Customer Reviews

Tentmaking: The Life and Work of Business as Missions

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Full disclosure: I've met the author and his family, and I respect them highly. Nevertheless - or more accurately, BECAUSE of that - I believe that no one should even contemplate tentmaking without first reading this book.

The author is a practitioner of 20+ years in the field, not a theoretician, and it shows throughout all 400 pages of this practical, highly useful book. What makes this book even stronger is that it's based not just on the author's formidable experience, but also upon his research among 450 tentmakers laboring in the 10/40 Window. The focus is on what has been proven to be effective in tentmaking, as supported by Lai's experience and research - and yet pragmatism never takes a back seat to the yearning to see God's kingdom spread as people around the world come to know Jesus. This book is at once inspirational, practical, and Biblical.

Chapters deal with such issues as tentmaking vs. "traditional" missions, types of tentmaking, preparing to be a tentmaker, evangelism and church planting, the tentmaker's personal life, women and tentmaking, the tentmaker and his children, the tentmaker and his home base, tentmaking tensions and conflicts, and more. Appendices provide checklists and outlines for team guidelines, questions short-term workers should ask, church planting phases, and questions to ask before joining a missions organization team.

This book is a tremendous resource. If you are (or want to be) a tentmaker, then I encourage you to spend the money and take the time to study this volume.

A 7 year promoter/trainer in microenterprise development, I found Patrick Lai's "Tentmaking: Business as Missions" exceptional reading by providing me three insights/challenges:
1. A broadened understanding and perspective on tentmaking
2. A challenge to my faith walk
3. Fresh new insights in leading/encouraging our local church missions team and sponsored missionaries.

John C.

Microenterprise Development Resource Development Facilitator
Medical Ambassadors International

I did not expect this to be an interesting book. I've read many on similar subjects and have been disappointed. This, however, has caught me by surprise.