I've long been a believer in pastors having side hustles well before I knew that's what they were called. The term "side hustle" has a long history that has changed over time but has emerged in the age of the internet and Uber and Etsy with a new meaning.

A side hustle, as defined by Entrepreneur.com, is "any type of employment undertaken in addition to one's full-time job. These are often freelance or piecework in nature, providing a supplemental income." 

According to recent studies, over one in three Americans have a side hustle. By generation, 48% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials report having a side hustle, while about 33% of Gen X and 23% of Baby Boomers engage in similar activities.

For the sake of this article, I'm going to expand the definition beyond side employment to include hobbies or passions you might do that have nothing to do with your day job -- such as gardening or photography or volunteer coaching.

I've had side hustles my entire career -- some driven by a need for extra income, and others that scratched an itch or gave me an outlet for a passion outside of my "day job."

When I was first in ministry in my early 20's, I had a side business refilling laser printer ink cartridges. Back then a new cartridge cost $100, whereas I could buy the toner and tools and refill a cartridge for less than $20. I'd charge about $60 and have a little bit of profit to supplement the $17,000 annual salary we had at the time. 

This definitely was not a passion job -- it was solely for extra income to help support my family. 

In my early 30's, I began writing books and leading workshops and cohorts to serve church leaders around the world. This took about 10% of my time, and wasn't tied directly to my work as an Executive Pastor at my local church, but my church graciously allowed it. They even encouraged me to do this as it kept me sharper and more engaged at my own church. 

I talked to some church board members recently who were very concerned to hear of their pastor speaking at other churches or conferences. Over the years, I've heard similar concerns, such as...

• "Aren't we paying him to be here?" 

• "Should we lower her salary since she's also making money somewhere else?"

• "Isn't this 'outside work' going to be distracting?"

I understand the sentiment, but I believe there are some very real benefits to your pastor having a side hustle. Here are a few...

A Side Hustle Keeps Your Pastor Learning And Sharp

A campus pastor on my team spoke a few times each year at summer camps and retreats. Another taught some classes at a local seminary. I had a leader who did some coaching for another organization. In each case, I found these side jobs kept my leaders personally growing, and they always came back energized with ideas about how we could improve.

A Side Hustle Keeps Your Pastor Connected to Real People in the Real World

Let's face it. Many pastors and church staff live in a bubble. Unless it's when they get their hair cut or oil changed, they don't have any meaningful relationships with the very people their church claims to be focused on reaching.

A side hustle can get your pastor in regular contact and relationships with the "normal" men and women in their community who are dealing with pain and joy and grief and disappointment and success, all outside of a relationship with Jesus or a community of faith. Your pastor might write better sermons, be more relatable, and have higher effectiveness with a side hustle.

A Side Hustle Keeps Your Pastor At Your Church

I talked to a high profile pastor (you'd know his name) who left his church years ago because he wasn't allowed to write books. He had a huge passion for writing and it fueled his soul, but his church leaders felt like it was a distraction. So, he went to another church where he could preach and pastor, and also write books that helped people across the world including his own congregation.

Some churches can't afford to pay their pastor what another church in a larger city or more resourced area can pay. Allowing your pastor to have a side hustle can help you keep a leader you couldn't otherwise afford.

Additionally, pastors don't only love to write sermons and study the Bible and talk to people about their problems. I know pastors who love to garden, coach, teach CrossFit, invest in real estate, and lead para-church organizations. When you give your pastor space to follow a passion that scratches an itch that their role as a pastor is never going to scratch -- you help them be a holistic human with a realistic awareness that their life is multi-faceted. That provides a quality of life that can fill their emotional and spiritual tanks and make them more capable and qualified as a leader.

I understand there can be concerns with a pastor who spends too much time away from his or her congregation. If a church is in decline or going through a significant crisis, you need more from your senior leaders. It might make sense to put some parameters around this type of arrangement.

With my teams in the past, I've said something like this: "If you are spending 10 days a year away from your work here to serve other leaders, or sit on a board, or speak at a church or camp, that's absolutely okay. Let me know so I can encourage and pray for you. But you don't need my permission. If it's more than ten days, let's have a conversation..."

A Side Hustle Helps Keep Identity Balanced

One of the things we do at LeadingSmart is help pastors and churches through the succession journey. I've worked with scores of pastors who are at the age where they are thinking of retiring or transitioning, and they have no idea what they will do next. They have no hobbies or outside focus, and 100% of their identity is wrapped up in the church they lead (see my article Identity is a Powerful Force, But Doesn't Have to Define You). This is going to make it extremely difficult to transition and can wreak havoc for the next leader of the church if the retiring pastor doesn't find something.

A pastor who has developed hobbies and interests outside their local church is not only a healthier leader for their church, but will find it much easier to leave the church in a healthy place when they are ready to transition to what is next.

The growth and health of our churches is not the only thing that is important. We also should pay attention to the growth and health of our leaders. And I believe in many cases a side hustle can be the thing that helps bring health and balance and energy to your pastors.