Tentmaking

The term tentmaking comes from the story of Paul, found in the New Testament book of Acts. Paul made tents to earn a living during his travels. It now applies to Christians who are equipped with secularly marketable skills and are using them to show the love of Christ in the way they live and work.

A tentmaker’s responsibility is to witness by word and deed, to people who have never been introduced to the Gospel message before. They witness in the “marketplace where they work.”

Tentmaking As a Way of Life

Since its beginnings in 1852, Interserve has been a leader in tentmaking – starting with the founding of a school and then sending women doctors to live and work in South Asia.

Restrictions on ministry over the years have led to changes in strategy rather than withdrawal from sharing with others. We have learned to accept restrictions on our activities as long as we do not have to compromise our personal integrity and Christian standards of behavior. Though deeply motivated to share our faith, we often submit to situations that provide only modest opportunities for witness.

Interserve workers use their professional skills to offer legitimate compassionate service in the countries where they live and serve. Humanitarian services are part of our service to the whole person.

One doctor said that his overriding concern is the compassion of God. He shares, "We have come to the conclusion that the projects on their own are worthy of us being there, even if we never said a word. Alleviating suffering is not a secondary issue with God.” He believes the mission's credibility lies in its willingness to suffer with the people. He says, "We are not some kind of under cover group. If they ask us we don't hide it. If you sit in the capital under a barrage of rockets and you are there when they are hiding under the tables, it's obvious to them we are not pressuring them. We have never been accused of proselytism. We are running a project with trust. That's the biggest witness we can have."

Christians who want to share Christ must earn the right to live and work in ways the governments of these countries will permit. They must conduct their lives in ways that are ethical and honest and which show a behavioral commitment to the morality of Christianity, even if the verbal message is not permitted. Sometimes they share quietly with a person who asks about their faith. A partner who serves as a teacher in a university was asked, "What makes you different?" He replied, "What do you mean?" The woman said, "You have more love and joy than we do. What is the difference? The tentmaker replied, "I have Jesus in my heart" and then went on to briefly explain what that meant.

Tentmaking with Integrity

Interserve’s insistence upon the highest standards of professional qualification has maintained integrity in our work (we do what our visa says we are there to do). In some countries, the police go to neighbors of overseas workers and ask what the person is doing and how they are doing it. If the person is doing a poor job or just working a limited time on “the job,” the neighbors and the government know about it and can expel the person.

There are approximately 12,000 people groups that have not heard of Christ. They are bound together by common ancestry, language, culture, and religion. Access to them is often limited because of language difficulties, physical inaccessibility, and the presence of political or religious boundaries. However, the largest problem is "presence." The people cannot experience the love of God because they do not come into contact with Christians in ways that enable them to make an informed decision to follow Christ. It takes being with the people where they live, sharing significantly in their experiences, and living out Christianity in ways that are culturally relevant and understandable to the community.

Interserve respects the unique ministry to which each partner is called, recognizing that although our roles are different, our primary objective is to make disciples of Jesus.