Global Impact through Your Profession?

Ever wished you could use your profession to bring Christ to people overseas? In Peru and Brazil, Ruth Siemens integrated witness with fulltime teaching in secular international schools. She led many teachers, staff members, and students to Christ. Over 21 years, she started four Christian university student movements—Peru, Brazil, Spain and Portugal. Ken Crowell started a business in Israel which enabled him to reach Jews, Arabs, and others and start a church. Committed Christians are reaching people overseas as everyday, workplace witnesses.

How do they do this? The greatest predictor of effectiveness overseas is being effective here. The key is being equipped. When Ruth Siemens returned to the US she began telling college students on secular campuses about the workplace missions option, often called tentmaking. Many were excited. So she helped them find jobs and taught and mentored them. Her ministry became Global Opportunities (GO). In time, GO developed an intensive course totally focused on the principles and skills required for effective tentmaking.

Lily Friend-Grover attended in 2002 and tells what happened to her.

I’m a mission-hearted person. I have had the burden for missions since I was still a child, always itching to go to some far-off land and do…something. But I had a big problem. I was uncomfortable with the concept of going out and evangelizing. I even felt scared to talk to people around me about God! I didn’t want to be a missionary in the “full-time-religious-worker” sense of the word. Throughout my college years I struggled with how to reconcile my secular career with my heart for missions. I wondered how I could care for missions and yet not feel called to do traditional full-time evangelism.

Two years after college, disillusioned because I was still not overseas and didn’t know how to get there without joining a mission agency, giving up my career, and doing something that felt very unnatural for me, I attended the Light to the Nations course in Pasadena, CA. What I learned there changed my life.

At the course I learned about “fishing evangelism,” a common-sense, natural way to reach people for Christ. I discovered investigative Bible studies for the first time. I learned about Paul’s methods of mission work—supporting himself with a secular job as he witnessed to those around him. I discovered I could reach people through my secular career even more effectively than I would be able to as a “full time missionary.” It all made so much sense and completely changed my perspective, even the way I viewed my job right here in the United States. Immediately, I began having meaningful discussions about spiritual things with a non-Christian co-worker, something I was too scared to do before this course.

Since this course, life has not been the same. Yes, I’m still in the States, but I know God wants me right where I am at the moment. The town where I live is definitely a mission field. I am beginning to put into practice some of the principles I learned at the course now. I still want to serve overseas, but my attitude about my work here has evolved from mild resentment for hindering my real calling, to gratitude for the opportunity I have to reach lost people right here in the U.S. and to obtain much needed experience for what I will soon be doing overseas.

I have told many people about the course and Global Opportunities. Whether they feel called to serve overseas or just to get more serious about their witness here, I encourage them to attend a Tentmaker course or seminar. It could change their life, and the lives of many others for eternit

I have learned ministry skills–I am so happy. I loved the teaching on fishing evangelism—very freeing and guilt-free.                   —Holly M.

The Tentmaking course in Bergen this May probably is the best course I have participated in, ever.         
Oddvar Almelid

Invaluable!! I'm so excited and motivated!

                   —Mary H

I’ve been thinking about the course in Dallas. So far, there is nothing that was not covered. The course must truly have been developed out of years of experience in the field. I still draw on the [training]—the importance of a prayer team, jumping right into the culture, living out what I believe during day-to-day business and the freedom that creates to not feel like something else has to be going "on the side," the importance of opening up the home... I could go on. That course was truly sent by God at just the right time.

—Jon (tentmaker running an IT business in India)

(Condensed from: Since receiving your email, I have been thinking about the course I took in Dallas and if there is anything I wish I could have learned there that would have been helpful to me in my first few months here.  I can honestly say that, so far, there is nothing that was not covered.  The course must truly have been developed out of years of experience in the field.  I still draw on the memory I have of many of the things that were mentioned (since I didn't bring any of the material with me).  The importance of a prayer team, jumping right into the culture, dealing with culture shock, living out what I believe during day to day business and the freedom that creates to not feel like something else has to be going "on the side," the importance of opening up the home.. I could go on.  That course was truly sent to me by God at just the right point in time.  Just thought you should know as the course is going on now.  I am praying for all those involved.               --Jon)

At any rate, I just wanted to say again how wonderful the course was for our spiritual journey. We learned so much about so many things! I am now officially retired (but working on implementing the Roots of Empathy program in our school district next Sept.) I am hoping to now have more time to search inward more and discover what His next plans are for us.Thank you for what you are doing! You gave such amazing insight into other cultures and issues that are so important to know. Keep on continuing to encourage people to become tentmakers and may God bless this year's program richly!

In Christ's love,

Colleen and Kevin

Janelle and I just wanted to send you a message to tell you that we are SO THANKFUL for everything you have all done to make such an impact in our life.  Our experience at the GO Equipped course was so powerful and helpful in helping us understand God's direction for us.

We are praying that the Father will give us the focus and drive we need to follow through in faithfulness to His call.  (I doubt He'll refuse that prayer.)  One task that we are working on this week is refining our vision document in response to the things we learned at the course.  We will share that document with you when we are done with this revision, and we would really value your thoughts and guidance.  Also, we are planning our May scoping visit to Hong Kong and would appreciate your guidance on how to make the most of that two weeks.

We have begun working our way through the course CD.  There is so much on there, and I know it will be very helpful.

Thank you for your important and effective work and friendship.

Preston  

Gents,

We don't know how to express our gratitude to GO's tentmaking course in Florida. It was long ways from home, but it was worth our trip. Thank you for letting us record the conference as well; we keep listening to various portion of the conference for encouragement and also advices.

Just wanted to let you kow that we are now in Thailand as Tentmakers. I am teaching Japanese, Math and Physics (in English!) in a Thai high school.

As you may remember, we had the strong calling to come to Thailand, so we did...without any idea of how we were going to stay in the country. ... but God was there every step of the way. We are in a village now with no foreigners and strong Muslim influence in the area... if we knew that this was His plans, we might have pulled a Jonah on Him and ran the other way... but here we are :-)

Just wanted to send a quick note to thank you guys!

Cheers!

Sergio