A new season for Christian ministry

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Johnny Chun / Executive Secretary of TI

   Jonathan Lewis, in his book, "Working your way to the Nations" mentions about the needed qualifications

for tentmakers.
He says, "Tentmakers are what the Apostle Paul describes as "Christ's ambassadors.“  These ambassadors

must be (1) physically, emotionally, and spiritually self-reliant; (2) adaptable; (3) biblically literate;

(4) alert to the emerging mission context; (5) trained in meeting needs vital to the people group they seek

to penetrate; (6) trained in long-term and low-profile evangelistic skills; (7) equipped with broad new

strategic thinking; and (8) prepared with a special strategy for responding to opportunities presented by need."

   It informs us that tentmakers for effective and successful T/M ministry need  some specific mission training, skills and tools (materials) for pre-evangelism, evangelism and post-evangelism.

   Unexpectedly, COVID-19 pandemic strongly attacked the mission world early this year and paralysed almost every mission work.  Since then, many 

Christian workers around the world have been struggling with this crisis. A lot of Christian ministries were stopped and many tentmakers as well as 

missionaries had to withdraw from their mission fields. They are discouraged and wait until this unexpected winter season is gone.

   How can we Christ's ambassadors begin our soul-winning ministry again in the midst of this pandemic crisis? Just wait and see? We still seek the 

breakthrough.

   Fortunately, many Christian workers started the brand-new on-line ministries via internet.  I now do a new disciple-making ministry and T/M training via internet. It is not easy for us to communicate with unbelievers and share the gospel with  them via internet but we still can train and discipline 

Christians everywhere effectively through this system.  

   This pandemic crisis brought us a new sight. I recently began a follow-up and discipleship-training ministry for professionals in other cities via internet. We use some good work-place ministry ppt-lectures communicating one another. The contents are on pre-evangelism, evangelism and post-evangelism at the work-places.  Hopefully, such an attempt will bring us a new eye-opening mission strategy for tomorrow.  

   May God take care of you from the pandemic and continue to bless your ministry!

Forbidden to proselytize!

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by Ari Rocklin from Tentmaking Today

   Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. Rom 13:1

   “When we obey the rules and laws of a nation, even though they may restrict or forbid proselytizing, God will

open an even greater opportunity for the gospel than if we break the laws of the land.”

   The above quote is from a returned tentmaker from the Hermit Kingdom where officials are aggressively trying

to stop Christian expatriates from proselytizing and even spending time with locals outside of work hours.

   The young tentmaker was adamant that he would always obey all the rules and regulations to their fullest. His morning prayer included asking God 

to help him be an honorable guest in this challenging country and thus leaving the door open for a miracle.

< So how does one bring light into the darkness under such conditions?>

   Dr. Ian Malcolm of Jurassic Park fame said: “Life always finds a way.”

   Apparently, God always finds a way when we remain obedient to his Word and local laws. Even with officials in classrooms monitoring what was

being said and taught by the teacher, the Holy Spirit was at work. Much prayer preceded each day’s teaching, praying for the students and officials 

by name.

   The monitoring officials were rotated every two weeks to keep them from being influenced by a foreign teacher.

< Then God stepped in>

   For some unknown reason the rotations stopped which meant the same official stayed in the class permanently. He eventually started asking questions 

that were clearly not permissible which encouraged the students to do the same. This led to more and more open questions about the teachers 

understanding of God.

   After some months of earning the respect of local people and even some authorities, a Bible study group was born right in the classroom. 

Since Bibles are not permitted in this country, creative methods were used to get the Word into the students hands.

   The door remains wide open for committed, intentional Christian expatriate teachers to bring the Gospel to this least-reached nation. 

A government-imposed spiritual vacuum is crying for something to fill this void. Let it be Jesus.