Working Abroad with Purpose: The Way of a Tentmaker

The wise King Solomon gives us this proverb: Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings (Prov 22:29). This book wont ensure that you and your professional skills end up meeting kings but it will show how you and your training can be planted among unreached people abroad. By taking a job in your field of expertise you gain far more than a paycheck; rather a network of relationships with colleagues and neighbors. In doing so you will learn that you are in good company with the Apostle Paul and thousands of other tentmakers in church history. Deckert draws on his tentmaking experience with his wife and children spanning twenty years and six countries. Readers will learn of a biology professor colleague in the Middle East who on hearing the gospel over lunch replied Thats different. Thats wonderful. No one ever taught me that before. In another country a nationally ranked chess player after reading the Gospels was moved to tears saying He died for me. Im a sinner. This book takes you through twelve key areas of tentmaking from finding a job to retirement. God created us to do good work and called us to make disciples. Too often we see those two things competing for our loyalty unnecessarily. Glenn invites us to see the ways vocation and mission meet authentically and beautifully. --Ruth D. Hubbard Vice President Urbana InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA Glenn Deckers years of experience overseas and his insightful and sometimes amusing personal stories make reading Working Abroad with Purpose: The Way of a Tentmaker not only informative but also delightful. This is a must-read for those working as tentmakers. For many the biblical survey of tentmaking will be new and inspiring. This book will be an encouragement to those facing the difficult task of learning a new language. The emphasis on hospitality is surely what is needed to make headway into new and challenging cross-cultural settings. --Chester Wood Dean of PhD Programs (retired). Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology/Africa International University Working Abroad With Purpose is a must read for everyone--not just those contemplating overseas work but for the entire church. Glenn Deckert is a supremely dedicated Christ follower whose writing only scratches the surface of who he is. --Wayne Shabaz president CDAWN Learning Glenn D. Deckert has masters degrees from Wheaton College and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a masters degree and a PhD in education from the University of Illinois. For sixteen years he taught in Iran Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. He served in Qatar Moldova and Azerbaijan in state department programs and numerous countries as a volunteer. He retired from Eastern Michigan Universitys Department of Foreign Languages as an associate professor.