A new season for Christian ministry 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! |