TMB

Has God stopped moving?

/ Steinar Opheim

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A 25-year anniversary coming up next month will either put God or the global church to shame.

Expectations where high as the 4.300 leaders at the Lausanne congress in Manila in 1989 were finalizing the Manila manifesto. For the first time the great challenge of the unreached people groups had been highlighted in front of leaders from the whole world-wide church. The participants from 173 nations were eager to take the Gospel further and make Jesus salvation known among the thousands of unreached people groups that were known. Leading voices believed that the job could be finished by the end of the millennium.

Now, 25 years later, the task of reaching the unreached in many ways looks just as unfinished as it did for the participants in Manila.

According to Joshua Project close to 7,000 of the world’s 16,600 people groups must still be labeled as unreached. The total number of people in these groups is close to three billion. More than 4,600 people groups are still below the radar of the worldwide church and no one is planning to reach them with the Gospel.

Shame

“We are deeply ashamed that nearly two millennia have passed since the death and resurrection of Jesus, and still two-thirds of the world’s population have not yet acknowledged him,” confessed the participants at the Manila congress.

Who is to blame for the fact that next to nothing has changed in the quarter of a century that has passed by since then? Has God stopped being on the move or does he no longer have a desire to see all people saved? Or is it Jesus followers who have misunderstood the task their Lord gave them or maybe they are just unwilling to fulfill it.

In an article posted on Joshuaproject.net, Kent Parks in Act Beyond points out some reasons why the church has failed to fulfill the Great Commission. Lack of interest is one key factor.

– The emphasis on unreached people groups seems to have resulted in “boredom”among some church leaders – and they seem to want to find the next idea. One Asian mission leader shared that just about the time the Western Christians have succeeded in raising awareness for the unreached people groups s around the world, some seem to have developed “attention deficit disorder” and want to move on to something new, writes Parks.

Lack of friends

Joshua Project estimates that for every dollar of Christian resources less than one penny is directed at reaching unreached peoples. The American-based resource center also refers to a survey done a few years ago showing the likeliness of Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims being reached with the Gospel. According to the survey 86 out of 100 Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus worldwide do not know a single Christian.

John 1:14 states: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (The Message). If God is to continue to be on the move, Christ’s followers may need to be willing to move too.

The summer months often give time for reflection. Could you consider applying for a job, start a business or study in a place where you can reach one of the people groups that has yet to hear the Gospel?

Tentmaker Challenges Series II

/ Ari Rocklin

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Thank you to everyone who responded to the first issue of Tentmaker Challenges Series last month. 

Here are some of your comments:

“we have been tentmakers for over a decade and can identify with all these challenges”

“Can’t wait for you to deal with our biggest challenge, which is also number one on your list – the expat trap”

“as hard as it may be to admit it, we do struggle with number 2 – materialism”

In this issue we will deal with number 6. Who would think instant communication channels would be a problem?

This does not mean you should shut down these communication channels totally, butyou should intentionally work on finding balance.

If there are children in your family, it is vital for them to connect with grandparents and relatives back home (or wherever they are). Staying connected with your home church and staff is equally important.

It is, however, alarming to learn that some couples returns home from their jobs, both of them go online immediately after dinner to chat with people back home – and stay online until bedtime.

This is worrisome on two levels.

One, they should be spending quality time as a couple to make room for their relationship to grow, and to focus on the ministry opportunities that are all around them.

Two, they are removing themselves from interaction with the very same local people to whom they have come to serve.

It is important to have a system in place so that you can keep track of the time you spend communicating with family and friends back home.

It is equally important to keep track of interactions with the local people. It is way too easy to lose focus on the real reason you are there. A good question to ask yourself is, when was the last time we visited with local people or had them in our home?

As with all things electronic, a balance will not happen by accident; it requires a thoughtful plan and follow-through. How do you maintain this balance?

Stay tuned for the next challenge in a future issue of Tentmaking Briefs.

Tentmaker Challenges Series

/ Ari Rocklin

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We have been listening to returning tentmakers since 1998 and trying to learn from their experiences on how to prepare new tentmakers better. Based on their feedback we continually update the challenges of today’s tentmakers list and our course content.

Often, a returning tentmaker looks at this list with tears as they realize they were not the only ones facing these issues. It can be helpful to simply read the list as they begin the process of return culture shock. Not everyone faces all these challenges a much depends on the culture and region where they are or have been working.

Some are more equipped for challenges than others. What might seem an insignificant mole hill to one, is the proverbial mountain to the other. There are no right and wrong experiences, we are all learning as we go along.

I will be dealing with some of the challenges listed in upcoming issues of Tentmaking Briefs. Challenge number 5 below.

5. Locals with agendas

  • Want to practice English
  • Try to convert me
  • Help with migration
  • Sell you something
  • Debate politics or ideology

Speak English?

Some tentmakers report that people come up to them daily or more, who simply want to practice their English language skills. Over time this becomes frustrating and they start dreading these interactions. They feel that they are being taken advantage of and as a result there is a shift in their attitude toward locals. When this goes on long enough, avoidance becomes commonplace.

The converter

Then there are the locals who are trying to convert the expats to their own religion or philosophy. Some locals can be quite aggressive but if you hear them out and ask good questions, they will usually tone it down and perhaps even give you a chance to talk about what you believe.

Why are you here?

The big question locals have is why have you come to their country when everyone in their country wants to move to a better place. For them you represent the best chance at getting help in migrating to your country, if not for themselves, then a family member. Of course you are well aware that you can’t actually help them with this at all, so it is a futile discussion to be having in the first place, the result being yet another avoidance.

Business propositions

Everyone wants to improve their lot in life, so you can be seen as a potential business partner as locals try to sell you something that you can then export to your native country. Sometimes, it may even work out well, but the vast majority of the time, there is no hope for this to actually happen.

The debaters

Lastly, there are self described intellectuals who want to debate with you about the superiority of their political or religious system with facts and figures provided and also to point to flaws in your ideology. Most people find these kinds of talks a waste of time and try to avoid them.

You have read about five irritations or annoyances of tentmakers which lead to avoidance and maybe even dislike of locals. Fair enough. The big picture here is that locals (who have enough command of the English language to communicate with you) are coming to you to spend time with you and perhaps to learn from you. What a fantastic opportunity! When does this happen in your home country?

It is the fervent suggestion of this writer that you learn to look at these interactions as divine appointments instead of divine annoyances.

Stay tuned for further issues on the Tentmaker Challenges series.

Tentmakers Need Member Care Too

/ Phill

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One question that comes up in every training at Global Opportunities is whether it is better for tentmakers to go alone, or as part of either a team or under the auspices of an agency/mission. GO has a training session dedicated to looking at the pros and cons of the options. There is no one right answer.

One of the reasons this comes up is the consciousness that very few can really “go it alone”. Everyone needs a support group backing them up and providing a “safety net”. Many of these needs can be lumped together under the term, member care. Most agencies have well established member care practices as a part of their HR department staff support.

Member care can be different from organization to organization but it usually includes many, if not all, of the functions of: medical support or insurance, social and emotional support to confront the challenges that come when working away from family and home in a strange culture, help with children’s education, counseling as needed, assistance with the logistics of living overseas, etc. Many also provide assistance with re-entry and re-integration back into ones home country after years of living away.

It is also important to know that one is part of a bigger purpose working with a team of like-minded people.

These are normal human needs and when one is part of a mission agency, it is assumed they will have programs in place to care for their staff. But what happens for the tentmaker who is not a part of a sending agency. Whether they will be an employee or doing Business as Mission, tentmakers need to plan how to meet their member care needs.

Resources are available for these individuals, but they are harder to find. GO strongly recommends that every tentmaker have a sending base or group. This may come from their local church or a group of supporting friends.

Not everyone needs the same kinds of member care. Each prospective tentmaker needs to evaluate what support they will need and find a way to fill that need, as they make their plans to go. There are some caring services that attend to the needs of unaffiliated families and individuals.

Taking the GO Equipped course will help the prospective tentmaker identify needs and think through the process of what member care they need. While GO does not provide all the services, we walk alongside our alumni and mentor them in finding the right match for their needs.

Planning for care needs should be a part of every tentmakers preparation.