Writing is Residual Ministry: It Lives On

I went to a meeting just to be nice to my friend, but I heard a phrase I have not forgotten.

In college, a friend started in Amway and thought that his fellow ministry students might actually have the money to join him. So as a broke, newly married college student, I listened to his spiel until he said, “RESIDUAL INCOME.” I have not experienced it, but the idea sounds amazing — to continue earning income long after the work has been done.

He told us we could pay the fee, set-up the website, and have a few conversations then — BOOM sit back and rake in the dough. Yeah, I know it’s not that simple, but you get the picture. You could expend effort once and continue getting paid, even when you’re off the clock or sleeping.

I don’t remember what he said after “residual income”, but I loved the idea.

I believe it’s not only a great business idea, but also a great concept for ministry. What if we could work hard once and then for days, months, years, decades, and even centuries there would be residual ministry? Even while we are sleeping our work could continue ministering to someone, and even when our body is in the grave we could keep sharing the Gospel. Share on X

If there is such a ministry shouldn’t we invest our lives into it?

There is a residual ministry.

And you are doing it — it is writing.

You might struggle as I do. I know I am called to write, but I have a hard time hiding myself away in my Starbucks writing cave because there is “real” ministry that needs to take place. How can I hide away from the world when there are folks in this very coffee house that need to hear the Gospel?

How can I type away when there are hurting individuals that I could visit?

Ministry is about people therefore I need to be with people, but out of all I might do no ministry will keep ministering longer than my writing.

Moses had a successful ministry. He lead a couple million people out of slavery, established a nation, judged over daily affairs, taught the Law, and even organized the religious practices of Israel. But out of all he did, it’s his writings that have ministered the most.

The same could be said of Paul. He lead many people to the Lord, planted many churches, established doctrine, taught, but it is his writing that has continued to minister.

For Moses and for Paul their writing was residual ministry. The same is true for us.

Your writing ministry will live on. It will keep ministering even after you’re gone.