Point of articulation in church history

The missions world is experiencing a major transition. This book signals an accelerating trend and explores what is happening from several angles. We are coming to the close of the age of “the Greatest Missionary Generation” and beginning the “Age of Missio Dei.”

Since the first century AD, there have been historical events―such the persecution of the early church, the Edict of Milan, and the Protestant Reformation―where major disruption resulted in the radical advance of the gospel. We are on the cusp of another disruptive innovation.

The proposition behind this book is not about reforming missions but about missio Dei . It does not just represent another missionary methodology; it represents missio Dei in the context of God the Creator. Our work is a worshipful expression of our sacred calling to live a holy life, serve others, and bring others to do the same.

Are you a Christian asked the Imam with disdain in his voice? I prefer being known as a follower of Isa since the word Christian means many different things to many people, just as the word Muslim also means a lot of different things to so many people.

You have answered well, said the Imam, come visit me in the mosque so we can discuss these things further. We are having a meeting tomorrow evening where I teach our religion to young men.

The tentmakers felt he was poorly equipped to enter into a discussion in front of an Imam and his followers but after prayer and lots of hesitation, decided he would trust the Lord to give him the words to speak.

The Imam introduced the western Christian to his students saying he had invited him to a debate on Islam versus Christianity. The Imam started by accusations against Christianity being a false religion, and those who called themselves Christians drank alcohol, had sex outside of marriage, believed in many gods and were at war against Islam.

The Operation Mobilization (OM) Spanish division is offering tentmaker training in Spanish online. Enrolment is now open. For more information contact your local country office of OM.

Book

For centuries, God has called missionaries to cross cultures with the Gospel. Along the way, they have developed necessary skill sets for a cultural expression of the Good News.

Tentmakers, like missionaries, need to approach their adopted cultures with sensitivity to the differences when sharing the Gospel with their new friends.

This book shares the skills to help tentmakers be effective witnesses. Tools once accessible only to full-time Christian workers moving overseas are now available to anyone who desires to intentionally live missionally.

Now it is available in Italian and Spanish as well as English.

Aren’t traditional missions and tentmaking the same thing? What difference does it make what we call it? This question comes up when explaining what tentmakers do in a mission’s conference. Let’s look at it.

Generalizations can be dangerous. There are always exceptions. But it helps understanding to identify common characteristics.

SIMILARITIES

Both traditional missionaries and tentmakers have these things in common:

• They seek to bring God’s love to the lost. They are motivated by love for God and obedience to the Great Commission.
• They are sent out by the church to make Christ known to the ends of the earth.
• They teach the Gospel.
• They instruct people on what God says in the Bible.
• The work can only be done by Christ-followers.