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Week 4: From the Pulpit to the Marketplace – Leading the Leaders in Your Pews

In nearly every congregation, there’s a group of leaders whose influence stretches far beyond the sanctuary. They’re the ones running small businesses, managing side hustles, launching online brands, or exploring new ventures out of faith and necessity.

They’re entrepreneurs—and they’re looking for spiritual leadership.

Barna’s research with Faith Driven Entrepreneur reveals a critical truth: while entrepreneurial Christians are often visionaries in the marketplace, they frequently feel underpastored in the church.

They’re navigating real spiritual questions like:

  • Can I honor God and still scale my business?

  • What should I do when my values collide with profitability?

  • How do I balance hustle with Sabbath?

  • Is success in business a threat to my soul?

They may look confident, composed, and capable—but many are carrying these questions alone. And they don’t just need inspiration. They need pastoral presence.

If you’re a small church pastor, you don’t need to be a business expert to make a big impact. You just need to commit to pastoring the builders God has placed in your pews.


Why Entrepreneurs Need Pastors

Too often, pastors feel intimidated by entrepreneurs—especially if those business owners are influential, wealthy, or highly networked. It can feel awkward to lead someone who appears “more successful” by worldly standards.

But here’s the truth: even the most competent entrepreneur needs a shepherd.

Business owners face a unique set of spiritual and emotional challenges, including:

  • Temptations of pride, independence, and self-reliance.

  • Anxiety over provision, competition, or failure.

  • Pressure to appear strong when they’re internally struggling.

  • Confusion about how to integrate faith with decisions around hiring, pricing, and strategy.

Without trusted spiritual counsel, entrepreneurs may begin to compartmentalize their faith—attending church on Sundays but making marketplace decisions like spiritual orphans.

You, pastor, have the God-given authority and opportunity to walk with them in these moments—not as a consultant, but as a disciple-maker.


Pastoring Entrepreneurs Isn’t About Strategy—It’s About Shepherding

You don’t need to understand profit and loss statements or digital marketing. What entrepreneurs need most is a spiritual anchor—someone who reminds them of:

  • Their identity in Christ, not just in their results.

  • The value of Sabbath and rest.

  • The fruit of the Spirit in leadership.

  • The eternal purpose behind their business endeavors.

Remember what Jesus said to Peter:

“Feed my sheep.” – John 21:17

That includes the sheep who build things. Who launch things. Who take risks. Who fail and try again.

Feeding them means:

  • Offering truth rooted in Scripture.

  • Providing safe space to wrestle with decisions.

  • Reminding them that calling and character must always walk hand-in-hand.


Four Ways Pastors Can Disciple Entrepreneurs Well

1. Pursue Them, Don’t Just Wait on Them

Entrepreneurs are often reluctant to ask for help. Many are used to being the helper, the provider, the leader. They may feel guilty about needing support.

So don’t wait for them to book a meeting. Reach out intentionally. Ask them to lunch or coffee—not to talk strategy, but to check on their soul.

Ask questions like:

  • “What’s bringing you joy in your business right now?”

  • “What’s keeping you up at night?”

  • “Where do you feel God stretching or convicting you?”

  • “How can I pray for you as a builder in God’s Kingdom?”

These questions show that you’re not just aware of their business—you’re invested in their formation.

2. Speak to the Marketplace in Your Preaching

When you preach, think beyond ministry roles. Address:

  • Ethical decisions in work.

  • Burnout and rest.

  • Leading with humility.

  • Trusting God in uncertain times.

  • Integrity in finances and contracts.

Let entrepreneurs hear themselves in the biblical characters you highlight:

  • Nehemiah the planner and builder.

  • Joseph the economic strategist.

  • Lydia the businesswoman and church host.

  • Boaz the employer and protector of the vulnerable.

“All Scripture is God-breathed... so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16–17

That includes the “good work” of entrepreneurship.

3. Offer Spiritual Accountability and Encouragement

Many entrepreneurs lack someone who will regularly ask, “How’s your soul?”

You don’t need to micromanage. But checking in once a month with a text, prayer, or quick chat can remind them they’re not building alone.

Offer to:

  • Pray over major decisions or new launches.

  • Send Scripture-based encouragement.

  • Challenge them when work is becoming an idol.

Be a pastor who reminds them that their identity precedes their impact.

4. Include Them in the Church’s Vision

Entrepreneurs don’t just want spiritual care—they want mission alignment. They want to know how their gifts can serve the local church and community.

So don’t hide them in the background. Invite them to:

  • Help strategize church projects or outreach ideas.

  • Join leadership or advisory teams (especially in planning, finance, or development).

  • Mentor young people in skills like problem-solving, vision-setting, or resilience.

This creates a two-way bridge—where the church supports entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs bless the church.


Biblical Encouragement: Paul’s Model of Marketplace Leadership

The apostle Paul offers a compelling picture of spiritual leadership from within the marketplace.

“You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.” – Acts 20:34

Paul worked as a tentmaker while planting churches and discipling believers. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, and he didn’t see his marketplace work as “less spiritual.”

Entrepreneurs in your church need to know that their work matters too.

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1

That’s the invitation you offer them—not to copy your methods, but to grow in your character, conviction, and consistency as a Christ-follower.


What to Do When You Don’t Feel Qualified

Maybe you’re reading this thinking, “But I’ve never run a business. How can I relate?”

You don’t have to relate. You have to care.

You don’t have to speak their business language. You have to speak the language of the Spirit—and that’s universal:

  • Love.

  • Joy.

  • Peace.

  • Patience.

  • Kindness.

  • Self-control.

Entrepreneurs, like everyone else, are trying to follow Jesus in the real world. And they need pastors who will walk with them, not above them.

“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” – Jeremiah 3:15


You’re Not Just Pastoring Members—You’re Shaping Missionaries

The entrepreneurs in your church may never stand behind a pulpit. But they stand behind cash registers, boardroom tables, YouTube channels, construction sites, and shipping counters. And they carry the gospel into places you’ll never go.

Pastor, your influence reaches farther than your Sunday morning message. It extends into every boardroom, budget, and brainstorm where your entrepreneurs carry what you’ve planted.

So lead them well.

Love them deeply.

And remind them often:

“You are more than your results. You are Christ’s. And your business is His.” 




We are here for you, Pastor! As your partner in ministry, we want to:
    - Come alongside you to help pinpoint how to begin the revitalization process.
    - Empower you to stay committed and complete the work God has begun in you.

Send us a message; we're eager to talk with you!

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