For the Post COVID-19 Christian ministry

Jonny Chun
Executive Secretary of Tentmakers International


Since the COVID-19 Pandemic came and attacked our human society in early 2020, local churches, mission agencies, and all normal Christian ministries including tentmaking missions hurried to change from the routine church services, mission works, and ministries to online ministries via Youtube and Zoom meetings. 

I believe such online communication tools and social media will be sustained as new ways of Christian mission and ministry in the future. Live-streaming services and ministries through Zoom and Youtube Channel now became a new normal for Christian ministry

How should we prepare for the Post COVID-19 Christian ministry? 

To prepare for the Post COVID-19 Christian mission and ministry, local churches, foreign missions, and tentmaking ministries will have to develop new methods and tools for communication and reaching out to the lost world with His living message.

On our new Christian journey ahead, we need to modify our conventional Christian methods and ways of reaching and changing the world. Using this new way of online communication, we can develop other mission opportunities for reaching the lost, mentoring, and making disciples. 
 
In the last couple of years, as a tentmaker, I’ve been testing and doing the online ministry preaching, teaching, and giving lectures at home and abroad. It was an unusual and unused way of ministry. I easily could give lectures to Indian College students via online classes. I also could re-educate some pastors and Christian workers via Zoom meetings. I not only could teach the six-month course on pre-evangelism for faculty members and medical doctors in other cities, but also for missionaries in four other countries. With my limited two-year’s online teaching experiences, I can say that it was an effective way of communication and education.

Hope and pray God will open the doors of world missions more widely than before. May God continue to bless your heart and your ministry!

8 Simple Ways to Engage Culture

by Phill Sandahl from tentmaking today

“The most effective evangelism—by far—occurs through meaningful relationships between Christians and non-Christians.”

“…we must be close enough to unbelievers for Christ to be observed and experienced through us.”

“One reason that 85+% of today’s churches are not growing is that the social networks of people in these churches are almost entirely within the church.”

These challenging observations come from Charles Arn’s research described in “The Silver Bullet for Disciple Making.”

The key is getting Christians and non-Christians together. These principles apply even more so to the tentmakers working overseas. They have the additional complication that they have to cross cultural and ethnic barriers as well. At first glance this task may appear daunting.

Simple habits practiced well can have a big impact. The key to being an effective tentmaker is to build relationships with the people of the country where you go to serve. Being intentional in developing those relationships does not have to be complicated or difficult. Here are 8 practical everyday actions you can take to effectively engage the culture around you. These have been adapted from an article written to the North American church. In most cases they can be applied to any culture, anywhere in the world.

1. Start conversations. Just talk to the people you meet while going through life. These could be neighbors, co-workers, or even total strangers you come across during daily activities like shopping or sight-seeing.

2. Hang out with people who enjoy the same things you do. Find non-believers who enjoy doing the same things you do – or who can teach you something you would like to learn to do. Find ways to hang out with them and enjoy them while exposing them to “Christ in you.” One caveat to the tentmaker. Find your new friends among the nationals you came to serve with, not the ex-patriot community. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of spending all your time isolated from the nationals around you and live in the “ex-pat bubble.”

3. Volunteer somewhere. Be of service to your newfound community and show them you want to help and be a part of them. Just do it.

4. Tell stories. Everyone likes to hear a good story. Tell people about your life, or stories that illustrate important truths, even Bible stories. Learn to do it well.

5. Get to know your community. Ask questions. People are pleased when you express an interest in them and the history and values of their culture. Besides giving you a reason to talk with them you will find that you learn a lot and will gain valuable insights into understanding and relating to them better.

6. Invite others to join you. Don’t go alone. Ask someone to join you in your activity.

7. Pray with others. When you become aware of challenges non-Christian associates are facing, ask if you can pray for them. Pray with them on the spot, if possible. Prayer with them is key. Then follow up and ask them later how God answered your prayer.

8. Address physical and spiritual needs around you. Be aware of the needs around you and begin to make a difference. If you don’t know of any needs, go back to point #1. Ask those around you. You will be surprised at what you hear. Stay focused and work on one need at a time.

Make these practices part of your daily habits and you will find many opportunities to engage the culture around you. Be diligent in doing these until they become habits. It’s not difficult. You just need to start. Just DO it!