I Started a business at the beginning of lockdown

Starting a business isn’t easy. Starting a business at the beginning of a pandemic is definitely not easy.

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My journey started 11 years ago when I know I had a clear calling from God to use media for ministry. The word “media” though is a broad and ambiguous one, so it took the best part of the next 10 years to figure out what that meant and discerning what God would have me do.

At the start of Covid I launched a video production company and film ministry, targeting churches and Christ-led organisations, to walk with them, resource them by working together to reach those who don’t know Jesus through well crafted, Gospel focused content.

On the face of it, April 2020 wasn’t the best time to start a business with the world collapsing under Covid, from my perspective though it was a prime opportunity to serve the church as it found itself lacking in terms of online digital ministry. 

Taking risks

Taking “risks” is daunting, we live in a risk-adverse culture and if we’re honest a lot of our churches are risk adverse. However, living a life of faith means we’re called to live a Christ-led risk filled life. If the likes of Paul didn’t take risks throughout the book of Acts, the Church would’ve fallen at the first hurdle.

A Christ-led life is uncomfortable, but we’re never told that it wouldn’t be that, if anything we’re told to brace ourselves for a extravagantly messy time, but that God will honour our choices as long as we keep him at the centre.

As an American friend of mines says “Faith is a seed planted. Risk is faith sprouting.”

Talking to a missionary friend in Tokyo today, we’ve both had experiences of people doubting the potential of what we’re seeking to do. But if all who’ve been before us gave into the doubters, if we give into the doubters and we don’t try, then we’re simply giving in to other people’s insecurities and not stepping out to give everything for the sake of the Gospel. There’s always chance for change.

That American friend I mentioned, Chad Johnson, wrote a book called “one thousand risks”, where he says “You were meant to live and model risk, but you were never meant to grow alone. You’ve been invited into a great story of daring significance, where realizing how much potential you’ve been carrying, is only the beginning…

God, here I am. Please send me. My life is Yours. I’d rather give it away than selfishly hold back, though the temptation to make a habit out of holding back still lurks”

We have two options as Chad says, to live a life that is “the messy, extravagant new”, or to remain in the “unremarkable old”. He’s a great friend, challenger and encourager to me, I suggest you put yourselves amongst people that will do the same for you. Find others that will hold your arms up, like Moses in Exodus 17:12, people who’ve been there before or people who you trust to disciple you well.

So, where am I in my risk taking journey?

Well, since the beginning of covid I’ve moved from working a separate full time job over 4 days, giving myself a day a week to start my business/ministry…to going part time in the other job to give myself 2 days a week.

Now in a new year, I’m faced with a difficult choice of deciding what the shape of this ministry is to be, all I know is that it’s drastically different to how I imagined it, and that whatever happens it’s going to require less of me and more of God. Covid has left many churches and organisations low on finances and on members, and it seems that there is reticence when it comes to engaging with and paying creatives in the UK church scene. So the way forward isn’t clear, but either way, I have to step out in faith and trust in his goodness.

“My mind is often filled with questions like “what if I make the wrong choice?”, “have I heard God right? Is this the right time? Is this what I’m meant to be doing?”

Truth be told, I struggle a lot with anxiety and fear of making the wrong decision, so I often avoid making big risk-filled decisions. My mind is often filled with questions like “what if I make the wrong choice?” “what if I don’t get any work in?” or “have I heard God right? Is this the right time? Is this what I’m meant to be doing?”.

We’re often our own worst enemy and the main thing that keeps us from progressing, is us living in fear. For me, God has given me options, neither one better than the other, but He tells me that whichever I choose, He’ll be there running alongside me as the loving King of the Universe that he is.

Some practical ideas as you step forward

Whatever we do, saturate yourself with God and start with prayer, without that, we wonder aimlessly in the dark holding onto what we want to control. God will answer our prayers, but maybe not in the way we would like Him to, but then it’s not about our agenda, but his. 

Admittedly, God rarely puts one single thing in front of you and says “here, do this”, but as I have often found, He may put a selection of options in front of you and says “here are a number of options, all of them good and whichever you choose I will honour and bless you in, but the choice is yours, you have to make one…so which one do you want most?”.

I strongly believe God doesn’t give us options that make us miserable, options we can’t manage or options bound for disaster…Isaiah 55:2 “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy.” I also believe that sometimes the things we do will only last for a season, and that season could be 5 months or 25 years, but neither is less important than the other and nothing is wasted.

God always comes through though if it’s his will and you give it your all. In the 15 months I’ve been taking home a salary from this, I’ve never gone without, sometimes albeit payments were slightly late, but they always came through.

Lastly and ultimately, if you don’t try you don’t know, maybe you are one of very few people God has gifted in your field to share the name of Jesus, so try not to be overwhelmed by the bigger picture, focus on the next steps in this chapter and not completing the game.

Whatever you do, make a choice, take steps forward however big or small, and know that whatever happens, Jesus is with you all along the way. Pray, examine your heart and go again.