Tentmaking?!

"I see that you are promoting "tentmaking". What are you doing with the tents you are making?"
This is one of the questions that I had many years ago when a young graduate student approach our exhibition at a missions conference.
So many times we are using terminology which is very confusing to people outside our circle. Tentmaking and missions? Why relating the making of tents to missions?
It all goes back to what is recorded for us in the Bible in Acts 18 where Paul joined and worked with Priscilla and Aquila who were tentmakers like him in Corinth. Paul was on a journey to take the gospel to the gentiles and he and his team were supporting themselves through their trade of tentmaking.
Although Paul was known as an apostle (missionary) amongst the believers, he was primarily known as a tentmaker in the marketplace during those journeys.
Since the late 1980's the need for tentmaking missions were highlighted due to visa restrictions for traditional missionaries. An indication at that time how our methods for reaching the unreached needed rethinking.
Tentmaking in general refers to Christians who are in their commitment and calling 'missionaries', while they are equally committed to serve their host culture through their trade, profession, or business.
William Carey, the father of modern missions, concluded that it is the only way mission work should be conducted and demonstrated it by impacting India not only with the Good News, but also the nation as a linguist, horticulturalist and lobbyist for legislation against human sacrifice (sati and infanticide).
With more Christians now outside the West, the Church is re-learning this integration of faith as integral part of the mission of God's people.
Tentmaking therefore is not a way to hide our mission activity, but it brings the Good News into the every day life of people; it is ultimately Good News to all peoples.
Today we see the Lord Jesus Christ calling His people back to the Good News as hope for all peoples. The Christian-life is not escaping the coming judgment, but it is about being part of faith communities of God's people seeking to live as salt and light within a hopeless and turbulent world.
It is about the God of Abraham who is restoring a people from every tribe, language and people group back to Him, for the sake of His Kingdom through Jesus Christ the Savior.