CAREER AS MISSIONS
Career As Missions (CAM) is using your profession to serve and reach the unreached, especially in countries where traditional Christian witness is not welcome.
GoLiveServe (GLS) focuses on sending missional professionals to China and the Muslim world of Central Asia. Most are financially self-sufficient, while some raise partial support. Flexibility is the key.
With the challenges of adjusting to a new job, a new home and a new culture, a support network is essential for survival and fruitfulness. GLS provides assistance with job placement, cultural orientation, field and home support, career guidance, professional networking, and more.
Whether you are interested in learning about our services, taking a first step to explore career as missions, working out some personal concerns, exploring different professions overseas or reading tentmaker stories, we trust that you will find something of value here.
GoLiveServe Services
What We Offer
GoLiveServe functions like a Christian fellowship and a professional association. With 20+ years of mobilizing and working with missional professionals from diverse backgrounds, we have experience in dealing with barriers that can hinder your desire to serve overseas.
Who We Are
GoLiveServe mobilizes, equips and sends committed students and professionals to serve in the cities of China. We serve as a bridge on your journey, connecting you to your destination culturally and professionally, providing personal and spiritual support.
What Are The Costs
Annual association fees to cover the cost of assistance with job placement, pre-departure orientation, ongoing field support (semi-annual retreats, pastoral support, career counseling, etc.) and year-round home office support:
• $1,020 for singles
• $1,850 for couples
What Are People Saying About Us
“GoLiveServe has been an indispensable part of our transition to China as an expat family living and ministering among locals. Our landing was softened by having an instant community of like-minded believers to help us steer through things as mundane as getting a bank account to big decisions like in which local school to enroll our children…”
First Steps
Checklist for Long Term Service
Are you ready to go? Here is a list of questions to help you prepare for tentmaking overseas. You will also discover links to more info as you scroll over each item.
What is Tentmaking?
The apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker to support his ministry during some of his missionary travels (Acts 18:3). William Carey, father of modern Protestant missions, was a factory owner and university professor in India. Today’s ambassadors for Christ, who bring the gospel to…
Is Tentmaking for Me?
How do I know if tentmaking is for me? Often guidance comes in un-dramatic ways. A calling does not have to be to a specific country; it may be to use our God-given skills in a number of countries in our lifetime or perhaps for a shorter period of time in our careers.
Am I Equipped to Serve?
If you are planning to serve overseas long term, then the following questions can assess your readiness for ministry and pinpoint areas for further preparation. A “no” answer may indicate an area that requires your attention.
Why Go with GoLiveServe?
Common reasons for not wanting to join any organization:
• I do not want to pay thousands of dollars to join.
• I do not plan to raise financial support.
• I do not want to jeopardize my job.
• I know the language and culture.
Common Concerns
Career Development
A bright young woman, Stephanie is seeking God’s will for her career and future. She started exploring her calling to China when she joined our summer study abroad program as a junior in college. Now that she is graduating, she has to decide how to seek first the kingdom of God.
Parental Expectations
Dear GoLiveServe, At Urbana, I felt God’s call to go to China…I just got my masters degree in teaching. My job prospects here are good because I am in a high-need area; therefore, my parents want me to stay in the U.S. How do I honor my parents…and still be obedient to God?
A Support Team
Looking back, Tom recalls a persistent urge to go to China for the past 20 years. After graduating from college, he spent a few years in the military which allowed him to live in Japan and Korea. Wherever he went, he tried to share God’s love, but a constant pull to China remained in his heart.
Dating & Marriage
Dear GoLiveServe, …Recently I started dating someone that I met at a Christian conference. We seem to have so much in common…He may be the one, but how can I be sure when I am not even sure about how my career and China will play out? What should I look out for?
Continuing Education
Have you watched how a car makes a pit stop in races? Whether for fuel or fixes, pit stops are necessary, especially in long races. The timing of those stops is part of the overall strategy for winning. Otherwise, the driver may lose momentum, get sidetracked or derailed, and forfeit the race.
Language Study
You may survive speaking only English in China because many Chinese people understand some English. Friends can also help in the short term. If you are going to live and serve long term, however, then there are at least three reasons for language study beyond communicating basic needs.
Popular Professions
Preparing for a Business Career in China
I first heard about tentmaking at Urbana 2003 when I was wondering how I could glorify God as a business major in college. After attending a workshop on the unique opportunities that Christian business people have, I was convinced that God was calling me to “business as missions”.
Preparing for IT Jobs in China
Are you in Information Technology and wondering how you might work in China as a tentmaker? A way to get started is simply by talking to people who have experience in China. So we asked a few associates in IT to shed some light on the subject.
Preparing for English Teaching in China
It all started when Lance and Laura went on their first missions trip more than ten years ago. They were both in marketing when they caught the vision of working as professionals in China. While they tried to figure out how to merge their career and calling, they kept the vision alive by…
Preparing for a Public Health Career in China
John began his career in academic medicine. But he had always wanted to serve overseas. So he completed a master’s degree in public health because epidemiology is useful in developing countries. Wendy, John’s wife, was a software manager, and also committed to missions.
Tentmaker Stories
Tentmaking for Singles
Mike was 17 when he left China to immigrate to the U.S. with his parents. When he came to faith as a working adult, the Lord put it in Mike’s heart to serve Him in China – not just anywhere in China, but rural West China.
Tentmaking for Couples
Common interests draw people together. So it is not surprising that many meet their other half while studying in college. Similarly, many GoLiveServe alumni also found their mate while participating on a short term project or getting involved in missions.
Tentmaking for Families
Max and Annie both grew up in Taiwan and came to the U.S. as teenagers. They met at MIT, both engineering majors. Was it love at first sight? They could not agree or remember. But to be sure that he has found the right gal, Max asked Annie: “What do you think about missions?”
Tentmaking for Beginners
Jeff was born in New Jersey, but grew up in Hong Kong. Then his folks moved to California, where he finished high school. While his older sister felt a calling to serve in China and pursued a career there, Jeff liked California. He never imagined that he too would end up working in China…
Tentmaking for Seasoned Professionals
Bob and Linda love China and are passionate about reaching the lost. For many years, they have been active in working with foreign students and in praying for the country. Bob is a clinical psychologist and Linda has extensive experience in business. Both are seasoned professionals who have…
