September 2015
MISSION AGENCIES WORLDWIDE ARE BEING FORCED TO DOWNSIZE
– What is God up to?
Funding for missions is beginning to dry up all across North America and Western Europe, and sending agencies everywhere have taken notice. This downward shift has come about at a time when the church can easily access the current status of the world Christian movement, which allows them to clearly see where the need for the Gospel is the greatest.
All it takes is a quick glance at the numbers to see how trends have changed in recent times, and the report is hardly inspiring. The International Mission Board (IMB) is predicting a $21 million budget shortfall for this year, following on the heels of several financially disappointing years. As well, one of the oldest mission agencies in Europe is losing millions of euros annually, having lost government funding for its aid work division. This has necessitated a heavy overhaul of the entire organization in order to accommodate for the decrease in budget.
Mission agencies are being forced to downsize, merge, and even shut down due to lack of funding; meanwhile, the world’s Christian community as a whole is more wealthy than ever before. Considering these two diverging trends, is it fair for us to ask What is God up to?
And yet, some say, we can envision the completion of the missionary task in this generation.
RE-PURPOSING MISSION AGENCIES
It has been my observation that traditional mission agencies can do tentmaking and do it well, but it requires a serious paradigm shift in their recruiting, training and maintaining of these professionals who love Jesus enough to go where He opens the doors that are closed to supported missionaries.
I have been helping mission agencies since 1998 to develop their tentmaking programs, and in some cases to start new divisions within their present structures. The vast majority of those who have yet to hear the Gospel live in countries that, at best, do not issue missionary visas, and, at worst, give death sentences to anyone caught proselytizing.
Yet, these same countries desperately need the expertise that professionals and companies can bring them to help them develop and train their local people. We call Christians who take these jobs, and then intentionally desire to make Jesus known, tentmakers. Some call them Kingdom Professionals. There are many definitions, but that is not the main story here.
RE-PURPOSING MISSIONARIES
Is your mission agency facing challenges in raising funds? Are you reducing the numbers of new missionaries being sent? Are you pulling active missionaries from the field due to lack of support?
Your valuable missionaries are already familiar with the difficulties, the local language(s), and the processes of making disciples and planting churches in foreign countries; as well, they have solid relationships with sending churches.
They have prepared well for the challenges of crossing into other cultures and their mission agencies have spent a lot of effort getting them there and keeping them there.
Have you considered re-purposing these missionaries? For most, becoming self supported tentmakers is not a huge stretch, though for others in the minority it may be a challenge. Your agency needs a plan, process and vision. For this we are here to help. Contact Me
RE-POSITIONING THE MISSION?
What is God doing then? Perhaps He is re-positioning the mission of the church to the unreached areas, where the need for the Gospel is the greatest.
WHY TRAINING FOR MINISTRY SKILLS IS SO IMPORTANT
Business as mission (BAM) is a fast growing component of missions to unreached areas of the world, and so it should be. It is a wonderful way to enable people to help themselves instead of being supported by well intended organizations or individuals. On the other hand are people who start Kingdom businesses that have a for profit purpose. I am excited at this trend and am seeing great changes in many countries where I am in contact with tentmakers.
Here is the problem as I see it.
When I look at BAM events around the world, and look at the schedules and outlines of topics that will be addressed, I seldom see a ministry component or how to do ministry in tandem with the business.
I once wrote the BAM seminar coordinators of an upcoming event and asked why there was no ministry training included in their wonderful program? They told me that it simply had not crossed their minds, as they were busy lining up people with much to offer in developing a business plan, dealing with bureaucracy, raising funds etc. In their defense, they immediately asked me if I could teach such a session.
Many Christian professionals take jobs overseas or are assigned to a foreign posting by their company, often to so called closed countries. Unfortunately many leave without any specific ministry training and thus miss out on intentional sharing of their faith in meaningful ways.
“Christian professionals with overseas jobs are not tentmakers unless they intentionally seek to make Jesus known to the local people of the host country” Ruth Siemens
I train tentmakers, business as mission people for critical ministry skills in difficult countries, many of which are hostile to Christianity, not only to thrive in new cultures but to have effective ministry within the constraints of local laws and regulations. This may sound overwhelmingly difficult, but it does not have to be.
As a high level security official of a closed country once told me in a brash way, “Not even in Slamistan (his country) is it against the law to answer questions.” This simple statement tells us that renting a building for church services and then inviting people to come to a meeting is not permitted, but having relational conversations, replying to people’s questions, is not only accepted, but legal.
When you seek out training for tentmaking, business as mission, make sure you will also learn about doing ministry. Integrate your ministry plan with your business plan, and let God do the rest.
$20 THAT CHANGED A LIFE IN INDIA.
Jim a tentmaker to India was used to seeing a man sitting by his weigh scale all day long, hoping someone would come and use his services. For the equivalent of 10 cents, anyone could weigh themselves in a country where the majority cannot afford to buy a scale of their own.
One day Jim decided to sit down beside the man to simply get to know him and have an opportunity to practice Hindi.
He learned that Ashok was actually renting the scale and was paying up to 90% of his days take to the owner of the scale.
While Jim sat there, suddenly there seemed to be more people wanting to weigh themselves than usual. Ashok suggested that Jim’s presence was bringing him good fortune. Of course the real reason was that people were curious as to why a foreigner would sit down with Ashok.
While Jim walked toward his own job he started to think more about Ashok’s business. How could he help Ashok earn a bigger slice of the pie? This thought did not leave him for weeks on end. Each morning and afternoon, Jim would make a point of sitting down beside Ashok, which always brought him more business. They became fast friends.
In a short time Jim had learned the complexity of Ashok’s business. The scale was owned by a man who had many scales in the city. He paid his workers a measly amount of the earnings. If the scale broke, the worker would in debt for months and perhaps years until repayment with high interest was made.
Jim desperately wanted to make a difference, so he went and bought Ashok a scale for $20. Fortunately he had done his homework before hand. If he had just given the scale as a gift, the renter of scales would simply have taken it away from Ashok, who would have no recourse nor police protection.
Before presenting the scale to Ashok, he went to the local police station and asked an officer to come with him to verify the business transaction between himself and Ashok. The policeman watched as Jim gave the scale to Ashok. A business plan was developed by Jim that allowed Ashok to repay the loan in about six months. Then the loan paper was signed (fingerprinted) by Ashok. Having the policeman present afforded some protection for Ashok, and having a foreigner involved added a bit more.
Before the six months was up, Ashok had saved enough of his earnings of 100% to pay back the full amount of the loan. Jim once again called on the policeman to witness the full repayment of the loan, had him sign the “paid in full” receipt together with Ashok and Jim. Then Jim made a few copies of the receipt and even had one copy laminated which Ashok could keep as proof of ownership.
Today Ashok keeps 100% of his daily earnings and is proudly able to show everyone that he has paid back the loan in full.
Imagine going from keeping 10% of your daily earnings to 100%. Jim continues to disciple Ashok and members of his family…
Principle: Do not be too quick to help, seek wise counsel from locals so that your gift of a loan does not cause difficulty or dependency. Real help requires getting to know people and involves discipling.
THE 4 QUESTIONS TENTMAKERS ARE ASKED.
The four most common questions that expatriate workers are asked by neighbors, coworkers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers and those they come in contact with are:
- What is your name?
- What do you do here?
- Where are you from?
- Do you believe in God?
Everyone can answer the first three questions in a few short minutes, perhaps even without thinking about it too much. The fourth question requires thought, preparation, sensitivity, gentleness, respect, divine inspiration and a time out.
Check out Peter’s advice on this – 1 Peter 3:15,16.
Paul the tentmaker from Tarsus
In one short, to the point sentence, we learn much about Paul. Having established his persona and reason for being, we can assume that he then began passionately sharing his faith in ever creative ways.
How you answer the fourth question will either open the door for future faith discussion or perhaps close the door to potential friendships that lead to faith talks. It is vital that we get it right, we only have one chance to make that critical first introduction of our faith. If it were up to me, I would make every future tentmaker spend at least 100 hours preparing themselves for this one question. It is that important. Getting that answer wrong could raise suspicion and make you an object of unwanted attention or it could simply set the foundation for future dialogue and perhaps even give you status as a man/woman of God.
For those of you considering tentmaking business as mission, or those of you out there already doing it, I urge you to do some homework so you will have the best possible answer to question number four.
VALUE ADDED TENTMAKING
We are Christians, of course our faith is important to us and we love to share it with others, but what else do we bring to the nations? I call it value added tentmaking.
Most if not all English speaking expatriates are at one time or another asked to help locals with their English. Whether they do this formally or informally, it brings a tangible value to the community. This is why we urge everyone to take even a short certificate course in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). We recommend a minimal 60 hour course, that can be taken over four weekends to fit in with your work week, before leaving for your overseas contract. It is our recommendation that you do not teach English for free, but charge a reasonable fee to maintain a level of professionalism.
What kind of skills, experience, hobbies do you have that can be used to help locals to improve their situations? ESL is just the most obvious and commonly used bridge to make friendships with your co-workers, neighbors and business people. Make yourself available even if it seems like a lot of extra work.
Here are some ways you might explore in becoming a “value added foreigner” to the local people:
ESL
Computer training
Cooking classes
Small business loans
New ways to grow vegetables
Recycling
Solar cooking
Solar power
Teach them your favourite board game.