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.