© Dave English

The following questions have been found highly predictive of tentmaker effectiveness overseas. But do not worry if you are not effective in every area. No one is. However, being effective in several key areas is vital. Use the questions to help you understand where you need to grow and to make specific actions plans to work on areas where you are weak.

Rank yourself for every question from a high of 5 to a low of 1.

5 very true 4 basically true 3 mild-mediocre reality 4 barely true 5 essentially non-existent

1. I have a healthy daily devotional life (30 min or more of Bible study, meditation, prayer), even under pressure.
2. I have a strong understanding of the Bible and of Biblical truth.
3. I regularly see new insights into Biblical passages and can verify their validity.
4. I practice fasting.
5. I have a good marriage (spiritually, emotionally and sexually).
6. I actively seek opportunities to share Christ verbally vs. just letting my life be a witness.
7. I have invested one or more years ministering to International students or immigrants in my community.
8. I practice hospitality and have people, including nonbelievers & internationals in my home regularly.
9. I’m committed to integrating work and faith, to living the gospel in all work relationships, and to excellence vs. just using my job to witness.
10. I witness to and seek to reach my natural contacts at work.
11. I keep taking risks to learn how to awaken spiritual interest at work vs. believing that “it can’t be done.”
12. I have led evangelistic Bible studies with non-Christians.
13. I have personally led people into lasting relationship with Christ.
14. I have led these new believers into real discipleship to Christ.
15. I have developed and led a growing small group.
16. I have a clear strategy for planting a simple church.
17. I am willing to take risks, committed to eating foods the local people serve/eat and to learning the language/culture.
18. I work through conflict to positive relationship vs. ignoring it or imposing my way on others.
19. I have been/am being discipled by someone more mature in the Lord.
20. I have recruited others to join a missions team, either mine or another.

Suggestions for growth & preparation:

1. List areas to work on and put them in some kind of priority order. Launch an action plan to work on the first area. Then later, do the same with the second area. Ideas follow below.
2. Download and study the Tentmaking 101 papers from www.globalopps.org/101
3. Work on the vitality, regularity, and length of your daily devotional life as needed. Learn to feed yourself on the Bread of Life and to enjoy and rest in God.
4. Strengthen your personal Bible study skills and repertoire. Find and study good materials on inductive Bible study. InterVarsity Press has some excellent inductive Bible study resources and IVCF* offers some excellent Bible study training like the Mark Manuscript study. See if you can attend even if you are past college.
5. Attend a GO Tentmaking Seminar to gain further direction and encouragement.
6. Work on your workplace witness skills, intentionally seeking to draw seekers into a seeker Bible study designed just for them.
7. Attend Light to the Nations, GO’s tentmaking course as soon as possible: www.globalopps.org/ltn
8. Take a Perspectives course in your area - www.perspectives.org  This is the single best course on missions available.
9. Lead a seeker, inductive Bible study in which seekers can discover Jesus for themselves from the text.
10. Find an immigrant group or some Internationals and get involved in friendship and ministry with them.
See if there is an International student outreach at a local university through ISI**, IVCF, or a local church.
11. Open your home and heart to people in frequent hospitality.
12. Develop a seeker Bible study among your immigrant or International friends.
13. Find good books, a godly couple, and possibly a small group to deepen your marriage and family.
14. As people come to Christ, consider developing a discipleship Bible study group to disciple them.
15. Study some good books on simple church planting (“house” churches versus complex, institutional churches) which can grow right out of discipleship groups which grew out of seeker groups. See GO’s website for suggested reading. If possible, get involved in this kind of church planting.
16. Find a good lay ministry mentor. Consider regular help from GO staff.
17. Begin researching jobs in your field throughout the world to see what skills are needed, how you might further strengthen what you can offer, to see where God might lead, and to learn how to frame your CV/résumé.
18. Begin developing a support team and discipling people in tentmaking in your church.
19. Begin recruiting others to go with you.
 

* IVCF = InterVarsity Christians Fellowship www.intervarsity.org - Christian, university student movement with similar, national led movements around the world. IVCF work with international students on campuses primarily, though also more broadly.

** ISI = International Students Inc.