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Tentmakers are some of the most effective workers extending Gods Kingdom in the world today. Theyhave shared the gospel widely and seen churches established where there were none. But what is atentmaker? The origin of the term comes from the New Testament. During Pauls missionary journeys,the Apostle received financial support from Christians some of the time and at other times he supported

himself and others using his trade making tents. While he worked as a tentmaker he shared the gospeland established worshipping communities of believers. Today, those who work abroad in business orwith a profession or trade and a desire to build the kingdom of God by actively sharing the gospel arewalking in Pauls footsteps (Acts 18:3, 20:34ff, 1 Thess. 2:5-9 and 2 Thess. 3:7-9). Paul also wanted to be anexample of someone who worked hard, and to avoid accusations of preaching the gospel for money (1Cor. 9:12,15,18).

These same reasons are true for modern tentmakers. Tentmak-ers have existed from the early days of the Church. In fact from ahistorical perspective supported workers may be in the minority!

Tentmakers from all around the world are serving God today. Theyrange from a well-paid oil executive to a maid from Southeast Asiain a Muslim home. They not only increase the number of workersin the harvest field, and can be wholly or partly self-supporting,but they can also work in regions that are closed to traditionalChristian workers owing to visa restrictions.

Working as a tentmaker can be very rewarding. However, some have had negative experiences that couldhave been avoided with a little forethought and preparation. I well remember having Sunday lunch witha family who had become very frustrated. They had come to the Middle East expecting to share the goodnews effectively with nationals, but after two years the husband knew few nationals and no language. Hehad a high-powered job, working with other Westerners in English. The little social time the family hadtogether was spent with the expat church. His wife by contrast had fared better. She had learnt some Ara-bic and her children spent time in neighbours houses. She was able to share something of Gods love.

This couple had gone out with-out the backing of people skilledin guiding tentmakers, whichwould have enabled them tobe more effective. In contrast,each day I hear of colleagues in

my own agency and others whothrough their faithful service areseeing Gods Kingdom grow andlives blessed in Jesus name.

working abroad to share the gospel

Richard taught English in North Africa. He and others who were working in the country helped thechurch treble in size. In Nepal, aid workers from many different agencies help the church grow. In NorthAfrica, a tour company brings in tourists, benefiting the economy, and shares the gospel with nation-als. Elizabeth, in Asia, helps manage a road-building project to an inaccessible village in a mountainousregion during a year out from university. Her prayers will be a blessing to the region for many years tocome. I had the privilege of working for six months in a village of nomads in West Africa as an aid workerand teaching new believers the Bible.

Written by J M. Bell

Who is a tentmaker today?

Someone who is called by God, both to extend his Kingdomcross-culturally and to glorify God through study or employment.Roles include: business people, community and agricultural devel-opers, doctors, nurses, diplomats, computer and software specialists,civil and mechanical engineers, students, teachers, lecturers,journalists, writers, scientists, secretaries, teachers of English as aforeign language, research workers, sports people, etc.

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Whether you are a student embarking on a career or have worked for several years in your own country,perhaps God is calling you to live out Gods love in another culture. I encourage you to check it out.

The Pros

1. Often the only way into restricted-access countries, e.g. Islamic states, China.2. Can often reach people that traditional workers cannot reach.3. An example of hard work to local believers.

4. Often partly or wholly self-financing.5. Often gives natural contacts with local people.6. Avoids the accusation of preaching the gospel for money.

Possible Pitfalls

1. Time management. Tension between job and ministry, especially with full-time jobs. Employers maynot be sympathetic to your aims.2. Unrealistic aims and the pressure of trying to succeed in two roles.3. Lack of clear goals in ministry leading to ineffectiveness.4. Difficulty in learning the language and culture because of lack of time.5. Loneliness if not part of a team.

6. Lack of pastoral care or accountability if not working with an agency or sending church.7. Lack of proper support base and furloughs to strengthen links with home church.8. Often limited by short-term contracts.9. Vital preparation can be overlooked.

Overcoming the Pitfalls

Care and forethought are vital. The choice of post taken and the establishment of clear and realistic goalsare key. Many of the issues above can be worked through more effectively with a Christian agency thathas experience of facilitating tentmakers. The advantages of partnering with an agency are considerable.

Ethics

1. Integrity and identity: Are we a missionary in disguise? No, biblically all of us are called to give areason for the hope that we have when asked (1 Pet 3:15). There is no difference in this respect betweenbeing a witness at home and elsewhere in the UK and doing it overseas. All of us are sent as Christ wassent by His Father (Jn 20:21, Matt 28:19-20). We are sent into the work-place whether in our own countryor abroad. We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).2. A matter of truth: Faking a job. Does this reflect on the nature of our gospel?3. Our witness: Shoddy work reflects a shoddy gospel. Eph 6:7

4. Accountability: Is getting a job overseas a way of not being accountable to leadership of your sendingchurch or local believers in the country where you work? Accountability in ministry is a New Testamentprinciple: Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla, Paul and Timothy, etc., all made themselves accountable (eg Acts13:1-3, 18:22-28, 2 Tim 2:1-2).

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Key issues to think through

1. What has God called me to do? Having a clear vision of what youwant to achieve will ensure you are both fruitful and fulfilled. Is itestablishing worshipping communities? Perhaps training others inprayer ministry.2. Making, taking or faking a job? Making a job avoids unsympatheticemployers trying to prevent you sharing the gospel. Faking a job: aquestion of Christian integrity? What are you communicating if youenter a country as a teacher and do not teach or do not do it well? Aimto bless the country with your job.3. Partnering with an agency and/or a team can offer: support andcomplementary gifting, prayer and pastoral care, accountability andbetter preparation and in-service training.

Preparation

1. Biblical foundations.2. Your walk with God and intercessory prayer.3. Relationships how well do you relate to and work with others?

4. Relationship with sending church and agency for accountability.5. Ministry skills.6. Communicating Christ across cultures practical and theory.7. Learning the language, culture and history of the country.

Further reading:

Planting Churches in Muslim CitiesGreg Livingstone. Pub: Baker Working Your Way to the NationsJonathan Lewis. Pub: IVP (US).Avoiding the TentmakerTrap D Gibson, foreword by Patrick Johnstone. Pub: WEC Intn

Penetrating Missions Final Frontier Tetsunao Yamamori. Pub: IVP 0-8308-1370-5 Want to be a Tentmaker? in guidelines for decision making from Christian Vocations

Business As Mission specific resources:

Tentmaking Business as MissionPatrick Lai. Pub: Authentic 1-932805-53-2 www.businessasmission.com resources at the forefront of business as mission (BAM) practice

www.bamthinktank.org a forum for discussion, collaboration and networking on business as mission,

amongst practitioners from around the world http://business4transformation.blogspot.co.uk discovering b4t; the next generation doing cross-cul-tural transformation, particularly amongst the unreached

Useful contacts for advice:Christian Vocations - www.christianvocations.orgFrontiers - www.frontiers.org.uk

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1. A family with two children from the West went to the Middle East with the aim of sharing the goodnews. The husband took a demanding post as an oil executive in one of the major cities and attendedthe expat evangelical church. After two years the couple were frustrated, they had few relationships withnationals, most of whom were women friends of the wife (in a segregated society). Though the womanhad some success at language learning her Arabic was still rudimentary. The husband had no Arabic. What were the major issues preventing eective outreach to Arabs?

What could be done to improve their eectiveness?

Suggest a plan for a team to help bring together a gathering of believers.

2. An agency set up a development organisation and a West African government invited them to workwith refugees in the Sahel. They aimed also to establish a worshipping community of believers. The ex-pats worked in a team to set up literacy, medical and agricultural projects. Competent national Christianswere employed and encouraged to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the projects. Timewas set aside for language learning. Expats wore local dress and lived in local accommodation. Singleslived with African families. Before language could be adequately learned Muslim refugees responded to

the gospel and the discipling of the church began. What features of the teams practice aided the establishment of the church?

What challenges would the expats have experienced?

3. A team set up a language school in a fairly developed country, where they had to compete for busi-ness with serious competitors. The business, though essential for supplying visas and for workers initiallanguage training, had become a burden to the team. Someone with a strong administrative backgroundwas able to go out for a two-year placement, to ease the stress of running the business on the team. Bythe end of the placement, the financial viability of the business was secured, and the tasks of runningthe business had been broken down and documented in easy-to-follow steps to enable people fromnon-business backgrounds to run the school.

How would the role of the administrator have diered from the roles of other members of the team? How might this role have tted with the goal of the team to establish worshipping communities of

believers?

Case studies

web: www.frontiers.org.uk | tel: 0303 333 5051 | email: info@frontiers.org.uk