At Self-Employed By God, our mission is to reach & impact a group of women every year, who are called by God to do the work of ministry beyond the church walls (online).
At Self-Employed By God, our mission is to reach & impact a group of women every year, who are called by God to do the work of ministry beyond the church walls (online).
Learn how to build an online platform using a ministry model to reach a group of people you’re called to beyond the local church. Focus areas include:
Marketplace Calling: Discover your unique ministry assignment and business model to help you fulfil your God-given mandate online and beyond the local church.
Vocational Blueprint: Create a personalised career plan outlining your vision, goals, mission, skills and strategy from God that maps out the path you're meant to follow.
Spiritual & Practical Tools: Develop a faith-based development plan that helps you work on your mindset and get access to the resources you need to start building your ministry God's way.
Income & Impact: Generate passive income that can help expand your online presence and enable you to create content that has a global impact.
— LUKE 6:48-49
For many, the question of whether monetising your ministry is "godly" or not is controversial. While it can spark a lot of debate within faith communities. In our modern world, where online platforms and digital outreach are necessary, this question can create confusion. But realistically, monetising your ministry isn’t as ungodly as many make it out to be. Especially when there are always costs associated with doing the work of ministry.
The following are descriptions of various business models that you might find yourself exploring at different stages of your journey to becoming self-employed. Each model offers unique opportunities and challenges, shaped by your calling, skills, and the marketplace's needs.
Whichever model you explore, stay rooted in prayer and seek God’s guidance daily. Your entrepreneurial journey is not just about financial success but also about fulfilling your divine purpose in the marketplace. Which God has equipped you uniquely for—so trust Him as you take steps forward.
This blueprint is designed to help you strategically plan your content creation with purpose, reach the people you’re called to serve online, and develop a clear, actionable plan that allows you to seamlessly integrate Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), guided by faith-based principles and proven strategies. This framework also encourages you to:
Reflect on your God-given message to ensure your content is authentic to you and resonates with your ideal audience.
Use keyword research to understand your target audience's needs and desires.
For more frequently asked ministry-related questions, check out our questions and answers page.
Marketplace ministry is a way for Christians to use their spiritual gifts outside the four walls of the church. Its goal is to advance God's kingdom by starting a business/ministry that creates impact and income.
This way of doing ministry uses our natural talents, abilities and spiritual gifts. We do this through our influence in the marketplace. Online ministry and business offers a chance to represent God in industries led by false leaders. Rather than just seeking profit, this model focuses on serving others and honouring God.
References:
Darren Shearer's Book
Using Our Spiritual Gifts In The Marketplace
Is A Great Place To Start!
This way of doing business uses our talents and spiritual gifts. Through our influence, we help others and support God's work.
Business as Ministry: Many Christian entrepreneurs struggle to see their work as a form of ministry. However, a business model is not limited to sharing the gospel and isn't just about making money. Social entrepreneurship and marketplace ministries have long fulfilled God's mission, impacting lives while providing valuable products and services. Your business can be your ministry if its mission is to extend God's vision beyond the church, and you are being called by Him to steward your gifts in the marketplace.
The goal is to create impact while earning income, which can support you and your ministry full-time. Note that not all ministries should rely on donations as the only way to provide financial support. For instance, Apostle Paul was a tentmaker, which at times financed his ministry, enabling him to provide ministry free of charge. He also saw it as a way to challenge the work he was doing, especially when a specific church he was helping refused to support his mission. Paul defends his rights to receive support from the church, so that it wouldn't hinder the work God had called him to do—1 Corinthians 9:1-18.
Note that Paul still did it even if the church wouldn't support Him financially. He was called by God on a mission. So despite the push back, it didn't stop him, even if He had to fund it himself.
Once you discern His plan, test it (1 John 4:1–3) and confirm it with God, so you will see that not all ideas are divinely inspired by Him.
Creating a platform for connecting with both believers and non-believers allows us to make a significant impact online through a marketplace ministry model, something the local church cannot always do.
As Christ's representatives, we are called to share the good news wherever we are, including the marketplace.
The marketplace is a great space to share our faith. We can effectively witness through our words and actions, creating opportunities for others to hear the gospel through the content we make, the connections we build, or the products and services we provide.
Advancing God's kingdom in the marketplace means living out our faith for others to see while serving them in everything we do. By doing this, we can be the light in the darkness and positively influence those we are meant to reach through our business.