With less than two percent Christians, Niger is regarded as a mission field among Jesus-followers worldwide. Still the Nigerien churches want to send people globally to serve in God’s mission. 

People from nine nations were celebrating together when Tent Niger was officially opened in Niger’s capital city, Niamey, on April 2. This is a new record in Tent. From Africa there were representatives from Benin, Togo, Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger. In addition, both Germany and Norway had people at the event.  The opening also marked the end of the first-ever GO Equipped course in Niger. 25 participants took part in the training. Several of them are already operating cross-culturally as expatriate students in Niger. 

Liberia is used to receiving missionaries. Now initiatives are taken to make the previously war-torn country into a sending nation. Tentmaking will be a central tool.

The story behind the emerging tentmaking movement in Liberia stretches back to 2012. Visionary leaders received information about the All Africa tentmaking conference in Douala, Cameroon. For financial reasons, they decided to travel by bus. The journey takes close to two weeks. At one border crossing they got robbed. They still made it to the conference. As they listened to the teaching and talked with leaders from other nations, the idea to start sending tentmakers from Liberia was born.

The Lausanne movement’s tentmaking network aims at mobilizing more churches and organizations to send tentmakers. The network has now formed a strategy for how to expand its work in the coming years.

“The Lausanne Tentmaking Network exists to empower the world-wide church to send more professionals, businesspeople, and students who will serve God through life and work around the world,” states the strategy that has been formed by the network.

“Lack of resources has made it difficult for us to reach out. We are working to change this situation now,” says Steinar Opheim. He is one of three catalysts for tentmaking in the Lausanne movement and the director of Tent International.

Cape Town and its surroundings will be the playground when Tent South Africa and Tent International invites a worldwide retreat for tentmakers in September. 

“Cape Town in the springtime gives great opportunities for new experiences. There will be good room in the program to rest from stressful work that you may have. At the same time, we will use the outdoor arena to start creative processes that can help us to look in new ways at challenges we may face, and help us to refocus on Jesus and the passion and calling he has given to us,” says Tent South Africa’s director, Elize Strauss.