February 13, 2013

Questions for Disciple-Makers From All Professions

By John Spadafora

Blog

Read the series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Disciple-makers from all professions is a biblical, historical and practical reality that will continue to inform how Jesus’ disciple-making mandate is accomplished. But there are significant challenges and questions that need to be addressed. Larry Sharp briefly addresses three of the practical questions that I have repeatedly heard as I have spoken on the “all professions” theme.

Practical Questions

by Larry Sharp, Crossworld Vice President Emeritus

1. How will people doing business or using their profession be funded?
Tentmakers are typically funded as employees of their company, while business startups are typically funded by capital from the owner, investors, loans and donations. Because startups usually take about five years to become profitable, support funds and other donations are necessary at the beginning. Mixing donations and investments is a potential legal minefield, and great care should be taken to operate with total integrity and legality.

2. How will the “all professions” approach hold people accountable?
Accountability for both activity and results is mandatory in Great Commission ministry. Each business or tentmaking endeavor needs to have a business plan with a missional plan overlay. Each is equally important. Accountability could come from a supervisor, a home church, an on-site advisory team, or a strong internal resource that is capable of developing goals and standards for both the business and the disciple-making functions.

3. How do people from “all professions” prepare?
There are two kinds of people. One is the mission worker who wants to do Business as Mission (BAM) and thinks, “Starting a business, how hard can it be?” The other is a marketplace worker who wants to work overseas and asks, “Making disciples cross-culturally, how hard can it be?” The difficulties of starting a business and making disciples cross-culturally tend to be underestimated. Both kinds of people need intentional training and experience where they lack. Marketplace workers going abroad need preparation in missiology, cross-cultural living and disciple-making. Mission workers starting BAM need business coaching, mentoring and experience first in North America. These are non-negotiables.

We live in a changing world and traditional preparation is not sufficient by itself. But there are many resources to prepare each person in his/her own way, from mission agencies like Crossworld with a rich cross-cultural tradition, to businesses like one established last year that develop business startups, to the professionals in our churches who have much practical experience to offer. The challenges to disciple-makers from all professions may be considerable, but the value of engaging the whole body of Christ to further God’s Kingdom is incalculable.