There’s a career shift happening quietly across the country, pastors, ministry staff, and church leaders stepping into roles in business. Sometimes it’s by necessity. Sometimes it’s a new season. Often it’s both.
On a recent episode of the 2000 Cubit Rule podcast, I sat down with Gaines Gibson, a sales leader in Texas with a unique story. Gaines started in youth ministry, then moved into insurance sales, and eventually into technology sales and leadership at Bluebird Sales.
This post pulls out the most useful takeaways from that conversation, especially for Christian entrepreneurs and leaders who want to grow revenue without feeling “salesy,” and for anyone navigating a ministry-to-marketplace transition.
Gaines became a Christian around age 15, and he describes being shaped by a community of men who invested time, presence, and discipleship into his life. That experience sparked a desire to do the same for others, which led him into youth ministry.
He served as a youth pastor and stayed active in missions and outreach, but like many ministry roles, funding constraints meant he needed additional work. That “tentmaking” reality is what opened the door to sales.
He began in insurance sales, earned his license, and gradually grew into leadership. Over time, he made the move into technology sales, where his ability to connect with people and understand needs became a major advantage.
One of the most honest parts of our conversation was how Gaines described the internal shift.
When someone has a title like “pastor,” it can become fused with identity. When that title changes, it can feel like you lost something, even if you didn’t lose your faith, your calling, or your purpose.
Gaines put language to a tension many people feel:
The answer he found is simple, but not simplistic: ministry didn’t stop, it changed locations.
If you’ve ever heard someone say, “I don’t like salespeople,” Gaines has too. His take was blunt and accurate: most people dislike sales because they’ve experienced sales done poorly, which often looks like pressure, manipulation, or talking too much.
The alternative is what Gaines teaches and models:
Or as he said it in plain terms: start by making a friend, then see if you can help.
This aligns with how SheepFeast thinks about growth too. We’re not interested in hype, we’re interested in serving Christian entrepreneurs with tools and structure that reduce chaos and missed opportunities.
If you’re a business owner who sells, or you lead a team that sells, these three are worth writing down.
Not “waiting to talk,” real listening.
Gaines described it like this: don’t listen only to find the next answer, listen to understand the person, their constraints, and what they actually need. Sales gets better when the customer feels understood, not managed.
Curiosity uncovers the difference between what someone says they want, and what they truly need.
It also keeps you out of a common trap: pitching the same solution to the wrong person, because you didn’t slow down long enough to learn who you’re talking to.
This one surprises people.
Ask a meaningful question, then stop talking. Give them room to think. Customers often haven’t connected the dots until you create space for them to do it.
Gaines recommended a beginner-friendly qualification framework many teams use:
BANT
This prevents “happy ears,” that feeling after a great conversation where you assume a deal is coming, but key pieces were never confirmed.
If you use a CRM (and you should), BANT can become a simple checklist in every opportunity record.
Gaines made a point that many businesses learn the hard way:
Marketing starts conversations. Sales must continue them.
He gave the example of trade shows and events: teams can spend serious money to get attention, collect leads, and create interest, then fail at follow-up. When that happens, the business burns cash and confidence.
That’s why sales process matters. It’s also why SheepFeast emphasizes structure, not just inspiration. If you don’t have a system to keep up with people, opportunities leak.
This was one of Gaines’ strongest leadership insights from his time leading at Bluebird Sales.
If you employ people, you’re helping provide stability for their families. You’re also responsible for training, culture, and growth. That reframes revenue: it’s not just money, it’s stewardship.
For Christian business owners, that’s a helpful shift. Revenue is not the only goal, but it is often the fuel that allows you to serve customers well and care for a team.
Gaines referenced 1 Corinthians 10:31, “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
That doesn’t give you a script for closing a deal. But it does give you a lens:
When those answers are solid, your sales process gets cleaner, and your reputation gets stronger.
If your business is in growth mode, selling is not optional. But selling doesn’t have to feel like pressure or compromise.
The best version of selling looks a lot like serving:
That’s also why SheepFeast exists. Many Christian entrepreneurs aren’t failing because they lack passion, they’re leaking opportunity because operations are scattered, follow-up is inconsistent, and relationships aren’t being stewarded well.
If you’re a Christian business owner trying to grow without dropping opportunities:
Join The 70 (free) and be part of the live 2000 Cubit Rule recordings.
If you want more structure in your follow-up and sales process, explore The Farmwork, our CRM platform built to help Christian businesses stay organized, consistent, and connected.
Tags
active listening, faith at work, sales
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