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TENTMAKERS Aquila finished stitching the last seam on the large market canopy as his wife, Priscilla, rose to answer the loud knock on the door of their shop. Daylight was fading quickly, and the sputtering oil lamp was struggling to dispel the gloom. The door swung open with a groan of rusty hinges, and a small, lithe man fairly leapt into the cluttered room. Sabbath was over for another week, and the Apostle Paul, having spent the day expounding the Scriptures at the synagogue, had come to begin work on eight new tents for a family of North African traders. They would sleep little this night, the three of them. After a simple meal they would begin the wearying process of cutting and stitching and cutting some more. Their work would be punctuated by Paul's rehearsal of the day's events in the synagogue and by animated discussion of the teachings of the Christ. As they cut thick tabs of bullhide to reinforce corners and tie-downs, they would pause often to pray for the many new believers in Corinth and ask God for wisdom in establishing this new assembly with its diversity of people... THEIR CHALLENGE TO TODAY'S CHRISTIANS
Do you hear their challenge? They were successful business people who were willing to move from Italy to Greece to Turkey and then back to Italy. These are tentmakers--a special breed who see the Kingdom of God as the priority of life, who view career, business and profession as only vehicles to fulfilling their greater calling. Aquila and Priscilla were a couple who were willing to sacrifice financial gain for the sake of missions. MIGHT YOU SERVE AS A TENTMAKER? Would you respond to Aquila's challenge? Would you, like Priscilla, become a member of a church-planting team? Would you consider uprooting family and business for the sake of the gospel? Would you be willing to support yourself while providing key support to church planting efforts around the world? Today's international job market makes it possible for you to do this. Through short term contracts with companies around the world, it is a simple matter to enter the arena of missions by virtue of your job skills. You will not raise support! You can go now--for one to three years or even longer! Biblical Ministries Worldwide may be able to help you reach your goal. BMW missionaries are presently working at planting churches in dozens of countries around the world. They have goals and strategies. You can become a part of one of those teams by securing a job in the same city in which it works. You will have the fellowship and accountability of co-workers already on the field. Your work situation can become an immediate platform for evangelism which is out of reach to the traditional missionary. Opportunities for ministry within the new church abound: discipleship, music, teaching, preaching, Sunday School, youth ministries... or just being a stabilizing influence. When your employment contract is completed and you return to the States, you will have the assurance that your fruit will remain. Missionaries will continue follow-up on contacts and conversions which you have engendered. BMW may be able to provide the needed assistance to get you to the field. If you're interested, complete a Preliminary Questionnaire (Word or PDF) and email it to bmwhq@biblicalministries.org or send it to: Candidate
Department For more information, please contact Jim Brown, Director of Mobilization. Home | About | Mission Fields | Opportunities | Support | Resources BIBLICAL
MINISTRIES WORLDWIDE Site
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By
their own example, Aquila and Priscilla have issued us a challenge.
They were tentmakers. When the Apostle Paul first met them they
were operating their business in Corinth. They employed Paul, and
he lived in their home. They helped him start the church at Corinth.
Aquila was a businessman who supported himself financially yet was
vitally involved in missions. After 18 months of ministry together,
they took off for Ephesus with Paul to do it all over again. Once
more, they became the key players in starting another church while
supporting themselves through making tents. When we last read of
them, they were in Rome. Still involved in church. Still missionaries.
Still a vital part of God's worldwide strategy.
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