Go and make disciples of all nations!

- Matt 28:19 NIV -

                                                                                                                                                                                       ∴ Date : 2019-06-01

Key Issues for today’s Christian workers ​ Johnny Chun / Executive Secretary of TI    In this gigantic and rapid changing complex society, people became more self-centered and isolated.    Many of them today lay their heads on their pillows at night with much anxiety about the next day. Family problems, emotional struggles, or employment difficulties are rampant everywhere. As the result, some of them wish they would be taken out of this life before the morning sun forces them to face another agonizing day.    These people are the ones whom we Christian workers meet at our work-places everyday. And the most important fact is that this is the world where many people live and we Christians workers are called to minister among the broken people.    To help and make the broken people focus on God, we’ve got to know the tools to build the point of the contact and make faithful disciples of Christ at our work-places.    The followings are some of the key issues that we Christian workers should deal with today.

1. Workers ​    We need people who are well equipped with skills to lead congregation by vision and values and through transition.    Christian workers should develop the future Christian leaders who can bring people to Christ, not just taking care of Christians at church communities. They have to learn how to give influences to their society and their surrounding communities.

2. Structure    For tentmakers and professionals, simplification, proper systems and well designed process are the keys to successful ministry.

3. Skills to build the point of contact to meet and make friends with the people at workplaces. ​    21C evangelism is relational and centered in the marketplace. The contents to build the point of contact and to make His disciples should be developed carefully. Three themes for today’s people are meaning, identity and community.

4. Learning ​    The revolution in learning is moving the emphasis from training to learning and mentoring. Life transition skills are desperately needed for Christian workers.

5. Ministry ​    Multiple ministry and lay led ministries are the trend. In many countries whether they are advanced or underdeveloped, pastors and professional church workers are not easy to meet people at workplaces. They seldom get opportunities to meet and share the gospel to people outside their churches. Therefore, most evangelism, unless people outside come to church by themselves, is done by Christian professionals who are working at work places. Gift assessment and placement for service of daily Christians are required.

       By  Ari Rocklin

           A tentmaker’s life, work, and ministry balance is a tricky one. Being in a strange culture takes its toll, and dealing with co-workers from many

        nations while trying to find downtime is an ever-present challenge.

           Add to this the many interactions, welcome or not, with locals and their agendas, and avoidance of people can easily become commonplace.

           The most frequent interruption is someone wanting to practice their English skills, who views the tentmaker as a free lesson or perhaps as an

         opportunity to make a new friend to take these lessons even deeper. It starts innocently enough with common greetings and questions. What

         is your name? Where are you from? Why are you here? What do you believe? These are the most common questions heard by tentmakers.

         It is easy to just dismiss these situations as interferences or annoyances.

         Why did you come here, when everyone in my country wants to move to yours? is a frequent question from a curious local. Can you help me

         immigrate to your country? Again, the tentmaker is seen only as a means to an end, and the local is not really interested in building a

         relationship.

         Let me show you this product that you can sell in your home country!

         While tentmakers in Asia, our pharmacy owner would always corner me to try to go into business exporting his vitamin line. A quick check on

         how much his vitamins were selling for in my country made it obvious that his price was already higher than what they could be sold for.

         No amount of sharing this information with him dissuaded him from trying to start a partnership that would only benefit him. I started

         avoiding him at all cost.

         Depending on what country you are from, people want to criticize your country and government. Usually, these same people are also very

         fluent in English and think they know everything about your country and its errors. It is easy to dislike people who put down what you hold dear.

         How do you then deal with these locals with agendas?

         Look at it this way: you have come to their country in the hopes of sharing your faith and seeing people come to Jesus. While you are busy

         trying to figure out whom to reach out to, they are already coming to you. What if they are sent by God?

          “The reason we miss divine appointments is that they often seem like divine annoyances”

          A recently returned tentmaker told me that the most annoying person they met had become a believer and was already discipling others.

          The personality characteristics of a seemingly “annoying” person also made him a “go-getter” for the Lord.

          Next time you see someone heading toward you, why not try sighing a quick prayer, asking God to intervene, and following His lead.

          Who knows, it may be a divine appointment after all.