Month: July 2011

Value added tentmaking

/ Ari Rocklin

Ari J. Rocklin

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 do this 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

The four questions tentmakers are asked

/ Ari Rocklin

Ari J. Rocklin

The four most common  questions that expatriate workers are asked by neighbors, coworkers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers and those they come in contact with are:

  1. What is your name?
  2. What do you do here?
  3. Where are you from?
  4. 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.