We have talked about prayer, power, and presence…foundational for an effective tentmaking ministry; however, perhaps one of the simplest, yet most overlooked “P” is PROCLAMATION. As Peter say, “We need to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have”!
Biggest criticism against “BAM”
Probably the main criticism that I hear towards people who are doing BAM or tentmaking is that they get so focused on doing business, they lose focus of the ministry.
The “M” part of BAM is crucial – our lives should be always proclaiming Christ.
But how can we do that better?
Proclamation through words
One of the things that our team has focused on is proclaiming the name of Jesus with our words. We ask the Lord for specific opportunities to share the Word of God with our friends and business associates. We want the Word of God to be part of normal conversation with all people.
But won’t you offend people? Not usually. We have found that most of our friends are so used to talking about spiritual things that it is not abnormal for us to also talk about things of the Lord.
One thing for sure, if you are not intentional about speaking the Name of Jesus, you will probably do it very little.
Learning scripture, stories, bridges and sharing from your very life are perfect ways to proclaim to the dying people around. Even your business friends can hear about how Christ has affected your business philosophy…proclaim it!
Lifestyle Proclamation
We also need to be aware the our lives are proclaiming something at all times. We are either being an example of Christ or not… People are watching you.
You may not realize it, but your neighbors, business partners, and friends are all watching you. Remember that your life can also “proclaim” a difference.
Whether it is how you treat the poor, love your family, or honor others above yourself, people will notice a difference.
One time there were some ladies sitting in a public area and some local ladies approached them. They began to talk and share about life! All of sudden the local ladies invited these Americans home with them for a meal…this is what they said…”We notice that you all dress different than other foreigners. You all dress modestly and our parents would be happy to have someone like you in our house.”
A simple thing like the way you dress can impact those around…let your life proclaim Jesus.