Author: Guest Contributor

The Intentional Traveler

/ Guest Contributor

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Larry McCrary

 I do a lot of traveling. I mean more than most but not quite as much as George Clooney in the Hollywood film “Up In The Air”. I am constantly in conversations with people who are doing business all over the world. They fly about from country to country.  They work for multi national companies. They often have to travel to the same cities several times a year with their jobs.

They want to be intentional as they travel and do business abroad. They do not simply want to go on a trip to do their business and see a few sites. I know one businessperson who is what I would call and “Intentional Traveler.”

Take a look at some of the things he does to be purposeful and intentional with his trips:

  • He stays at the same bed and breakfast each time in Paris. He plans ahead to be sure the owners of the hotel can spend one evening with him.
  • He frequents the same restaurants and goes to the same news stand each morning to get his paper.
  • He goes to the same coffee shops.
  • He makes sure to spend time with people from his national company. He goes out to eat with his co-workers. He gets to know them as well as possible.
  • He is trying to learn the language in order to communicate better in that country.
  • He is meeting other Christians and Christian workers to develop his network there.
  • He tries to make the most of his opportunities and if the Lord opens the doors for deeper conversations then he is ready.

Though this guy will probably not live overseas he knows that a real part of his life is to travel abroad. He is committed to making it intentional.

Do you travel internationally? Do you travel frequently? Can you think of some practical things you can do on your next trip to be more intentional?

Captivated with Wonder

/ Guest Contributor

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So profound is Jesus’ coming that we have celebrated it for centuries. God humbled himself to enter our world to reveal himself and to suffer his own judgment to redeem us rebels—What an absolute wonder!

There is no story like this. It is incredible! When we take time to grasp again this staggering reality, we are captivated with wonder. This is why we celebrate Christmas—to take time to “see” again the wonder of Jesus’ incarnation.

Today he has returned to the Father and we are his heart and hands and feet on earth. He can only go where we take him. This is what Christ-filled tentmakers do—they take Christ to those who do not know him. They incarnate him so that people see Jesus in them. They exhibit the supernatural difference so that people wonder and ask questions. And by working, tentmakers exhibit Jesus’ life and power in one of the most central aspects of life.

Business as Mission in Practice

“Robert” builds servanthood into the whole ethos of his company in Asia. It is a stated core value. Employees study and discuss it in optional Bible studies. And the Christians in the company practice it constantly. One day Robert saw an employee looking for something in the break room. When he asked what, she answered, “I’m looking for a clean glass.” When she couldn’t find one, she gave up and left. So he washed one for her and filled it with water. When he brought it to her, she could not believe it and asked, “What is this?” Robert responded, “You said you were looking for a clean glass for water.” Several weeks later in the Bible study, she broke down in tears as they were discussing how Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. Concerned, they asked what was wrong. When she was able to answer, she said, “Robert, do you remember when you gave me that glass of water. No one has ever done anything like that for me before. Now I understand what you were doing.”

I am very grateful for every tentmaker connected with GO-Tent who has gone or is serving now or is considering going. Seeing them incarnate Christ in some of the darkest, hardest places on earth makes our work worth it. We are thankful to have equipped tentmakers from 36 nations to go to over 80 nations.

Many of you reading this Tentmaking Brief are part of this number and all of you desire to see more people captivated by the wonder of Jesus’ coming. You know that GO and Tent are untiring in calling Christians to go as tentmakers. Yet many, many more are needed. So we also want to give you the opportunity to help GO-Tent financially so that more people are captivated with the wonder of Jesus’ coming!

Have a Wonder-Full Christmas, captivated again with the wonder of Jesus’ coming.

Dave English

GO Offers Free Workplace Missions

/ Guest Contributor

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Dave English

One of the greatest joys you can ever have is to help someone come to Jesus and follow him. Even greater is helping someone in another culture who has no knowledge of Jesus. If you’ve ever thought of this, then this seminar is for you.

The global job market has opened a huge door through which God can use you in your profession without raising support. North Americans are in demand around the world for their professional skills including running businesses. Copying the Apostle Paul’s model of earning his living by making tents in order to spread the gospel, this strategy is called tentmaking. The term Business as mission (BAM) is often used for running a business.

Come to the seminar to explore this option. Find out how God can use you. Discover how tentmaking opens doors you never imagined. Billy Graham believed this was the wave of the future. He said, “I believe that the next great move of God is going to be through believers in the marketplace.”

This seminar covers the issues. Learn advantages of workplace missions and answers to major challenges. Learn the core tentmaking model. Discover keys to being effective. And get a roadmap for going. Hear from those who’ve done it and coached tentmakers for years.

  • See the power of being a tentmaker:
  • Meeting real needs through your work
  • Not having to raise money for ministry
  • Regular connections with people who need Jesus
  • Enhanced credibility as an unpaid witness
  • A natural context for showing Christ to people

 And more. 

  • You will also be primed to meet tentmaking challenges like
  • Finding a job overseas
  • Bonding with a “strange” people
  • Witnessing without fear at work
  • Being effective in making disciples

Gain insights that open possibilities you have not seen before. Hear brief stories of real tentmaking impact. And have a chance to ask questions in sessions, during breaks and afterwards.

Finally, receive suggestions and resources for going further, learn about a tailor-made course to equip you to become effective, and take away a roadmap to going overseas as a tentmaker.

 What others are saying:

  Invaluable!! I’m so excited and motivated! — M.H.

There is also an increasing number of missionaries going out as professionals who support themselves through their own occupational employment…  Many countries which have restricted missionary presence are being served through Christians who have re-located to those countries and work in a wide array of fields for strategic purposes… Today one is likely to meet someone who is an English teacher or who is utilizing their technological expertise in some strategic part of the world.  Nevertheless, this is an important avenue through which many missionaries are being effectively placed around the world.