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 defence, 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

GO trains 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.

Ari Rocklin
GO Mobilizer