In the past, the Church talked about ‘tent-makers.’ The Apostle Paul was perhaps the most famous of these (Acts 18:1-4) as he used his skills and worked with others who made tents. He shared with people as he worked, and then, on the Sabbath, he went into the synagogues to tell people about Jesus. As believers, we don’t all need to make tents, but we can allow our work and faith to combine as Paul did.
These days we use the term ‘marketplace worker.’ Many see this as a way to take Jesus into the least-reached areas of the world, and to countries where it is difficult to get a long-term visa. There are many marketplace workers in the Arabian Peninsula (AP). Workers enter a country and are employed by local companies, working in many sectors including health, education, construction, finance and more. OM does not supply jobs but works with other organizations to help people find placements. Then OM and ministry partners help people in the region intentionally reach out to those around them through their work and everyday lives.
“We can’t separate work and ministry. We see it as the same thing,” explained RJ, the leader of OM’s work in the AP. “Your ministry is at your work. Ministry starts with how you do your work, treat others and interact with people in your workplace — or as someone else put it, work is worship. We focus on broad sowing and starting discipleship when the opportunity comes up. Discipleship starts when you interact with another person.
“We encourage followers of Jesus to live out a life devoted to God in the marketplace and the local community, being the fragrance of Christ by being who God created them to be in all aspects of life and being able to be 100 percent transparent in who they are and why they live where they live. We like to call it a ‘credible presence.’ Marketplace workers have to be mature enough to want to be accountable to each other and the mission ahead of them, so that they might see vibrant communities of Jesus followers around them.”
OM-Operation Mobilization is a faithful partner of The Bolick Foundation.