A case study of how I built a virtual empire using my authorship and generated $150K+ from using the written and spoken word

Bless the Lord, Believer

I want to welcome you to today’s empowering post. I’m always grateful for the opportunity to share with you powerful lessons that will help you launch a dynamic virtual ministry that will change the world.

If you are new to FKMinistries and my work, welcome! Just to briefly introduce myself, I am Felecia Killings, the Founder of this virtual ministry. Our mission is to help God’s people engage in this end-time revival and national reformation using the written and spoken word.

We accomplish this mission by providing practical and spiritual training to people like you whom God has called to be anointed writers and speakers. We work specifically with new Christian Authors, Speakers, Conservative Influencers, and Ministry Leaders who want to use the virtual space to create, launch, and scale their works.

I first began my virtual ministry back in 2016 before we were ever called FKMinistries. I started as a freelance editor and ghostwriter, helping clients to create content they could sell to the masses. During that time, I wanted to learn more about building a powerful online business. What I did not realize then was that the Holy Spirit was leading me towards launching a new movement, one that would help His people accomplish greater works by being agents of change in the online space.

Today, FKMinistries has reached tens of thousands of people worldwide, and we continue to grow because of our commitment towards seeing revival and reformation in our land.

Now, I don’t want to get too deep into my story, because the purpose of today’s empowering post is to teach you how you can grow your virtual ministry from nothing into something powerful. But if you would like to learn more about me and my background, stay connected inside FKMinistries. I use my story to empower our members every week.

Over the last few years, I’ve taken a unique approach to building my virtual ministry and sharing how it has grown via the blog. I wanted to teach readers like you the very steps I took to create this work, and I used the tagline, “And as always, let’s grow together,” because that’s essentially what I want us to do.

I wanted each of us to work towards fulfilling the mission God has called us to do, and the best way to prove that certain methods work was by demonstrating the results to you over time.

When you are new to the virtual space, or when you’re new to building a virtual ministry, quite often you will encounter people who will show you all the accolades they accomplished, but they won’t teach you the process. They want to show you all the rewards but none of the hard work.

What this tends to do is create a type of insecurity among new entrepreneurs and virtual ministry leaders. It creates this strange form of competition and a bit of jealously, because a person may ask, “When will my turn come?” I know this to be true, because I’ve read and heard numerous stories from online entrepreneurs who were jealous of one person’s success; and sometimes that jealously translated into petty behavior.

Realizing this, I wanted to come from a different angle when it comes to helping you build, launch, and scale your virtual ministry; and in today’s empowering post, I will give you a detailed breakdown of how this ministry has grown over the last three years and why we are now in position to scale our business to its first $1M by December 2020.

Now, it’s not often that I do income reports. There are thousands of bloggers who do this regularly, not because they are bragging, but because they want to prove to their audiences that having an online business is profitable and sustainable.

I realize some people may have a problem with this; but understand that creating income reports as it relates to this area of business is no different than a person discovering a particular job and learning how much money it could pay.

Reading numerous blog income reports gave me the faith to believe that I could create FKMinistries. It gave me the faith to believe that I could support my tiny family with an income and still be able to provide a great education for my daughter. What I hope to do with my report is show you that yes, you can create a virtual ministry and online business that is profitable, powerful, enjoyable, and transformational…if you’re willing to put in the work.

The vision you have for your ministry based on what the Holy Spirit has shown you will come to fruition, but not by chance or good luck. It will come from months and months of pure dedication, the right training, and a teachable spirit. It will come when you put your faith in action by adopting the principles that have worked to build and scale my own business and ministry. It will work when you listen to the testimonies of others.

Ultimately, the vision will manifest when you first begin to manifest some action.

Now, just a warning: this post will be rather extensive, so if you don’t have the time to read it right now, I’ve provided a downloadable version of it inside FKMinistries. All my lovely members have access to materials not available to the general public. You can join, too, and become a part of my lovely online family by signing up here.

What I will discuss specifically in this post include:

• The meaning of virtual ministries and why I decided to master this niche
• How I developed the framework and model for FKMinistries
• The specific offerings FKMinistries delivers and why these products and services emerged
• How I was able to generate $80,000+ From December 2015-December 2018 for the ministry and why it took so long to reach this point
• Why we are on track to generating our first $1M by December 2020 and how we will accomplish this

So, sit back, relax, and get ready to be empowered!

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The meaning of virtual ministries and why I decided to master this niche

Let me start this post by giving you the meaning of a virtual ministry. This niche is a relatively new concept, especially within Christendom; and its meaning is what I developed to help conceptualize what will eventually become the new norm within the Church world over the next ten years.

Here’s how I define a virtual ministry:

• Think about your favorite author, writer, speaker, thought leader, or conservative influencer.
• Now imagine yourself being one such individual who uses both the online and offline space to spread the message God called you to do. This is the essence of a virtual ministry.
• More specifically, a virtual ministry is a work that enables people to develop a strong relationship with God.
• Virtual ministers use the spoken and written word to "tear down, take apart, and demolish" ideologies that rise against the knowledge of God (Jeremiah 1:9-10); and then we use our messages to help build and plant again so that lives are changed for the better.
• A virtual minister publishes books, establishes a speaking platform, and tackles an important issue that influences the masses: abortion, domestic violence, family, finances, relationships, politics, and more.
• When implemented effectively, virtual ministers can create works that generate sustainable income. More than that, they can create ministries that revolutionize the culture, one person at a time.

I decided to master this niche because I could see the future of it ten to twenty years from now; and having the content online at this time would make it easier for new readers to indulge in the future.

Virtual ministries are a part of the new wave of revival and reformation. The Holy Spirit first introduced me to this topic back in April 2016 when He asked me to start a virtual Bible study. I had absolutely no idea what He meant, but I instantly began my research to better understand it.

Unfortunately, the articles I found at that time spoke ill about online churches and virtual ministries, so that didn’t help much. Instead, what I decided to do was to create a group on Facebook and to start hosting LIVE video sessions that focused on whatever message God gave me for the time.

As I began cultivating this audience, which consisted primarily of women, I noticed that other things began to grow. Suddenly, the women I started teaching also decided to hire me as their editor or ghostwriter because they knew about my work with Christian Authors. Not only that, but my viewership increased because people really enjoyed listening to the teachings.

This is when I first began to see how the virtual space had the power to connect me with Believers from across the world; and if I put together a system effectively, I could reach even more people.

This is how I got into the virtual ministry niche, and I knew that if other churches or ministry leaders used the same strategies, their works could expand exponentially.

Now, here’s where I went wrong with things. When I first discovered the power of virtual ministries, I made the mistake of talking to local pastors about it. It was a mistake because traditionally, the Church world has a problem with anything new. Leaders always scrutinize and criticize what they don’t understand; and instead of embracing new changes, they reject them.

Initially, this bothered me because I could see the massive benefits of implementing virtual ministries within their overall church. So, I changed my approach and started using my energy in a more constructive way: by building FKMinistries and teaching readers like you how to launch your own work when you know God has called you to do something amazing.

As I mentioned earlier, virtual ministries will quickly become the new norm in the next ten years; and the same pastors who rejected the new change will be the same ones asking how they can get their hands in this new movement; but by then, they will be too far behind to catch the wave.

This is why I want to urge you, Believer, to not waste any time with your own virtual ministry calling, whether you want to be a Conservative Influencer, Christian Author and Speaker, a Ministry Coach, or whatever. Learn this business RIGHT NOW and be ahead of the game. You will thank me later.

How I developed the framework and model for FKMinistries

FKMinistries did not emerge overnight. In fact, it took three years to be perfected and ready for scaling. (I will talk more about what scaling means later.)

As I shared earlier, I first started the virtual work by hosting LIVE Bible study sessions on Facebook. My first group died after about three months, and that’s because I began discussing conservative politics, which my audience did not like. They didn’t appreciate me combining the spirit with the political world; and they DEFINITELY could not stand that I voted for then presidential candidate, Donald Trump.

When the group stopped interacting with my teachings, I thought the virtual work was over. But to my surprise, my discussion of conservative politics actually catapulted by virtual ministry.

I share in my powerful book, The Fifteen 20 Rise, that when it comes to discussing politics, Black Conservatives are an anomaly. We simply did not fit the framework of what it means to “be Black in America.” So, when people come across individuals like myself, the first thing is to question our blackness and whether we are truly “down for our people.” Certainly, perceptions are changing about Black Conservatives now because thousands of us are speaking out using social media, and I couldn’t be prouder of this time we live in.

But getting back, when the first virtual Bible study died, I found myself ministering to a new, wider audience of Believers who were looking for spiritual influencers who were knowledgeable about the Holy Spirit AND politics from a biblical perspective. This spelled great news for me, because this new direction helped spread my influence among people who will eventually help me reach my goals when it comes to social and political change within Black communities. (I’m really close to meeting the President and discussing with him a pertinent issue that will bring real change to our public-school system. Stick with FKMinistries to see how this plays out in the next couple of years.)

In essence, the framework and model for FKMinistries emerged once I decided to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit, even when I didn’t have the physical resources or training to assist me. And as I built an audience of Conservatives, new Christian Authors and Speakers, and fellow influencers, this gave rise to the methods we would use to help us finance the virtual ministry.

The specific offerings FKMinistries delivers and why these products and services emerged

If you are a part of any local assembly, then you understand how physical churches generate income: by collecting tithes and offerings.

Do any bit of research, and you will discover that this method for a church’s growth is not only risky but difficult to sustain, especially when so many Believers are critical of how finances are handled in a ministry.

The most successful American ministry leaders are the ones who have developed methods for generating income beyond the traditional donation method. They have become authors, motivational speakers, entrepreneurs, and more; and with their earnings, they are able to keep their churches and ministries afloat much longer than smaller ones who rely exclusively on tithes.

Now, whatever your opinion about tithes and offerings, that belongs to you. This post isn’t about convincing you that your tithes must go here or there. You must decide to which storehouse you will support.

Instead, this portion of the post is to show how virtual ministries can thrive in numerous ways when they contain multiple streams of income that extend beyond offerings. FKMinistries has developed such strategies.

In the previous section, I told you that I built an audience using Facebook as my primary social media platform; and what this audience did was it helped me to craft services and products that they wanted. As I listened to their questions and engaged in their discussions, I used that “data” to construct premium offerings that they could receive at a set price. With the finances I generated, I was able to continue working in the virtual ministry, giving all my time and energy to it without having any lack; and here are the services and offerings we have so far.

1. LiyahAmore University: Back in 2016, I launched the first version of my online school, which provides Believers everything they need and more to build a powerful virtual ministry that changes the world. In the school, we deliver technical and spiritual training so you understand the essential business strategies that go towards making your ministry successful. We offer lifetime access to this training at a rate of $87/month for 12 months. By December 2020, we will have enrolled approximately 500 students, which will generate roughly $500,000. (Special note: Inside LiyahAmore University, I teach the method I use to help us reach this goal.)
2. Books and Speaking Engagements: As of today, FKMinistries will launch five keynote speaking engagements that focus on the main mission of FKMinistries. In total, we aim to generate $200,000 in revenue from this offering by December 2020. Because this is the first time I will travel nationally, our financial goal from this offering is set on the conservative end.
3. Coaching and publishing services: Since 2016, I have provided freelance coaching, ghostwriting, and editing services to small business owners, bloggers, new Christian Authors, and Ministry Leaders. Such services are provided to higher premium clients who have the resources, but not the time, to create their books or to launch their virtual ministries. Our coaching services start at $250/month for 12 months; and if a client wishes for us to publish their books and set up their virtual ministry’s online presence, our rates extend to $1000/month for 12 months. By December 2020, we will have generated roughly $150,000-$250,000 by working with 50-65 coaching and publishing clients.
4. Scale for Profit: Finally, our business model includes training entrepreneurs and spiritual leaders on how to scale their business and ministries seamlessly. This offering is specifically tailored to people who have an established business or ministry (offline or online) and want to know how to grow their works with minimal overhead. This service emerged after a few seasoned Conservative Leaders, entrepreneurs, and spiritual leaders asked me how much it would cost for me to build their systems and operate them for a year. Initially, I dismissed such requests, because I wanted to focus on teaching Christian Authors about this business; but when requests continued to come, I realized this was something that needed to be added to FKMinistries. With this offering, we provide a more premium training program, which will cost $6,000 per small business/ministry; and for businesses that wish to outsource our scaling firm, our retainer rate will be $100,000 per client. Now, don’t be surprised by this number. I remember when I first quoted an entrepreneur this price, and he didn’t flinch one bit. (He didn’t sign the contract YET, but he knew the value of the service was there.) When it comes to scaling a business or ministry, we are essentially helping business owners to enter the millionaire status with less traction. In other words, if a business is going to generate millions of dollars over several years BECAUSE of our Scale for Profit services, then the ministry is entitled to a portion of such wealth for helping them reach (or exceed) their goals. This service offering is currently in the works and will be available for booking beginning January 2020. We are conducting our year-long pre-launch phase (yes, you read that correctly!) beginning January 2019 and will host it through LinkedIn where we anticipate connecting with our clients, particularly in the Atlanta, Georgia region; and we expect to generate approximately $100,000-$250,000 in revenue from this source by December 2020.

As you can see from this breakdown, we are on track to generate our first $1M+ by December 2020, and nothing we’ve set out to do will come by luck or chance. It’s all based on pure strategy.

How I was able to generate $80,000+ From December 2015-December 2018 for the ministry and why it took so long to reach this point

Now, you may be wondering how I was able to articulate FKMinistries’ financial plan of action with such accuracy and detail; and it’s because of all the work I put into the ministry over the last three years.

As the article headline suggest, within three-years’ time, I was able to generate $80,000+ into the business and ministry. The primary method for generating this wealth came from providing my coaching and publishing services to Christian Authors and Ministry Leaders; and it took me a long time to reach this amount. Here’s why.

While most new entrepreneurs create businesses based on what is already working, I, on the other hand, decided to create a new niche based on what I could see emerging ten to twenty years from now. Remember when I told you that churches in my local area were resisting the virtual ministry movement? That’s because they couldn’t see what I saw; and instead of quitting on what I knew the Holy Spirit showed me, I went to work in cultivating this new and dynamic space, not for the preachers here today, but for the ones who will emerge tomorrow—people like you.

Because FKMinistries was taken on new virtual territory, this meant I had to spend months and months engaged in online research, best online business practices, and implementation processes that could be applied to anyone’s ministry and new business. While most successful entrepreneurs were smashing it financially, I was busy figuring out how to do what the Holy Spirit instructed me to do as it pertained to virtual ministries.

It literally took me over a year to develop lessons for LiyahAmore University, which at the time only had about 100.

It took me months to master how to build an online audience and membership without using ads—because I had no money for that.

It took me months to refine the vision, the mission, and the five key messages of the ministry so that everything coincided.

It took me a couple months to finalize the types of offerings FKMinistries would be known for.
And it took me just over two months to build the exact scaling model that would be used to grow the ministry (and others), all based on the work I put in over the last three years.

While my focus could have been on sticking with ghostwriting and editing services, I wouldn’t have been able to position the ministry for exponential growth, which is where we are today. I made a huge sacrifice in cultivating all the intricate aspects of the business and ministry, and that sacrifice cost me everything.

Making $80,000+ over three years is nothing big by my standards. I made $60,000+ a year working as a school teacher in California; so, I can’t measure my success based on that number. I have to assess it by another means. During these last three years, I learned to live below my means, work hard at the vision and dream, and stay committed to the mission, despite the financial strains. I dealt with criticism from family members, who urged me to “get a real job.” I dealt with critical Facebook followers, who thought I was spending too much time on social media instead of actually working. I had to deal with a boyfriend who kept sending me random job applications like I was some charity case, because he couldn’t see the value or worth of the ministry I was creating. (I broke up with that character, by the way.) I had to put aside all the naysayers for the sake of this vision; and now, because of the sacrifice, because I was willing to put in the work, FKMinistries will be the global epicenter for any Believer who desires to build, launch, and scale their own virtual ministries.

The lesson I want to point out here is that what you do with the inception process is crucial. How you nurture your virtual ministry in the first “trimester” will determine how your “baby” will grow over time.

You can’t expect immediate results; but you can expect something each day.

The little you add to your ministry will accumulate over time, essentially working like compound interest; and the more you stay with the process, the more you will witness exponential growth over time.

Now, if you’re wondering to yourself, “Will it take me three years to earn just $80K,” understand that it won’t take that long for you if you are willing to go through the training right now. In other words, I had to invest my time in exchange for my growth, because I was developing a new niche and a new way of engaging in this revival and reformation.

But if you have the resources to go through the training of LiyahAmore University, you can start generating much more income than I did during my first year.

I want to add one more piece of advice in this section: Because of the work I put into the business and ministry, I am now in position to seek financial investments that will catapult the virtual ministry much more quickly. There are so many new business owners who are looking for ways to generate start-up capital; but what they don’t realize is that in order to get in this position, one must be able to prove a concept and demonstrate that the market is ready for it.
Financial investments, whether from family members, friends, or venture capitalists, are great ways to scale your work quickly, because generally the resource go towards helping you promote what you offer.

What I accomplished in three years has given me the confidence to seek such investments; and over time, as I continue to prove the value and worth of my ministry and business, I can secure greater investments, which will help me with my ultimate goal of setting up a physical K-12 school and a brick-and-mortar version of LiyahAmore University, where we can train our students in a physical location. We are literally on the cutting edge of equipping people for what’s to come, and I couldn’t be more excited.