TMB

30 people signed their own ”death sentence”

/ Steinar Opheim

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30 Nigerian Christians answered yes when they were asked to go as tentmakers into an area where their lives will be constantly at risk.

Nigeria Evangelical Mission Association (NEMA) aims to recruit, train and send out 15,000 tentmakers by 2020. Most of them will go to what can spiritually be regarded as the toughest places on the planet.

In August, tentmaking was the main subject when NEMA arranged its annual conference in Lagos. For everyone attending it became perfectly clear that many of the Nigerian Christians will hold nothing back as they live and work to expand God’s kingdom. One incident at the conference showed to the full extent the total commitment many of the believers have to Jesus.

Difficulties

It all started when one of the speakers invited people from the audience to join him in his work. He had come from a highly sensitive, far away nation and from the podium he shared openly about the suffering and persecution he and his co-workers were facing.

“Many people have died around me – expatriate workers as well as local believers. In many ways I feel like the last man standing,” he said. He shared that the kingdom results are scarce, but things are happening on a small scale. ”Even if this is a dangerous ministry, I believe that God may call one or two of you here today to come and join us. Are you willing to come?” the tentmaker asked.

When the person leading the meeting took over, he repeated the invitation. “Will those of you who feel that this can be a calling for you please come forward,” he said.

Death sentence

It was quiet for a little while. Then one person stood up and walked forward. Then another one. And another one. In the end, around thirty people were on the move towards the podium.

“I hope you are aware that you are in many ways signing your own death sentence by accepting this invitation. Are you really willing to do this?” the leader asked.

Some of the people in front of the podium were crying. Others were kneeling on the floor in praise and prayer.  After a while, they were all led to the side of the conference room where they received the first instructions for what was ahead of them.

“It is amazing to meet this kind of commitment for the Lord,” commented one Western leader who was present at the conference.

Several Nigerian mission leaders have said that they sense that Christians from their own nation have a special call to take the Gospel to the toughest places in the world. “We experience persecution here in our own nation. Through this, God has prepared us for the tough treatment and persecution we may meet elsewhere,” one of the leaders said.

Move In – Can It Get Any Simpler Than This?  

/ Ari Rocklin

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John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood.”

We met the leaders of MoveIn at our Florida course earlier this year. They had found out about the GO Equipped TENTmaking courses online and quickly realized this training was what they needed in order to expand their ministry globally.

After the course, they invited the GO team to teach at their leadership retreat this past month near Toronto Ontario.

Who are “Move-inners”?

George Verwer founder of Operation Mobilization has said this about them:

“I believe this is cutting edge and strategic. I hope you will get involved in what is happening.”

Move-inners, in a nutshell are people who decide to move into neighbourhoodsdeemed a “no go zone” for 99.9% of Christians. Even the police dread to enter these areas of our major cities. Calling 911 may be futile as too often no one will come.

Move-inners are mostly young “Generation Y” couplesand singles, deliberately moving into low income, crime ridden neighbourhoods, to integrate themselves with the people who have little choice on where to live. These areas are made up largely of recent immigrants from the so called unreached areas of the world.

Please take some time to view professional quality wedding video featuring Nigel and Jessie Paul and their brilliantly planned and executed celebration for their neighbours.

“I am becoming more and more convinced that this approach is the future of how God is going to reach people in the unreached areas of our cities. It … will be costly in many terms for people participating.” 
– Charles Price, Senior Pastor, The Peoples Church – Toronto

“It is brilliant what God is doing through MoveIn. This concept of downsizing and moving right into some of the more unreached communities among us and, through prayer and action, to reach them for Christ – all in the context of the needs of the whole world – I praise God that this is happening, and I would challenge you to consider doing this yourself.” 
– K.P. Yohannan, Founder, Gospel for Asia

Does the Self Supported Tentmaking Model Work in Africa?

/ Ari Rocklin

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Can African believers follow in Apostle Paul’s footsteps by taking their profession and business with them to other regions of Africa? Is it possible to have Africans being trained by Africans to go to other Africans with the Gospel without any financial support from elsewhere?

It is the conviction of this editor that Africa will train and send more tentmakers who will disciple more new believers and plant more house churches than any other continent in the next decade!

Steinar Opheim of TENT Norway has been going to Africa for many years to teach and encourage the tentmaking movement there. Together with an increasing number of local teachers, the movement has taken off in ways not imagined.

The 6th All African TI Congress in Tanzania took place last month with 157 delegates and attendees from many African nations. We heard encouraging and exciting reports on how God is moving through tentmakers and how quickly this movement is spreading.

There was an intensive training for trainers course at the end of the congress which had 53 pastors and leaders in attendance. From the interaction and questions it became evident that this model for evangelism and mission is here to stay.

Here are some reports on the impact tentmakers are having:

  • 2011-2012: 1,000+ tentmakers in 7 African countries
  • 2,105 tentmakers trained.
  • 239 House churches/prayer cells started.

Thanks to Tentmakers International and the All Africa TI leaders for putting on such a wonderful event.

Conclusion: The tentmaking movement in Africa, by Africans for Africa is about to explode!       “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Hope for Africa? Trend Studies Reveal Looming Crisis and Opportunity

/ Phill

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Africa caught my attention when two recent economic studies crossed my computer screen this month within hours of each other.

The amazing, surprising, Africa-driven demographic future of the Earth, in 9 charts, a UN Population Division study, projects that Africa is the place to watch. The indicators are that it will outstrip the other continents in economic as well as population growth. It will dominate the 21st century.

Then, Why African Entrepreneurs Outperform Their Peers When the Playing Field is Level, an article from the Wharton school of business. The title pretty well summarizes the findings. African entrepreneurs are more productive and creative when they work in a comparable setting. Poor governance, infrastructure, and resource management on the continent hold them back.

Both of these studies findings seem counter-intuitive. They point to enormous opportunity and potential for Africa to change its destiny. They also point to tremendous challenges ahead.

Historically Africa is the continent that has received the most aide and yet stubbornly is the most impoverish. These studies suggest we are on the cusp of a major transition IF Africa can overcome its challenges in the area of governance and resource management.

WOW! These are exciting prospects.

I am reminded of one other writing about this situation. Darrow Miller wrote in 2005 about Africa’s problems and mentioned one other factor that both of these studies ignore. In his booklet, Against All Hope: Hope for Africa, he alludes to Africa’s great potential in its people and resources. He also recognizes a great spirituality among the peoples. Yet one thing they lack is a worldview that aligns with the principles of the God of the Bible. True transformation cannot take place without a transformation of the heart and a renewing of the mind. Without this transformation the other changes are less likely to happen, and if they do, they will not be to the benefit of the people.

Where does all of this lead. Tentmakers. There is tremendous opportunity, even need, for tentmakers to participate in the transformation of Africa.

1.    Africa is ripe for economic development.

2.    It needs men and women of faith to permeate the marketplace bringing economic development while demonstrating the practice Biblical principles.

3.    There is a growing movement among the African community to prepare and spread out and take the gospel to the whole continent in a wholistic ministry that touches every part of the continent and penetrates to the to the heart and soul as well as the purse.

4.    Tentmakers contribute to the economic as well as the social and spiritual development of their communities. When enough of them are active they can change countries and continents.

5.    Tentmakers model Christian values within the workplace and the culture.

6.    Tentmakers do not require massive outside support structures and funds – nor do they create the expectation that such is necessary for the community and the church to prosper and grow.

God is mobilizing his church. There is great opportunity for the expansion of tentmaking workers in Africa. There are a few pivot points in history where the decisions that are made determine the social direction for many decades. This could be one of those times. Are the “men of Issachar” interpreting the times and preparing to march?

These projections “…aren’t destiny, of course, and lots of people are already trying to change them… But this is the direction the data points today. Whatever happens, it should be quite a century.” (The amazing, surprising Africa-driven demographic…)

May God grant wisdom to the brothers in Africa as they guide the church through these times. And may He grant the rest of the church the wisdom to support where they should, and to give have the grace to allow the African leadership to grow without undo interference.