A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of Paul

REDEFINING MINISTRY · RECLAIMING PURPOSE

What if your second job isn't a detour-but a divine strategy?

Across centuries and cultures, pastors have often balanced their ministry with other vocations. In A Covocational Attitude, Dr. Richard D. Oliver explores a radical but biblically grounded mindset that redefines how ministers view their callings, work, and identity in a rapidly changing world.

At the book's heart lies a challenging and often controversial question: Is bivocational ministry a burden... or a strategic blessing?

Too often, the conversation around bivocational ministry is shaped by stigma, scarcity, and survival. Churches struggling to pay full-time salaries, pastors fighting burnout and self-doubt, and a theological culture that silently ranks ministers by their funding.

But what if we've missed the bigger picture?

Oliver uncovers a powerful biblical model by tracing the life and motivations of the Apostle Paul-who intentionally chose covocational ministry. Paul's convictions weren't driven by need but by strategy: to reach more people, to remain above reproach, to model integrity, and to remove cultural barriers to the gospel.

What if today's ministers could do the same?

Whether you're a bivocational pastor, a ministry student, a church leader, or someone feeling torn between sacred and secular work, this book is for you. A Covocational Attitude will help you reframe your calling, find peace in your purpose, and confidently lead-no matter how many hats you wear.

This book is for you if:

✔️  You're a pastor struggling with identity or legitimacy in bivocational ministry.

✔️ You're exploring how to integrate your faith with your work life.

✔️  You want a biblical and strategic lens to view ministry in modern contexts.

✔️  You're looking for practical insights grounded in Paul's own ministry choices.

✔️  You're a church leader, seminary professor, or denominational overseer seeking to support ministers with empathy and wisdom.

✔️  You long to rediscover joy, calling, and clarity in every corner of your work.

Get ready to adopt the attitude that changed Paul's ministry-and could reshape yours.

1147291138
A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of Paul

REDEFINING MINISTRY · RECLAIMING PURPOSE

What if your second job isn't a detour-but a divine strategy?

Across centuries and cultures, pastors have often balanced their ministry with other vocations. In A Covocational Attitude, Dr. Richard D. Oliver explores a radical but biblically grounded mindset that redefines how ministers view their callings, work, and identity in a rapidly changing world.

At the book's heart lies a challenging and often controversial question: Is bivocational ministry a burden... or a strategic blessing?

Too often, the conversation around bivocational ministry is shaped by stigma, scarcity, and survival. Churches struggling to pay full-time salaries, pastors fighting burnout and self-doubt, and a theological culture that silently ranks ministers by their funding.

But what if we've missed the bigger picture?

Oliver uncovers a powerful biblical model by tracing the life and motivations of the Apostle Paul-who intentionally chose covocational ministry. Paul's convictions weren't driven by need but by strategy: to reach more people, to remain above reproach, to model integrity, and to remove cultural barriers to the gospel.

What if today's ministers could do the same?

Whether you're a bivocational pastor, a ministry student, a church leader, or someone feeling torn between sacred and secular work, this book is for you. A Covocational Attitude will help you reframe your calling, find peace in your purpose, and confidently lead-no matter how many hats you wear.

This book is for you if:

✔️  You're a pastor struggling with identity or legitimacy in bivocational ministry.

✔️ You're exploring how to integrate your faith with your work life.

✔️  You want a biblical and strategic lens to view ministry in modern contexts.

✔️  You're looking for practical insights grounded in Paul's own ministry choices.

✔️  You're a church leader, seminary professor, or denominational overseer seeking to support ministers with empathy and wisdom.

✔️  You long to rediscover joy, calling, and clarity in every corner of your work.

Get ready to adopt the attitude that changed Paul's ministry-and could reshape yours.

2.99 In Stock
A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of Paul

A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of Paul

by Richard D. Oliver
A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of Paul

A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of Paul

by Richard D. Oliver

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Overview

REDEFINING MINISTRY · RECLAIMING PURPOSE

What if your second job isn't a detour-but a divine strategy?

Across centuries and cultures, pastors have often balanced their ministry with other vocations. In A Covocational Attitude, Dr. Richard D. Oliver explores a radical but biblically grounded mindset that redefines how ministers view their callings, work, and identity in a rapidly changing world.

At the book's heart lies a challenging and often controversial question: Is bivocational ministry a burden... or a strategic blessing?

Too often, the conversation around bivocational ministry is shaped by stigma, scarcity, and survival. Churches struggling to pay full-time salaries, pastors fighting burnout and self-doubt, and a theological culture that silently ranks ministers by their funding.

But what if we've missed the bigger picture?

Oliver uncovers a powerful biblical model by tracing the life and motivations of the Apostle Paul-who intentionally chose covocational ministry. Paul's convictions weren't driven by need but by strategy: to reach more people, to remain above reproach, to model integrity, and to remove cultural barriers to the gospel.

What if today's ministers could do the same?

Whether you're a bivocational pastor, a ministry student, a church leader, or someone feeling torn between sacred and secular work, this book is for you. A Covocational Attitude will help you reframe your calling, find peace in your purpose, and confidently lead-no matter how many hats you wear.

This book is for you if:

✔️  You're a pastor struggling with identity or legitimacy in bivocational ministry.

✔️ You're exploring how to integrate your faith with your work life.

✔️  You want a biblical and strategic lens to view ministry in modern contexts.

✔️  You're looking for practical insights grounded in Paul's own ministry choices.

✔️  You're a church leader, seminary professor, or denominational overseer seeking to support ministers with empathy and wisdom.

✔️  You long to rediscover joy, calling, and clarity in every corner of your work.

Get ready to adopt the attitude that changed Paul's ministry-and could reshape yours.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9798998559617
Publisher: Richard D. Oliver
Publication date: 04/14/2025
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 198
File size: 4 MB

About the Author

Dr. Richard D. Oliver brings over five decades of ministry and real-world experience-to the message of A Covocational Attitude. He earned a BS in math from Purdue (1973), an MA in English Bible (1975), and a D.Min (2025) from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. He has pastored seven churches in Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri mostly while working bivocationally in various jobs. His diverse career includes steel mill clerical work, college-level algebra instruction, and years in public school classrooms as a substitute teacher. He and his wife Kay have been married for over fifty years and are the proud parents of two married sons and grandparents to four.

Table of Contents

Foreword......................................................................................................xiii

Preface...........................................................................................................xv

Acknowledgments......................................................................................xix

Introduction................................................................................................xxi

Chapter 1 : What is a Covocational Attitude?............................................1

Chapter 2 : Vocational Ministers Other Than Paul................................18

Chapter 3: Cultural Background...............................................................37

Chapter 4 : Paul's Vocational Ministry: Philippi and Thessalonica.....55

Chapter 5: Paul's Vocational Ministry: Corinth and Ephesus.............89

Chapter 6: What Was Paul's Policy?.......................................................121

Chapter 7: Practical Application of Paul's Policy................................151

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