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Why Join a Professional Network?

I am a young professional who served as a tentmaker for four years in Beijing. They were amazing years filled with personal discovery, rich experiences, spiritual impact, professional growth, and authentic relationships built for a lifetime. Opportunities for outreach and discipleship were plentiful in and out of the workplace, as I sought to live my life modeling Christlikeness for His honor and pleasure.

As rewarding and fruitful as those years were, there were many challenges on multiple fronts – ministry, vocation, spirituality, family, and emotional health – that often threatened to derail me from completing the work that the Lord had assigned to me. I could not have stayed on course without the likeminded community and mentors of the network who supported and encouraged me on this journey.

Due to the unique nature and demands of tentmaking in China today, I strongly believe that those who desire to work in China for Kingdom purposes should consider joining a network for career mentoring, soul care, likeminded community, and expanded ministry opportunities.

Unique Privilege for Unique Times: Tentmaking

To understand the importance of joining a supportive network, one must first understand the unique privileges and challenges that are bestowed upon tentmakers. Through their professions, tentmakers may have access to social groups that are not easily attained by ministers in traditional church ministries. These could include personal relationships with influencers in society such as directors and CEOs of companies and government officials.

Not only is the vocation of tentmaking unique but also the roles and responsibilities that fall on tentmakers are unfamiliar and challenging. In China’s dynamic economy, job descriptions may look similar to those in North America, but in practice include many demands and complexities that increase the pressure of working in a cross-cultural environment. As a leader in the training division of my company, I discovered what worked in North America may not produce the same result in China. Furthermore, foreigners are expected to be experts in the English language; therefore, we are often asked to perform above and beyond our normal job duties such as editing English newsletters or emceeing a gala event.

Tentmaking is a challenging task but for those of us called by God to this unique role, there is no greater adventure. We can witness for Him with our every word, decision, action, and attitude “24-7”. I had the privilege of leading a Bible study at work during lunch time with two colleagues, one believer and one non-believer. The believer became stronger in her faith and witnessed to our entire department. She eventually led our department head to the Lord, who is now in heaven. My role was just to live out my professional life with integrity and intentionality.

Career Mentoring

For long term effectiveness on the field, selecting a suitable professional platform is vital. Developing a strong marriage between vocation and personal interest is also important. Simply put, we won’t last long in our jobs unless we enjoy doing it.

Likeminded mentors who are knowledgeable about tentmaking and in tune with China’s political, social, and economic realities could illuminate choices that match personal passions with the mission field. I transferred from another sending agency after one and a half years of living in Beijing. By then, I had become familiar with various platforms for living and serving there. I wanted to serve young professional women in and through my profession, but the previous agency had very few professionals and was less able to guide me in marketplace ministry.

This network helped me to approach my career strategically. Sometimes, the best job in terms of skills and experiences, salary and benefits, career mobility, and growth potential may not be the best job when considered against other factors relevant to tentmaking – one’s ministry, stage in life, family, or even long term viability in China. On the flip side, those jobs that serve the latter interests well may not yield the greatest dividends for career success. This tension in making career decisions exists for many tentmakers. Therefore, a constant exchange of insights in the company of other kingdom-minded professionals in China is critical to a tentmaker’s continued effectiveness. Belonging to such a network provides the necessary personalized counsel and encouragement. I could also access a network of experts on both sides of the Pacific for consultation and resources.

Soul Care

My mentors helped me to attend to self-care holistically. They were based in the U.S. but because we saw one another regularly throughout the year and maintained ongoing communications via email, they asked the right questions and spoke truths into my issues. My life became open for inner transformation and breakthroughs which opened up opportunities for me to help others.

Specific, concerted prayer is also essential for ministry effectiveness. The network mobilizes regular prayer support on behalf of its associates through daily prayer emails and monthly prayer meetings. The pastoral staff was also quick to activate the prayer chain in emergencies. I felt heavy burdens lifted from my heart whenever I received my mentor’s emails which reminded me of prayer support at home.

Likeminded Community

There was never a moment when I could not share my heart and struggles with my fellow associates. In cities like Beijing, international churches provide Christian fellowship, but fellow tentmakers can hold one another account-able to their vision and purpose in ways that heterogeneous and loosely organized small group structures cannot.

As part of the same network, we shared the same Kingdom values, the same love for the people we worked among, and the same desire to make Christ known in the workplace. We have our own jobs but because of our common interest and commitment, our friendship started on a higher level than a typical Christian community.

Expanded Ministry Opportunities

Another reason why I joined this network was to do ministry with other professionals. I found such a friend in “PL” whom I got to know as a friend and prayer partner. After we both joined the network, our friendship extended to becoming fellow associates and ministry partners. As we met every week to pray, we discovered that we share the same desire to disciple young professional women and live out servant leadership. Therefore, we launched a women’s small group. Given our busy work schedules – I as a training manager at a large corporation and PL as business director of a brand new IT startup company – our integration of ministry, friendship, and organizational affiliation was efficient and energizing. It deepened our community as we lived and served together, and yielded more fruits as well.

While there may be no organization that will meet all of our needs and preferences, Christian professionals going to serve in China should consider their mission prayerfully and identify the needed support to achieve their best on the field. Self-awareness about one’s needs is pivotal in selecting the right supporting organization. My China tentmaking experience is a story about God’s faithfulness expressed through the community of likeminded peers and mentors whose words, lifestyles, gifts, and service inspired and taught me to serve in the same manner the young Chinese working women that He had called me to influence. May you also experience His guidance and provisions in your journey.

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