In Part 1 of this 3-part conversation about being in ministry with business professionals and entrepreneurs, Pete Sanchez shares his story of how he journeyed from addiction to Christ-centered entrepreneurship.

Pete started out in network marketing and then real estate investing. He found early success and made a lot of money – but, Pete says, “With that type of money, not having the right foundation in Jesus, you’re going to get lost.” He soon found himself trapped in what he describes as a “dark pit” of porn addiction, wild partying, and prostitutes.

After struggling with this for some time, God transformed Pete’s life through a friend and former coworker. After his friend told him about an educational program at the Rock Church called Impact 195, Pete felt called to take a break from the business world and join the program. Through this experience, he gained an understanding of who God was calling him to be – a God-centered entrepreneur.

Sometimes, however, it’s not easy for church leaders to understand the entrepreneurial perspective on ministry and how businesspeople can minister from that vantage point. Pete recalls that at one point while he was funding missionary trips, he was scolded by a leader for not going on the trips himself. “They called me a young rich ruler. That really affected me, because that’s not even close to where my heart was at. I was like, I’m not called to the mission field right now. It hurt hearing that from a church leader. They didn’t see the potential in me.”

You may be wondering how you can approach and engage business leaders within your own church and avoid this type of misunderstanding. “Oftentimes we give a very boxed-in exchange with everybody,” Mingo says. “We blanket everybody together and say, if you’re a part of this church, you should be doing something with this church. It doesn’t really articulate or it doesn’t give specificity to the kind of people that might be inside of our church.” There are many different ways that people can donate their time, talent, and treasure to the church, so keep an open mind to what an entrepreneur might be passionate about sharing with the community.

Check out Parts 2 and 3 for more insights into building relationships and stewardship with the businesspeople of your church.