Week 2: When Builders Feel Alone – The Church’s Call to Walk With Entrepreneurs
You’ve probably seen it.
That faithful man who owns a landscaping company but never asks for prayer.
The woman launching her Etsy store who always smiles but never opens up.
The young dad trying to get his app off the ground while volunteering on your worship team.
These people are showing up. They’re giving. They’re pushing themselves forward with courage and faith. But what you might not see is how deeply many of them are struggling—emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.
And perhaps most concerning—they often don’t know how to reconcile their calling to create with their spiritual need for community.
As a small church pastor, this is your opportunity. You don’t need a big business network or a theology degree in economics. You need compassion, curiosity, and conviction that these builders matter to God—and to your church.
Why Entrepreneurs Feel Spiritually Isolated
Entrepreneurs live in a high-risk, high-responsibility world. Unlike employees who work for a steady paycheck, entrepreneurs face:
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Financial uncertainty.
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Leadership loneliness.
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Pressure to prove their success.
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Unrelenting demands on time and energy.
Many are balancing dreams, families, payroll, and prayer—all at once. And while they may project confidence in the marketplace, they often carry a quiet heaviness they don’t talk about in the pews.
What makes this even harder is that most church programming isn’t designed for them:
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Bible studies may not address business challenges.
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Sermons often highlight ministry callings but ignore marketplace missions.
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Fellowship groups may center around parenting, marriage, or theology—but rarely entrepreneurship.
The result? Many Christian entrepreneurs feel spiritually disconnected and emotionally undernourished. And when they do open up, they’re often met with well-meaning advice that doesn’t understand the weight they carry.
Based on Barna’s insights and decades of marketplace ministry research, here are some of the most common burdens entrepreneurs silently bear:
1. Loneliness at the Top
They may employ others, but few understand the burdens of leadership they carry. They make the hard decisions, bear the financial risks, and often have no one to vent to.
2. Fear of Failure
Many wrestle with whether their identity is based on their business success. Failure can feel not just disappointing—but disqualifying.
3. Spiritual Guilt
Some feel they are “less spiritual” because their calling isn’t in the church. They wonder, “Does God care about what I do in business?” or “Am I too busy for God?”
4. Burnout and Stress
Late nights, tight margins, and the relentless grind can wear them down. They might sit in your service exhausted, hoping for something to help them keep going.
5. Misunderstood Calling
Many entrepreneurs feel a deep sense that God has called them to create or build—but they don’t know how to talk about that in church without seeming prideful or worldly.
You don’t need to fix their business model. But you can help heal their hearts.
Here are three deep longings Christian entrepreneurs have that the church can help meet:
1. Spiritual Anchoring
Entrepreneurs need reminders that their identity is not in what they produce, but in who they are in Christ.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works...” – Ephesians 2:10
They are not machines. They are masterpieces. And their work can be holy when it’s rooted in Him.
2. Relational Connection
They need space to talk to others who “get it.” While entrepreneurs come from different industries, they often share common challenges. Church can be the safest place to talk business without fear of competition or critique.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
3. Emotional Encouragement
They need pastors and peers who will cheer them on, pray over them, and stand with them through both risk and reward.
“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’...” – Hebrews 3:13
You might be the only spiritual voice in their lives who says, “Your work matters. Your calling is valid. And you’re not alone.”
You don’t need a new department or expensive program. You just need intentional ministry, tailored to their lives. Here are some easy steps:
1. Start an “Entrepreneurs Circle”
Launch a small group that meets monthly for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to share updates, pray for one another, and discuss topics like integrity, leadership, burnout, and purpose.
If you only have one or two entrepreneurs—start with them! They will bring others.
2. Preach a Message that Speaks to Their World
Even one sermon per year that affirms marketplace calling can break walls down. Preach about Joseph, Lydia, or Nehemiah. Highlight biblical builders and businesspeople. Connect theology to the marketplace.
3. Offer Pastoral Check-Ins
Make it a habit to text or call entrepreneurs in your congregation once a quarter. Ask:
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“How’s business lately?”
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“How’s your soul?”
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“How can I pray for you?”
That simple outreach can become a lifeline.
4. Create Prayer Covering for Launches and Challenges
If someone is launching a new venture, gather a few believers to lay hands and pray. If someone’s business is struggling, offer to pray over their team or workspace. Your spiritual authority matters.
You might feel inadequate to pastor entrepreneurs. Maybe you don’t have a business background. Maybe you’ve never started anything of your own. That’s okay.
Entrepreneurs don’t need another coach. They need a pastor.
They need someone who sees the fire in them, recognizes the pain in them, and speaks truth over them.
They need someone who will show up not to teach them how to scale, but to remind them:
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That they’re more than their profit margin.
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That their calling is not second-rate.
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That God is with them even in the financial valleys.
Some of the most visionary, passionate people in your congregation are carrying more than they let on.
They need your voice.
They need your covering.
They need your reminder that their business is their ministry, and their church is their home.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds...” – Hebrews 10:24
So pastor, don’t overlook the builders. They may not need a sermon—they may just need your presence, your prayer, and your belief in who they are becoming in Christ.
We are here for you, Pastor! As your partner in ministry, we want to:
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