The dictionary says that a generic person is “a person who is normal, who fits into the mainstream”.

Sometimes we are guilty of highlighting the superheroes of tentmaking, you know, the ones who start multiple churches, win dozens to Jesus, start disciple making movements, build God honoring companies that also disciple their employees and communities.

Stephanus, one of our mobilizer team members once asked me to share stories that were not about these superheroes and talk more about the common tentmaker. My response at the time was that sharing these common, i.e. generic stories would not inspire people to become tentmakers. Since that time, I have also shared stories of the average tentmaker.

The average tentmaker

What about the average tentmaker? The one who does not dare to share their story because they firmly believe they don’t have a WOW story?

The reality is that most tentmakers are not hitting the ball out of the virtual ballpark, indeed they may not even get up to bat (sorry for the American baseball reference).

What does that “average” or “generic” tentmaker look like?

For over 22 years, we have been interviewing returned tentmakers and heard of their victories and failures. This is what we have learned.

• They have shared their faith (usually when asked) with a co-worker, neighbor or friend.
• They have somehow gotten a Bible in the local language to a few people.
• They have tried their best to live a Christ honoring lifestyle, especially at work where they spend most of their waking hours.
• They have invited people to their homes, where faith discussions have taken place.
• They have intentionally prayed for their host country friends.
• They have not actually seen anyone become a follower of Jesus.
• They have returned home with positive memories of life abroad in a new culture.
• They consider themselves a failure since they did not see anyone of the host nation become a follower of Jesus.

Short story of a “failed” tentmaker

The good doctor worked as a village health care worker for over 20 years in a very closed country. In all those years, she did not see a single person accept Jesus. On retirement, she returned home disappointed and discouraged.

She found herself on vacation on a small island in the Mediterranean. There she met a young man who had a ministry of mentoring over one hundred underground churches via radio broadcasts, to the country the doctor had worked in. The young man told her that she had given him a Bible when she was visiting his village 15 years earlier. He had become a secret believer at age 14. Now he was the defacto leader of the underground church in his homeland.

The doctor did not remember ever giving anyone a Bible since it was forbidden. The young man insisted it was her, as he had begged her for a Bible before she left his village.

It was my personal delight to meet this young man quite by accident, in Malta and hear him tell this story.

Obedience not, sacrifice

There is no such a thing as a failed tentmaker. We do not know what has happened in the spiritual realm or what kinds of seeds have been sown. We also don’t get to decide whether we failed or not, God can make something great out of our efforts that we do not see this side of heaven.

Our job is to obey the one who has sent us. We do the work; the results are in God’s hands.

By Ari Rocklin