mother’s miraculous recovery from stage 4 cancer, founded Brio Medical Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. His work, deeply rooted in his faith, is guided by scriptures from Psalms and a desire to help others receive the Lord's promises. Rusty shares his unique approach to cancer treatment and leadership, despite having no medical background, and has authored a book titled Psalms Path to further his mission.
Sean Murphy, having battled business burnout and attempted suicide, found redemption by recommitting his life to the Lord during COVID-19. Transitioning from gym ownership to an impactful online ministry, Sean quickly amassed a following of over 100,000 after a video about business and scriptures went viral. He now focuses on sharing testimonies and offering support to those in need.
The pair connected through Sean’s viral content, forming a powerful alliance to demonstrate how scripture can transform lives and businesses. In this episode, they discuss their journeys, the intersection of faith and business, and the impactful role of scripture in their lives and work.
We also explore their collaborative efforts, the challenges they faced, and their dedication to guiding others towards a peaceful and purpose-driven life. We’re sure you’ll be inspired by this incredible story of divine intervention, resilience, and the transformative power of faith in business.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast Jon and Les talk with Whitney Johnson about how she is finding opportunities for ministry everywhere as a result of her service-based business. In recent years, Whitney has launched her own cleaning business with a focus of specifically serving the elderly. She shares how this is a community that is often taken advantage of and how she is meeting a very real need by providing trustworthy in-home cleaning services. Whitney’s work in this arena has paved the way for a new membership community she is developing called Silver Linings in which she will teach people how to serve their aging parents and loved ones.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast we share the story of our friend Tyson Priest who has been on an incredible journey over the past few years. Tyson planted and led a church in rural Indiana for a season, until it became apparent that the time had come to close the doors of the church. While on one hand this certainly represents the death of a dream and the disappointment that so many pastors can identify with when the thing we are asking and believing God for does not happen the way we hoped it would, Tyson shares an amazing story of how God is writing a new story of arguably even more fruitfulness for the kingdom that is happening in the marketplace. Through some truly supernatural opportunities in recent months, Tyson has led many people to Christ, helped them take a step of obedience through the waters of baptism, and is now discipling these new believers in an online forum. His story stands as an awesome reminder that just because you may no longer be in vocational ministry, your work and calling to pastor others is just as relevant, and arguably even more effective, through marketplace activities.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast we are celebrating the powerful question of “Why?” Jon shares how so often we simply accept the status quo as it is because it’s what has been handed down to us and no one has really challenged the old paradigms by asking WHY. But when we pause long enough to ask the question of WHY, we can open our minds to new ideas and ways of breaking old paradigms that are no longer serving us well. In this episode Jon will invite you to think through questions such as these:
We believe it’s possible that your greatest breakthrough might lie just on the other side of WHY questions like these.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast Jon and Les celebrate the three-year anniversary of EntrePastors by each sharing some of the defining moments in their own lives which played a large role in their decisions to think and act differently as it pertains to the financial model with which they approach pastoral ministry. They want you the listener to know just how much they can relate to the current struggle you’re likely facing as a vocational pastor and to hear a genuine message of hope that a better and healthier option is available to you if you desire it.
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In this episode of the EntrePastors Podcast Les talks with long-time pastor Dan Scott. Dan served Christ Church during a season in which a powerful move of the Holy Spirit took place as people were inspired, equipped, and released to go into the world and lean into their God-given gifts and talents in the marketplace. Dan captures many of the amazing stories that came out of this transformative season in his book Let the River Run. There were several national and international platforms that were launched out of this church during this season including Dan Miller’s 48 Days to Work You Love and Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace ministry. We encourage pastors to listen to this conversation through the lens of what’s possible when we see our people as uniquely shaped by God not just work inside our churches, but to be sent out to have an impact far beyond the four walls of the church.
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