Bottom line? It’s for my kids.
Of my four children, 3 are employed as entrepreneurial business owners, and 1 is trying to make the shift.
All of them see the world (and the church) through the lens that comes from being in the marketplace. All of them have big BS detectors, want things that are authentic, don’t believe spin, and know how to get things done.
And, they are all hungry to be in community.
A pastor recently shared with me that his son, who wasn’t following Jesus, is an entrepreneur and that he really doesn’t understand him. He hoped that his church and the churches where his son lives would be places where he could be welcomed and engaged.
But it’s not just for my kids or this pastor’s son. It’s actually a movement among younger generations.
Here’s how they see the world:
- They admire entrepreneurs
- They want to become one
- 70% have it in their career path.
And, full-time independent workers more than doubled from 13.6 million in 2020 to 27.7 million in 2024 , and projections suggest that by 2027, freelancers will make up over 50% of the US workforce.
Only 15% of those gig workers are Baby Boomers, the rest are Millennials (55%), Gen X (28%), and Gen Z (24%). All of those gig workers are operating like entrepreneurs.
What’s the rub?
And these experiences and the desire to own their own business create conflicts that the church needs to understand. All of these are opportunities for the church to adapt and for these generations to be discipled in the kingdom.
Ask yourself how your church might fare in these areas:
1. Flexibility vs. Commitment and Stability
The entrepreneurial life is characterized by adaptation, flexibility, and risk. Churches tend to major on stability and safety.
Which elements are actually the ways of Jesus that we need to either adapt our church to or disciple in others?
2. Individualism vs. Community Connection
Gig workers and entrepreneurs don’t actually need permission to do much of anything. They work when, where, and how they want. They often leave a role to take another. They are self-starters as a rule.
How do churches support individual risk-taking adventures while connecting people to a community? That’s different than offering restrictive roles for which creativity and freedom are off limits.
3. Short-Term Transactional Relationships vs. Long-Term Covenant Community
We all know that simply showing up on Sunday can be a check-the-box activity. Discipling entrepreneurs into committed relationships is a key discipleship goal.
How can we import the short-term missions experience into the local fabric of church life?
4. Self-Direction vs. Accountability and Shared Leadership
Entrepreneurs are in the business of making up their own rules. They see a problem, invent a solution, and sell it. Accountability comes from the costs or from their bank account. In the church, they see some of the same- even if there are boards or elders in the background, it often looks from the pew like the pastor is running the show - just like they are.
If the Biblical model is shared leadership, how do we model that and invite entrepreneurs to participate?
5. Economic Necessity vs. Stewardship and Service
The main motivation of digital-platform workers is to earn additional income, and 58% of gig workers said the extra income earned is either essential or important. They are trading their hours for pay, sometimes creating out-of-balance work/life experiences.
Stewardship and servant leadership create slower returns. How do we help gig workers and entrepreneurs understand that just like their networking activities, giving and serving are a vital part of being Jesus followers?
There’s more to consider and discuss - but the motive and priority are clear. We’re serving entrepreneurial generations, and we have to find ways to make them at home and fully engaged in Jesus’ body, the church.
